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When it comes to comedy in a cemetery, it doesn’t get much better than watching Tim Burton’s 1988 classic Beetlejuice at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery as presented by Cinespia. Starring Michael Keaton as the “ghost with the most” along with Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones in, quite possibly, their best roles ever. Definitely Glenn Shadix’s (Otho) best part for sure.

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Following up yesterday’s Funny or Die Presidential Reunion, here’s another ex-President who’s done much more than just run the country-Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter!

And not only has a book finally been written about Honest Abe’s vampire killing exploits, but a film is already in the works just as the first book of the new “period piece meets unexpected horror” sub-genre also received (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies).

Visionary directors Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov have already signed on to produce a movie adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And Lionsgate and Natalie Portman are at work adapting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with Portman producing and starring as Jane Austen’s heroine Elizabeth Bennet. Via Deadline Hollywood.

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What this weekend’s events and openings may lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality.

• New Yorkers are in for quite the creepy treat as visionary director Tim Burton invades the MOMA for a retrospective of the director’s uniquely original visions from his many odd films, sculptures, creatures, and equally quirky works on paper.

• One of the founding fathers of the lowbrow art scene, Shag (aka Josh Agle) makes a triumphant gallery return with a series of large format panoramas in Autumn’s Come Undone at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City. View a selection of the works from Shag’s website here.

• The Scion Space hosts another interesting group show in their massive Culver City residence with Euphoria Left the Room, “an exhibition addressing the sense of creativity and visionary imagination, which throughout the 20th century was set free through experimentation and what-if scenarios governed by the “if anything was possible” logic commonly displayed in Sci-fi literature and film.”

Scion Presents: ‘EUPHORIA LEFT THE ROOM’ Preview from Scion ART on Vimeo.

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So it seems that the end of Summer not only makes way for Fall, but also the beginning of the art season. If you live in the LA area, love art, like mingling with people who also love art, and enjoy drinking free alcohol while looking at said art then you’re in luck because this weekend is chock full of openings and all those things.

• The British artist collective known simply as The London Police respond to a call at the Carmichael Gallery on La Brea bringing with them Brothers in Arms, an exhibition of all new Hollywood-themed paintings, video and photography.

• Los Angeles photographer extraordinaire Doug Aitken migrates to Regen Projects on Santa Monica with a series of new text-based light boxes along with the west coast debut of the film Migration. *Also, the large-scale cinematic installation will be presented to the public on Santa Monica Boulevard projected onto the courtyard of Regen Projects II; visible only at night from sunset to sunrise. Check out some beautiful production stills from the film here.

• Cartoon master painter Kenny Scharf comes home to the Honor Fraser Gallery on La Cienega with Barberadise, a showcase of new paintings that integrate familiar icons from Scharf’s visual lexicon and implies a utopian world that is at once nostalgically comic and vibrantly cosmic.

• Camille Rose Garcia comes to the Merry Karnowsky Gallery on La Brea and brings with her The Hydra of Babylon, her latest paintings on wood and paper which explore the converging ecological and human catastrophes and the healing power of nature.

• And Then The Wind Changed so says Australian artist Anthony Lister as he brings his solo show to the venerable New Image Art Gallery on Santa Monica.

• Philip Lumbang brings his friendly faced bears and found mediums to a warehouse space in LA and transforms it all into a gallery space as he opens his show, Hug Life. Special musical guests DJ Diabetic (Shepard Fairey) and Intricate Machines will keep the show rocking all night long.

• The super successful Scion Installation 5 Tour comes to a close with Scion Art Tour: Self Portrait at the Scion Space in Culver City. Among the artists whose portraits will be auctioned off for the charity Creative Capitol include Blek Le Rat, David Choe, Ron English, Mark Mothersbaugh, Retna, Souther Salazar, Jeff Soto, Sage Vaughn and many more. Click here to take a look at the art for auction.

• Flock to the Flock Shop in Chinatown as they celebrate their 2 year anniversary with a show of Patrick Hruby’s new serigraph work in CMY Not?

• Cinespia’s second to last screening of the season brings Tim Burton’s 1985 classic comedy Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure to both the dead and undead at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

• And finally for all you music lovers and beat heads out there, spend your Sunday diggin the crates with fellow record collecting connoissieurs at the Beat Swap Meet at the Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown.

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Close out the summer this Labor Day weekend with art openings, saving our state parks by dancing your ass off and watching classic movies in unusual places around Los Angeles.

• Brooklyn based artist Jon Vermilyea brings an Attack From Space with art and a new silkscreen book to The Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake.

• Fresh friends at Fresh Pressed host Michael C. Hsiung and his cast of mythical creatures for an opening and live screenprinting of select works in Los Feliz.

• Picnicing, beer tasting and “beautiful baby” watching at the Barnsdall Art Park for an outdoor movie night featuring Jon Favreau’s Los Feliz inspired Swingers.

• Go to the Fuck Yeah Fest and help save our state parks while enjoying the musical stylings of the Black Lips, No Age, Tim and Eric and many more F-Yeahers at the Los Angeles State Historic Park.

• Buff Monster brings a Heavy Metal Ice Cream Smile to the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City just in time to cool off and close out the summer.

• Be there for Being There at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery as Cinespia presents the 1979 dramedy (and original Forrest Gump) directed by Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude) starring Peter Sellers.

• Enjoy your day off while watching the recently departed John Hughes’ 1986 classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Also at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

• Also on Saturday night, The Cinefamily on Fairfax and Paul F. Tompkins (Mr. Show) has an adventure for you should you choose to accept it: Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure directed by Tim Burton. Screening as part of the Upright Citizens Brigade’s Comedy Death Ray series.

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We all know about Spike’s Wild Things coming this fall, but did you know there’s another classic children’s story being adapted into a film? Currently in post production and slated for a Spring 2010 release, Tim Burton’s film version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland looks to be a wonder indeed. Check out USA Today’s coverage of Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway as the Red and White Queens, and completely immersive and interactive production art featuring the White Rabbit, facial roses, and of course Tweedledee and Tweedledum by clicking here or the pics below.

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