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    Bowling Alley Showdown

    Plano's new Pinstack bowling alley takes a strike at Main Event's home turf

    Alex Bentley
    Feb 6, 2015 | 10:09 am

    The fight for your entertainment dollar is heating up around Dallas-Fort Worth — and, of all things, bowling is at the center of it.

     

    Pinstack, a new concept that opened in Plano on January 30, is a bowling and entertainment complex designed to appeal to both kids and adults. If that sounds familiar, that’s because the also Dallas-based Main Event Entertainment has been at the forefront of that market in recent years, with five locations in Dallas-Fort Worth and 19 around the country.

     

    That rivalry will soon come to a head in northern Fort Worth: Both companies have announced plans to open new locations in the next year within a couple of blocks of each other, at I-35W and Heritage Trace Parkway. Veteran Main Event (it was founded in 1998) will unveil its latest prototype there.

     

     

      For now, Pinstack has the buzz with its Plano location. But both companies will open branches in Fort Worth within a couple of blocks of each other.

     
     

    If you’re tempted to write that off as a coincidence, check out each company’s verbiage regarding what it offers:

     

    Pinstack: “A 28 lane bowling experience, ropes course suspended 20 feet above the gaming center, two-story laser tag, bumper cars, LED lit six-lane rock climbing walls, hundreds of interactive games and simulator technology. For those that come with an appetite, a full-service restaurant featuring a chef-inspired menu of modern American classics, stacked bar and craft cocktails is perfect for enjoying before or after gaming.”

     

    Main Event: “More than 20 cutting-edge bowling lanes, multi-level laser tag, a gravity ropes course that features a swaying bridge, tightrope walking and sky treks, all suspended over the game room, and more than 125 interactive video games. Other attractions include top-notch dining with chef-inspired menus, a full bar, billiards and private rooms with Wi-Fi and A/V capabilities for birthday parties and corporate events.”

     

    For now, Pinstack has the buzz with its new West Plano location, situated off the Dallas North Tollway between Spring Creek and Windhaven parkways. Unlike most bowling alleys, you won’t initially know you’re in for a night at the lanes, because the front is dominated by the restaurant, complete with patio and private dining areas.

     

    Those areas are set away from the rest of the building by design, to create a buffer between the restaurant and the mayhem of the game room and bowling alley, so diners can eat their meals in relative peace. In fact, the lanes are the very last things you encounter; they’re located at the back of the complex.

     

    As with Main Event, televisions abound throughout Pinstack, both in the restaurant and in the bowling area. Although you may experience some déjà vu when you enter the gaming area if you’ve ever been to a Main Street, the massive Pinstack claims to have a few exclusive games you won’t find anywhere else.

     

    Of the 28 bowling lanes, eight are housed in a private room that can be reserved for parties or corporate functions. If that area is not reserved, smaller groups can bowl there for a slightly higher cost.

     

    The restaurant aims to impress, with menu choices like macaroni and cheese pops, hummus trio, grilled salmon, barbecue prawns, Sriracha chicken pizza and a big selection of craft beers on tap. A reduced version of the menu is available for bowlers.

     

    “We’ve designed the venue with moms and dads in mind so that when they come to Pinstack for an afternoon or evening, they will enjoy themselves just as much as their kids, if not more,” said Mark Moore, president and CEO of Entertainment Properties Group, in a release.

     

    For now, Pinstack and Main Event can peacefully coexist, as Main Event’s two closest locations — north of Main Street in Frisco and off Central Expressway in East Plano — are far enough away to draw their own distinct crowds.

     

    But it will be interesting to see what happens when the respective Fort Worth locations come to fruition. Main Event plans to open its branch in late 2015, with Pinstack hot on its heels soon thereafter.

     

    Let the games begin.

    The new Pinstack in West Plano may seem a bit familiar to anyone who's gone to Main Event for their bowling fun.

    Pinstack in West Plano
      
    Photo courtesy of Entertainment Properties Group
    The new Pinstack in West Plano may seem a bit familiar to anyone who's gone to Main Event for their bowling fun.
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    Movie review

    Early days of pandemic become a powder keg in tense movie Eddington

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 18, 2025 | 12:47 pm
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington.

    The coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the entire world, one that has been shown in various ways by movies and TV shows. However, even though a number of productions have attempted to show what life was like during the early days of the pandemic, few have tried to truly reckon with the way lockdowns and restrictions changed people.

    Filmmaker provocateur Ari Aster does just that in Eddington, set in a fictional small town in New Mexico in early 2020 that proves to be a microcosm of the debates taking place worldwide at that time. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is not a fan of mask mandates or other restrictions imposed by the government, while mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) tries to lead by example in an effort to keep his community safe.

    The men butt heads not just on how to deal with the pandemic, but also over a personal history involving Joe’s wife, Louise (Emma Stone). When news of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota makes its way to town, it starts a slow simmer among the town’s youth population, putting even more stress on Joe and his small department. Conspiracy theories, white guilt, partisan politics, cults, and more combine to make the community into a powder keg that threatens to explode at the slightest provocation.

    Aster (Midsommar, Beau is Afraid) takes aim at all sides in a film that’s part satire and part thriller. No matter how each viewer reacted to the pandemic, the film offers at least a character or two that will come close to representing their viewpoint. Although opinions may differ, it seems clear that Aster is not portraying one side as “right” or more righteous than the other. What he is doing is demonstrating just how much was happening in a short period of time, and how those things could negatively affect anyone.

    On the flip side, the film also challenges viewers with viewpoints that may not match their own, which can make for an uncomfortable experience at times. The reactions various characters have to certain events range from rational to wholly unexpected, and Aster seems to delight in keeping the audience on their toes the entire time. This is especially true when violence rears its ugly head, resulting in some intense and upsetting scenes.

    Not everything in the film lands, though. A subplot involving Louise and Vernon (Austin Butler), a cult leader who preys on her fears, feels tacked on, with no relation to the film as a whole. In fact, the character of Louise is a misfire in general, one whose purpose makes little sense. Aster also lets (asks?) some actors speak in almost inaudible tones at various points in the film, a frustrating experience in a film as dialogue-heavy as this one.

    Phoenix loves to dig into off-kilter characters, and this one ranks high on that scale. Even if you don’t enjoy what his character does, it’s hard to fault the performance that brings him to life. Most of Pascal’s scenes are with Phoenix, and while he matches Phoenix’s energy, the lower key nature of his character leaves him overshadowed. The nature of the film means few others make an impact, although Deidre O’Connell as Joe’s passive-aggressive mother-in-law and William Belleau as Officer Jiminiz Butterfly stand out in their scenes.

    Few of us would volunteer to go back to the baffling days of early 2020, but Eddington does a great job of examining what was happening at the time and how events united some and divided others. It’s not a feel-good film, but it is one that will make viewers re-examine their reactions at the time and how those influenced the current reality.

    ---

    Eddington is now playing in theaters.

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