The Theater Fire plays May 9 at Kettle Art Gallery to kick off the new ArtCon(cert) series.
Photo courtesy of Art Conspiracy
To support its mission to engage Dallas’ creative communities for the benefit of local arts nonprofits, Art Conspiracy is launching a new series of intimate concerts. Dubbed ArtCon(cert), the first takes place May 9 at Kettle Art Gallery, featuring the musical stylings of The Theater Fire.
The Fort Worth-based band uses intricate instrumental arrangements (pedal steel, violin, accordion, mandolin, banjo, guitar and percussion) and pulls from an array of genres (zydeco, bluegrass, mariachi, country, gospel, rock ’n’ roll) to convey stories about love, loss and everything in between.
“The addition of the ArtCon(cert) series grew out of feedback from the public and fellow conspirators,” said Art Conspiracy executive director Erica Felicella in a release. “They want more. More art. More music. More opportunities to engage with this vibrant creative community we have right here in Dallas.”
The now 10-year-old street philanthropists promise more ArtCon(certs) with local bands in the coming months. For this first show, doors open at 7 pm, and the show begins at 8. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased on the Art Conspiracy website.
Since 2005, Art Conspiracy has raised more than $250,000 for groups such as My Possibilities, Girls Rock Dallas, and W. T. White Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
Photo courtesy of Aardman / Sky UK LTD / StudioCanal 2026
Shaun the Sheep in Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.
Since his introduction over 30 years ago, the Aardman Animations character Shaun the Sheep has been almost as popular as the studio’s flagship characters, Wallace and Gromit. There is never a shortage of trouble Shaun can get into as he leads his flock and proves to be a thorn in the side of his farmer and Bitzer, the farmer’s loyal sheepdog.
His antics lead everyone down some slightly spooky roads in the new film, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. At first, things are only slightly awry as Shaun and the flock are growing a secret pumpkin patch to have their own jack-o-lanterns. But when the farmer accidentally destroys the pumpkin patch, Shaun tries to regrow it quickly with a Frankenstein-esque experiment.
However, disaster looms when Shaun uses an old bottle of Hair-Gro as the container for the serum he creates. Naturally, the balding farmer uses it on his head, and everyone soon discovers how truly successful it is, with pumpkins growing out of control and the farmer sprouting hair all over his body. Through a series of mishaps, the farmer becomes the titular beast, creating mayhem while Shaun and others try to stop him.
Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, and written by Mark Burton and Giles Pilbrow, the film goes down just as easy as every other Aardman project has. They get the Halloween vibes started from the opening credits, with things like the sheep doing the “Thriller” dance, and continue the fun throughout, referencing everything from Psycho to Friday the 13th in a nice, PG way.
With no script — every character is mute save for reaction noises — the movie relies on sight gags for its humor, and the Aardman team is endlessly inventive in that respect. Sometimes it’s small things like a sheep using toilet paper rolls as binoculars, and sometimes it’s something like forcing the Bigfoot-like farmer to be shaped into a rectangle as he escapes through a window. But there’s a never-ending stream of such moments, so even if one doesn’t tickle your funny bone, chances are the next one will.
The biggest benefit of the characters not talking is that there’s no need for deep character development. The filmmakers do a great job of giving the basic traits of each character, and then use those attributes to color everyone’s actions for the rest of the film. Shaun is the troublemaker, the farmer is a bumbling fool, Bitzer is preternaturally smart, and the town’s vet is empathetic, and the combination of those characters and others makes for a highly entertaining blend.
Like all Aardman creations, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a fun lark that doesn’t make its audience think too hard. With just enough references to keep viewers engaged but not so many as to be overbearing, the film puts its well-worn characters to good use once again, delivering a Halloween season story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
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Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is now playing in theaters.
