Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Cinema

The Brain. Sure, watching television is probably "bad" for couch potatoes who have been known to binge an entire Netflix series in one weekend (Hello, Santa Clarita Diet)—but at least the risk is limited to bad eyesight and antisocial tendencies instead of, say, mind control. It's mind over matter in The Brain, an ’80s film about a mad scientist/television host and a giant space brain teaming up to take over the great white north through the airwaves. Don't miss out: This is the last of the BAD BRAINS movies this month at the Loft. 8 p.m. Monday, March 27. Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $3.

But I'm A Cheerleader. Natasha Lyonne is probably best known for her role as Nicky Nichols on Orange is the New Black, where she plays a heroin-addicted inmate known for her wild hair, mischievous smile and lady killer charms. OITNB won't have a new season out until June, but you get your lesbian cinema fix when the Loft screens But I'm a Cheerleader. The film stars (you guessed it!) Natasha Lyone as a young woman named Megan whose parents ship her off to a gay-to-straight conversion camp hoping she'll be able to focus on back handsprings instead of boobs during cheerleading practice. We don't want to spoil anything, but those camps never work. Michelle Williams, RuPaul (out of drag) and the guy who played Rufio also show up in this cinematic delight. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 26. Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $6.

Forbidden Planet. Space nerds, this is the movie event for you. Participate in National Evening of Science on Screen with Astronomer/longtime UA professor Chris Impey is coming to the Loft Cinema to discuss all things space travel and developing human colonies on other planets—fittingly tied in with a viewing of the 1956 classic sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet, where the crew of the starship C-57D have to uncover the mysteries of Dr. Morbius and the alien Krell. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 28. Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $9.50.

Movie Poster Sale. Take a second and look around at your walls. A little blank, eh? Surround yourself with scenes from your favorite flicks by purchasing movie posters from the Loft Cinema. Here's what the theater is promising at their poster sale which takes place the last Saturday of every month: Current posters of films that have ended their run during the month; miscellaneous Film posters of films the Loft did not show; and more than 100 posters (at least 50 titles) from their current poster inventory.At the end of the sale, the remaining posters will be donated to a local arts program. 8-11 a.m. Saturday, March 25. Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $5 per poster.

Dr. Strange at the Drive-In. We’ve been around this town long enough to remember those high-school days of squeezing into the trunk to sneak into the much-missed De Anza Drive-In—and we sure wish this cowtown still had a drive-in that was regularly open. There is a group of drive-in fans trying to make that happen with the nonprofit Cactus Drive-In Theatre Foundation, but while the hunt is on for a permanent home for those massive screens, the group is hosting the occasional drive-in flick at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet. This weekend, the group is screening Marvel’s most recent blockbuster, Dr. Strange. Catch a little movie magic at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 26, in the swap meet’s north parking lot, 4100 S Palo Verde Road. Organizers advise that you should only enter the north lot to get to the flick. Also, they’ll be directing larger vehicles and hatchbacks to park in the back or on the far right and far left side so as to not screw up the view for everyone else, so try to show a bit of courtesy if you’re behind the wheel of one of those. The suggested donation is $15 per vehicle.

Fun in General

Con-Nichiwa. If you’re a fan of Dragonball Z, Himura Kenshin or Yagami Light, you’ll want to get to the Con-Nichiwa this weekend. The American anime convention returns to Tucson on Friday, March 25 through Sunday, March 27 at the Tucson Convention Center. It’s three days of anime fun with actors, animators and even performers such as Chii Sakurabi, a J-POP singer and recording artist from Tokyo, Japan known for her high-energy music, angelic voice, and kawaii style. And there will be plenty of lessons on how to get your cosplay right. Full weekend membership is $45.

Odyssey Storytelling. The past 13 years, Odyssey Storytelling has created community through monthly live storytelling events. Founder Penelope Starr celebrates the release of her book The Radical Act of Community Storytelling: Empowering Voices in Uncensored Events during a fundraiser emceed by David Fitzsimmons from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 24. YWCA Southern Arizona, 525 N. Bonita Ave. $10 suggested donation.

Succulent Bowls with Mimosas. All the best gardening clubs involve a little bit of drinking. Green Things got that memo and thought, “If we offer mimosas, they will come.” Get that drink in your hand and learn how to construct a beautiful little desert haven at this Saturday morning gardening class. The $5 class fee includes your drink, but no other supplies. Planets and pots will be available for purchase, but you can also bring supplies of your own. Don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook so they bring enough booze. 10 a.m. to noon. Saturday, March 25. Green Things, 3384 E. River Road.

The Office Trivia Night: That’s What She Said Edition. Have you ever gotten a new job, only to find yourself completely identifying with the poor, unfortunate souls in The Office? Binge watch the whole show to experience some catharsis, then put your “research” to good use by dominating at trivia night. Teams can have one to six people, and you should probably pick your team based on which of your friends squeal with delight when you yell, “Dwight, you ignorant slut!” in their direction. 7-10 p.m. Tuesday, March 28. Casa Video Film Bar, 2905 E. Speedway Blvd.

Animal Love

Diamonds in the Ruff. You know the internal struggle: You want to buy a new rug, but there are so many homeless animals in the world! However should you distribute your paycheck? Worry not, dear animal/décor lover. You can contribute to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona while bidding on your favorite hand-woven rugs from around the world, with 10 percent of each purchase donated to HSSA. There will be hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and live jazz. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the auction starts at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 25. On Sunday, March 26, doors open at noon and the auction starts at 2 p.m. Karomo Rugs, 3630 E. Fort Lowell Road.

