Back to School

Monsters University makes the grade for Pixar

Success can be a movie studio’s own worst enemy. The quality of the majority of Pixar’s films have been such that any deviation from that norm is considered to be disappointing, even if the substandard film outshines most other animated offerings.

After delivering a great finale to the Toy Story trilogy, Pixar is in a bit of slump after the horrendous Cars 2 and the so-so Brave. To try to break out, Pixar is going back to the well of familiar characters with Monsters University, marking the first prequel in its history.

Aside from maybe The Incredibles, it’s hard to think of another Pixar film that better deserved the prequel treatment than Monsters, Inc. The opportunity to see how Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) met and acted in college is darn near irresistible.

Monsters University doesn’t reach the heights of Pixar’s classics, but it’s a vast improvement over its previous two offerings.

The set-up is great too. Mike dreams his entire life — footage of him as a kid is priceless — of going to Monsters University and becoming a full-fledged scarer. Once he gets there, though, he finds out that desire and ability may not exactly be the same thing, especially when there are truly scary monsters like Sully in his way.

The filmmakers do a lot of things right, including playing just enough on character nostalgia so as to make things familiar, but not so much that they’re just repeating themselves. There are also a number of clever twists on the college experience from the monster perspective, including dorm life, fraternities and sports.

On the down side, though, the main thrust of the film is a timeworn plot that’s all the less fresh for how much it’s been used lately. Mike and Sully are forced to team up with a fraternity filled with outcasts and misfits in order to prove their worth. Each of the members has their individual charms, but that doesn’t hide the rote nature of their presence.

Still, there’s just something special about being back in the world of scaring, and seeing how the combative nature of Mike and Sully’s friendship evolves never fails to entertain. That’s mostly thanks to the voice talents of Crystal and Goodman, who both know their way around a good joke.

New additions such as Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble, Sean Hayes and Dave Foley as twins sharing the same body, and Nathan Fillion as the head of a rival fraternity keep the movie popping. And callbacks to characters like Randy (Steve Buscemi), Roz (Bob Peterson) and Henry J. Waternoose are executed flawlessly.

Monsters University doesn’t reach the heights of Pixar’s classics, but it’s a vast improvement over its previous two offerings. And fans of original storytelling will be glad to know that Pixar’s next two films – The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out – are all new.

Mike Wazowski is all smiles when he first gets to Monsters University.

Monsters University

Photo courtesy of Disney Pixar

Mike Wazowski is all smiles when he first gets to Monsters University.

Bakery News

Sweet bakery in downtown Plano is the place for home-style cakes and pies

pound bundt cake

Tell Me Something Sweet

One sassy strawberry pound cake, ready to be sliced.

A new bakery has debuted in historic downtown Plano, bringing home-style cakes and sweets. Called Tell Me Something Sweet, it's a mom-and-pop venture now open at 930 E. 15th St., a few steps from the Downtown Plano stop on the DART Red Line.

The bakery is on the ground level of the Junction 15 Apartments building, in a space previously occupied by Amazeballs, and is offering a tempting array of baked goods including cakes, pies, cobbler, brownies, and bars. They're open six days a week, closed on Mondays.

Tell Me is from husband-and-wife Kevin and Candace Ford. Kevin's a third-generation baker but this is their first restaurant venture. He handles the baking, while she serves as operations manager.

They started out as a cottage-style bakery, selling their goods for more than a year at Frisco Fresh Market. Finding the Amazeballs space was a blessing, since it was already set up to be a bakery.

The couple moved here from Chicago, where Kevin learned to bake from his mother and grandmother. Pound cakes were their calling card, and Tell Me offers them in a variety of flavors including cocoa, lemon, and strawberry.

Customer favorites include German chocolate pound cake, a dense milk-chocolate cake with coconutty toffee topping; peach cobbler, which they do with a pie crust topping; sweet potato pie, which they make from fresh sweet potatoes. In fact, they had to briefly suspend baking them in October because they couldn't find a steady supply. (No worries, they found a source and the pies are back.)

They also offer a few items that are notable in that they're rare in these parts: lemon bars, featuring a pastry crust with a lemon curd topping, very common up North; and fresh apple cake, a spice cake boasting delectable chunks of apples.

They also do similar pecan bars, plus brownies, and you can get all three bars in a "bar trio." Prices range from $59 to $69 for a whole cake, pie, or tray of cobbler.

