Weekend Event Planner

These are the 13 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

While many events in and around Dallas have either been postponed or canceled during the coronavirus pandemic, some organizations have pivoted to virtual or socially-distanced events to continue offering the masses some entertainment while we need it the most.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. While they're not all outside of the house, they all promise to provide a nice distraction from the everyday life.

Thursday, October 29

Last call for haunted houses
As one would expect, Halloween weekend is your last chance to take in the variety of haunted experiences in the Dallas area. In addition to previously-profiled events like Six Flags Over Texas presents HallowFest, Zombie Safari, Drive-Boo Halloween, and Reindeer Manor Halloween Park, this weekend will bring two new events: A behind-the-scenes tour at Dark Hour Haunted House in Plano, which was closed for the season, and a new haunted experience in Oak Cliff called Junk Yard Haunted House.

Festival of Independent Theatres
After four weeks, the 22nd Festival of Independent Theatres will come to a close this weekend. The virtual festival features six performing arts groups offering audiences something for everyone, and for the first time ever, viewing on demand and from the comfort of home. This year's lineup features original works, dance, comedy, drama, and more. All performances will be available for viewing anytime through Sunday.

Improv Arlington presents Tommy Davidson
Comedian Tommy Davidson first made a name for himself among the exceptional talent on the sketch comedy show In Living Color, and his range, from stand-up comedy and acting to music accomplishments, have earned him a reputation as a versatile performer. He'll perform six times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Imprint Theatreworks presents The Tree: An American Rock Musical
The Tree: An American Rock Musical aims to be an immersive journey across time and emotion re-examining the “gift” of knowledge and the nature of Good and Evil through an innovative and haunting musical narrative. The creators of the show — which includes six playwrights, the band Veteran Children, and choreographer Danielle Georgiou — have partnered to weave a collective experience that shines a light on human nature and what connects us all. The production, which offers both in-person and livestreaming options, will take place at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre on various dates through November 14.

Fair Park Drive-In Concert: Mt. Joy
Fair Park will kick off what may become a full blown drive-in concert series with a performance by indie rockers Mt. Joy. The band, which released their second studio album, Rearrange Us, earlier this year following a two-year hiatus after their self-titled debut album, is up-and-coming thanks to songs like "Silver Lining" and "Strangers." The concert will take place in Lot 8 next to Dos Equis Pavilion.

SMU Meadows School of the Arts presents the black album. 2020. resistance.
Golden Globe-winning actress, director, and playwright Regina Taylor is partnering with SMU Meadows School of the Arts for a unique, three-part theatrical project titled the black album. 2020. The project explores and addresses the question of what it is to be Black in 2020. This first part of the project will be performed live on the SMU Meadows YouTube channel by seven Meadows undergraduate and graduate acting students.

Friday, October 30

Hot 93.3 Carbaret Hallo-Screening Drive-In: Nightmare on Elm Street & Hocus Pocus
Carbaret, in collaboration with Hot 93.3, will celebrate Halloween with a special dual screening event featuring family favorite Hocus Pocus and horror classic Nightmare on Elm Street. The films will show on different screens at the same time, and each film will be ticketed separately. As always, the screenings will take place in the parking lot outside of Brizo in Richardson. All proceeds go to the North Texas Food Bank, and every car will get a complimentary bag of candy and cool swag.

Saturday, October 31

The Statler presents Scare Fare
Guests of all ages can take part in an expanded expression of the usual door-to-door trick-or-treating at The Statler’s Scare Fare. Taking place from 11 am to 6 pm, the event provides guests with a trick-or-treat kit with a map of all the candy stations located throughout the hotel, which will include each of The Statler’s four restaurants and additional action stations in the hotel lobby. Each stop on the map will offer a unique treat germane to that venue. The Garden Court “Graveyard” will feature Halloween games, a magician, a fortune teller, and more.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Dia de los Muertos Concert
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra will present a vibrant Day of the Dead concert and celebration, featuring traditional Latin American music and culture, guests artists, festivities, and fun-filled events for the whole family. Unlike the other Dallas Symphony concerts so far this season, this concert is open to the public, although seating will still be limited due to social distancing guidelines.

AMP presents Our Vote Matters: A HEXA Halloween Music Fest
Adam Munoz Productions presents Our Vote Matters, a HEXA Halloween music festival benefiting Education Unbound. The drive-in festival will feature live music by Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights, Heart of the City, Garrett Bryan and The Traveling City Committee, Droo's Peace Crush, Taylor Ochs Trio, and Jake Dexter and The Main Street Sound. The event will take place in the parking lot at HEXA Coworking in Richardson.

