5 Free & Cheap Culture Events This Week

Halloween is coming up, but that doesn’t mean you should sit at home and work on your costume all week. Your idea to dress up as a zombie Caitlyn Jenner is decidedly terrible, and your brain would be much better served by spending a little time taking in some knowledge. Believe it or not, the brain is a muscle, and if you work it out, it will (probably) make you smarter. Or something.

Even if it doesn’t, you could still stand to be a little more interesting. This week, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to learn a new factoid or find a new favorite author without having to spend too much of your hard-earned cash. These five cheap (or free!) arts and culture events will help sustain your mature, thinking self through the silly fun that is Halloween. And you’ll have plenty of time to start working on a new costume. (Seriously, don’t do the Caitlyn Jenner thing. It’s terrible.)

First Hearings: Zachary Thomas Dodson
Monday, October 19
The Wild Detectives
Free
Generally, an author reading consists of, well, an author reading from his or her book. But on Monday at The Wild Detectives, Zachary Thomas Dodson will bring new meaning to the term. As he reads, Dodson will use video and other media to explore the (occasionally grim) subject matter of his newest work Bats of the Republic, a dystopian novel set in 2143.

A Very Hitchcock Halloween
Thursday, October 22
Granada Theater
$5
There’s no better way to celebrate an impending All Hallows' Eve than by scaring the absolute shit out of yourself. On Thursday, head to Granada Theater and pay just $5 for a screening of two of Hitchcock’s scariest classics, The Birds and Psycho. You might have nightmares later, but there are few cheaper ways to terrify yourself in preparation for next week’s holiday. You know, other than looking at your bank account.

Jazz on the Green
Thursday, October 22
Klyde Warren Park
Free
Dallas has plenty of great jazz clubs, but sometimes you just want to listen to the stylings of a superior saxophonist under the light of the few stars that shine over Dallas-Fort Worth. Klyde Warren Park’s regular Jazz on the Green series is a great place to catch some of Dallas’ best jazz talent, and you don’t even have to pay a dime to do it. This week, renowned musician Spencer Liszt will present his own unique take on the saxophone.

Frankenstein
Friday, October 25
The Texas Theatre
$10.50
It’s certainly scary movie season, and the oldies are definitely the best. Head to the Texas Theatre on Friday for a CinéWilde screening of the original Frankenstein in 35mm, a film that inspired the horror genre as we know it today. After the film, local writers and horror enthusiasts will share their favorite stories and engage in a discussion with LGBT film and literature professors about Frankenstein’s influence.

Book Swap
Saturday, October 24
The Reading Room
Free
You undoubtedly have a few books lying around that you’re no longer interested in, so why not pack them up and head to The Reading Room’s annual Book Swap event? Here, you’ll take in microreadings from local authors and peruse the castoffs of people much more learned than you. If that isn’t enough to convince you, there will also be beer.