Weekend Event Planner

Edgefest and gallery walks top best weekend events in Dallas

The last weekend in April is full of great options around Dallas-Fort Worth, including movies, theater, art, music and comedy. With great weather expected every day, there's no excuse for not getting out and taking in at least one of them.

Below are your best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, April 24

Film Festival Mania
Movie lovers will have plenty of opportunities to indulge their passion this weekend, as both the John Wayne Film Festival at LOOK Cinemas and USA Film Festival at Angelika Film Center Dallas take place through Sunday. The former, of course, celebrates the filmography of Wayne with 11 different movies and visits by Wayne relatives and Ann-Margaret. The latter has been going on since Tuesday and features in-person appearances by people like Stephen Tobolowsky, Ed Harris, Fionnula Flanagan, Linda Gray and more.

Turtle Creek Chorale presents Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd
Turtle Creek Chorale and Uptown Players are teaming up for what promises to be a unique experience: a presentation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. More than 150 actors and singers perform the macabre musical, playing four times through Saturday at Dallas City Performance Hall. Let's just hope that they're not serving pie at the snack bar.

Friday, April 25

2014 Denton Arts & Jazz Festival
First Deep Ellum and Fort Worth put on festivals showcasing art and music, and now Denton has its chance. This festival, taking place through Sunday at Quakertown Park, is heavy on the jazz part of the title, as more than 2,000 musicians perform on six separate stages, headlined by Al Jarreau, The Quebe Sisters Band, Asleep at the Wheel and Brave Combo. Also expect demonstrations of art, dance, choirs, storytellers, theater and more at this free event.

Dallas Theater Center presents Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure
There have been plenty of iterations of Sherlock Holmes on TV and in movies in recent years, but it's always nice to go back to the source material to understand why the character is still so popular. Dallas Theater Center presents a play in which Holmes once again locks horns with his nemesis, Moriarty, in a blackmail case. The production is presented at Wyly Theatre through May 25.

Saturday, April 26

Edgefest 2014
The 2014 edition of Edgefest, presented 102.1 FM KDGE, is a little light on big names, with only Beck, The Avett Brothers and newcomers Bastille ticking that box. But the festival, taking place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, still has lots of other interesting bands, including Cage the Elephant, Grouplove, New Politics, The Neighbourhood, Switchfoot, Chvrches, MS MR., J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Kongos, Bear Hands and Smallpools.

Spring Gallery Walks
Art lovers are encouraged to get out and about on Saturday and enjoy great art and better weather. The Deep Ellum Spring Gallery Walk showcases 17 different galleries in Deep Ellum alone; at the Dallas Art Dealers Association Spring Gallery Walk, member galleries from the Design District to Denton throw open their doors. The DADA event also features a Bike Swarm starting at Oak Cliff Cultural Center.

Dallas Heritage Village presents 2014 History with a Twist
You can travel back in time more than usual at Dallas Heritage Village this weekend for the annual History with a Twist. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in vintage early 20th century attire to get into the spirit of the event, which also features classic cocktails, hors d'oeuvre and a performance by the Singapore Slingers.

Sunday, April 27

Earth Day Texas 2014
The actual Earth Day was on April 22, but individual environmentalists and eco-friendly companies still get their chance to present to the masses at this two-day event, taking place Saturday and Sunday at Fair Park. Expect the latest and greatest in environmental awareness on display at the Eco Expo, as well as a variety of performances, including a concert by Polyphonic Spree.

Kids in the Hall presents Rusty and Ready
Canadian comedy troupe Kids in the Hall have had a remarkably long lifespan given that their initial TV show went off the air 20 years ago. They've had a variety of reunions, including a movie and several tours, including one that came to the Dallas area in 2008. They're back in town for a show at the Majestic Theatre that features some new material and an assortment of oddities from their past.

The Kids in the Hall bring their "Rusty and Ready" tour to Majestic Theatre on April 27.

Photo courtesy of San Francisco Weekly

The Kids in the Hall bring their "Rusty and Ready" tour to Majestic Theatre on April 27.

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Movie Review

Glen Powell bumps off rich family in How to Make a Killing

Photo courtesy of A24

Glen Powell in How to Make a Killing.

Becoming a star in Hollywood and maintaining that stardom are two very difficult things to achieve, but Glen Powell has been adept at doing so over the past few years. A key supporting role in Top Gun: Maverick led to lead parts in films like Hit Man, Anyone But You, Twisters, and The Running Man. Powell is looking to keep his star power shining in the new dark comedy/thriller, How to Make a Killing.

He plays Beckett, an outcast member of the ultra-wealthy Redfellow clan. Struggling to get by in a menial job in New York City while still living in New Jersey, Beckett’s only smidgen of hope is that he remains an heir to the vast Redfellow fortune. The only trick? Every other remaining family member must die before he’ll see a dime of that money. When even that menial job goes away, Beckett indulges the fantasy of bumping off his familial competition.

Among those standing in his way are cousins Taylor (Raff Law), a finance bro, Noah (Zach Woods), a pretentious artist, and Steven (Topher Grace), a celebrity pastor; Uncle Warren (Bill Camp) and Aunt Cassandra (Bianca Amato); and grandfather Whitelaw (Ed Harris). Complicating matters, however, are an old childhood friend, Julia (Margaret Qualley), who starts asking more of Beckett than he can give; and new flame Ruth (Jessica Henwick), who happens to be dating Noah when he meets her.

Written and directed by John Patton Ford (Emily the Criminal), the film is a tale of two halves. Narrated by Beckett in the form of telling his story to a prison chaplain, the story plays with audience expectations on multiple occasions. As Beckett ramps up to detailing exactly how he got started down the road toward being a serial killer, the film has a fun-if-macabre vibe.

Under normal circumstances Beckett would be someone to despise, but since he’s an underprivileged person who’s taking aim at people who (mostly) don’t seem to appreciate their good luck, it feels okay to cheer for him. This follows a recent trend in “eat the rich” films, one that’s been influenced by a turn against real-life billionaires. Ford plays heavily into the theme and it works for a good portion of the film.

However, things get a little murky in the second half of the movie. A few of the planned killings get less attention than others, making their - pardon the pun - execution less interesting/fun than the others. Also, Ford does a poor job of indicating just how much weight should be put on Beckett’s relationship with Julia, someone with whom he only has occasional interactions for the bulk of the film.

It’s difficult to know the exact right way to showcase Powell, but this film doesn’t seem to be the best fit. Whether it’s the odd hairstyle/wig he’s given, or the varying degrees of confidence his character shows, his performance is up and down. Qualley’s acting style is over-the-top, and she needed to dial it down in this particular role. Henwick and Camp are the grounding forces in the film, keeping the story somewhat tethered to reality while almost everyone else makes a meal of their scenes.

How to Make a Killing is serviceable entertainment that gives viewers a decent number of laughs and thrills. But Ford can’t find a way to make the story work all the way through, and a so-so performance by Powell keeps the film from rising above its mediocre station.

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How to Make a Killing opens in theaters on February 20.

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