Weekend Event Planner

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

Holidays take center stage this weekend in and around Dallas, as both the holiday season and Veterans Day are being celebrated at different events. There are also performances by a legendary country music singer and one of the top comics in the country, a major music and beer festival, and an insider theater production.

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, November 10

Holiday events galore
Every weekend leading up to Christmas features some kind of new holiday event. This weekend you can choose between shopping at the 21st annual 'Neath the Wreath Holiday Gift Market at Plano Centre (taking place through Sunday), checking out the festivities at the 13th annual Lone Star Christmas at Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine (going on through January 1), or raising money for a good cause at DIFFA/Dallas' 21st annual Holiday Wreath Collection at Fashion Industry Gallery.

Undermain Theatre presents 10 out of 12
The second production of Undermain Theatre's 2016-2017 season is a behind-the-scenes look at a theater company engaged in the very peculiar task of making a new play. The audience eavesdrops as the sound designer mixes cues, backstage gossip flies over headsets, and the director struggles to contain the uncontainable. 10 Out of 12 runs through December 3.

Louis C.K. in concert
If you don't already have tickets for this, the second of Louis C.K.'s two dates at the Music Hall at Fair Park, it's too late: His shows sold out quickly, and he's very effective at shutting down the secondary ticket market. But for anyone who actually has tickets, C.K.'s cathartic brand of comedy is sure to be a welcome respite during this stressful week.

Friday, November 11

2016 Stars & Stripes Luncheon and Film Festival
Held annually on or near Veterans Day, the Stars & Stripes Film Festival features a variety of military-themed movies. The list for this year's festival, taking place through Sunday at Highland Park Village Theatre, includes An Officer and a Gentleman, Glory, and South Pacific, among others. This year, there's also a kick-off luncheon on Friday featuring United States Congressman Sam Johnson at Dallas Country Club.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Patriotic Pops
Another Veterans Day tribute takes place all weekend long at Meyerson Symphony Center, as the Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Patriotic Pops. Principal Pops conductor Jeff Tyzik brings the United States Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club to town to perform patriotic favorites in celebration of those who have served.

Loretta Lynn in concert
When most living legends come to town, they do so as a way to look back on their past successes. While Loretta Lynn's appearance at Majestic Theatre will undoubtedly be partly about that, the 84-year-old is very much in the here-and-now, having released Full Circle, her first new album in 10 years, in March 2016, and her second-ever Christmas album, White Christmas Blue, in October.

Saturday, November 12

TEDxSMU 2016
The annual TEDxSMU, taking place at the Bomb Factory, features a day-long lineup of speakers, performers, and musicians riffing on this year’s theme of “Illuminate.” Among the speakers are Jason Roberts, founding director of Better Block; Paige Chenault, founder of the Birthday Party Project; Douglas Newby, owner and founder of Architecturally Significant Homes; and Garnette Cadogan, author of Walking While Black.

2016 Untapped Festival Dallas
The annual Untapped Festival once again sets up at Fair Park in Dallas, where guests can enjoy a full day of live music while sampling over 400 unique craft beers and snacking on delicious food from local restaurants. Performers include TV On the Radio, Gogol Bordello, Kaleo, Bishop Briggs, Adia Victoria, Bassh, and more.

Sunday, November 13

Knife at Highland Dallas presents Sunday Cinema Series: Wes Anderson WesFest
The final event in Knife's Wes Anderson WesFest, which started way back in May, takes place on Sunday with a screening of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Along with the movie comes themed gourmet bites by Knife chef John Tesar and craft beer from Four Corners Brewing Company.

Glory screens as part of the 2016 Stars & Stripes Film Festival, taking place November 11-13 at Angelika Film Center Dallas.

Photo courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Glory screens as part of the 2016 Stars & Stripes Film Festival, taking place November 11-13 at Angelika Film Center Dallas.

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Movie Review

The Devil Wears Prada 2 fashions glam Runway comeback with underdressed story

Photo by Macall Polay

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada 2.

When The Devil Wears Prada came out 20 years ago, it was a sensation for essentially two reasons: The showcase of the glamour of the fashion industry, and the performance of Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly. Streep’s withering glares, disdain shown toward Priestly’s subordinates, and delivery of several instantly iconic lines rightfully earned her an Oscar nomination.

Two decades later, the gang has come back together for The Devil Wears Prada 2, trying to recapture some of that magic. Andi Sachs (Anne Hathaway), freshly fired from her job at the fictional New York Mirror, is brought back into the fold at Runway magazine to be their features editor. Miranda is still in charge and as standoffish as ever, but Nigel (Stanley Tucci) welcomes her back with open arms.

Like everything else, Runway has had to change with the times, going mostly digital and having to kowtow to advertisers to keep the money flowing. That includes sucking up to Miranda’s former assistant, Emily (Emily Blunt), who’s now the head of the New York branch of Christian Dior. However, even Andi’s incisive writing and Miranda’s keen eye for the next fashion trend may not be enough to keep the magazine afloat.

The filmmaking team of director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna have also returned, and they have done a good job of keeping the tone of the original film without relying too much on nostalgia. Most of the main characters have aged/changed in reasonable and appropriate ways, and it’s initially fun to see them all interacting again. The fashion side of things keeps the film feeling high-class, even if most regular people can’t afford most of what’s on display.

The filmmakers have lots of ideas on how to update the characters for the modern world, but the follow-through on those ideas is not as great. Because there is no longer the same power dynamic between Andi and Miranda, Frankel and McKenna go in search of other conflicts, none of which work as well. The two-hour film ends up feeling like a bunch of individual scenes that are tenuously held together by the barest thread of a story.

Strangest of all, though, is the film’s treatment of Miranda. She remains somewhat imperious, but her influence has diminished in multiple ways. In trying to make her change with the times, including bowing to politically correct terminology, the film has neutered what made her such a great character. There is rarely a point where she feels in charge, and the story choices made because of that weaken the film overall.

In 2006, Hathaway was just barely out of her Princess Diaries phase, and she has gone on to become a major, Oscar-winning star with no fewer than five different films coming out in 2026. She remains the heart and soul of this film, and she elevates every scene she’s in. Streep is hamstrung by the changes in her character, but she still brings her unique presence to the role. Tucci remains a delight and has great chemistry with Hathaway, but Blunt is underserved by a role that keeps her apart from the others for large stretches and tethered to an annoying character played by Justin Theroux.

As with many sequels, The Devil Wears Prada 2 is enjoyable just because it allows fans to spend time with some favorite characters again. Even though the filmmakers don’t utilize those characters in ways that are as memorable as the first time around, the film is still a fun time at the theater that gives moviegoers a glimpse at a world many can only dream to be in.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in theaters on May 1.

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Movie Review

The Devil Wears Prada 2 fashions glam Runway comeback with underdressed story