They also offer breakfast items including muffins, scones, kolaches, and quick breads including banana bread. Although truthfully, any of their items would be suitable, because who doesn't like apple pie for breakfast?

downtown desserts

Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this Thanksgiving weekend

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this Thanksgiving weekend

Photo by Brandon Todd

Cirque du Soleil: Twas the Night Before... will start at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie on November 25.

As is always the case the weekend of Thanksgiving, holiday events dominate the landscape across Dallas. There will be lots of lights, Nutcrackers in both dance and concert forms, two theater versions of the Scrooge story, flipping reindeer, two Christmas-themed concerts, and a kids theater production. Two other events aren't explicitly about the holidays, but offer something for both kids and adults.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this long holiday weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Wednesday, November 23

Disney On Ice: Into the Magic
At Disney On Ice: Into the Magic, hosts Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will bring audiences on an expedition across raging seas, snow covered mountains, and the marigold bridge. The action-packed extravaganza features Disney’s Moana, Frozen, Coco, and Beauty and the Beast, alongwith other beloved Disney characters. There will be multiple performances through Sunday at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen.

Friday, November 25

Holiday lights galore
As always, there will be no shortage of holiday lights to look at in and around Dallas this season. Among the notable displays opening on Friday will be Enchant at Fair Park, featuring millions of lights, an ice skating trail, marketplace, and more; Vitruvian Lights at Vitruvian Park in Addison, where hundreds of trees are wrapped in colorful lights; Lights on the Farm at Heritage Farmstead Museum in Plano, featuring a quarter-mile trail showcasing holiday light creations and animated displays; and Lights on The Lake at Little Elm Park, featuring lights and activities like a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and an ice skating rink. All events will be open through at least December 25.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents The Nutcracker in concert
Maurice Cohn leads the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in selections from Tchaikovsky’s iconic Nutcracker score. The story of The Nutcracker, loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy, is the story of a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King. Audiences will enjoy the miniature overtures, triumphant marches, Russian, Arabian and Chinese dances, and the Waltz of the Flowers. There will three performances through Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center.

Cirque du Soleil: Twas the Night Before...
Twas the Night Before…, Cirque du Soleil’s spin on the beloved Christmas tale, is about the wonders of sharing and friendship. The production marks Cirque du Soleil’s first-ever Christmas show and is a flurry of Christmas cheer, rip-roaring fun with hugely lovable characters that will introduce audiences to the magic of the acrobatic troupe. The production runs through December 11 at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents Ebenezer Scrooge
A year after being forced to move from their longtime Dallas location, Pocket Sandwich Theatre returns at a new venue in Carrollton with their traditional Ebenezer Scrooge production. The production is based on the age-old holiday favorite about the miserly Scrooge, who is visited one Christmas Eve by three ghosts intent on helping him change his ways. It runs through December 23.

Dallas Theater Center presents A Christmas Carol
Dallas Theater Center presents their annual production of A Christmas Carol, a delightfully reimagined take on Dickens’ enduring classic. Three spirits have come to visit the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge to take him on a fantastic journey through Christmases past, present, and future. But will it be enough to save Scrooge’s soul? The production runs through December 24 at Wyly Theatre.

Texas Ballet Theater presents The Nutcracker
Featuring dazzling choreography and exquisite sets, The Nutcracker celebrates the season with enchantment, snowflakes, and sweets. Texas Ballet Theater presents the most magical Christmas tradition of the season as Clara and her Nutcracker Prince battle an army of mice and travel through a winter wonderland to meet the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Kingdom of Sweets. The production runs through December 4 at Winspear Opera House.

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox: A Very Postmodern Christmas
New York City pianist Scott Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox to remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday. The group has grown to become a pop culture mainstay in its own right, introducing audiences to many of the world’s greatest singers, dancers, and instrumentalists. The concert will be at Majestic Theatre.

Saturday, November 26

Cara Mia Theatre presents Crystal City 1969
Inspired by a little-known event in Texas history, Crystal City 1969 is based on the true story of Mexican-American students in south Texas who walked out of their school and into civil rights history. Crystal City became an example of American democracy at its best. The production runs through December 18 at Latino Cultural Center.

