There was once a time when a movie about Michael Jordan joining up with a basketball team comprised of Looney Tunes characters could earn a “thumbs up” from Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. That era was the 1990s, and it was a simpler time — a time when someone actually…
The code of the Samurai says that “there is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment.” Dallas is taking a moment to celebrate the history and culture of the ancient warrior-poet class of feudal Japan with Matsuri! A Samurai Celebration. The event is being held June,…
Before you correct me with your endless knowledge of American history, no, this is not a typo: The Juneteenth Blues & Jazz Festival is happening on from 3-9 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. The African American Museum’s annual celebration may be a few days late, but it’s worth the wait…
Soccer ranks somewhere just below lawn darts and non-metaphorical rat racing in American popularity. It’s got some American fans but not the kind of ravenous sports head who can start riots if a rival fan celebrates a goal just a little bit too long. Of course, that means you don’t…
You know what word gets a lot of play? “Indie.” There was a time when that was merely the nickname of the world’s sexiest archeology professor, Indiana Jones. Now we shorten and then overuse every word in the English language, until our vocabulary melts into oblivion. But it’s like totes…
Since its inception three years back, the Oak Cliff Film Festival has proven there’s plenty of room at the cinematic table for another Dallas fest offering. Hubbed at the Texas Theatre (231 W. Jefferson Blvd.) the fellas of Aviation Cinema designed OCFF with the goal of keeping it hyperlocal –…
Get your fat pants ready for Flavors of Dallas, a five-course dinner spectacle full of fine wines and gourmet food. This unique event is an assembly of the top chefs around Dallas-Fort Worth where guests are sat at elegantly decorated tables, each one designed by one of the chefs. Patrons…
It’s impossible to accurately describe an Eddie Izzard show. Intellectually dazzling, multi-lingual stream of consciousness? Well, yeah, it’s that, but way, way more fun than that sounds. He dives into history, religion, culture, nature and language – but with silly voices and physical comedy that can leave a crowded hall…
The late proto-beat poet/filmmaker James Broughton currently exists as little more than a footnote in the annals of queer underground cinema. A poet’s poet, Broughton’s works have remained largely unknown outside of San Francisco’s experimental cognoscenti. The good people behind CinéWilde -the monthly LGBTQ film series at Texas Theatre (231…
Fun House Theatre and Film had preteens play Stalin. It cast kids in a play by Neil LaBute. They spoofed potty-mouth playwright David Mamet. It’s all been good, clean fun. But we wonder about this Game of Thrones, Junior show opening at Fun House (1301 Custer Road., Plano) at 7:30…
By The Way, Meet Vera Stark is showing at Theatre Three. It’s not a new story, but it’s a captivating one. If you want the Cliff Notes of Cliffs Notes, keep reading. “Hollywood, 1930, movies were glitzy, glamorous and all the rage. Everyone wanted to be a starlet, including Vera…
By Scott Mitchell This weekend, there will be a bit of competition for your indie film appreciation. While the Oak Cliff Film Festival takes over West Dallas, the inaugural Dallas Indie Film Festival will be going down this weekend from June 19 to 22 at the Bath House Cultural Center…
In the past month, I have received five press releases about upcoming productions of 13 Shakespeare plays. Well, technically one is a performance of his sonnets. If Mama Mia! is ubiquitous, Billy Shakes is omnipresent. As a nerdy lit major in college, the idea that I would someday grow tired…
“They are all untitled, and I think he did it on purpose, so as to minimize preconceptions that might influence anyone looking at them,” curator Dr. Karin Oen tells me as she walks me through the installation of artist Shen Wei’s exhibition at the Crow Collection of Asian Art. The…
When you have an appointment to meet George Quartz, there’s necessarily some uncertainty about who will show up. Will you be speaking with Bryan Campbell, the man behind the man George Quartz? Or should you prepare yourself for the flurry of ostrich feathers and blaze of neon light that would appropriately accompany his alter ego?
By Scott Mitchell Walking around the streets of Dallas Saturday afternoon at East Dallas Gallery Day spaces, you may have been getting a few mixed signals. For starters, the area around Deep Ellum and Expo Park was dominated by the Elm Street Tattoo and Music Festival the entire weekend. So,…
People who talk through movies are the absolute worst. No matter how funny the clever asides may be, nobody likes a movie talker. But sometimes there’s nothing better than quoting along with or poking fun at an old film – especially if the person doing the poking is a stand-up…
Aviation Cinemas staked its claim to Dallas’ film circuit three years ago with the annual Oak Cliff Film Festival, and from the onset OCFF’s programmers did things differently. A blend of old and new, the festival brings together the latest in experimental film from the indie world along with repertory…
Ravenous is a film-shaped UFO: It’s so delightfully weird that its very existence defies logic. Imagine a film that makes A Modest Proposal–style satire out of Dracula’s gothic horror tropes in the spaghetti western milieu of The Great Silence. It’s a pitch-black comedy about Manifest Destiny and cannibal frontiersmen. Set…
There are no new stories. It’s a maxim we all accept. And this column is proof. Every week I wax lyrical about a weekend in the blossoming Dallas arts world. Most Friday nights I see a play, most Saturday evenings I visit galleries and then I while away the late…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. All artists invest in a bit of illusion, transcribing ideas into creations using tricks of trade,…
If you’re looking for a break from World Cup watching this week, we’ve got you covered. This week in Dallas, there’s plenty to do. We’ve narrowed it down to a few cool parties, some art and Shakespeare in the Park. See you in the streets…
