Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

Grand Prairie's Vergel Ortiz, Jr. will put his undefeated record on the line against Michael "The Problem" McKinson at Dickies Arena on August 6.

Photo by Kevin Estrada Getty Images

This weekend around Fort Worth offers a little bit of everything. There are movies for both kids and adults, concerts both indoors and outdoors, comedy performances ranging from stand-up to impressions, two local theater productions (including one with a bat boy), and two undefeated boxers going head-to-head.

Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, August 4

Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents Modern Kids Summer Flicks: Selected Short Films
Modern Kids Summer Flicks: Selected Short Films features a selection of unique films presented by the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Guests will enjoy a range of stories that include live-action, animation, and documentary films displaying different styles of filmmaking from around the world. There will be three different screenings through Friday, after which families can experience a variety of paintings, sculptures, and photographs, including the exhibition "Women Painting Women."

Panther Island Pavilion presents Rockin' the River
Rockin’ the River is back for a 11th year of music and tubing at Panther Island Pavilion. The event features a trio of bands playing back-to-back-to-back sets beginning around 5:15 pm on the Coors Light Waterfront Stage, while attendees watch from tubes and other floaties on the Trinity River. Performers for the penultimate week of the series will include headliner Kyle Park along with Seth James and Bencjones.

The Cliburn presents Pop-Up Concert: Anna Geniushene
2022 Cliburn silver medalist Anna Geniushene returns for a special pop-up concert indoors at the Trinity Room at The Post at River East. The program will include Ravel's Selections from Miroirs, Shostakovich's Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, op. 87, no. 24, and Schumann's Faschingsschwank aus Wien, op. 26. While the performance is technically sold out, you can email kblouin@cliburn.org with your name and the number of tickets you would like to purchase to be placed on the waiting list.

Improv Arlington presents Tommy Davidson
Tommy Davidson’s exceptional range, from stand-up comedy and acting to versatile music accomplishments, have earned him a reputation as an extraordinary performer. Best known as one of the stars of the hit television show, In Living Color, his visibility has allowed him to become a household name known for his innovative talent. He'll perform six times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

Friday, August 5

Magnolia at the Modern: Fire of Love
Fire of Love tells the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, who died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of our planet by capturing the most explosive volcano imagery ever recorded. Along the way, they changed our understanding of the natural world and saved tens of thousands of lives. Previously unseen hours of pristine 16-millimeter film and thousands of photographs reveal the birth of modern volcanology through an unlikely lens — the love of its two pioneers. The film, which is in French with English subtitles, will screen six times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Dion Pride in concert
Dion Pride, the son of legendary Country Music Hall of Famer Charley Pride, has inherited his father's talents. With great artistic talent and an endearing personality on and off stage, Dion has been making his own way in show business after being part of his father's band for five years. He'll perform at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis.

Casa Mañana presents Bat Boy: The Musical
Based on the infamous headline in the “Weekly World News” tabloid, Bat Boy is a hilarious modern musical that tells the story of a half-human/half-bat by the name of Edgar. Discovered in a West Virginia cave, the local sheriff brings Bat Boy to the home of the local veterinarian, where he’s accepted as a member of the family and taught how to act like a “normal” boy. But as the town’s cows begin to fall victim to a mysterious plague, mayhem ensues. The show, suitable for mature audiences, is part of Casa Mañana’s Apprentice Program, featuring dedicated young performers ages 14-19. There will be four performances through Sunday at Casa Mañana.

Hip Pocket Theatre presents When We Were Very Young
When We Were Very Young, the A.A. Milne classic book of musings and poems, will be brought to life for the stage by Hip Pocket Theatre through music, puppetry, and dance. The production will run through August 21.

Midland in concert
The country band Midland surprisingly didn't come out of the same-named city, but rather Dripping Springs, just outside of Austin. Named instead after the Dwight Yoakam song "Fair to Midland," the group has already made a big mark on country music, hitting No. 2 with its debut album, On the Rocks, and No. 1 with their 2019 album, Let It Roll. After playing three straight nights at Billy Bob's Texas in 2021, they'll play two more on Friday and Saturday in support of their new album, The Last Resort: Greetings From.

