Weekend Event Planner

Anthony Bourdain headlines best weekend events in Dallas-Fort Worth

There's a little bit of everything going on in Dallas-Fort Worth this weekend, making it a time to get out and about no matter what your personal preferences may be. Among your choices are another great musical, a visit from a big-time foodie, stand-up comedy from a legend and a special event with the host of This American Life.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, July 9

Do It for Durrett '80s Night
Now in its second year, Do It for Durrett was originally a fundraiser for the family of baseball sportswriter Richard Durrett, who died unexpectedly in 2014. The foundation dedicated to him now raises money for families in similar situations, and this event at Globe Life Park in Arlington features performances by current members of the Texas Rangers, country music star Casey Donahew and other surprises.

Dallas Summer Musicals presents Pippin
The 2014-2015 Dallas Summer Musicals season comes to a close with the national tour of the revival of Stephen Schwartz's Pippin. The musical, playing at Music Hall at Fair Park through July 19 before transferring to Bass Performance Hall July 21-26, tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence.

Friday, July 10

DMA Arts & Letters Live presents Anthony Bourdain: Close to the Bone
Chef and author Anthony Bourdain has been all over the world in search of great food, adventures that he shares in this event at Majestic Theatre. Bourdain presents a brutally honest monologue reflecting on diverse culture, street cuisine and his travels to lesser-known locations around the world. The event is sold out, but tickets can still be found on the secondary market.

Bob Newhart in concert
God bless Bob Newhart: At 85 years old, the comedian is still out on the road performing for the masses. Best known for his legendary comedy albums and his two successful sitcom runs in the '70s and '80s, Newhart has a wealth of experience from which to draw his act, which he puts on display at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Saturday, July 11

Dallas Gallery Day
During this annual event, art galleries across the city throw open their doors as both a way to expose people to the tons of great art on display and an inviting way to beat the summer heat. The 30 participating galleries are located in Deep Ellum, the Dallas Design District and other locations.

Tedeschi Trucks Band in concert with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Doyle Bramhall II
The Tedeschi Trucks Band — led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks — has had a stellar start to their career together, with their 2011 debut album winning the Grammy for Best Blues Album. This concert at Gexa Energy Pavilion will be heaven for blues/soul music fans, as it also features Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and Doyle Bramhall II.

Keith Sweat, Bell Biv Devoe and SWV in concert
New Jack Swing is back in full effect at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie with this throwback concert. Keith Sweat, who's credited with being one of the genre's innovators, headlines, and he's joined by Bell Biv Devoe, best known for their song "Poison," and SWV, one of the most successful all-female groups of all time.

#thinkspeak: Ira Glass, Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass
Taking a break from his This American Life duties, NPR radio host Ira Glass presents this special event about a topic well-suited to the venue, Winspear Opera House. Titled “3 Acts, 2 Dancers, 1 Radio Host” performance, Glass is joined by dancers Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass in a show that combines two art forms for an entertaining evening of mixed talents.

Sunday, July 12

Festival of Independent Theatres
The Festival of Independent Theatres, taking place at Bath House Cultural Center through August 1, is a chance for smaller theater and arts companies to showcase their talents in a more high-profile manner. Among the troupes presenting works are WingSpan Theatre Company, Upstart Productions, Gorilla Theater and DGDG.

Tyler Oakley's Slumber Party
If you're not familiar with the work of Tyler Oakley, congratulations on being over the age of 25. For those weaned on YouTube, though, Oakley is one of the biggest stars on the Internet, winning scads of fans for his sense of humor and social activism. This event at Majestic Theatre features behind-the-scenes stories, interactive games and lots of surprises.

Anthony Bourdain tells stories from his travels around the world at Majestic Theatre on July 10.

Courtesy photo

Anthony Bourdain tells stories from his travels around the world at Majestic Theatre on July 10.

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Movie Review

Faces of Death returns with modern twist on cult horror film

Photo courtesy of of IFC Films

Dacre Montgomery in Faces of Death.

True horror fans will likely be familiar with the 1978 cult film Faces of Death, which purported to be a documentary showing real-life killings in gory detail. It didn’t, of course, but that didn’t stop rumors from continuing to spread for decades. Now, almost 50 years and multiple sequels later, comes a new version of Faces of Death, an actual movie that pays homage to the original in interesting ways.

Margot (Barbie Ferreira) works at a YouTube-like company called Kino as a content moderator, flagging videos that violate the company’s policies. This means her job often involves seeing some truly despicable things from all manner of depraved people. One day, though, she comes across a video that seems a little too real, and after seeing more similar videos, she starts to believe they’re genuine murders.

Going against her company NDA, she starts to investigate the videos on her own, which puts her on the radar of Arthur (Dacre Montgomery), who is actually kidnapping people and killing them on camera through methods seen in the original Faces of Death film. It’s not long before Arthur tracks her down, with a plan to make her one of his next victims.

Written and directed by Daniel Goldhaber (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) and co-written by Isa Mazzei, the film is not so much scary as it is creepy, with the occasional gross-out sequence. The idea of having someone emulate the killings in the cult film is a good idea, and pairing it with the modern-day attention economy - in which content creators go to increasing lengths for clicks - is a clever twist on a concept that other films have done.

The film as a whole is a commentary on how social media and video sharing sites have often decided to prioritize profits over the well-being of their users. Margot is shown allowing videos involving violence and sexual assault to stay on the site while nixing ones depicting how to use Narcan or demonstrating putting on a condom on a banana. Josh (Jermaine Fowler), Margot’s boss, is even explicit in the company mandate that outrageous videos drive views.

While Arthur has the makings of a good villain, there are few attempts to make him seem truly diabolical. His kidnappings often seem more spur-of-the-moment than calculated, and even though he has a well thought-out dungeon at home, the house’s location in the suburbs seems to make him vulnerable to easy discovery. Goldhaber and Mazzei leave more than a few unanswered questions along the way that take away from the intensity of the story.

Ferreira is yet another actor from Euphoria who’s capitalizing on her exposure from that show. She plays Margot’s increasing anxiety well, and when the action ratchets up in the final act, she meets the moment in a satisfying way. Montgomery returns to the vibe he had while playing the evil Billy on Stranger Things, and even though his character doesn’t fully live up to his potential, Montgomery sells his evil for all it’s worth.

The new Faces of Death may not be what some are expecting given the reputation of the previous films, but it’s a solid horror/thriller that uses the brand as a launching pad into something different. It doesn’t make much of a dent in the scare department, but it does give its violence and gore a degree of relevance in today’s often desensitized world.

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Faces of Death is now playing in theaters.

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