-- KrOB'S Film Farm -- Faust (1994): Jan Švankmajer's version of Faust, using Goethe's and Christopher Marlowe's tales as well as heaps of surrealism, screens tonight at 8 p.m. at Chez Poulet, Cesar Chavez (Army) and Mission Streets; free. -- Minnie Driver: Why should you see her? Well, she has an Oscar nomination under her belt. Granted, it's for the XY-heavy emo-porn shitfest Good Will Hunting -- but Driver's got an Oscar nomination nonetheless.......

Last week's winner, the SF Weekly: What? MORE letters about Rainbow? Matt Smith threatens to derail Newsom's gubernatorial campaign if he doesn't do something about parking. Rape awareness campaigns in the Castro. Cover article: a man who went through the SF court program designed to assist the mentally ill homeless. Ha! We like the headline "Fresno? Fres Yes!" A locally-written musical about San Francisco life. This picture of the dancing Starbucks baristas is excellent. Meredith......

We were as surprised as anyone when we received media accreditation to attend this Saturday's San Francisco Symphony's Black & White Ball, described as "one of the world's most extravagant black tie parties." We've been hitting Thrift Town, the yoga studio, and the self-tanner in anticipation of tomorrow's event, which runs at the Civic Center from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. We're trying to act all cool about this, but we're super excited to......

How did we miss this last week? Mixing two offenses recently made popular by Minnie Driver (actors playing the role of "earnest singer-songwriter") and Shawn Colvin (artists appearing on "Oprah" to divulge details about personal struggles in the same week their new CD comes out), Robert Downey Jr. came out with his debut album The Futurist last Tuesday. That was the same day of his "Oprah" appearance, for anyone who's counting. Music is all......

roundup of the Bay Area weeklies (SF only this week, sorry)....