It all began one morning as Mark Birnbaum sipped coffee with a friend who’d read about Byrd Williams IV, whose lineage includes a long line of photographers. The friend asked, “Isn’t this the kind of person you make films about?” Birnbaum remembers. Indeed it was. “I never thought about making…
Actress Gina Carano was fired from her role in Disney’s The Mandalorian this week, after she tweeted anti-Semitic, anti-mask wearing, Jeffrey Epstein and election fraud conspiracies — among a slew of other opinions that were decidedly non-Disney. Carano has also posted anti-trans remarks in the past, but the last straw…
Even in the era of social media and streaming, there’s nothing in the digital world that can match the authenticity of live comedy. Watching a comedian risk losing his or her reputation and dignity on a set is a thrilling feeling, and the buzz of seeing a great routine is…
We’re all stuck at home now with more limited entertainment options than a resident of Branson, Missouri. One of the things that can help us get through this small-town feel is the free show and movie app Pluto TV. It’s like someone mutated a UHF TV station and unleashed it…
Perhaps it was inevitable that Ethan Hawke would have to eat his words. “I went to see Logan cause everyone was like, ‘This is a great movie,’” he told The Film Stage back in 2018. “I was like, ‘Really? No, this is a fine superhero movie.’ There’s a difference, but…
Behind every glammed-up woman with Botox on The Real Housewives of Dallas, there’s a husband sighing his way through the show and life. It’s clear: He just really hates it here. Some husbands hate it more than others. Some husbands actually don’t hate it all — they’re eager for the…
This weekend, Denzel Washington and Rami Malek will be combining their wits as they hunt down a serial killer (Jared Leto) in the new HBO Max thriller The Little Things. Hollywood has often been attracted to the allure of serial killers, as villains with even the slightest bit of plausibility…
The opening scene of the new action-drama Run Hide Fight produced by Dallas-based Bonfire Legend, formerly Cinestate, features a pivotal moment establishing the film’s two leading heroes hunting a deer at dusk. The film’s principal stars Thomas Jane and Isabel May are walking into a forest clearing where they spot…
If it wasn’t for the critically acclaimed and fan-beloved AMC show Breaking Bad, methamphetamines would not be an acceptable theme for any gathering place — except, of course, at actual meth dens. The Whippersnapper on McMillian Avenue in the Henderson Avenue development is getting the Heinsenberg treatment with a new…
Given the wide accessibility of Blu-Ray special features, YouTube behind-the-scenes videos and real-time social media updates, film fans have more knowledge than ever before about how movies are made. Sometimes, the story of a film’s creation is enough to justify a story of its own. Last year’s Mank is one…
In his over 35 year-career as every dad’s favorite actor, Tom Hanks has played historical figures — from Ben Bradlee to Walt Disney — wooed mermaids, saved Private Ryan, solved crimes with dogs and played “Chopsticks” on a larger-than-life piano. Yet, at the age of 64, Hanks has done a…
During the premiere episode of season 5 of The Real Housewives of Dallas, which aired New Year’s Eve night, Stephanie Hollman greets Brandi Redmond at Redmond’s house with a big hug. “This is a corona-free zone,” Hollman says during a confessional. “We’re filming a TV show. We’ve been tested, like,…
If you scrolled back to the beginning of the year and looked at any lists of “the most anticipated films of 2021,” you’d see titles such as Dune, Black Widow, Halloween Kills, Top Gun: Maverick, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Godzilla vs. Kong, Fast and Furious 9, A Quiet Place: Part II, Coming…
The end of the year generally marks an exciting time for movie buffs, when fans can put together their yearly lists of favorite films, speculate on the offerings of the new year and dedicate some time to that stack of Blu-Rays gifted over the holidays. “New Year’s Movies” doesn’t have…
D’Andra Simmons, star of The Real Housewives of Dallas, is in the hospital with COVID-19, her rep confirms to the Observer. Simmons was admitted into UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Her oxygen levels were borderline, and she will start Remdesivir,” her rep wrote in an email. “At this time we ask…
Movies will never be the same. The industry has been changing rapidly over the past several years, but the biggest development has been the antiquated notion of seeing new theatrical films in theaters. Maybe Parasite winning Best Picture was the last good thing to happen? This was a big year…
Oh, no, this probably isn’t the news you were expecting to read on Christmas Eve, but someone has to tell you. Ivan Hall, an engineer from Dallas, didn’t win Tayshia Adams’s heart on The Bachelorette. And it’s because of Jesus. While spending the night together in the Fantasy Suite, Hall…
During the second episode of the 15th season of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team, the reality show that chronicles DCC hopefuls through the audition process, DCC director Kelli Finglass fitted the women for their potential uniform. This segment happens every season and in past seasons, it was usually filled…
The pandemic has given actor and Dallas native Stephen Tobolowsky a lot of time to think. Mostly, at first, his thoughts were that he might have the COVID-19 virus. “I was wanting to kill myself every day,” Tobolowsky says from his home in Los Angeles. “I was convinced I had…
Holiday season has arrived, which means we’ll once again be inundated with the holiday spirit by many of our favorite films. You know, those. It’s a Wonderful Life. Miracle on 34th Street. White Christmas. Home Alone. Elf. Fred Claus (just kidding with that last one). These movies have carved a place…
Every year, there’s at least one film that earns the label of “failed Oscar bait.” These are the films with lofty ambitions, big-name movie stars, prime fall release dates and seemingly noble and important ambitions that aim for all the glory of awards season only to land with a thud…
The film industry has faced an endless stream of unprecedented challenges because of the coronavirus: Movie theaters have had to reduce public showings and private rentals, temporarily closing down to keep people from spreading COVID-19. Film studios have had to push back their biggest blockbusters or settle for releasing them…
