The Black Cat becomes a hotspot for movies and drinks

Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze and Tom Cruise star in 1983's "The Outsiders," which screens at the Black Cat on Sunday night. Grab a $5 beer-and-a-shot combo and enjoy. (Warner Bros)

The first week of January is traditionally a slow time for music clubs. The 9:30 club is dark until Thursday, the Rock and Roll Hotel only has DJs Wednesday and Thursday, and there are no shows at the Black Cat until ... Thursday. So what do you do with all the empty dates on your schedule? If you're the Black Cat, you set up a movie screen on the back stage, show free films and offer themed drinks for $5 a pop, with the appropriate title of "Drink & a Movie."

It's fiendishly simple, and the pairings are dead on. Sunday's "Pain Don't Hurt," double feature offers back-to-back Patrick Swayze in "Road House" and "The Outsiders," and the special is a pony beer and a whiskey shot for $5.

Monday's Vampire Weekday (har) brings the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie and Corey-and-Corey classic "Lost Boys" together, and adds house-made Bloody Marys.

The following night, the theme is Grrrls Gone Wild with the 1980 bad-teens-gone-to-camp film "Little Darlings" and 1985's "The Legend of Billie Jean." Appropriately enough for two films about '80s teen girls, the bartenders will be whipping up their own versions of wine coolers.

The series ends on a high note with Keep it Classy: you'll get 1930s black-and-white romps "The Thin Man" and "Topper," plus discounted glasses of champagne.

Each night's films begin at 8:30 p.m.

-- Fritz Hahn