Director Interview

Josh Henderson finds trouble in small-town Texas in Rushlights

Rushlights , starring Josh Henderson, plays at Angelika Film Center Dallas April 9 as part of the Dallas International Film Festival.

Photo courtesy of Dallas International Film Festival

Directed by Antoni Stutz, Rushlights (playing at Angelika Film Center Dallas April 9) is a dark, gritty action-mystery thriller that revolves around Billy Brody (Dallas star Josh Henderson) and Sarah (Haley Webb), two delinquent young lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Haunted by their own dubious pasts while pursuing new scams, they wind up in a nightmare of greed and betrayal in the twisted underworld of a small town in Texas. Confronted by a sharp sheriff and conniving lawyer, the would-be Bonnie and Clyde have nowhere to run.

DIFF: Essentially all of the characters in Rushlights are flawed or imperfect. What does a morally gray story offer that a black-and-white story does not?

Antoni Stutz: Great question. I like the word gray. Within the context of storytelling, gray to me is simply more interesting than black and white.

Most people’s personalities in real life are rather complex, made up of layers of many different shades of gray. In the end people are full of surprises. Good and bad. Morality included. That’s life.

DIFF: What influenced you to set the story in Texas?

AS: As a director who loves the camera, when I scouted Texas, I feel in love with what I saw. So at first, it was an instinctual, an artistic decision, not a conceptual one.

Then of course I realized that the Texas “feel” added an entire layer to the story. The weather, the space, the way people talk. All this added to Billy and Sarah being completely uprooted, underscoring the brewing conflict once there arrive in Tremo.

DIFF: Describe the characters of Sarah and Billy. How far are they willing to go to get what they want? What is driving them?

AS: To a large degree, Billy and Sarah are misguided victims of unfortunate circumstances. Like everybody in this film, the two chase the promise of a better life.

And chasing that promise propels the characters down a deadly path and forces them to reckon with the ugly truths they’ve been trying so desperately to outrun. Nobody escapes their demons in Rushlights. There is no easy way out.

Rushlights , starring Josh Henderson, plays at Angelika Film Center Dallas April 9 as part of the Dallas International Film Festival.

Dallas International Film Festival, Rushlights

Photo courtesy of Dallas International Film Festival

Rushlights , starring Josh Henderson, plays at Angelika Film Center Dallas April 9 as part of the Dallas International Film Festival.

Games News

Launch amusement center with restaurant-bar lands in Lewisville

Launch Family Entertainment

Launch

Launch Family Entertainment

A new trampoline park and amusement center has landed in Lewisville: Called Launch Family Entertainment, it's a concept from Rhode Island opening at 2460 S. Stemmons Fwy. at Lakepointe Crossing in a space that was previously home to Balaxi party center and before that Glow Zone.

According to a release, it opens June 14.

Launch was founded in Warwick, Rhode Island in 2012, has since expanded to 30 locations in 15 states. Lewisville is the company's first center in Texas; there's a Houston location in the works, as well.

It started out as a trampoline park but over the years has expanded with more games and attractions, as well as a premium restaurant and bar to attract customers of all ages.

The facility features indoor trampolines, a ninja course, rock climbing, ropes course, arcade with 40 games including ski-ball and Halo, virtual reality, and bowling.

The Lewisville location spans 47,000 square feet — 4,000 feet of which comprises a safe area for younger kids called Joey Town, featuring slides, giant jungle gym, mini grocery store, mini ice cream shop, and mini airplane.

The restaurant is called Krave Restaurant and Bar, and serves American fare, with pizzas made from scratch, chicken tenders, nachos, salads, buffalo wings, and giant pretzels. It has a full bar with cocktails plus local and seasonal beers. An ice cream bar with craft sundaes and shakes features ice cream from Denton's acclaimed Beth Marie's.

Introducing the concept to Texas is co-owner and operator John Day, his wife Lindsey, and three other families, who say they are passionate about bringing exciting, community-focused entertainment to the area.

The location was in the works for a year. According to Day, they chose Lewisville because there weren't many options that could keep both parents and kids entertained in one place.

"There’s stuff for toddlers, teenagers, and adults," John says. "Parents forever have been sitting in the old school trampoline park counting down the minutes until they could go, and now mom and dad can have date night in our restaurant and bar."

Ticket prices vary depending on time and duration, but start at $25 to $40 for an hour, which includes access to trampolines, dodgeball, and other attractions. Some locations also offer summer passes.

“We’re incredibly excited to introduce the Launch brand to the great state of Texas,” says Craig Erlich, CEO of Launch Entertainment, in a statement. “Lewisville is a vibrant, family-oriented community and the perfect place for our first park in the region. We look forward to creating a space where families can come together, celebrate, and enjoy unforgettable experiences.”

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