Shocking! Sleazy!

9/5-9/6

On a list of things people think about as they try to hold on to summer’s remaining pleasures, sandwiched between beer-soaked baseball games and the bikini-clad Watson’s girl, are movies at the drive-in. But drive-ins aren’t what they used to be. The Chucky Lou AV Club — which has long brought the trashy drive-in ethos to its late-night film screenings in indoor theaters — presents Sleaze Fest, two nights of splattered gore and inbred hicks. “Until the ’80s, the drive-in movie was a genuine genus,” explains Chucky Lou Svengali Gary Huggins. “Studios denied drive-in theaters access to their product, so the theaters turned to what they could get: exploitation.” Friday and Saturday at the Boulevard Drive-In (1051 Merriam Lane in Kansas City, Kansas) are devoted to revisiting that glorious past with six rarely seen films from the back alleys of bygone cinema. Friday is gore night, with The Corpse Grinders, Zombie and Eternal Evil of Asia; the night ends with a promised “acrobatic midair violation.” Saturday is Hicksploitation, with such staples as Scum of the Earth, Shanty Tramp and Black Vengeance, all featuring unwashed yokels, southern drawls, sex and violence.

Fifteen dollars buys admission to the movies plus live hip-hop and Chucky Lou’s stash of trashy trailers, vintage movie-theater ads, and other odds and ends, all rolling at 24 frames a second. — Christopher Sebela

Cinema Mania
Get a little Latin love.

SAT 9/6

In recent years, Amor es Perros, Y Tu Mama También, City of God and Talk to Her enjoyed well-attended runs at local theaters. But landlocked cinephiles can’t help but wonder what other Latin movies are out there. Juana La Loca — from Spanish director Vicente Aranda — kicks off the monthlong Latin Film Festival at the Rio Theater (7204 West 80th Street in Overland Park, 913-383-8500). This week’s flick is about insanity, a favorite theme in Spanish film, literature and history. A quick rundown: Juana de la Castilla inherits the Spanish throne in 1504. Inheriting kingdoms being a common cause of emotional turmoil, it’s no surprise that when she catches husband Philip the Beautiful cheating on her, she starts to lose her marbles. (Granted, the nickname was bound to go to his head.)

Saturday’s screening is followed by a discussion in both Spanish and English. Admission costs $4. — Gina Kaufmann

Tomboy Crazy
Fashion shows hit First Fridays.

FRI 9/5

Laura McGrew opened Tomboy, her clothing design shop at 1817 McGee, back in March. Now she’s ready to entice the crush of art lovers that will hit during this week’s First Fridays gallery walk. From 7 to 9 p.m., McGrew stages a fashion show of her creations — which range from laser-cut fabrics turned into one-of-a-kind scarves to rugged cowhide bags — and those of peers such as Christopher Leitch. The Kansas City Art Institute grad describes her target customer as “a creative professional or art collector” and promises an October show with live models in the windows. For information, call 816-472-6200. — Steve Walker

Power Play

9/4-9/14

The experimental Princess Squid Productions updates August Strindberg’s 1888 play about sexual power, class struggles and questions of trust using choreographed dances, ambient music and tribal sounds. The story of Miss Julie and her affair gone awry runs through Sunday, September 14, at the Hobbs Building (1427 West 9th Street). Advance tickets can be purchased at Recycled Sounds for $12. For showtimes, call 816-531-6639. — Michael Vennard