A Dallas Cowboys Christmas

The Star in Frisco scores a touchdown with jolly holiday happenings

For diehard football fans — and for those who can never get enough Christmas spirit — this is truly the most wonderful time of year. And right now, it’s prime time at The Star District in Frisco.

The corporate headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys has also decked the halls (and the end zones) with some serious holiday star power.

Here’s how to get in the game and experience all the cheer of Christmas at The Star:

Make the holidays lit
The Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza, powered by Reliant, is the touchdown of the festive season. Held on Tostitos Championship Plaza, the electrifying, 20-minute show ignites The Star with game-day-worthy thrills and Christmas dazzle — and it all kicks off with a performance by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

The lighting of the 67-foot LED Christmas tree is a fan favorite; the towering, illuminated stunner is synched with original music and pyrotechnics. Also on the roster are appearances by Cowboys football legends along with a lineup of performers, including the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue, Cowboys Rookie Squad, Rowdy, and a special appearance by Santa Claus.

It all goes down on Fridays and Saturdays from December 2-17.

Go behind the field
After the Christmas Extravaganza, reserve an exclusive guided Christmas Tour of The Star, presented by SeatGeek, and experience the place where the Cowboys train and work 355 days of the year.

In addition to all the behind-the-scenes action, the holiday edition of these tours comes with additional sweet perks like Christmas cookies and limited-edition Cowboys ornaments. Tours will be held on December 2, 9, 16, and 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Pay a visit to Old Saint Nick
Cowboys fans with little ones in tow need look no further than this Santa photo opp at The Star. The jolly chap will be ensconced at his Cowboys-themed cottage, presented by Monument Realty, through Friday, December 24.

Spike your holiday shopping
Seasonal flavors — and lots of amazing shopping — await at the Christmas Sip & Stroll on Thursday, December 15, where many of The Star’s restaurants and shops will fill your glass while you browse.

Plus, look for complimentary gift customization opportunities and exclusive offers, carolers and Christmas music, photo moments, and more.

When you check in, you’ll get a stroll map, tasting glass, and a holiday shopping tote so you’re well-prepared for three hours of shopping and socializing with a twist.

Make your list, check it twice, and book a staycay
Multitask in the best way possible with holiday dining and shopping in The Star District. But first, do yourself a favor and book a room at the Omni Frisco Hotel, where they’re offering holiday specials all season long.

From there, you’ll be mere steps away from all the places to get your holiday shopping handled — especially with the brand-new stores J. Hilburn and Monkee’s along with fan faves like Lucchese, Flea Style, and Luxe Eyewear.

Then, step into The Gents Place, Hiatus Spa, Tangerine Salon, or Cherry Blow Dry to give the gift of self-care to yourself and grab a few gift cards for friends.

Dine and be merry
The Star also has no shortage of places to feast and fest. On Fridays in December, grab a special holiday lunch at Dee Lincoln Prime, complete with a Prime rib bar.

Over at Lombardi Cucina Italiana, don’t miss cheer-laden events like their Tinsels, Tinis, and Toddies Brunch on December 11 and Holiday Truffle Dinner on December 13.

For brand-new scene-stealers, The Glen and its exclusive scotch bar The Monarch Stag were made for that holiday vibe with a mystically unique atmosphere, lush florals, provocative lighting, and incredible food and drink. Snowbird Cocktail Lounge & Kitchen is another sleek newbie that’s not to be missed.

And of course, seasoned faves like Cane Rosso, City Works, Mi Cocina, Wahlburgers, and more are tried-and-true for day and night.

Explore all the ways to make your holiday merry and bright at The Star here

Photo courtesy of The Star

The lighting of the 67-foot LED Christmas tree is a fan favorite.

holidays shopping dinner sports promoted

Movie review

Over-the-top The Bride! makes other Frankenstein movies seem subtle

Photo by Niko Tavernise

Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley in The Bride!.

The story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster is now over 200 years old, with Mary Shelley’s book having been adapted or referenced in close to 500 films. Less common is the character of The Bride of Frankenstein, which existed in the original text but has more often than not been excised in adaptations. Writer/director Maggie Gyllenhaal has tried to rectify that by giving the character a big showcase in her new film, The Bride!.

Gyllenhaal has reimagined the story as one in which a woman named Ida (Jessie Buckley) becomes possessed by the spirit of Shelley (also Buckley). At the same time, the already-existing Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale) approaches Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening), who specializes in reanimation, with the request to make him a wife. When Ida falls to her death in an “accident” involving her boyfriend (John Magaro), the ideal corpse becomes available.

After Ida’s resurrection, she and the monster become restless being studied by Dr. Euphronius and decide to break out to experience the world. The world, naturally, is not exactly welcoming to them, and soon the couple are on the run for causing mayhem, including a few murders. In hot pursuit are detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard) and his assistant, Myrna Mallow (Penélope Cruz), as well as other authorities.

It’s clear that Gyllenhaal wanted to merge the Frankenstein story with Bonnie & Clyde, especially since she sets the film in the mid-1930s. And that wouldn’t have been a bad idea if having the monster and The Bride going on a crime spree was truly the focus of the movie. But most of the time there’s less intentionality in their misdeeds and more confusion, leading to a muddled plot with no clear direction or end goal in mind.

One of the biggest problems is that Gyllenhaal starts the energy of the film at an 11, giving her and everyone else nowhere to go but down. She dabbles in multiple different tones, at times going the straight drama route and other times making what seems like full-on camp. At one point, she even has the monster and the Bride in a dance sequence set to “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” which would be hilarious as an homage to Young Frankenstein if the film weren’t so disjointed.

Most baffling of all is what Gyllenhaal wants from The Bride character. She morphs multiple times over the course of the film, from close to unintelligible at the beginning to rough-and-tumble at the end. There are hints at the lack of control she has over her autonomy, including Shelley’s possession of her and the monster lying to her about her past, but any commentary that Gyllenhaal might be trying to make gets lost amid the oddity of the film as a whole.

Both Buckley and Bale are all-in for their performances, which definitely fall in the “love it or hate it” dichotomy. Each scene is pitched so high that there’s little nuance to either of them, and neither is on par with their previous Oscar-caliber roles. The high-powered supporting cast of Bening, Sarsgaard, Cruz, and Jake Gyllenhaal is watchable based on previous roles, but none of them elevate this particular movie.

Whatever intentions Maggie Gyllenhaal had in making The Bride! are only halfway legible in a film that can never find its tonal footing. There has rarely been subtlety in movies featuring Frankenstein’s monster and related characters, but this one makes all the others seem like stuffy dramas in comparison.

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The Bride! is now playing in theaters.

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