Trail Dog Day. Want to adopt a dog? Want to find about local businesses who can do cool things for your dogs? This Sunday marks the third annual Trail Dog Day at Trail Dust Town. There will be booze and there will be adoptable dogs—sounds like an ideal Sunday afternoon. 10 a.m. Sunday, March 26. Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road.

Books

Tucson Weekly Arts and Entertainment Editor Brian Smith is celebrating the publication of his book of short stories, Spent Saints, with a pair of readings this weekend. Smith will be at the Owl's Club, 236 S. Scott Ave., from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 25. On hand to entertain the crowd alongside Smith will be fellow authors Isaac Kirkman, Billy Sedlmayr. and John Freeman, as well as some violin from Brian's brother, Barry Smith, and piano from Nick Letson. You'll also have a chance to see 11 short films by various directors inspired by Smith's stories. Then on Sunday, March 26, Smith will read from the book at 2 p.m.  at Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, 6230 E. Speedway. Get a taste of the book that author Laurie Notaro has praised as as a collection that "reaches down to the bottom rung and pulls up despair as it melts into unlikely beauty, brings the reader dangerously close to unfolding, ominous dread and unveils the side of life that is dark, wanting and formidable."

Community

American Friends Service Committee-AZ Centennial. This group takes on Arizona crazyland, challenging the state’s private prison love affair and taking on mass incarceration and immigrant detention. Help them celebrate their 100th birthday on from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at La Cocina, 201 N. Court Ave. Tucson desert rock icon Billy Sedlmayr will perform alongside poetry readings from the North Star Collective. There’s also a silent auction to raise funds for the program’s ongoing work. La Cocina will donate 10 percent of all sales this night. afscarizona.org

Music

KFMA Day. Powerhouse local alt-radio station KFMA trips the day electric with the fattest punk-metal-pop flourishes on earth. You’ll hear unyielding fist-jacking choruses, youthful balls-to-walls guitars, as well as heavyweight vets like Blink 182 (who, make no mistake, to this day, turn pop-punk force into precision-tuned rock ’n’ roll) and A Day to Remember. Sharing this killer bill is one of our current faves here at TW HQ, Goodbye June. This suitably hirsute combo hails from the great American south and sounds in tradition with that, and boy can they write good songs with hammering riffs, the likes of which hasn’t really been heard since Buckcherry was good. So slam Monster-in-a-can until your heart-rate levels out at a good 120 BPM and dig some of the other bands too, like the heavy-menacing money riffs of Islander and the super-melodic metalist pop of Highly Suspect. What a fun, glorious day of briny push-tits and ear-ringing, shout-out madness. Sunday, March 26 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2500 E Ajo Way. $40. Doors at noon. All ages.

Lukie D. From the moment the strident horns sound and the hyper recording pops its 2/4 groove, the music is obviously authentically Jamaican. Although at its worst, Lukie D sounds cheesy and his emotional range often appears more limited than his vocals, there’s something guttural and compelling about his pristine croons. His tracks may sound more at home on the Cool Runnings soundtrack than the Harder They Come, yet there’s so much damn sweetness below the sheen. It makes us want to give in to his catalog of love songs just a little bit. Unlike other reggae-lite acts like Maroon 5 or even UB40, Lukie D grew up in the third world and his music betrays some resulting depth in spite of itself. His too-perfect covers have an undercurrent of poverty and its resultant longing for a better life that makes Lukie D a sympathetic and relatable character. God, and his AC/DC cover! Saturday, March 25, Grand Luxe Hotel Event Center (Africa Night Dance Fusion), 1365 West Grant. 9 p.m. $25. All ages.

Ozomatli with Squirrel Nut Zippers. Anyone who's been to an Ozomatli show knows it's nigh impossible not to dance. We’ve seen totally wiped EDM kids summon up their last legs to skank, old-school vatos start the set by nodding their heads only to end up passing their cane to a homie and ducking in and out of the pit. Frat boys drop their solo cups to raise the roof and get down and there's always that universal thought bubble after the first few songs—“So this is what Sublime was getting at.” One of the only acts that can energetically hold a candle to Ozomatli live is the Squirrel Nut Zippers, with their frenetic jump-jive dancehall, one part homage, one part parody. And now thanks to Trump, two of the loudest, proudest Latin American and so-called “Americana” outfits have teamed up for six shows. There's no way this won't be smokin' caliente and chido al misma vez. Tuesday, March 28, Rialto, $35, 6:30 p.m., all ages.

Dieselboy. The Philly-raised Dieselboy (Damian Higgins) is the godhead drum and bass DJ (and now a respected chef!) who made his name back in the 1990s as a gifted jungle DJ. His longevity in a world where DJ careers are usually gone with a change of seasons is remarkable; no doubt due to his crafty, chest-caving productions, and savvy ear for beats, hooks, moods and, yes, trends. He smartly released his recordings on his own badass Human Imprint, and proceeded to enjoy dubstep and electro hits. His videogame work has won over countless sets of ears. Dude’s a master at fusing the urban with the urbane, and take heads off in the process. His new “Angel Dust” kills. This is a super-rare Tucson performance at a killer downtown space. Saturday, March 25, at Solar Culture Gallery and Performance Space, 31 E. Toole. 10 p.m. $15.