Let’s break with tradition and start with something a little more mainstream: The original Iron Man movie was, in a word, awesome. Casting Robert Downey Jr. as an alcoholic playboy who oozes charm and ego was the best choice possible, rebooting Downey’s career and kick-starting the franchise on a high note. The second movie comes out on Friday, May 7 (check listings), and we’ll have a review at ffwdweekly.com on Thursday morning, but it’s worth saying again — Iron Man 2 will more than likely be worth seeing, even with its AC/DC-based soundtrack.

But, you don’t come to this column for the blockbusters. You come for stuff like the fourth instalment of Matthew Barney’s Cremaster cycle — a gorgeous, disturbing, nigh-impenetrable series of films named for the muscle that controls the raising and lowering of the testicles. Cremaster #4 features fairies, tap-dancing creatures, motorcycle races and lord only knows what else, but I’ll leave it up to you to sort out what it all means. It screens with Barney’s Drawing Restraint #10 (which apparently consists of the artist drawing while jumping on a trampoline) at the Uptown on Wednesday, May 12. So there’s that.

A bit more straightforward (though possibly just as impenetrable to some), the Globe will host a screening of The Royal Opera’s production of The Tsarina’s Slippers on Saturday, May 8. Maybe consider taking your mom as an early Mother’s Day present, just to show her what a sophisticated, intellectual and all-around classy person she raised you to be.

Also on May 8, the ImaginAsian Film Festival will screen One Crazy Ride, an Indian comedy about a Himalayan motorcycle expedition. That’s actually the second screening this month for the fest — it kicks off with a free screening of Mao’s Last Dancer at Chinook and wraps up with All About Dad at the Plaza on May 14 — visit asianheritagecalgary.ca for more info.

Lastly, May 11 is the second Tuesday of the month, and regular readers of this column know what that means — it’s the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers’ mystery classic film screening at their offices in the Currie Barracks. Classic films, comfortable setting and the element of surprise — what more do you need?