Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

Mid-October brings a music-heavy weekend to the Dallas area, including the symphony, a comedian/singer, two country music icons, a Latin superstar, and one of the hottest rappers around. As if that's not enough, you can also get up close and personal with movie and TV celebrities.

Below are the 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, October 13

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents "Tchaikovsky 4"
For their latest concert, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra is playing to audiences both inside and outside. For the Thursday, Friday, and Sunday performances, they are performing a full concert at Meyerson Symphony Center, with guest violinist August Hadelich. On Saturday, they are performing a free condensed concert (only Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4) in the CenterPark Garden at NorthPark Center.

Bridget Everett in concert
Hot off the heels of her Comedy Central special Gynecological Wonder, her recurring appearances on Inside Amy Schumer, and a jaw-dropping appearance in the blockbuster film Trainwreck, comedian and singer Bridget Everett hits the stage at House of Blues Dallas armed with a bottle (or two) of Chardonnay, as well as the songs and stories from her unique brand of comedy cabaret.

Friday, October 14

Dallas Comic Con Fan Days
As little as three months ago, the idea that a 12-year-old British girl would be the big star at Dallas Comic Con Fan Days would have been laughable. But then Stranger Things premiered on Netflix, and Millie Bobby Brown became the toast of Hollywood. She, along with the likes of Karl Urban, Christian Slater, Ian Ziering, Adam West, and Burt Ward, are appearing at the pop culture convention, taking place at the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas through Sunday.

Improv Addison presents Nikki Glaser
Nikki Glaser is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after young comedians, as she is the creator, executive producer, and star of the Comedy Central series Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, where some of comedy’s funniest voices — including Bridgett Everett — joke, learn, and share their personal stories about sex, relationships, and other taboo topics. Glaser brings that energy to Improv Addison for four sets through Saturday.

Keith Urban in concert with Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris
Now that American Idol has taken its final bow, country superstar Keith Urban can focus full-time on his own music career. He's coming back to Dallas for the first time in three years in support of his new album, Ripcord. He's joined at American Airlines Center by opening act Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris.

Kris Kristofferson in concert
In the latest example of appreciating music legends while you can, Texas' own Kris Kristofferson is playing a concert at Annette Strauss Square in support of his new album, Cedar Creek Sessions. The 80-year-old singer has been active in the industry for 50 years, becoming one of the most-respected and awarded musicians in the industry along the way.

Saturday, October 15

The Shops at Park Lane present Parktoberfest
The Park, a landscaped lawn located in the heart of the Shops at Park Lane, is being transformed into a tasting garden where revelers can enjoy multiple beer tents featuring some of Texas’ best craft breweries, along with multiple food options. There's also continuous live local music, fun games, giveaways, a photo booth, and more throughout the day.

Marc Anthony in concert
Singer Marc Anthony has gone through multiple waves in his 25-year career. He hit big highs with 1999's Marc Anthony and 2002's Mended, but his laudable effort to stay true to his roots with Spanish-only albums, while still popular, have not been met with the same level of enthusiasm. He's playing at American Airlines Center as part of his 2016 U.S. tour, Marc Anthony Live!

Sunday, October 16

Chance the Rapper in concert with Francis & the Lights
Aside from superstars like Kanye West or Jay-Z, Chance the Rapper may be the most popular hip-hop artist on the planet right now. He's collaborated with people across the musical and entertainment spectrum, from West to Stephen Colbert, despite having only released a series of mixtapes, including 2016's Coloring Book. He's performing a sold-out show at the Bomb Factory with Francis & the Lights, although you can still find tickets on the secondary market.

Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things is just one of the featured stars at Dallas Comic Con Fan Days, taking place October 14-16 at Irving Convention Center.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things is just one of the featured stars at Dallas Comic Con Fan Days, taking place October 14-16 at Irving Convention Center.

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Movie Review

New film The Plague turns tween bullying into chilling drama

Photo courtesy of IFC

Everett Blunck in The Plague.

Anybody who’s attended elementary school in the last 100 years knows the concept of “cooties,” a fictional affliction that is typically caught when touched by a member of the opposite sex. A more updated version of the same idea is featured in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, this time called the “Cheese Touch,” making anyone who touches a moldy piece of cheese on the school’s basketball court an outcast.

A much more menacing version of this “disease” is on display in The Plague, which takes place at a summer water polo camp for tweens. The film focuses on Ben (Everett Blunck), a slightly awkward boy who struggles to fit in with the “cool” crowd led by Jake (Kayo Martin). That group has no problems making fun of others that they deem to be different, especially Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), who has been ostracized because of a rash he has that the kids call “the plague.”

Ben wants to be part of the main group, but his natural empathy leads him to reach out to Eli on more than one occasion despite Eli engaging in some uncomfortable behavior. With the camp’s coach (Joel Edgerton) not much help when it comes to the bullying tactics by Jake and others, especially those that take place at night, Ben is left to fend for himself. His vacillations between wanting to be accepted and wanting to do what’s right continue until his hand is forced.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Charlie Polinger, the film has all the feel of a horror movie without actually being a horror. The staging used by Polinger gives the film a claustrophobic feel as Ben can’t seem to escape the psychological torture inflicted by Jake and others no matter where he goes. He also employs a jarring score by Johan Lenox to great effect, one that’s designed to keep viewers on edge even when nothing bad is happening.

No matter how far removed you are from middle school, the film will likely bring up feelings you thought you had left behind. Much like with Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, Polinger finds a way to tap into something universal in his depiction of tweens, an age when everyone is still discovering who they really are. Some go along to get along, others don’t even attempt to fit in, but no one truly feels settled.

Whether the plague is real or not in the world of the film is up for debate. While most of the time it comes off as something made up to underscore the feeling of otherness felt by Ben, Polinger does literalize it to a degree. He even tiptoes up to the line of body horror before wisely retreating, although what he does show will still make some viewers squeamish. However, because he seems to be leaning one way before pulling back, there’s the possibility that some will be disappointed by the tease of something more intense.

The film’s biggest success is in its casting. Finding good child actors is notoriously tough, and yet Polinger and casting director Rebecca Dealy found a bunch who sell the story for all it’s worth. Blunck, Martin, and Rasmussen get the most play, but everyone else complements them well. Edgerton is the only well-known actor in the film, but he’s used sparingly and isn’t asked to do much, leaving the kids to carry the story on their shoulders.

Fitting in as a tween is hard enough without others actively trying to find ways to cast someone out. The Plague is an effective demonstration of the dynamics that can play out in a competitive environment that also includes a group that has yet to develop into fully-rounded people. It features discomfort on multiple levels, marking an auspicious debut for Polinger.

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The Plague is now playing in theaters.

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