Weekend Event Planner

These are the 8 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

There aren't a ton of new events happening in and around the Dallas area this weekend, but what few there are, are all interesting. They include another CultureMap party, cutting-edge theater, luminescent art, three concerts featuring big-name musicians, and a celebration of many people's favorite British TV program.

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 20

2016 CultureMap Stylemaker Awards Reveal Party
It's time to celebrate the 2016 Stylemaker Awards finalists at a fabulous reveal party at the Plaza at Preston Center. The event includes to-die-for fashions, tons of fun, and the chance to hang out with the most stylish people in Dallas. There's also going to be bites from your favorite Plaza restaurants, swag from Plaza retailers, and more. There's only room for 300 people at this free event, so RSVP ASAP.

Cara Mia Theatre presents Juárez: a Documentary Mythology
For three performances only, Cara Mia Theatre presents this documentary play about the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez. Drawn by the contradictions, history, and myth within and around this unique landscape, Theater Mitu conducted a series of interviews and investigations over a two-year period to explore the ever-complicated landscape of the U.S./Mexico border. The play runs at Latino Cultural Center through Sunday.

Friday, October 21

Prelude: A Preview of Aurora 2017
The biennial Aurora literally lights up the Dallas Arts District with a multitude of artistic light displays. While we have to wait another year for the next edition, you can tide yourself over with Prelude, which transforms parts of the AT&T Performing Arts Center campus and the Meyerson Symphony Center with light; video; and sound-based, immersive art installations. The event includes live music by Brave Combo on Friday and Larry Gee on Saturday.

Alessia Cara in concert with Ruth B and Nathan Sykes
Canadian singer Alessia Cara didn't have to pay her dues up north like most of her fellow countrymen. Instead, she hit it big right away with her debut album, Know-It-All, mostly due to her debut single, "Here," which somehow was a bigger hit in the U.S. than in Canada. She's being joined by Ruth B and Nathan Sykes at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Saturday, October 22

Luke Bryan in concert with Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, and DJ Rock
When you're a music superstar, there's only one venue in Dallas-Fort Worth at which you can really prove your worth: AT&T Stadium. The acoustics are god-awful, but the experience of singing to 60,000-70,000 of your fans is second-to-none. Bryan is joined by a multitude of opening acts, including Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, and DJ Rock.

Sunday, October 23

British Emporium presents 2016 Doctor Who Day
Grapevine’s British Emporium is celebrating its sixth annual Doctor Who day, a fan event featuring photo opportunities, costume contests, video screenings, and more. Attendees can meet and mingle, pose with props, dress as their favorite character, and even see a replica of TARDIS outside the Emporium.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare: As You Like It
We're in the final year of Shakespeare Dallas' five-year quest to put on staged readings of every single one of Shakespeare's works. The 33rd in the series is As You Like It, a tale of sibling rivalry, young love, and elaborate disguises in which Rosalind takes on the appearance of a boy in order to pursue love. There are two performances at Wyly Theatre, one on Sunday and one on Monday.

TIP and 2 Chainz in concert
No matter if you know him by T.I., Tip, or TIP, the rapper formerly known as Clifford Harris is one of the most popular rappers out there, scoring top 5 albums for the majority of his career. He's co-headlining this concert with 2 Chainz at the Bomb Factory in support of his forthcoming album, The Dime Trap. 2 Chainz released his latest album, ColleGrove, earlier this year.

Cara Mia Theatre presents Juarez: a Documentary Mythology at Latino Cultural Center, October 20-23.

Photo courtesy of Theater Mitu

Cara Mia Theatre presents Juarez: a Documentary Mythology at Latino Cultural Center, October 20-23.

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Movie Review

Stephen King film adaptation The Life of Chuck aims for the heart

Photo courtesy of NEON

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Just like actors, once a filmmaker becomes known for a certain genre, it can be difficult to escape that pigeonholing. Writer/director Mike Flanagan has worked for 20 years in both film and television, and literally every project he’s done has been related to horror. He’s finally breaking out with The Life of Chuck, which is ironically based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King.

Told in three chapters in reverse order, the film is almost impossible to describe without giving away its magic. The first section centers on Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a teacher grappling, like everyone around him, with what seems to be the world falling apart. He’s comforted to a degree by reuniting with his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), but is also baffled by multiple ads touting the retirement of Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) after “39 great years.”

The second section consists of little more than a slightly younger Chuck happening upon Taylor (The Pocket Queen), a drummer busking on a street corner, giving Chuck and a younger woman, Janice (Annalise Basso), the inspiration to start dancing. The final section goes back to the childhood of Chuck (Benjamin Pajak), where he’s raised by his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara), discovers dance as an outlet, and wonders about various small mysteries.

Flanagan finds a way to deliver a lot of story with relatively little effort. Using a wry narrator (Nick Offerman), a limited number of locations, and a series of great small performances, he creates an intriguing premise with few straightforward answers. The structure of the film is designed to confuse the viewer until just the right moment, and the revelation forces you to reexamine everything that came before.

The biggest accomplishment by Flanagan is making what are essentially three short films and having each of them resonate equally. The film contains elements of science fiction, although the first section may hit a bit too close to home for some of those watching. All three sections, though, have a heartwarming bent to them that sells their central idea without becoming overly saccharine.

To do so, each of the characters have to connect in a short amount of time. The casting of the film is crucial, and not only does that department succeed with the main roles, but a series of small roles are filled expertly as well. Carl Lumbly as a funeral home owner, David Dastmalchian and Harvey Guillen as parents of students, Matthew Lillard as Marty’s neighbor, Q’orianka Kilcher as Chuck’s wife, and Jacob Tremblay as a teenage Chuck are just a few of the recognizable actors that do yeoman’s work in their brief time on screen.

Hiddleston is only prominently featured in the second chapter, but his performance there and in small glimpses throughout makes a big impression. Ejiofor is given the star turn in the first chapter and he absolutely kills, both in moments by himself and in scenes with Gillan, with whom he has great chemistry. Hamill, making a rare non-voiceover appearance outside of the Star Wars universe, and Sara, in her first notable role in 11 years, are also very memorable in the final chapter.

The Life of Chuck is a film that’s filled with emotion, but the full impact of the story is not felt until the final moments. It has a mysterious journey that is initially frustrating, but the performances keep the film going until it gets to its satisfying payoff.

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The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.

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