Austin-based Moviehouse & Eatery will open its new location in McKinney on September 22.
Photo courtesy of Moviehouse & Eatery
It's taken longer than expected, but nearly two years after Austin-based Moviehouse & Eatery announced plans to open a location in McKinney, the date has arrived: September 22.
McKinney represents the fourth branch for the chain and the third in North Texas. Keller was first to open in the Dallas area in 2014, and a second location opened in Flower Mound in 2015. The original opened in Austin in 2012.
The McKinney branch is a new building adjacent to the McKinney Towne Crossing shopping center, at the intersection of State Highway 121 and Exchange Parkway. It features 10 screens with reserved seating, plush recliners, wall-to-wall screens, state-of-the-art movie technology, and food and beverage service.
With 10 screens, that puts McKinney as the second-largest of the chain, trailing Austin, which has 11; Keller and Flower Mound each have eight.
A spokesperson says that the layout and assortment of screens at McKinney is also unique, with one extra-large theater and two that are smaller than average, holding 40 to 50 seats, ideal for parties or corporate events.
And that large theater is the largest in the chain, holding the greatest number of seats, with 165 recliners.
Each branch boasts a full-service scratch kitchen and multiple bars, putting them neck and neck against Alamo Drafthouse, which has made an even bigger play for Dallas-Fort Worth.
The new Moviehouse & Eatery will become just the second movie theater in McKinney proper, joining Cinemark Movies 14 just off Central Expressway. The closest movie theater to its location in Craig Ranch will be the Cinemark Allen 16, three miles northeast off State Highway 121.
In a time when true movie stars seem to be going extinct, Timothée Chalamet has emerged as an exception to the rule. Since 2021 he has headlined blockbusters like the two Dune movies and Wonka, and also got nominated for an Oscar for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (his second nomination following 2018’s Call Me By Your Name). Now, he’s almost assured to get his third nomination for the stellar new film, Marty Supreme.
Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a world-class table tennis player living in New York. But reducing Marty to his best skill doesn’t do him justice, as he’s also a motormouth schemer who will do almost anything to achieve his dreams. He doesn’t have any qualms about wooing married women like neighbor Rachel (Odessa A’zion) or actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), or hiding his true ping pong skills to win money in scams with friends like Wally (Tyler the Creator).
Marty is seemingly on the go the entire movie, whether it’s trying to convince Kay’s millionaire husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) to fund his table tennis ambitions; or trying to track down the dog of Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a man he accidentally injures; or trying to avoid the ire of the boss at the shoe store where he works. Just when you think he might slow down, he’s off to the races on another plan or adventure.
Directed by Josh Safdie and written by Safdie and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein, the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives, and yet the throughline of Marty keeps everything tightly connected. His particular type of brash behavior turns much of the film into a comedy as he does and says things that are both shocking and thrilling.
Another thing that makes the movie sing is the fantastic characterization by Safdie and Bronstein. Almost every person who is given a speaking line in the film has a moment where they pop, which speaks to airtight dialogue that the writers have created. Characters will be introduced and then disappear for long stretches of time, and yet because they make such an impression the first time they’re on screen, it’s easy to pick up their thread right away.
Safdie, as he’s done previously with brother Bennie (Uncut Gems), calls on a host of well-known non-actors or people with interesting faces/vibes to inhabit supporting roles, and to a person they are crucial to the film’s success. O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), rapper Tyler the Creator, director Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi each deliver knockout performances. The relative unknowns who play smaller roles are just as impressive, making each beat of the film feel naturalistic.
Leading the way is the powerhouse performance by Chalamet. For one person to believably play both the famously reserved Dylan and also a firecracker like Marty is astonishing, and this role cements Chalamet’s status as his generation’s movie star. A’zion is a rising star who gets great moments as Marty’s on-again/off-again love interest. Paltrow pops in and out of the film, lighting up the screen every time she appears. Fran Drescher as Marty’s mom and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor also pay dividends in small roles.
Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial effort is unlike any other movie this year, or maybe even this century. Thanks to its breakneck storytelling, a magnificent performance by Chalamet, and countless intangibles that Safdie employs expertly, the film smacks viewers in the face repeatedly and demands that they come back for more.
