Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

After last year, the date of July 7 has new meaning in Dallas. Three separate events look back on the 2016 police shootings that took place that day, and pay tribute to the fallen. Among your other choices this weekend are a chance to dress up like Frida Kahlo, a visit from a notable author, a birthday celebration with a local star singer, and the return of wrestling to our fair city.

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

Thursday, July 6

Dallas Museum of Art presents Frida Fest
The Dallas Museum of Art and the Latino Center for Leadership Development are partnering to set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Frida Kahlo in one location on what would have been Frida Kahlo’s 110th birthday. Break out your unibrows, flower dresses, and red shawls for this special event, which also includes discounted tickets for "México 1900–1950: Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, José Clemente Orozco, and the Avant-Garde."

Bare Bones Shakespeare presents Richard III
Bare Bones Shakespeare presents a hard but entertaining look at the modern political climate through the lens of the Shakespearean history of King Richard III. To some, Richard of Gloucester is the one honest politician left. To others, he’s a sociopath and a morally bankrupt, social media-obsessed tyrant willing to lie, betray, and slaughter children, all to get what he truly wants. Bare Bones puts on the production at Rover Dramawerks in Plano through July 15.

Friday, July 7

2017 Dallas CASA Parade of Playhouses
The 22nd annual Parade of Playhouses, benefiting Dallas CASA, features 16 amazing children’s playhouses, including an Australian Outback airplane, a space capsule, a Rubik’s Cube, and an adorable little cottage. The playhouses are on view for free at NorthPark Center through July 23. For a chance to win one of the playhouses, visitors can purchase a raffle ticket for $5 each or five for $20.

Black Police Association presents Tribute 7/7
One year ago, a gunman shot and killed five Dallas area police officers following a protest march in downtown Dallas. The city of Dallas unites through Tribute 7/7, an event created to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the 2016 shootings that killed four Dallas Police Officers and one DART Officer, honor the resilience of the community, and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. The event takes place at Dallas City Hall.

AT&T Performing Arts Center presents #hearhere: Neil Gaiman
As part of the 2017 speaker series #hearhere, the AT&T Performing Arts Center presents author Neil Gaiman, who's had a recent resurgence due to the TV adaptation of one of his best works, American Gods. #hearhere (formerly known as #thinkspeak) features dynamic discussions from leaders in radio, TV, journalism, art, and filmmaking. The series removes the barrier between audiences and some of the most interesting minds of our time. The event takes place at Winspear Opera House.

Majestic Theatre presents E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Thirty-five years ago, one of director Steven Spielberg's best and most-enduring films was released. No matter what age you might be, the magic and emotion of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial still shines through. Now you can see it the way it was meant to be seen — on the big screen — at this special event taking place at the Majestic Theatre.

Cry Havoc Theater Company and Kitchen Dog Theater presents Shots Fired
Shots Fired, the acclaimed documentary theater production about the July 2016 Dallas police shootings, returns for a second run to mark the one-year anniversary. In the fall of 2016, a group of teenagers interviewed police officers, protesters, and community members about that night and the ensuing aftermath. Their stories and the company’s reflections on them offer a snapshot of race relations in Dallas and the community’s hope for the future. The production plays at Trinity River Arts Center through July 15.

Leon Bridges Birthday Bash
Fort Worth soul singer Leon Bridges received much acclaim, including a Grammy nomination, for his 2015 debut album, Coming Home. He celebrates his 28th birthday with a concert featuring DJ Sober and other special guests at It'll Do Club in Deep Ellum. A portion of proceeds will be donated to KEEN Group, which delivers innovative environmental education, health education, and arts programs to youth in Tarrant County.

Saturday, July 8

The Dallas Five Memorial Event
The Dallas Five Memorial Event is a day of music and activities at CrossFit Heat in memory of the five officers killed on July 7, 2016. It includes live music by Justin Myers and Scott Whitaker, CrossFit workouts, kid activities, a silent auction, and more. The event raises money for the Halo Fund, a tax-exempt fund that provides financial aid and support to the families of Dallas Police Officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

Sunday, July 9

WWE: Great Balls of Fire
WWE Pay Per View returns to Dallas for the only time in 2017 with Great Balls of Fire at American Airlines Center. Brock Lesnar is back to defend the Universal Championship for the first time since WrestleMania 33, facing off against Samoa Joe. There are four other matches featuring Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Alexa Bliss, and Neville.

Brock Lesnar headlines the main match at WWE: Great Balls of Fire at American Airlines Center on July 9.

Photo courtesy of WWE

Brock Lesnar headlines the main match at WWE: Great Balls of Fire at American Airlines Center on July 9.

event-planner

Movie Review

Horror film Bring Her Back may shock even fans of the genre

Photo courtesy of A24

Sally Hawkins and Sora Wong in Bring Her Back.

While there have been plenty of great horror movies that have come out of the United States, there are also many examples of other countries delivering films that put American ones to shame. Whether it’s the freedom of working outside the U.S. studio system, different sensibilities, or something else, international horror movies often hit way harder than domestic ones.

The latest example is the Australian film Bring Her Back, directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, the same filmmakers behind the 2023 sensation Talk to Me. The fantastically unnerving story centers on Andy (Billy Barratt) and his sister, Piper (Sora Wong), who’s legally blind. The two are put into foster care after the death of their father, finding a home with Laura (Sally Hawkins), a former social worker. Laura is enthusiastic about having Piper, who reminds her of her blind daughter who passed away, but Andy feels a coolness toward him right away.

Also living with Laura is Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), whom Laura says has been mute since her daughter’s death. But Oliver’s actions are much weirder than him not being able to talk, and Laura alternates between being dismissive of him and overly attentive. Things start to go off the rails when Andy witnesses a horrific event, and he and Piper - along with the audience - are unprepared for how awful things will get.

The film, written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman, ranks extremely high on the list of most disturbing films you’re likely to see. It’s not just the blood and gore that can be found in many other horror movies; it’s the manner in which the carnage comes about that may haunt the dreams of viewers. The things that the filmmakers choose to show are so shocking that it’s fair to wonder what kind of a mind comes up with such atrocities.

But the Philippous have more on their mind than trying to traumatize viewers visually. It’s a movie about grief and a broken foster care system mixed with a tinge of the supernatural. While it’s not entirely clear what’s going on with Laura and Oliver, it involves something spooky that has affected both of them in inexplicable ways. The film combines the horrors of real life and the incomprehensible for a highly effective story.

The film also veers far away from your typical horror film arc. While Laura is the “villain” of the film, she’s also a victim in a certain way, and the filmmakers have empathy for the trauma that she has endured. They don’t excuse her actions, but the reasons behind them are explained, and so the journey that Andy and Piper go on becomes more meaningful than if it involved a monster with no back story.

Hawkins, who’s been nominated for two Oscars, elevates the film with her high-level acting. No matter what kind of weird thing Laura does, it feels grounded because Hawkins is bringing it to life. Barratt and Wong play their roles well, but it’s Phillips who’s the real revelation. Without speaking a word, he turns in a supremely creepy performance, one that’s especially amazing for the physical things he’s asked to do.

Even horror film aficionados may not be able to anticipate the level of depravity on display in Bring Her Back. Unlike other movies in the genre, it’s not out for cheap thrills. The Philippous give it heart and soul, along with some of the most messed-up scenes you’ll see this year.

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Bring Her Back is now playing theaters.

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