K1 Speed specializes in all-electric go-karts.
Photo courtesy of K1 Speed
The fun times in Richardson continue with the arrival of K1 Speed, an indoor electric go-kart racing entertainment venue that's opening in early spring 2016.
The racetrack will open at 677 W. Campbell Rd., former home of the North Texas Automotive Museum (which is moving to a new location) and the erstwhile location of the Four Seasons Farmers Market.
Richardson is seeing lots of action with the opening of the CityLine complex and its dozens of restaurants and shops.
This is the second K1 Speed in the area; one opened in Arlington in 2014. A spokesperson said that the Richardson track would open in mid-February.
What makes the concept unique is its use of all-electric go-karts; most of the other go-kart facilities around Dallas — such as Speed Zone — use gas-powered karts.
The facilities are popular for private parties and corporate events, but also offer an "Arrive and Drive" option where you can go in any time and sign up for a race without a reservation. They also feature a lounge, racing memorabilia, video games, and pool tables. Most K1 facilities have two tracks, with races lasting about seven to eight minutes.
There are child karts and adult karts. Children must be at least 4 feet tall, and adults must be at least 4 feet, 10 inches. Drivers are required to wear helmets and seat belts, and the go-karts have emergency power shutoffs that allow employees to shut down a kart remotely.
The first K1 opened in California in 2003; there are now more than 30 tracks, including one in Mexico City.
Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon in Oh, Hi!.
Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Movies that depict new or burgeoning relationships tend to focus on the romantic side of things, as the prospect of love is intoxicating whether viewers are in their own relationship or not. Less often depicted is the awkwardness and confusion that can arise when getting to know someone new, something that is done to extreme effect in the new film Oh, Hi!.
Iris (Molly Gordon) and Isaac (Logan Lerman), who’ve been dating for a few months, decide to take a weekend getaway to the country, which for them means a small town called High Falls, New York (a broken welcome sign has Iris mistakenly call it O High Falls). Having rented a farmhouse for the weekend, the new couple get strawberries from a roadside stand, enjoy the charming nature of the countryside, and, of course, have sex.
The discovery of some S&M gear in the house inspires Iris and Isaac to get a little kinky. But some post-coital talk turns tense when Iris gushes about how happy she is to have a great boyfriend, and Isaac, still chained to the bed, tells Iris that he doesn’t consider them to be exclusive. This revelation breaks Iris to a degree, and instead of unchaining him, she uses his vulnerable position to try to convince him that they should be together.
Written and directed by Sophie Brooks, the film is initially an interesting twist on the anxiety that can come with new relationships. Typically manifested in things like obsessing over what to wear or when to call/text someone back, Brooks and Gordon (who came up with the story together) instead decide to go all in on a woman acting “crazy” when confronted with information that doesn’t match her reality.
Iris’ bad decision to keep Isaac chained to bed and obliviousness to the off-the-wall way she is acting are heightened for effect, although the feelings she’s experiencing remain relatable despite her actions. The conversations Iris and Isaac have, as well as the Google deep dives Iris does to try to discover ways to get Isaac to see the error of his ways, are light and funny despite the seriousness of the situation Iris has created.
Brooks brings more characters into the story by having Iris call her best friend Max (Geraldine Viswanathan) for help, with Max deciding to bring along her boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds). Although their presence adds to the humor of the situation, it also distracts from the main point and leads into some territory that gets a bit too broad. If the story had remained just Iris and Isaac, it might have been able to dig a little deeper than it actually does.
Gordon, who might be best known for playing Claire on The Bear, does a great job of playing all sides of Iris, from sassy to manic. Although what her character does isn’t defensible, Gordon keeps her likable throughout by never going too over the top. Lerman, a rising star in the early 2010s when he played Percy Jackson, settles nicely into a more adult role, and he too never overplays the absurd situation.
There are no real insights in Oh, Hi!, but it’s a pleasant watch that accomplishes the goal of delivering a completely different type of romantic comedy. Unless viewers have had an experience with someone who acted anywhere close to Iris, they should be able to enjoy the movie thanks to the committed performances of Gordon and Lerman.
