James Wallace Has Turned A Childhood Obsession with Film Into A Dream Come True

There’s a certain kind of magic that draws you in when you sit down with James Wallace. It’s not just his vast knowledge of cinema, though that’s certainly part of it, but also the way he speaks about movies like they’re close friends, lifelong companions that have been with him through every chapter of life.

Whether he’s waxing poetic about a cult ‘80s horror film or recounting a day spent hosting a sold-out 40th anniversary Back to the Future reunion at Fan Expo Dallas, there’s a passion in Wallace’s voice that makes it clear he’s not just a fan of film — he’s a curator of its lingering experience, one of Dallas’s most vital champions of its magic.

For Wallace, it all comes back to sitting in Dallas theaters in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s as a kid, neck craning from the front row, wanting to be as physically close to the screen as possible.

“I just wanted to feel like I was as in the experience as much as I possibly could be,” he reflects.

That desire for deep immersion defined his childhood and shaped the hunger for his eventual career.

Growing up in Dallas, he was surrounded by the burgeoning pop culture influences of his city. The Dallas Fantasy Fair, an early convention for comics and genre fandom, left an indelible mark, as did trips to historic theaters like the now-demolished NorthPark I & II. For Wallace, these theaters weren’t just buildings; they were gateways to another world.

“You know, Dallas was just one of those cities where you couldn't help but be influenced,” he says. “There was so much happening here culturally, but it was also a city where you felt like maybe you could actually become a part of it.”

That idea — that Wallace didn’t have to leave Dallas to make his mark in film culture — is one of the throughlines in his story. He stayed rooted in his hometown, a decision that seems almost rebellious in an industry that has traditionally funneled creative minds to Los Angeles or New York.

“I never really wanted to leave. I liked the idea of being a bigger fish in a smaller pond, and Dallas has been a great city for that,” he explains.

From Pen to Panel

Wallace carved a niche in the Dallas artistic community, starting with film journalism and then expanding into events, programming and hosting. He cut his teeth as a writer, contributing to outlets like the Dallas Morning News, Central Track, and notably, the Dallas Observer over a decade ago.

“I was never a staff writer, but I got to contribute to all these places I grew up reading,” says Wallace.

His body of work wasn’t just about reviewing films — it was a chronicle of a city’s love affair with the big screen.

Wallace’s entry into film journalism coincided with the rise of online media. It was a moment of convergence where the accessibility of platforms like YouTube and social media democratized voices in film, allowing someone in Texas to speak as loudly as critics in New York. Wallace seized the moment.

“It felt like the right place, right time,” he says. “I got to develop alongside this boom in online film journalism, and eventually I started to figure out how to carve out my own way.”


The journey didn't stop at the limits of writing, though. Wallace soon realized that his voice on the page translated to live settings, where his genuine enthusiasm and film savviness made him a natural host. From moderating panels at comic cons and film festivals to screening events like the Alamo Drafthouse’s cult programming (where he previously worked as creative director), Wallace’s voice became synonymous with movie celebration in Dallas. It was through these events that he found what truly fed his soul.

“There’s just something about being in the room with an audience, with talent, crafting that shared experience,” he says. “It’s this incredible energy that nothing on social media can replicate. Seeing the crowd’s faces light up — that’s what it’s about for me.”

Celebrating the Stories That Shaped Him

Wallace’s personal and professional ethos has always revolved around celebration rather than creation. He doesn’t write or direct movies, but he champions them.

“For me, it’s not about telling new stories,” he says. “It’s about celebrating the ones that inspired me in the first place.”

Films like Back to the Future and Jurassic Park take on almost mythic proportions for him, not only because of the quality of their craft, but because of how they reinforced the magic of sitting in a crowded theater and experiencing something together as strangers.

The past several years have been littered with "pinch-me" career moments for Wallace, leading up to hosting one of the largest cast reunions of Back to the Future earlier this summer at Fan Expo Dallas.

“That franchise is the pinnacle for me,” he says. “It’s strange to think that this thing I loved so deeply not only influenced me, but led me back to it in such a profound way. It’s as if the movie itself acted as some form of time travel, connecting the dots between the kid I was and the man I am now.”


His most cherished encounters aren’t always with box-office legends, though. Some come through hosting smaller screenings with names that might not light up a marquee, but which hold deep resonance for Wallace.

Last year, he met legendary director Joe Dante at Texas Frightmare. Dante’s films, particularly The ‘Burbs and Matinee, were influential touchstones in Wallace’s upbringing, and getting to host Dante in Dallas was, in Wallace’s words, a “full-circle moment.” It’s that sense of marvel, and an ability to constantly reconcile the magic of movies alongside the people who made them, that gives Wallace’s career such singular weight.

Charting the Next Reel Adventure

Looking forward, Wallace is as busy as he’s ever been, working on more ambitious collaborations tied to anniversaries of beloved films and curating events that only grow in scale and scope.

“The 40th anniversary of Back to the Future was just the beginning,” he teases. "It's the 40th anniversary all year long, so there are more events on the way for that."

Still, he’s quick to focus not on his accolades, but on his gratitude and the transformational power of film for others.

“When you get to be a part of someone watching their favorite movie on the big screen for the first time, or they’re introducing it to their kids, that’s the real magic,” he says. “Movies aren’t just something we watch — they’re moments we share."

For someone who has spent his entire career chasing that ineffable feeling of movie magic, Wallace sits today as part of that alchemy for countless moviegoers in Dallas. He brings people closer to the stories they love, just as he always wanted for himself as a kid.

"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything," Doc Brown says in Back to the Future, and it seems Wallace took it to heart. More than a career or a collection of pinch-me moments, he has created a community in Dallas that is propped up by a lived experience that reminds us all why we fell in love with the movies in the first place.

As Wallace fosters the next generation’s connection to cinema, including his own daughter’s gradual introduction to the films that shaped him, he sees himself not just as a host or curator but as a conduit, bridging time and story for others.

“You’re essentially hugging your younger self,” he says.

And maybe, in some way, through the glow of the big screen, we all get to do that for a moment.