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    Comedic Genius on Display

    Chris Rock gets personal in Top Five for best film of his career

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 12, 2014 | 8:59 am
    Chris Rock gets personal in Top Five for best film of his career
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    Great serious comedies — an oxymoronic term, perhaps — are in short supply. Most comedies either try to appeal to the lowest common denominator or aim high and fall short of their goals.

     

    Prior to Top Five, the idea that Chris Rock could deliver a great serious comedy would have been laughable. His two previous directorial efforts, 2003’s Head of State and 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife, weren’t well-received, and other than his stints in the Madagascar movies, he hadn’t exactly been lighting it up as an actor, either.

     

    But as is often the case, when he finally decided to get personal, his best work emerged. Rock, who wrote and directed the film, plays the Rock-esque Andre Allen, a comedian/movie star who’s trying to be taken seriously as an actor after years of playing the ultra-popular Hammy the Bear.

     

     

      There are parts of the film where the laughs are so big that it’s hard to breathe, and there are parts where Rock has you thinking more than you thought he ever could.

     
     

    He’s got a new movie about a Jamaican slave rebellion, a pending marriage to a reality star and a big chip on his shoulder. New York Times reporter Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson) is tasked with doing an in-depth interview about him, and the bulk of the film follows the two of them as Allen does interviews and visits friends and family around New York City.

     

    Rock enlisted a ton of his comedy friends, both famous and not, to play supporting roles, and that abundance of funny keeps the movie rolling throughout. What’s great, though, is that save for a few notable cameos, Rock uses most of the people in actual roles, letting them cut loose with characters without being shackled to their real-life personas.

     

    But Rock has much more than comedy on his mind with Top Five. Through Allen, he ruminates on the trappings of celebrity, alcoholism, the often-wide divide between artists and critics, and more. None of it ever plays out like a full-on drama, mind you, but Rock eschews going for easy laughs most of the time, which makes the funny parts all the more uproarious.

     

    Allen is not that comparable to Rock, mostly because Rock has never achieved the kind of all-encompassing superstardom that Allen does. But enough similarities exist to lend a whole lot of truth to Rock’s perspective on the life of a celebrity, and that lived-in aspect to the role easily makes it Rock’s best performance to date.

     

    There are parts of Top Five where the laughs are so big that it’s hard to breathe, and there are parts where Rock has you thinking more than you thought he ever could. If this is what Rock is capable of, I can’t wait to see what he does next.

    Rosario Dawson and Chris Rock in Top Five.

    Rosario Dawson and Chris Rock in Top Five
      
    Photo by Ali Paige Goldstein
    Rosario Dawson and Chris Rock in Top Five.
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    Pickleball News

    Indoor pickleball concept from Georgia bounces into Frisco

    Raven Jordan
    Jul 7, 2025 | 7:06 pm
    Pickleball paddles
    Ace
    Pickleball paddles face off.

    There's a new indoor pickleball concept coming to Dallas: Called Ace Pickleball Club, it's a growing chain from Georgia, making its Texas debut in Frisco in an old BuyBuy Baby space at at 2930 Preston Rd. #600. According to a release, it opens July 12.

    Ace Pickleball was founded in Roswell, Georgia in 2023, and calls itself the only facility of its kind, delivering a member-focused approach and all-inclusive pricing.

    Professional-grade cushioned courts and a welcoming community create the optimal playing experience for all skill levels. The chain currently has 15 locations across the U.S. including Colorado, Oklahoma, and Illinois.

    They emphasize an inclusive community with unlimited open play, and offer clinics, tournaments, social events, and ball machine reservations. They also offer paddle demos so that members can test out the newest technology from a variety of brands to find their favorite.

    When they open, they'll offer free introductory pickleball clinics for beginners to go over the rules of the sport and feel more comfortable as they learn about the game.

     Ace Pickleball Club Ace Pickleball ClubAce Pickleball Club 

    Indoor facilities have an advantage in that they're impervious to weather so players can play year-round.

    The Frisco location is a nearly 33,000-square-foot facility with 11 full-size courts and one dinking court designed to welcome players of all skill levels. Memberships are $129 monthly with the first month free.

    Bringing the concept to Frisco is Juan Menchaca, a former corporate worker who is a pickleball player himself. When he and his wife relocated to the DFW area in May 2023, he brought with him a lifelong dream of opening a sports facility.

    Introduced to pickleball by his brother-in-law, who is now training to go pro in pickleball, Menchaca was instantly hooked by the game’s fast pace, simple rules, and strong sense of community.

    Opening a dedicated pickleball facility felt like the ideal first serve into the world of sports.

    “I saw the demand I knew Ace Pickleball Club was the right fit,” Menchaca says. “The model is perfect for all skill levels across the Frisco community. I’ve always wanted to create something people could rally around, and this not only provides that, but helps in bringing our community closer.”

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