Sunday, November 27

Dallas Children's Theater presents Harry Connick, Jr.’s The Happy Elf
From Grammy-winning musician Harry Connick, Jr, The Happy Elf is a jazz musical that will get audiences in the holiday spirit. Eubie is, much to the exhaustion of his coworkers, an elf of unparalleled and endless energy looking to get a spot on Santa’s coveted sleigh team. When his unstoppably sunny spirit comes into contact with the miserable town of Bluesville, where every single child is on the naughty list, he’s in for the shock of a lifetime. Will his relentless positive attitude be enough to turn this gloomy place around, or has the happiest elf in the North Pole finally met his match? The production runs through December 23 at Rosewood Center for Family Arts.

For King + Country in concert
Christian pop duo For King + Country has been one of the most successful bands in the genre over the past decade, with all of their albums reaching the top five on the Christian charts, and two going to No. 1, including their latest, What Are We Waiting For? This concert may feature some of their biggest hits, but it will also have a holiday theme as it's part of their A Drummer Boy Christmas tour, named for their 2020 Christmas album.

'Twas the Night Before Cirque du Soleil Christmas

Photo by Brandon Todd

Cirque du Soleil: Twas the Night Before... will start at Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie on November 25.

kids families theater holidays concerts symphony dance music event-planner

Christmas countdown pop-up

Hallmark Channel counts down to Christmas with festive photos and giveaways at DFW tree farm

Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas

Photo courtesy of Hallmark Channel

Hallmark Channel will pop-up with photo ops at Haynie's Green Acres Farm in Crowley starting Friday.

The Hallmark Channel will kick off Christmas movie binge-watching season with a cross-country tour to Christmas tree farms – and a stop in North Texas is on the schedule.

Haynie's Green Acres Farm in Crowley – one of eight family-owned farms on the tour – will host a Hallmark Channel holiday pop-up event on two consecutive weekends, November 25-27 and December 3-4. The feel-good cable television network will install cheery photo ops, provide festive giveaways, and most notably, comp Christmas tree purchases for randomly selected customers.

The pop-up coincides with Hallmark Channel's signature holiday programming event, "Countdown to Christmas," which will debut new original holiday movies every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the holiday season.

Hallmark Christmas pop-up It'll be like stepping into a Hallmark Christmas movie.Photo courtesy of Hallmark Channel

This is the second year for Hallmark’s holiday activations at Christmas tree farms, and their second time to appear at Haynie's. Farm owner Bettye Haynie says she was initially contacted by Hallmark to participate in the pop-up because her farm represented the channel's family-friendly values.

"We are excited to have Hallmark return to our farm this year," Haynie says. "They have been a wonderful fit and it has been our pleasure to have them visit."

Representatives from Hallmark Channel say farms were chosen based on their presence as a long-standing family destination where holiday traditions are manifested.

One other Texas tree farm was chosen, Spring Creek Growers, in Magnolia, northwest of Houston. The tour is also stopping in Somis, California; Powder Springs, Georgia; Chesterland, Ohio; Yardley, Pennsylvania; Raleigh/Cary, North Carolina; and Manalapan, New Jersey.

The Haynie family has owned their Crowley farm (30 minutes south of Fort Worth) since 1978 and began growing Christmas trees in 1998. Trees range from Virginia pines to Carolina Sapphires and even brightly colored flocked Fraser firs. Prices range from $39.99 for a tabletop tree to up to $999 for a 12-foot flocked fir.

Although Haynie's typically lets customers chop down their own trees, this year all trees are pre-cut, as fields are closed due to the summer drought.

Hallmark Channel pop-up All trees at Haynie's will be pre-cut this year.Photo courtesy of Hallmark Channel

Haynie's offers complimentary family-friendly activities, including weekend hayrides, coffee and cider, picnic areas and tree swings, and plenty of areas for photography (rates apply for professional photograph sessions). Admission to Haynie's is free.

The Hallmark Channel tree giveaways will take nothing but a bit of luck on customers' part. During the pop-up events, customers will be selected randomly at checkout to receive a voucher good toward their tree purchase.

The Hallmark Channel pop-ups will run November 25-27 and December 3-4; hours are 2-5:30 pm Friday, 10 am-5:30 pm Saturday, and 12-5:30 pm Sunday.

Free photos with Santa will be available from 2-4 pm November 26-27 and December 3-4.

Haynie's Green Acres Farm is at 10405 Shannon Valley Dr., Crowley. For more information, visit their website.

families movies holidays