LA WeeklyA Dia de Los Muertos Celebration, a Halloween double feature, an anniversary screening of Shakes the Clown with Bobcat Goldthwait and more to do this Halloween week for 11 bucks or less.
L.A.-based artist collective Mutant Salon practices radical self-care and transformation through its wildly experimental and interactive performances. In the spirit of honoring the mutant, marginalized and fabulous ancestors who paved the way, the group has organized Festival de Las Muertas, a two-day series of happenings, music, poetry and zines from members of its queer, trans, racially diverse and radically inclusive community. Performers include Ciriza, Jasmine Nyende, Project Rage Queen, Kim Ye, Wampum, Jeepneys and others. The Salon will offer a range of beautification and empowerment services, from makeup and nails to tarot readings and bodywork, but be sure to RSVP to secure a spot for a haircut from founding member Marvin Astorga. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Sat.-Sun., Oct. 29-30, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. (310) 443-7000, hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events/2016/in-real-life/mutant-salon-festival-de-las-muertas. —Matt Stromberg
Would you watch The Silence of the Lambs? I'd watch The Silence of the Lambs. I'd watch it hard. Jonathan Demme's take on the Hannibal Lecter mythos didn't actually start the series of films based on pop culture's best-known cannibal — that would be Michael Mann's Manhunter, which came out five years earlier and is well worth your time — but it did define it. Electric Dusk Drive-In, 2930 Fletcher Drive, Glassell Park; Sat., Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m. (doors at 5); $10 lawn, $14 car, $60 VIP. (818) 653-8591, electricduskdrivein.com. —Michael Nordine
'Member Ghostbusters? The Aero 'members Ghostbusters. If you took this summer's all-female reboot as a personal affront to your sensibilities and/or childhood, allay your misplaced anxieties and return to your comfort zone with a 70mm screening of the original. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Harold Ramis and Slimer remain a formidable ensemble in this paranormal comedy — even if a vocal subset of their fans have proven poor emissaries. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.; $11. (323) 466-3456, americancinemathequecalendar.com. —Michael Nordine
Family is forever in Rob Zombie's Halloween and Halloween II, which capture the spirit of John Carpenter's genre-defining slasher flicks more fully than any of the sequels. The musician-turned-director psychologizes the masked, hulking Michael Myers in his remake, showing the troubled little boy behind those dead eyes and reminding us that he's in (almost) as much pain as his victims. Though Zombie doesn't have the benefit of Jamie Lee Curtis as the ultimate final girl, his vintage aesthetic and intuitive understanding of horror makes him a worthy steward of the franchise. New Beverly Cinema, 7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax; Sun., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.; $8. (323) 938-4038, thenewbev.com. —Michael Nordine
Last year's surprise performer at the annual, oversized block party known as the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval was Boy George, and such stellar figures as Rihanna, Lisa Vanderpump, Ryan Seacrest and, most fittingly, Queen Latifah have been crowned in the past as the iconic Queen of the Carnaval. The headliner this year wasn't announced by press time, but the real stars at this li'l street soiree are the hundreds of thousands of people who show up in their own elaborately creative and often boldly lascivious costumes. It's easy to get swept away in the massive throng of walking zombies, dazed ghouls, multigendered Wonder Women, space robots and randy political parodists, so try to find an oasislike perch at an outdoor café where you can survey the endless, informal parade with relative calm. Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive & La Cienega Boulevard, West Hollywood; Mon., Oct. 31, 6-11 p.m.; free. (323) 848-6503, visitwesthollywood.com/halloween-carnaval. —Falling James
Do you think your boss doesn't appreciate you? Are you feeling more than a little subhuman on this All Saints' Day? Are you tired of your tears simply going to waste? Then come on down to Collage and Cry! This community collage night is your chance to transmogrify your misery and create something beautiful out of all your pent-up hostility. Book Show provides the materials — magazines, scissors, glue, nonjudgmentalism — and you provide the vision. Should you feel the need, bring booze to get your creative juices flowing so that you may experience the comforting catharsis that creativity brings. Book Show, 5503 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park; Tue., Nov. 1, 6:30-9:30 p.m.; $5 suggested donation. (213) 438-9551, bookshowla.com/event/collage-and-cry. —David Cotner
Smart, Funny and Black is NYC comedian Amanda Seales' monthly game show, an interactive live experience where your favorite funny people have their knowledge of black pop culture tested. This month's L.A. iteration features the breakout stars of HBO's Insecure, a delightful depiction of a black female experience outside of the confining black tropes of Hollywood. The show's creator-star, Issa Rae, and showrunner Prentice Penny (previously a producer on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and writer on Girlfriends, among others) take the hot seat while Yvonne Orji, Rae's onscreen best friend, shows off her stand-up chops. Nerdist Showroom at Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; Tue., Nov. 1, 9-10:30 p.m., $10, $8 in advance. nerdmeltla.com. —Neha Talreja
Today's a day to remember and honor the dead, which sounds as if it could be kind of dull and maudlin, but not at Self Help Graphics' Dia de Los Muertos Celebration. For the 43rd year, the Boyle Heights gallery and nonprofit hosts the free event, which features music from Chicana punk legend Alice Bag, ska band The Paranoias and Latina record collective Chulita Vinyl Club. There's also a traditional ceremonial blessing, food and craft vendors, kids activities and, naturally, face painting. Calaca garb is encouraged. Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High School, 1200 Plaza Del Sol, Boyle Heights; Wed., Nov. 2, 5 p.m.; free. (323) 881-6444, selfhelpgraphics.com. —Gwynedd Stuart
Spaceland and Alamo Drafthouse present this 25th-anniversary screening of Shakes the Clown with Bobcat Goldthwait in person. In his 1991 directorial debut, Goldthwait plays Shakes, a depressed, boozing, birthday-party clown from the fictional town of Palookaville, who's framed for his boss's murder. He's surrounded by similarly dysfunctional clowns, who hang out at a bar called the Twisted Balloon, do drugs and harass mimes. The film is really a satire of the stand-up comedy world, which put Goldthwait on the map in the 1980s, so it's no coincidence it features cameos by several big-name and soon-to-be big-name comics, including Adam Sandler, Julie Brown, Kathy Griffin, Blake Clark, Sanford and Son's LaWanda Page and Tom Kenny, the future voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, not to mention Robin Williams, who plays a caustic mime instructor by the name of Marty Fromage. The Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St., downtown; Thu., Nov. 3, 7 p.m.; $10-$15. (323) 284-5727, theregenttheater.com. —Siran Babayan
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