Saturday, August 6

Golden Boy Promotions presents Vergel Ortiz Jr. vs Michael "The Problem" McKinson
Knockout sensation and the pride of Grand Prairie, Texas, Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs), will make his grand return to the ring, taking on top-10 ranked, undefeated welterweight contender Michael "The Problem" McKinson (22-0, 2 KOs) in this special boxing event at Dickies Arena.

Robin: The Ultimate Robin Williams Experience
Robin: The Ultimate Robin Williams Experience is a "true" story about how the death of one man changed another man's life. The life and comedy routine of Roger Kabler, a seasoned actor, stand-up comic, and impressionist, transformed forever when comedy legend and icon Robin Williams passed away in 2014. Kabler's fast-paced show features his impression of Williams, but also includes impressions of Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Marlon Brando, and others.

Midland will play at Billy Bob's Texas on August 5 and 6.

Midland/Facebook

Midland will play at Billy Bob's Texas on August 5 and 6.

families movies theater kids music comedy event-planner concerts sports

Movie Review

Horror comedy film Y2K dials into nostalgia of '90s techno-mayhem

Photo courtesy of A24

Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, and Julian Dennison in Y2K.

Movies that rely on nostalgia can be successful if they’re timed right. Generally, 25-30 years seems about the right amount of time to try to take advantage of people’s fond feelings for a certain era, which is why movies/TV shows about the ‘80s have been prevalent for much of the 21st century, and ‘90s-set films started to pop up in the last 10 years.

Y2K, a horror comedy that plays on the fears of technological mayhem many people thought would happen at the turn of the century, is right on the cusp of that rule, taking place 24 years after its timeline. It centers on two teenage boys, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), who are opposite in demeanor but have an unshakeable bond. Eli likes a popular girl, Laura (Rachel Zegler), and Danny convinces him to crash a New Year’s Eve party where she’ll be.

As the clock strikes midnight and the year moves from 1999 to 2000, everything that uses an electrical current goes haywire, with many of them combining forces to attack the humans around them. Eli and Danny find themselves on the run with Laura, as well as two stoners, Ash (Lachlan Watson) and CJ (Daniel Zolghadri), with each of them trying to use their unique skillset to help defeat a growing robot army.

Directed by Kyle Mooney and written by Mooney and Evan Winter, the film lands some solid jokes about the era in its opening 20 minutes or so, whether it’s the extreme slowness of dial-up internet, the goofy user names from AOL Messenger, or the various high school cliques of the time. However, many of them seem to echo ones told in 1999’s American Pie, a weird kind of art-imitating-art moment instead of commenting on real life.

The jolt of the machines attacking partygoers seems to promise a fun-if-bloody romp, but Mooney and Winter don’t seem to know where to take the story. They establish the computer bona fides of Eli and Laura early on, but when it comes time for them to put their talents in action, it feels like two actors going through the motions instead of real people who know what they’re doing. Almost none of the characters are believable or entertaining, and the few that rise above are dispatched way too early.

And because the filmmakers don’t make you care about the main group, nothing they face is that interesting, either. The villainous robots are made up of a bunch of disparate parts, which would seem to offer the opportunity for funny sight gags. Mooney and his team fumble most of their chances, though, leaving that side of the story stuck in limbo where it’s not absurd enough to be hilarious or scary enough to really count as horror.

Martell, Dennison, and Zegler are each rising stars who have their individual charms, but only Dennison is able to make much of an impact. Zegler, who starred in West Side Story and will soon be Snow White, is especially misused. They try to shoehorn in a cameo by Limp Biskit lead singer Fred Durst, but his appearance makes little sense and adds almost nothing to the story.

Filmmakers who want to mine nostalgia, especially in a comedy, need to really commit to the bit instead of throwing in a few references and needle drops. Mooney, who’s making his directorial debut, demonstrates little feel for timing, and so most of the film is like a car spinning its wheels, going nowhere.

---

Y2K opens in theaters on December 6.

movies film