"Running with Scissors" Director Ryan Murphy Sony Pictures Classics (Out of 5) An inspiring story about a boy with an unstable family life who grows up to be a successful writer, “Running with Scissors” is not a film for the faint of heart nor the faint of stomach. Read more...

Babel Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Paramount Vantage (Out of 5) If “Babel” is any indication of the slate of films to come this Oscar season, the voting this winter is going to be tough. Read more...

Roman battle armor, togas, kilts. You’ve all seen them and the men wearing them. Yeah, that’s right, men in skirts. I said it. Men in skirts. Read more...

Roll ‘n Rye 10990 Jefferson Blvd. $10-$15 Great roast beef can make a guy go gaga, and Roll ‘n Rye in Culver City has my friend held captive. Read more...

SHOSTAKOVICH Today, 8 p.m. Schoenberg Hall Though the regimes of 20th-century Russia produced great suffering, they also inspired great art. In honor of the 100th anniversary of renowned Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s birthday, the UCLA Philharmonia will initiate its new season with a tribute to him under the leadership of conductor Neal Stulberg, the visiting director of orchestral studies. Read more...

Not many cities in the world are built quite like Morocco’s Fes. As the country’s cultural center and one of its most ancient cities, Fes has been able to preserve a unique coexistence of traditions that spans faiths ““ and musical styles. Read more...

A snowy ski village in the dead of winter. A French river locale in the last days of spring. A bustling Italian city marked with the first leaves of autumn. Read more...