In the realm of recent music stars to come out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Kelly Clarkson tends to get the headlines. But Demi Lovato is arguably just as big a star.
The singer, actress, reality show judge and Dallas native will attempt to show why when she performs at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie, on February 17, 2014, as part of The Neon Lights Tour.
It will be a 27-city tour across North America, starting in Vancouver, British Columbia, on February 9, and ending in Indianapolis, Indiana, on March 30. Lovato is touring in support of her fourth album, Demi, which came out in May 2013. Opening act duties will be split by Little Mix, who will perform at Verizon Theatre, and Cher Lloyd.
Additionally, Lovato is using her other job as judge on The X Factor to her advantage by bringing former X Factor finalists Fifth Harmony on tour as a second opening act at every stop. Lovato returned for her second season on the reality singing competition — the show's third overall in the U.S. — earlier in September.
Lovato, of course, has been in the public eye for quite a while, first with her stint on several Disney Channel productions and later with her music career. After an extended break from acting, she'll participate in a little Fox synergy by appearing in at least two episodes of Glee this season.
Tickets for all dates on The Neon Lights Tour go on sale to the general public Saturday, October 5, although Citi cardmembers will have access to a pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, October 2, through Citi's Private Pass Program.
Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid.
Both Amanda Seyfried (the upcoming The Testament of Ann Lee) and Sydney Sweeney (Christy) are starring in movies with Oscar ambitions this year. By sheer coincidence, the two actors are also co-starring in The Housemaid, a thriller coming out within weeks of their more ambitious works, one that is likely to be seen by many more people than those prestige plays.
Sweeney is given top billing as Millie, a down-on-her-luck ex-convict looking to land any type of job so as not to break her parole. She finds a too-good-to-be-true lifeboat with Nina (Seyfried), who hires her to be a housemaid for her large house on Long Island, where she lives with her husband, Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), and daughter, Cecilia (Indiana Elle).
After a warm interview, Nina almost immediately becomes highly erratic, whipping back-and-forth between happy-go-lucky and rageful. It seems clear that Nina is suffering from mental health issues, as she’ll often accuse Millie of misplacing or stealing items that she didn’t take. Andrew, apparently used to Nina’s tirades, tries to protect Millie from the worst, something that grows increasingly difficult as Nina ups the ante.
Directed by Paul Feig (A Simple Favor) and adapted by Rebecca Sonnenshine from the bestselling book by Freida McFadden, the film is likely the trashiest mainstream movie to come out in 2025. The first half of the movie relies not on story but on moments as Nina embodies the word “hysterical” to an unbelievable extent. The resigned acceptance of the abuse by Millie, as well as the saintly patience of Andrew, make almost every scene laughable, as nobody seems to be acting anywhere close to how a person would normally react to such extreme situations.
The scenes and the performance of Seyfried are so over-the-top, in fact, that it’s clear that the filmmakers are in on the joke. It’s next to impossible not to have a little bit of fun while watching the actors react to outrageous incidents as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The worse Nina acts, the more Millie and Andrew retreat into their chosen roles, and the funnier the film becomes.
Fans of the book will know that the story changes course, eventually turning into a more stereotypical thriller that also has some relatively gnarly visuals to offer. But the trashiness continues, with Sweeney’s, um, assets repeatedly on display in both clothed and unclothed ways. The sex appeal of the R-rated movie makes it an outlier, as recent studio films have shied away from asking their big stars to disrobe completely.
Both Seyfried and Sweeney are far from their Oscar hopeful roles here. Seyfried is given free rein to act as brazenly as she pleases, and she takes full advantage of that ability. Sweeney seems to have been told to be much more reserved, and unfortunately that results in too many wooden line readings. Sklenar continues his breakout streak (It Ends with Us, Drop) with a role that allows him to show more range than either Seyfried or Sweeney.
The Housemaid is an unusual type of movie to be released at a time of year when most films are either those aiming for awards or more family-friendly fare. Despite its many flaws, it’s still an enjoyable watch that features a variety of crazy scenarios not typically seen in movies nowadays.
