Like we’ve been saying: while it felt like Dallas nearly collapsed this year with racial tensions and destructive tornadoes, there were also many great moments this year in local culture. From viral videos to cannabis laws to the best swingers clubs — we tried to capture it all. These are…
David Lowery is an acclaimed Dallas-based filmmaker, whose films include A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon, The Old Man and the Gun and Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. I sat down 20 minutes ago, having been invited to reflect upon the year that was for the Observer, and began to compile a…
Monday, December 23 The Trains at NorthPark For over three decades, NorthPark Center has constructed an enchanting miniature train display, Trains at NorthPark, which has become a Dallas tradition for thousands of visitors as well as a significant philanthropic effort that has raised over $13 million for the Ronald McDonald…
Comedian Tom Green has accomplished a lot of lofty goals with his showbiz career. He’s hosted and created his own shows, like the surreal reality comedy The Tom Green Show on MTV that turned him into a comedy phenomenon and led to roles in movies like Road Trip and Charlie’s Angels…
One of the West End’s newest sights may not appear as it seems. The Museum of Illusions that opened earlier this month on Ross Avenue features a collection of puzzling art, props and sets designed to screw with your mind without the use of heavy-duty narcotics or a hard blow…
Many films aim to completely immerse their audience in the story at hand, but Academy-Award winning director Sam Mendes takes this concept even further with his latest film 1917, a war epic meant to look like one continuous shot throughout, with no clear edits or cuts. “Once we had the…
Getting the boot is typically not a bucket list event, unless there are two of them, which changes everything. And, in that case, a crocodile belt or python wallet could be thrown in, too, for good measure. For those looking to add a little Western bling to their wardrobe, or…
The Winspear Opera House feels diverse, energetic and slightly dangerous in the way that reminds me of the first day of school. Spike Lee walks out to a standing ovation and veteran journalist Roland Martin walks out in a caftan. Lee immediately makes a joke about how the Dallas Mavericks…
Monday, December 16 Laugh Your MASS Off with Eddie Pepitone and JT Habersaat If you like your comedy angry and bitter, then the next Laugh Your MASS Off show, at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16 at Main at South Side, should be on your calendar. The Dallas comedy showcase will…
Tonight kicks off the ninth year of North Texas Performing Arts’ annual production of Scrooge the Musical. It might ring a bell. It’s Christmas time around 1843, and Ebenezer Scrooge (Darrell Rodenbaugh) has spent much of his life neglecting his loved ones and acquiring material possessions. He is granted one…
Monday, Dec. 9 Caroling in the Arts DistrictCaroling in the Arts District Ah, caroling, that holiday tradition in which groups of strangers come to your home or accost you on the street and sing Christmas songs at you until you give them money. How is that legal? Seriously, robbery at…
The classic British Broadcasting Company (BBC) sketch comedy series Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the films built by Pythons including Monty Python & the Holy Grail, Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life may be required viewing for comedy nerds of all generations these days. However, there was a…
It doesn’t take a comic book nerd to see the significance that the genre’s had on pop culture over the years. And thanks to Hollywood blockbuster movies, you don’t even have to read comics anymore to know the stories of popular characters like Batman, Superman and Iron Man. But real…
On the night before St. Nick’s Day, on Thursday, a 7-foot-tall demonic Santa Claus will appear on the streets near downtown Denton, not to wreak havoc but to give toys to children who appear in his path on the Krampus Walk. Two days later, he’ll be at Wit’s End in…
In John Waters’ 1974 dark comedy Female Trouble, Dawn Davenport (Devine) crushes all of her family’s Christmas presents and turns the tree over on her mother when she doesn’t get the cha-cha heels she wanted because “nice girls don’t wear cha-cha heels.” So began Waters’ public relationship with toppling Christmas…
We’re all about staying up-to-date on current events, but man, it can be a real downer sometimes. From the endless coverage of Trump’s impeachment inquiry to his latest Twitter storms, there’s an infinite supply of political craziness constantly being shoved down our throats every time we pick up our phones…
Preacher Lawson, finalist of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, is coming to the Arlington Improv this weekend, Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 5-7, but he comes without any ego. To be clear, it would be justifiable for Lawson to have an enormous ego. His face, along with his jokes, entered America’s households…
Tuesday, December 3 Ernie Kovacs Retrospective Dallas VideoFest annually presents The Ernie Kovacs Award to television’s comedy visionaries. In doing so, the organization normally presents a smattering of clips featuring the man who inspired so many laughs, as well as the talent honored — this year’s recipient is John Cleese…
There’s no secret that Deep Ellum has had its fair share of face-lifts over the years. One constant trend is the opening and quick closing of stores — whether it’s an old staple being forced out because of high rent, or newbies who didn’t do their market research. Sans the…
The holidays are a great time to make new memories with friends and family but also a time to share with friends yet to be made, an opportunity to change the life of another without expecting anything in return. OK, so that sounds overly sentimental and like something Steve Urkel…
Friday, November 29 Vitruvian Lights: Lighting Ceremony 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 Vitruvian Park Free-ish This Friday night, Vitruvian Park transforms into a magical winter wonderland. Enjoy a beautiful lighting ceremony, along with a performance by the Jordan Kahn Orchestra, free pictures with Santa, gourmet food trucks and more. Movie…
Those looking to add some fa-la-la to their holiday season may want to sideline extreme shopping and partying, – for a day at least – to visit a few of these heartwarming, family-friendly adventures. The best North Texas Christmas events this year include a German holiday market, a light display…
