Do It!: ‘Samurai Trilogy,’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Tokimonsta

FRIDAY-TUESDAY

‘Samurai’ films to be screened at art museum

Heeyah! Sharpen your swords for the “Samurai Trilogy,” a classic series of films made in the mid-1950s about Japan’s most famous samurai, Musashi Miyamoto.

Starring the great Toshiro Mifune in his signature role, the three films trace Musashi’s development from a wild romantic seeking glory on the battlefield into a spiritually enlightened yet cunning swordsman who never loses a duel. (Aside from his prowess as a swordsman, the real Musashi is known for writing “The Book of Five Rings,” a book about strategy and overcoming obstacles that became a kind of bible to Japanese business people.)

Director Hiroshi Inagaki delivers some quintessential moments in Japanese film: beautiful scenes of traditional Japanese villages, huge battle scenes and epic duels, especially the final one with the elegant Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta). And who could forget the women: the conniving Akemi (Mariko Okada) and the sincere but forlorn Otsu (Kaoru Yachigusa), always tragically left behind as Musashi ventures off to another duel.

The films are showing this week as part of this month’s Japanese Cinema festival at the Honolulu Museum of Art. See the entire trilogy Saturday, with “Samurai I” screening at 1 p.m., “Samurai II” at 4 p.m. and “Samurai III” at 7:30 p.m. If you prefer your swordplay in slices, “Samurai I” also screens at 1 p.m. today and Sunday; “Samurai II” screens at 7:30 p.m. today and 1 p.m. Tuesday; and “Samurai III” screens at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

Famed Dirty Dozen to perform in islands

The bright sound of New Orleans jazz joins with modern funk, hip-hop and R&B when the celebrated Dirty Dozen Brass Band comes to town for a short stop at Blue Note Hawaii and a tour of the islands.

For 35 years the band has played music that trumpeter Gregory Davis likens to a “pot of gumbo,” producing a joyful energy along with a compelling drive. The sound has attracted the likes of Dr. John, Dizzy Gillespie, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, the Dave Matthews Band and the Black Crowes, all of whom have recorded with the band.

The band got its start as the house band for a club in New Orleans that was trying to preserve the custom of providing proper funeral arrangements for families too poor to afford a full service. Brass bands would play somber music during the funeral procession, then burst into dance music afterward. That tradition was represented in the band’s 2004 album, the melancholy (and critically praised) “Funeral for a Friend,” and, to some extent, in “What’s Going On,” a 2006 remake of Marvin Gaye’s classic album made in the aftermath of the Katrina disaster.

The band plays Tuesday and Wednesday at Blue Note Hawaii, hops over to the Kauai Beach Resort on Thursday, then flies to Hawaii island for a performance at the Kahilu Theatre in Kamuela on Oct. 14 and the Kress Theater in Hilo on Oct. 15. Get information on neighbor island shows at lazarbear.com.

SATURDAY, OCT. 15

Comedian Kimee Balmilero will debut 2 new productions

Things have been coming up golden for Kimee Balmilero, pictured, the former Broadway and TV actor who’s returned to the islands. She’s got a recurring role as Dr. Noelani Cunha on “Hawaii Five-0,” directed Diamond Head Theatre’s recent production of “Mamma Mia!” and established herself as an improv expert, both as a coach and as a performer.

This month she’s producing two new shows, a musical improv comedy to be held Saturday at the Pagoda Hotel and a sketch comedy to be performed Oct. 15 at the Doris Duke Theatre.

Balmilero said the musical improv comedy will be like “Broadway meets ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’” and will feature “Mamma Mia” star Sarah Halford. “The Musical Improv Comedy Show” will include a karaoke session during which guests can sing their favorite show tunes.

The Oct. 15 production is dubbed “The Scratch Paper Sketch Comedy Show” and will feature live music and original material by local writers. The event is a launching pad for the Hawaii Sketch Comedy Festival, which Balmilero is planning to hold for third time in October 2017. Find out more or buy tickets at honolulumuseum.org.

FRIDAY

L.A. DJ to bring unusual, dreamy beats to Honolulu

Hip-hop electronic producer Tokimonsta, pictured, brings her unique vision of sound to the Republik today.

The Los Angeles native also known as Jennifer Lee started out studying classical piano but rarely played an entire piece from start to finish, preferring instead to just play the parts she liked. “It’s like my early rudimentary form of sampling,” she told the music website L.A. Record. She became interested in hip-hop for the beats more than the lyrics, a sensibility has enabled her to create unusual textures in sound, accompanied by sparse, dreamy lyrics.

She’s performed at Coachella, SXSW and other major festivals, and at a previous Honolulu performance she received an enthusiastic reception. Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times and LA Weekly, which named her “LA’s Best Female DJ,” have put her in the spotlight, while tunes from her albums, “Midnight Menu” (2010), “Half Shadows” (2013), “Desiderium” (2014) and this year’s “Fovere” along with numerous EPs and singles have earned airtime on radio stations worldwide.

Local DJs Tittahbyte, Delve and DJ Kurokumo will join in the music-making.