Scary Movie

FRI 10/28
It’s been established that any horror movie worth its snuff wrings just as many laughs as screams from its audience — fans of Eyes Without a Face and The Evil Dead know this well. It’s a tradition that young Kansas City filmmaker Chad Arganbright is dying to pursue. Arganbright’s 35-minute Marci’s Last Party has been in the works for the past two years. The setup is simple: three girls, a slumber party, Halloween. And though nothing could possibly go wrong, we’re going to watch anyway in hopes that something will. The film premieres Friday night at the Empire Room (334 East 31st Street, 816-561-2640) with screenings at 8:25 and 9:20. Admission is free, but Arganbright will accept donations so that Marci’s Last Party can start making the rounds at film festivals. Due to the graphic content of the liquor supplied, the event is limited to those 21 and over. Any vomit that occurs is purely incidental. See Arganbright’s Web site, www.brighteye.net, for more information. — Colin Torre

Identity Theft
Writer Richard Burgin makes music, too.

FRI 10/28
Music and prose have long been creative soul mates. John Lennon published the whimsical In His Own Write, Dylan was at his cryptic best with Tarantula, and Madonna writes children’s books. And sometimes authors want to dabble in music. Writer, Boulevard founding editor and critic Richard Burgin knows this. Tonight at 7:30, he’s at the Writers Place (3607 Pennsylvania, 816-753-1090), reading from his latest collection, The Identity Club: New and Selected Stories and Songs. Burgin’s recorded music, which is included with the collection, is reportedly Sondheim-like, with a jazz and classical feel. The songs don’t relate to the stories in any specific way, but the themes are similar in what Burgin calls an “exploration of fear.” The author won’t serenade anyone — he doesn’t sing anyway — but the reading may have musical undertones for anyone listening closely enough. Maija Devine and Richard Newman are the other featured readers. — Ray T. Barker

Booty Call

The Creative Mind Community Arts Center raises the roof.

SAT 10/29
Shake Your Booty for the Creative Mind Community not only boasts an awesome name for a street festival but also offers an enviable entertainment lineup. All of the vaunted four elements of hip-hop are present: breakdancers, DJs, MCs and the Beware All Stylebiters graffiti crew (which will create a mural during the proceedings). DJ Syke, Negro Sko, Emma Feel, Lady J and more than a dozen other acts fill out Saturday’s noon-to-midnight slate on Troost Avenue between Linwood and 31st Street. The suggested $5 donation goes to help fund the Creative Mind Community Arts Center, which provides an artistic outlet for people in the neighborhood on all of those days that don’t include outdoor extravaganzas. For more information, call 913-645-9881. — Andrew Miller