Who Doesn't Love a Bargain?

These 9 deals surpass discounts you'd get at the State Fair of Texas

Happy hour at On the Border will be elevated with new specials in August.

Photo courtesy of On the Border

Ordinarily, we'd be anticipating all the discounts we could get in our annual trips to the State Fair of Texas this time of year. But with the biggest event on the Dallas calendar canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, we'll have to look elsewhere to soothe our bargain-hunting souls.

For the next several weeks, we'll be unearthing some of the best deals around Dallas-Fort Worth to ease the strain on our readers' bank accounts. Below are the top nine deals to check out this week.

Avanti: The Italian restaurant is offering the new Wines of Prestige Series to promote the finest wines in their collection every month. For August, diners can get "Il Borro" Super Tuscan, Toscana IGT, 2016, for $75 instead of $98, or Champagne Brut Blanc De Blancs, 1er Cru, "Cuvée Cuis," for $77 instead of $115. The offer is good for either dine-in or to-go.
Cotton Patch Cafe: The casual dining restaurant, which has 15 area locations, is offering 20 buttermilk hand-battered chicken tenders for $20 on Tuesdays, served with Cotton Patch’s scratch-made cream gravy or choice of any dipping sauce. Guests can add any Family Size Fixin’ for an additional $3. The deal is good for either dine-in or curbside to-go. The offer is not available for delivery through third party vendors.
Cowboy Chicken: The restaurant chain, which has nine area locations, is offering $5 off the Chicken for 4 family meal every Wednesday.
DoorDash: Subscribers for the food delivery service's DashPass will get exclusive deals through September 6, from local to national restaurant and convenience freebies, pickup deals, and more. From August 3 to August 9, they can get a free slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory on an order of $12 or more. From August 10 to August 16, they can get buy one, get one free entrees from Chipotle. From August 17 to August 23, they can get $20 off their next pickup order. From August 24 to August 30, they can get $15 off their convenience order from stores including Walgreens and 7-Eleven. And from August 31 to September 6, they can get up to $15 off on pizza orders from participating restaurants found in the “DashPass Pizza Favorites” carousel.
Live by Loews - Arlington: The hotel, located next to Globe Life Field, is enticing travelers to stay there with the More Space for Less offer, which takes 50 percent off a second room when booking two or more rooms.
On the Border: The Mexican food chain, which has 26 area locations, is offering an elevated Happy Hour menu for dine-in only from 3-6 pm, Monday-Friday. They include $5 appetizers like the new Queso Sampler, Cheese Quesadilla, Five Mini Crispy Tacos, Four Firecracker Stuffed Jalapeños, Three Mini Chimis, and Cantina Nachos. There will also be $3 drinks like select grande domestic drafts, Dos Equis draft, Corona and Dos Equis bottles or regular House Margarita. For an additional $1, diners can upgrade to a grande Dos Equis draft or a grande House Margarita. For $5, they can try a grande Strawberrita or grande Mango Tango.
Red Roof Inn: As students begin to return to college campuses, limited dorm space or a reluctance to stay in crowded dorm environments is causing some to seek temporary housing. Red Roof Inn is offering a special 30 percent off discount through December 31 to support those students. Call 800-733-7663 or visit redroof.com and use code VP627535 when making a reservation.
Thirsty Lion: The gastropub and grill at Toyota Music Factory in Irving is offering a late night happy hour from 8:30-11:30 pm. There will be food and drink discounts, like $5.95 house wine, well drinks, and margaritas, $1 off draft pints, and food items under $7.95.
Vonlane: The luxury bus line, which has various routes between Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, is offering 15 percent off for travel through September 30. Use code Summer2020 to get the discount.

event-planner state-fair

Movie Review

Bob Odenkirk is back as the everyman-turned-hero in new movie 'Normal'

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

---

Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

movies film