Deep-sea fishes’ eye chemistry may let them see colors in the dark | Lug Link

BAD REPUTATION The reputation belongs to the pioneering rock frontwoman Joan Jett, of course, and this documentary is here to burnish it.

Just Blaze had been on a hot streak since the turn of the century, and that held true in ‘05, when he blessed everyone from Fat Joe (“Safe 2 Say [The Incredible]”) and Beanie Sigel (“Bread and Butter”) to Kanye West (“Touch the Sky”) and JAY-Z (“Dear Summer”) with heat. He also gave game to the Game on his debut with “Church for Thugs” and “No More Fun and Games.” The only thing hotter than the beef between Jeezy and Gucci Mane in 2005 was their music, and both of them had Shawty Redd to thank for many of the beats that powered their respective debut discs, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 and Trap House. Meanwhile, after existing on the fringe of hip-hop for years, Three 6 Mafia finally cracked through in ‘05 with the release of Most Known Unknown. Produced entirely by DJ Paul and Juicy J, the album spawned standouts like “Stay Fly," “Poppin’ My Collar,” and “Side 2 Side.” But the biggest highlight came when they dropped the Oscar-winning “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” from the Hustle & Flow soundtrack. —Anslem Samuel Rocque

An amusing digression takes us to Vienna, where collector Philipp Teuchtler shows off the street art he has acquired before taking the camera on a tour of his neighbourhood to show how derivative the form has become, as so many artists now produce pieces to order for wealthy clients. In order to consider whether collecting street art has street cred, Proserpio seeks out artists Lee Bofkin and Good Guy Boris, who agree they would cheerfully be exhibited in museums if people took the trouble to ask them. They don’t, however, agree with the methods employed by Bologna restorer Camillo Tarozzi, who devised a way of peeling images by the likes of Blu off walls to show at the gallery curated by Luca Ciancabilla. 

THE LAST RACE Warmly received at Sundance, Michael Dweck’s documentary looks at the operations and culture of Riverhead Raceway, the last stock-car racing site on Long Island, as the couple who own it contemplate its future.

Stahelski: I was invited to the premiere, and was absolutely blown away. You could feel it in the theater. Everyone lost their s**t.

GARRY WINOGRAND: ALL THINGS ARE PHOTOGRAPHABLE The photographer (1928-84), who recorded middle-class life in New York City with “a fanatical vigor,” as Holland Cotter once wrote in The New York Times, is remembered in a documentary that argues for his vitality as an artist.

Ever wonder what Jewish people do on Christmas? Go to a movie and eat out Chinese. The Meetup group Jewish Seculars for Food, Film, and Friendship and the Lawrence Family JCC have organized this informal tradition into an annual gathering. This year, Funny Girl will show on the big screen at the Garfield Theater, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Barbra Streisand film. Chinese buffet (yes, it’s kosher) before the movie. 4:30-10 pm, December 25. $38 per person or a four-pack for $100. Reserve by December 18. For other tasty Chinese food on Christmas, visit Panda Country on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard. Be prepared to wait in line — the idea is catching on.

Part of the challenge, said S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate, associate professor of religious studies at Hamilton College and author of “Blasphemy: Art That Offends,” is that both kitsch and offense are necessarily in the eye of the beholder.

Description: TKO Studios co-founder Tze Chun and Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Girner talk about their disruptive publishing company, radical distribution model, and answer questions from the audience.

Decades of improvements have turned this onetime eyesore into a crown jewel of Sioux Falls.   And the city is looking at more upgrades.

Hikers will tell you this is an easy one. It’s also an ancient and awesome one. Kumeyaay have been coming up here to observe the winter solstice (“solstice” means “sun standing still”) for millennia. It’s a 30-40 minute walk up the Cowles Mountain trail, just under a mile, until you hook right off the main track and head for a small flat area on the south ridge of the mountain. Get here around 6:30 am. You won’t be alone. Ask around for where to look and where to stand. If you’re in the right position, the rising sun will be split into two laser beams of light by a distant boulder summit. It’s an awesome beginning for a new year. Good group to go with: San Diego Natural History Museum Canyoneers.

However, publicist Luke Trevaskis is in favour of salvaging artworks and we go to Liverpool to meet collector Tony Braxter as his crew removes an item from a wall in Roe Alley, which has the reputation of being one of the toughest in the city. But Lazarides counters claims that they are in the heritage business and accuses them of being thieves out to line their pockets. The scene shifts to New York, where collector Stephan Keszler, who began acquiring Banksys after exhibiting them in his gallery. But he admits to selling them for whopping sums because that’s also part of his business and British collector Robin Burton suggests he is merely stepping in to protect pictures for which the local community refuse to take responsibility by stumping up the cash to safeguard them.