Las Colinas Day of the Dead Festival
The U.S. Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation is partnering with the Toyota Music Factory and Visit Irving to host the Las Colinas Day of the Dead Festival. The outdoor event will feature live music and a Mexican ofrenda, a flower and candle-laden altar that traditionally commemorates departed loved ones with their favorite food and drink. The ofrenda will be specially dedicated to community members who have lost their lives to COVID-19 this year. Attendance will be limited to 150 guests; those who cannot attend in person can visit virtually via the event Facebook page.

Stomping Ground Comedy presents Lights Out! An Outdoor Comedy Experience
Lights Out is more than a comedy show; it's a comedy experience uniquely suited for the spooky season. Audience members will enjoy a performance of "The Bat," an improv show performed completely in the dark and based on the audience's worst fears and nightmares. Prior to the start of each show, there will also be a pop-up market with local vendors selling unique handmade goods. There will be two shows outside of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater.

TACA Concert on the Green: Abraham Alexander
The Arts Community Alliance will present the first TACA Concert on the Green, featuring Fort Worth native and singer-songwriter Abraham Alexander. The concert will also feature special guest Misa Hylton (Global Creative Partner for MCM) and a special performance by The Grays. A socially-distanced affair at Annette Strauss Square, funds raised will benefit TACA and its mission to support excellence and impact in the arts in North Texas.

Carbaret at Brizo in Richardson will present screenings of both Hocus Pocus and Nightmare on Elm Street on October 30.

Photo courtesy of CarBaret

Carbaret at Brizo in Richardson will present screenings of both Hocus Pocus and Nightmare on Elm Street on October 30.

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Movie Review

Iranian film It Was Just an Accident is a thriller with deep meaning

Photo courtesy of Neon

Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Majid Panahi, and Hadis Pakbaten in It Was Just an Accident.

American filmmakers, for the most part, enjoy luxury and freedoms when making movies in the United States that filmmakers in other countries could only dream of. Not only does Iranian writer/director Jafar Panahi not have millions of dollars with which to make his films, he also has to deal with a government that has previously arrested him for being critical of their policies.

And yet he persists, returning to the screen with the taut It Was Just An Accident. The film begins with a kind of misdirect, showing Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi) and his family driving home at night, during which they strike and kill a dog. That accident sends Eghbal into the orbit of Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), who works at a business that helps repair Eghbal’s car.

Recognizing the distinctive sound of Eghbal’s prosthetic leg, Vahid believes him to be the same man who kidnapped and tortured him and others in a recent government arrest spree. Desperate to confirm his suspicions, Vahid kidnaps Eghbal and takes him to a series of people who were also imprisoned under the man they named “Peg Leg,” including Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a wedding photographer; Golrokh (Hadis Pakbaten), the bride being photographed; and more.

Most filmmakers have the ability to use sets and take as much time as they need - within reason - to get the shot they need. Panahi employs a type of guerrilla filmmaking rarely seen these days, stealing shots in broad daylight while trying not to gain the notice of Iranian authorities. The daring nature of the making of the movie infuses the story with an extra tension that elevates what is otherwise a relatively simple story.

The film puts the audience directly in the shoes of the various characters as each of them wrestles with the complicated feelings arising from their actions. As they were all blindfolded while imprisoned, they can’t be 100 percent sure they have the right man, and debates/arguments between the characters keep viewers guessing as to who he is and what they will do with him. Even if he is who they think he is, will enacting some kind of revenge on him soothe their consciences?

Through it all, the idea that a former political prisoner is making a film about former political prisoners who are engaging in conduct that could get them arrested again - just as Panahi is doing with his film - makes this meta filmmaking on another level. The simplicity of the story belies the complexity underscoring the entire film, and it delivers one of the most impactful endings of any recent movie.

While a few of the actors have acted before, including in previous Panahi films, most of them are making their first appearance in a movie. Despite this lack of experience, each of them does well, especially Mobasseri and Afshari, who share a number of heated scenes that bring out the best in both of them.

It Was Just an Accident is the type of film that constantly keeps the audience on their collective toes, never knowing where it will head next. And that’s even if you didn’t know the details of how and why it was made; once that is discovered, it becomes something much deeper and more important than most other movies that will be released in 2025.

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It Was Just an Accident is now playing in select theaters.

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