Weekend Top Picks for March 23-25: Mad Monster Party, "My Joy," and More

Get yer freak on, Charlotte, at the Mad Monster Party — an entire weekend of horror films, stars, and starlets of horror films, props from horror films, and other things that'll give you the willies. Like a skaraoke contest and exhibit of reptiles. KISS's Ace Frehley and Blade Runner's Rutger Hauer will be in town for the eerie goings-on. Friday-Sunday at the Blake Hotel.

Doing their part for the Ulysses Festival, The Light Factory screens the ironically titled My Joy Sunday at 2 p.m. at UNCC's uptown building. The bleak film tells a nihilistic tale involving a truck driver who keeps picking up or bumping into shady characters. The first fiction film by acclaimed documentarian Sergei Loznitsa, My Joy is a parable of post-Communist Russia. Prepare to be depressed. Free.

The GayCharlotte Film Festival runs March 21-25 at various uptown locations. One of the most anticipated films is a documentary about gay twins from Goldsboro who move to Hollywood, write a screenplay for Dolly Parton, rent a van called "Jolene," and take a road trip from Dollywood to hand-deliver their script to the great Ms. Parton. Tornadoes, floods, and gay icon Leslie Jordan ("Beverly Leslie" from Will & Grace) are a few of the encounters the delightful twins find along the way. Hollywood to Dollywood is Friday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Mint Museum uptown. 

And there's a second niche film festival going on this weekend. The Tournées Film Fest will showcase French-language films all week — from March 19-24 — at UNCC and at the university's uptown location. And they're all free! Featured films include Persepolis, Of Gods and Men, A Prophet, and more. Visit www.filmfest.uncc.edu for the deets.

There's a good time to be had at the theater, too. Collaborative Arts's Bad Dates (a one-woman show about misadventures in dating) continues at Duke Energy Theater at Spirit Square. Around the World in 80 Days (a retelling of the classic Jules Verne story, but with five actors playing oodles of characters in a whirlwind of a show) continues at Theatre Charlotte.

Oh, and apparently there's a little movie called Hunger Games that opens this weekend.

Get out there and enjoy the weekend, monsters.