John Wayne has been dead for almost 35 years, but his legacy continues to live on through the annual John Wayne Film Festival, which makes its Dallas debut April 24-27 at LOOK Cinemas. The festival previously was held in the small town of Snyder, Texas, which lies about halfway between Lubbock and Abilene.
The festival's organizer, writer/actor/director Barry Tubb, is moving the festival with the help of local chairs Anne and Steve Stodghill and David Hale Smith. They intend to grow the festival and raise more money for its beneficiary, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Wayne died of stomach cancer at age 72 in 1979.
There is no word yet on what movies will be shown at the festival, but reports indicate there will be at least a dozen films total. Wayne was a leading man from 1930 through 1976, so there is no shortage of material from which to choose.
The festival is also sure to include celebrities and special guests. Past participants have included author Larry McMurtry; Dean Smith, Wayne's co-star in Rio Lobo; and Marisa Wayne, the legendary actor's youngest daughter.
The addition of the John Wayne Film Festival means April is once again jam-packed with movies. The Dallas International Film Festival takes place at the beginning of the month, and the USA Film Festival is scheduled for the exact same weekend as the JWFF.
Naomi Ackie, Keke Palmer, Poppy Liu, and Taylour Paige in I Love Boosters.
Boots Riley’s first feature film, 2018’s Sorry to Bother You, was an auspicious and audacious debut that challenged viewers both with its subject matter and the visuals it contained. Even though it took eight years for him to put out his second film, Riley hasn’t lost his knack for outrageousness in the almost inexplicable I Love Boosters.
At its core, the movie is about three women - Corvette (Keke Palmer), Mariah (Taylour Paige), and Sade (Naomi Ackie) - who survive in the world by boosting (aka stealing) high-end fashion and reselling it for more affordable prices. In the surreal world in which the film takes place, their primary target is Metro Designers, a shop that deals in monochromatic clothes and is led by the eccentric CEO Christie Smith (Demi Moore).
The women’s felonious-but-low-stakes mission is up-ended by the appearance of Jianhu (Poppy Liu), who possesses a machine that shoplifts much better than they ever could. The only difference is that Jianhu is looking to expose the shoddy working conditions in the Chinese factories where Metro Designers’ clothes are made. Inspired, the women join forces on a quest that is as bizarre as it is righteous.
Riley, who both wrote and directed the film, loves his over-the-top visuals. There are eye-popping elements in almost every scene of the film, from the clothes in the Metro Designers stores to the oddly-slanted floors of Smith’s office to the bold masks worn by the group during one heist. Every weird thing on screen serves a purpose, though, even the transformation of Pinky Ring Guy (LaKeith Stanfield) from an object of Corvette’s desire into a soul-sucker with an unusual method.
While not quite as pointed as Sorry to Bother You, which had Black characters affecting “white” voices to be more appealing to the general public, the film does take aim at a variety of different social issues. The idea of wealth inequality is front-and-center, with Corvette and her friends forced to squat in an abandoned restaurant. The treatment of Chinese factory workers, fashion industry practices and excesses, and more crop up over the course of the film.
The latter half of the film gets crazier, if that’s even possible. Jianhu’s machine introduces sci-fi elements into the story, with the same circular contraption able to transport, disintegrate, and transform objects or people. Combined with the visuals and storyline, the film becomes something that is both wildly entertaining and also somewhat incomprehensible.
While the movie has a large cast, Palmer is inarguably the star. With her effervescent acting style and an overall inviting demeanor, she sells every bonkers turn the film takes. Each of the supporting actors gets a moment to shine, but Paige, Ackie, and Moore have the most impact. Stanfield is memorable in a creepy kind of way, but he’s been better in other films.
I Love Boosters is one of the more outlandish and interesting films to come out in 2026, a long-awaited return from Riley that demonstrates his strong storytelling and filmmaking voice. Even if it’s not clear exactly what’s happening at every turn, the acting and the audacity of the visuals keeps the film extremely watchable.
