Sweet Dreams

 FRI 10/14
Eric Grimes, curator of Tetanus: Pretty Nightmares, wants it known that his exhibit has absolutely nothing to do with the "candy-toned, trite" holiday that happens to fall at the end of this month. Instead, Grimes says, the show celebrates the "aesthetics of spook and rust" — which is perhaps a poetic way of saying it'll scare the bejesus out of you. To put together the show, Grimes conjured up and distributed to his artists an exhibition statement that reads like a hot list for cannibals: torso rupture onto asphalt, scraping meat from bones with spoon, drinkable blood, animal heads and skins. Another entry suggests that the show should walk "the fine line between horror and beauty." These ideas served as guidelines for the group, which includes Skribe, Jay Norton, Anne Pearce, Seth Johnson, Gear and others; each has created original works for the show or selected previously finished pieces that reflect Grimes' themes.

Grimes says the concept for Tetanus burned in his brain for the past three years. It finally opens from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and runs through November 11 at the Fahrenheit Gallery in the West Bottoms (1717 West Ninth Street, 816-304-5477). Be sure to keep an eye out — but not literally — for the limited-edition print sets; attendees are encouraged to wear masks. — Ray T. Barker

Dead Men Walking
This land is your land ...

MON 10/17
There's this thing about the dead this time of year. They keep turning up everywhere. Like on Monday, when the director's cut of George A. Romero's Land of the Dead comes to town. Released in June, the fourth installment in the gore master's Dead series doesn't reach the chilling peaks of his 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead — but then, few movies do. Land of the Dead appears more mainstream on the surface, but it contains signature Romero elements: scathing social commentary, plenty of violence, and excellent makeup effects (plus an exclusive Romero interview and a truly evil Dennis Hopper). Catch the area's only screening at 8 p.m. at Kansas City Stadium 18 Cinemas (3200 Ameristar Drive). — Barker