Best bets

Zombies and those who love them

Tonight, those trash movie-loving weirdos (and we mean that with love) over at the Carolina Theatre in Durham have something new for the faithful freakazoids (again, with love) who attend their monthly Retrofantasma double feature. It starts off with "Day of the Dead," George A. Romero's 1985 installment in his famed zombie four-pack, at 7:30. After that, instead of a movie, the audience will get "Trailerpalooza," 104 minutes of vintage horror/sci-fi/action/exploitation trailers handpicked by the Carolina Theatre staff. So, if you loved those fake, brilliantly schlocky trailers Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino stuck in the middle of "Grindhouse," come tonight and get more than an hour of the real thing. Tickets: $6.75. Details: 560-3030; festivals.carolina theatre.org/retrofantasma.

Where the wild things are

If the rose garden at Raleigh Little Theatre doesn't put you in awe of nature's delicacy and enchanting allure, walk a few yards farther and Paperhand Puppet Intervention will seal the deal. "Garden of the Wild," in the outdoor amphitheater tonight through Sunday and May 19 and 20, is a whimsical, funny and bittersweet series of vignettes that's sure to inspire kids and grown-ups alike to recommit to caring for our Earth and its creatures. Shows are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; $13 for children age 6 to 17; free for children 5 and younger. Tickets are good for any night. Call or go online for weather-related updates. Details: 821-3111 or www.raleighlittletheatre.org.

Get some hip action

Wondering how to bond with your Mom or child on Mother's Day weekend? How about focusing on your old stomping ground: the belly. Sadiya Belly Dance is hosting a mother-daughter belly dance workshop Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Ninth Street Dance in Durham. Don't fret about your age; it's open to anyone from toddlers to grannies. And if you like it, you can continue your studies together in a mother-daughter summer course at ArtsCenter in Carrboro. Saturday's event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit N.C. Dance Alliance. Admission is $10 per person. You can register at the door or online at www.sadiyabelly dancer.com. Details: 968-2471.

High school musical, '50s style

If Disney's "High School Musical" gave you chills that are multiplying, N.C. Theatre's "Grease!" just may make you lose control. Based in a high school in the 1950s, Broadway's "Grease!" shares several plot points with the Disney hit that just played an 11-show sold-out run here: Students from different cliques meet outside of school and fall in love, but can their bond withstand peer pressure? But "Grease" has some PG-13 elements, chief among them the the promiscuous Rizzo's suspected pregnancy. Shows are at 7 for tonight's student/teacher preview; 8 p.m. Saturday and Tuesday through May 18; 2 p.m. Sunday; 2 and 8 p.m. May 19; 2 and 7 p.m. May 20. Tickets are $25 to $75; $10 for the student/teacher preview. To order, call 834-4000 or go to www.ticketmaster.com.