Def Jam

High-definition films on the big screen

FRI 9/9

With 500 lines of resolution, digital video makes movies appear hyperreal. But DV's techier cousin -- high-definition video -- has 1,080 lines. So when you're watching Canadian Zombie on the big screen, you might get truly scared. Just hope there aren't any beach scenes; mutants in banana hammocks might be too much to handle.

The annual HDFest showcases films that were shot in hi-def format exclusively. It takes place Friday night at the Gateway Cinema 4 (1820 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale), where high-tech projectors ensure that no quality is lost between the projection booth and the screen.

The lights go down at 6 p.m. for a screening of the documentary Marry Me: Stories from the San Francisco Weddings, followed by eight short films including Canadian Zombie, In Heaven as It Is on Earth (a Norwegian comedy), the animated 'oby, and Untitled:003 -- Embryo (about a man who unexpectedly receives a helmet in the mail -- "when a friend accidentally tries on the helmet, it steals his mind and feeds it to a strange creature now growing inside the bell jar."). A feature film, Moving Malcolm, follows; it's a romantic comedy starring Elizabeth Berkley. Admission costs $7. Techno-junkies who want to talk about hi-def's impending takeover of Earth can join a discussion panel on Saturday. For details, visit www.hdfest.com. -- Deirdra Funcheon

Is That an Ant in Your Pant?

Or do you just love dancehall?

FRI 9/9

You know what they say: If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, call it what it is -- a duck. So if it walks like a dancehall superstar, dances like it's got some jiggy-ass ants in its pants, and talks in Jamaican patois ("Mi waan fi dance"), call it what it is: a contestant in a "big reggae dance competition." That's how organizers describe the "Dance Arama" party at Top Hop Gardens (4340 N. State Rd. 7, Lauderdale Lakes), where challengers will shake what their mommas gave them for $500 in cash prizes. Sounds will be thrown down by Fire Links (who are coming all the way from Jamaica), Fort Lauderdale's Cairyi Sweetness and Fettuchini, and locals Queen Nicky and King Popeye. Doors open at 11 p.m., and dancing starts at 12:30 a.m. For more information or if you want to register to compete, call 954-647-2793. -- Deirdra Funcheon

A Goth Safari

Vamped Up

FRI 9/9

Everyone loves girls with electrical tape on their boobs and dudes in tight vinyl unitards. Well, a whole bunch do, at least -- the ones who are turning out to the "Return of Vamp Fridays." This Friday, the goth umbrella that is Abusement Park Entertainment brings its long-running weekly event to a new home, the Safari Room at the Coliseum Nightclub (2520 S. Miami Rd., Hollywood). Abusement Park founder Josepher and his army of darkness cross over into the divergent catacombs that are loosely connected to goth culture, including fetish fashion, industrial, EBM, and new wave. This spooky spectacular can be appreciated by hard-core goths, romantics, or anyone who just needs a good spanking. Call 954-822-6350, or visit www.abusementparkent.com. -- Dominic Sirianni

Bellies and a Beast

TUE 9/13

There's world music, and then there's modern world music. There's belly dance, and then there's belly-dance fusion. There are DJs, and then there's DJ Wonder Warthog, from EarthNoize Groove Collective. Let him show you the difference as he (along with DJ Misto) oversees "Turca Groove Tuesday" at A La Turca Mediterranean Restaurant (2027 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood). Admission costs $5. Call 954-925-5900. -- Deirdra Funcheon