Weekend Event Planner

These are the 7 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's the long Easter holiday weekend, and while many events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment.

From outdoor concerts to holiday feasts, below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend, all of which promise to provide a nice distraction from the everyday life.

Thursday, April 1

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents Art Heist
Based on a true story of the world’s biggest art caper, Art Heist is a true crime walking show where socially distanced groups will walk to multiple locations to gather clues. Actors, through conversation, will reveal clues to the detective audience, but a red herring or two might present itself. No two performances will ever be the same as the actors improvise with every interaction. The theatrical event, which starts at Sammons Park at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, will run every Wednesday-Sunday through April 18.

Lumedia Musicworks presents Dowland Reimagined
Lumedia Musicworks will present Dowland Reimagined, a modern take on the work of John Dowland featuring new commissioned work by young composer Mason Bynes. Bynes, a graduate of the University of North Texas, drew inspiration from Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá and vocal stylings of Brazilian artists Joyce and Maria Rita. The virtual concert, featuring soprano Eliza P. Smith, will be available to stream at any time through April 9.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents Cool Thursdays Concert Series
After a year off due to the pandemic, Dallas Arboretum's Cool Thursdays Concert Series will come back to offer a variety of party and cover bands performing on the banks of White Rock Lake. The series, which kicks off with Emerald City on Thursday, will take place every Thursday through July 1, take a break for a couple of months, and then come back for the fall starting September 2. The Arboretum also has a full weekend of Easter happenings; check them out here.

Echo Theatre presents The Other Felix
In The Other Felix, viewers can hit the road with private detective Marlow Sharpe and her reluctant client Felix Bettelman. On the trail of the other Felix, they lose track of their selves in this play on film for two actors. Guests can attend the Opening Night Fundraiser outside at the Bath House Cultural Center Lake Shore Patio with a $25 VIP Ticket or attend any other Saturday night in April for free. The production will be available to stream at any time, April 1-30.

Friday, April 2

Disney on Ice presents Mickey's Search Party
Mickey Mouse and his friends will be on hand at Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party, an adventure filled with world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics, and unexpected stunts. They will follow Captain Hook’s treasure map and look for clues in the search for Tinker Bell in immersive, fantastic worlds featuring a variety of other classic Disney characters. There will be eight performances through Sunday at American Airlines Center.

Saturday, April 3

Hyena's presents T.J. Miller
T.J. Miller has been diligently working to make people laugh for over 15 years, and is driven by the altruistic mission statement that life is fundamentally tragic and the best thing he can do is provide an ephemeral escapism from that tragedy which permeates everyday life by doing comedy. Miller, best known for starring in Silicon Valley, the Deadpool series, and the How to Train Your Dragon series, will perform three times through Sunday at Hyena's Dallas.

Sunday, April 4

Easter Feasts
Whether you're enjoying Easter brunch at a restaurant or taking it to-go, there are plenty of options for groups of every size. You'll find our master list of Dallas-area restaurants serving Easter meals here.

Disney on Ice presents Mickey's Search Party will be at American Airlines Center, April 2-4.

Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment

Disney on Ice presents Mickey's Search Party will be at American Airlines Center, April 2-4.

concerts theater families event-planner holidays

Movie review

Adam Scott gets creeped out exploring eerie Irish hotel in Hokum

Photo courtesy of Neon

Adam Scott in Hokum.

There are relatively few actors who can switch back and forth between comedy and drama easily, but Adam Scott is the rare exception. He’s equally as well known for starring in comedy projects like Parks & Recreation, Party Down, and Step Brothers as he is for dramas like Big Little Lies and Severance. He’s going the latter route again in the new horror film, Hokum.

Scott plays author Ohm Bauman, who’s trying to finish his latest book. In an effort to avoid distractions and also pay tribute to his parents, he retreats to an Irish hotel where his mom and dad spent their honeymoon. Bauman, who is about as stand-offish as you can get, and the staff of the hotel are at odds almost right away, although Bauman finds a kind of kinship with Jerry (David Wilmot), a seemingly-homeless man he meets in a nearby forest.

Bauman becomes intrigued with the story of the hotel’s closed-off honeymoon suite, which is said to be haunted. His curiosity, though, seems to trigger a variety of strange things, one of which ends with him in an extended stay at the hospital. He returns to the hotel determined more than ever to discover what’s really happening in the honeymoon suite, with things both normal and supernatural blocking his way at every turn.

Written and directed by Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy, the film’s approach to horror is both subtle and overt. On the good side is Bauman’s story, which gradually gets deeper as more is revealed about his past, especially the premature death of his mother. Bauman’s trauma over her loss influences his thinking and actions, and a possible connection between his current situation and his personal history broadens the scope of the plot.

There is plenty of creepiness to be found in the film, starting with the dark and decrepit nature of the hotel itself. Any building where a particular room is off-limits naturally inspires intrigue, and McCarthy does a solid job of building tension. That’s why it’s strange and disappointing that he gives in to the lamest of horror tropes - a sudden appearance by an odd-looking person accompanied by a big screeching noise - on multiple occasions.

The film is at its best when it features weird moments that are never or only slightly explained. A dead body in a rabbit suit is echoed by the unexplained broadcast from Bauman’s youth featuring a terrifying TV host with bulging eyes and rabbit ears. Bauman’s explorations take him into the hotel’s basement via a dumbwaiter, where he encounters all manner of strange things, including what seem to be witches. Because most of these things are left to the audience’s imagination, they hit harder in the moment.

Scott is known to be understated in his acting, and that skill works well in this particular role. Although he clearly plays Bauman as freaked out, he never indicates panic, and that level-headedness makes his character someone you want to follow no matter how dark the path might be. The mostly-Irish supporting cast is not well-known, but Wilmot and Florence Ordesh make the most of their short time on screen.

Hokum - a title that is also not explained - is a horror film that earns its bona fides through mood more than action. Even though not much of consequence happens throughout the film, it still keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what will happen next.

---

Hokum is now playing in theaters.

movies film