Holiday News

Essential tips for 2019 New Year's Eve fireworks in downtown Dallas

Reunion Tower will be home to an over-the-top fireworks show.

Photo courtesy of Reunion Tower

Downtown Dallas is going to be celebrating New Year's Eve with two special events and preparations are already underway.

These events are expected to increase traffic in the Central Business District — particularly around Reunion Tower and Dallas City Hall.

The festivities are two-pronged:

7 pm-12:30 am: Dallas New Year's Eve City Hall Party on the Plaza, where a countdown begins leading up to the stroke of midnight.
11:59 pm: Reunion Tower launches its Over the Top Fireworks Show, described as "the only 360-degree, panoramic fireworks spectacular in the Central time zone."

Isn't that such a prototypical Dallas claim? It can't just be great fireworks — it's the only spectacular in the Central time zone.

So to clarify: We are not trying to compete with the big kahuna in New York's Times Square, and whatever is taking place on the West Coast. But we're kings of the CST. Our fireworks can beat Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Kansas City. They'll be better than San Salvador, Guatemala City, and the entire Yucatan. Better than New Orleans.

Skyline action
Beginning at 11:30 pm, some downtown buildings are joining forces to enhance the fireworks with preliminary sky action. CST, Reunion Tower, Hunt Realty Investments, and Downtown Dallas, Inc. have partnered to bring vibrant hues of pink and teal to the skyline.

Just before the clock strikes midnight, participating buildings including AT&T Headquarters, the Omni Dallas Hotel, Bank of America Plaza, and Thanksgiving Tower will go dark for one minute, as a prelude to the 10-minute show, which will feature more than 4,000 pyrotechnic special effects.

Pets
Is this a good time to bring up that fireworks are terrifying to animals and wildlife, and result in many pets in Texas getting loose, with some hit by cars and others ending up in the shelter? And that cities in Texas should choose the humane route by using silent fireworks which are visually exciting but mostly noiseless?

In any case, pet owners are advised to keep their animals inside on New Year's Eve.

Shut-ins
If you're not headed downtown, you can listen to the musical score via a simulcast on ALT 103.7 FM; watch it on NBC 5; or watch a live stream on Reunion Tower's YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram accounts.

Street closures
If you are headed downtown, be advised that there will be street closures, as follows:

Young Street between Griffin and Ervay 6 pm-12:30 am
South Akard Street between Wood and Canton 6 pm-12:30 am
South Ervay Street between Young and Canton 6 pm-12:30 am
Marilla Street between Wood and Evergreen 6 pm-12:30 am
Browder Street between Young and Canton 8 am-12:30 am
Hotel Street between Reunion Blvd East and Memorial Drive 8 pm-12:45 am
Sports Street between North Drive and Memorial Drive 8 pm-12:45 am

Police will be on hand to direct traffic in and around those closures, including the worst part: the post-midnight eastbound traffic on Commerce Street and Young Street.

DART is also giving free rides from 6 pm until the end of service on December 31 on DART buses, light rail, Paratransit Services, and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE rides from EBJ Union Station to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station only).

For other New Year festivities, check out this list of New Year's Eve parties, and this list of places to eat on New Year's Eve, and this list of places to get brunch on New Year's Day.

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Movie Review

Nicole Kidman dominates kinky May-December romance Babygirl

Photo courtesy of A24

Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson in Babygirl.

The appeal of May-December romances (aka, a pairing between a young adult and someone significantly older than them) is a perennial favorite in Hollywood, with recent entries such as Oscar-nominated films like The Reader and An Education, as well as The Idea of You.

Last year’s May Decemberwas less romantic and more of a psychological study, and the new Babygirl may need to be read as such as well, as its central figure explores avenues that many may find difficult to understand. Romy (Nicole Kidman) is the founder and CEO of an automation company who has a good if sexually-unfulfilling life with her theater director husband, Jacob (Antonio Banderas).

Her world gets up-ended when a new crop of interns comes to work for her company, including the handsome and very confident Samuel (Harris Dickinson). He seems to sense a desire in her that even she is unaware of, and the two of them start an affair that is atypical in almost every way. Despite her position of authority over him, Romy seems almost helpless against Samuel’s powers of persuasion, and she is soon submitting to requests that most people would reject out of hand.

Written and directed by Halina Reijn (Bodies Bodies Bodies), the film has many high points, the most pointed of which is her portrayal of Romy’s sexual desire. Romy is forthright with her sexuality, and the film starts with a sex scene that is both intense and pointed in her lack of fulfillment with Jacob. When she starts up with Samuel, it’s not a surprise, but even when Romy is being told what to do, Reijn makes sure to have every sex scene focused on Romy’s pleasure.

The relationship between Romy and Samuel is fraught for multiple reasons, including the employer-employee dynamic, the age gap, the cheating angle for Romy, and, last but certainly not least, the kinkiness of their sexplay. While the psychology of dominance and submission has been explored in other films, it is presented here in unique and humorous/disturbing ways, depending on your viewpoint.

The film is certainly never boring, both because of Reijn’s story and, more than any film in recent memory, the music. Composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer takes inspiration from the subject matter and pairs scenes with music that features breathy vocals, an element that heightens the tension, sexual and otherwise. ‘80s songs like INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart” and George Michael’s “Father Figure” also complement the visuals well.

Kidman has seemingly been the queen of TV in recent years, but she shows here that she can still be a great film actor. No matter what the character requires, she gives it her all, and the result is a bravura performance that’s sure to earn awards attention. Dickinson is equally compelling, as he imbues his role with a boldness that gives the audience all we need to know about what type of person he is.

Due to its central premise, Babygirl will not be a movie for everybody, but for those willing to expand their minds, it has a lot to offer. The storytelling, acting, and music all combine for one of the most memorable movie experiences of the year.

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Babygirl opens in theaters on December 25.

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