Check out a free, outdoor movie series in the Dallas Arts District

by Sarah Blaskovich

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Best part: BYOB.

It's the first year that you can drink in Annette Strauss Square. And it's the second year that the AT&T Performing Arts Center is hosting a series called Sunset Screenings in the Dallas Arts District. Sounds like it pairs well with a glass of red, no?

The movie screenings are free, though patrons are encouraged to RSVP. Seats for 200 are available, with additional lawn seating.

About that BYOB thing: Soft-sided coolers and picnic baskets up to 16” X 16” are allowed. Concessions (alcohol included) will also be available for purchase, but they have to be consumed in a defined area, not in seats. Sounds like it's best to BYOB.

Here are the list of movies, with descriptions from the AT&T Performing Arts Center and Dallas Film Society:

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8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19 - The Truman Show (PG)  : Nominated for three Oscars, this 1998 American psychological satirical comedy-drama film was directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris, and Natascha McElhone. The film chronicles the life of a man who is initially unaware that he is living in a constructed reality television show, broadcast around the clock to billions of people across the globe through thousands of hidden cameras. Truman becomes suspicious of his perceived reality and embarks on a quest to discover the truth about his life.

Great for fans of dark comedy and those who like to explore the “other side” of reality television.

8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 16 – Basquiat (R): 1996 biopic/drama film directed by fellow painter Julian Schnabel which is based on the life of American postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvas  Starting out as a street artist, living in Thompkins Square Park in a cardboard box, Jean-Michel is "discovered" by Andy Warhol's art world and becomes a star. But success has a high price, and Basquiat pays with friendship, love, and eventually, his life.  Jeffrey Wright portrays Basquiat, and David Bowie plays Basquiat's friend and mentor Andy Warhol. Additional cast include Gary Oldman as a thinly disguised Schnabel; Michael Wincott as the poet and art critic Rene Ricard; Dennis Hopper as Bruno Bischofberger; Parker Posey as gallery owner Mary Boone; Claire Forlani; Courtney Love; Tatum O'Neal; and Benicio del Toro in supporting roles as "composite characters."

Perfect for art lovers who enjoy a film induced with a roller coaster of passion and emotion.

8 p.m. Saturday, September 1 - Strictly Ballroom (PG): A 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann and produced by M&A Productions. The film is the first installment in The Red Curtain Trilogy, Luhrmann's trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; the follow-ups were Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!.

Strictly Ballroom was one of that country's biggest 1992 screen hits. Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), one of Australia's best ballroom dancers, is targeted for a number of championships until he abandons the Dance Federation's rigid steps in favor of his own moves. Horrified by his unorthodox behavior, his partner, Liz (Gia Carides), leaves him, and Scott is forced to take up with an amateur. Fran (Tara Morice) matches Scott's zest for life, but one question hangs over them as they teach each other about life, love, and dancing: Can they win by rejecting tradition?

Perfect for any 1980s movie fan and those who want to see a funny, energetic and enjoyable film!

8 p.m. Saturday, October 13 - The Prestige (PG-13): A 2006 British-American mystery thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Christopher Nolan, with a screenplay adapted from Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name. The story follows Robert Angier and Alfred Borden, rival stage magicians in London at the end of the 19th century. Obsessed with creating the best stage illusion, they engage in competitive one-upmanship with tragic results.

Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are London-based magicians of the highest order, both blessed with spectacular powers of deception and both cursed with unrelenting envy for one another's skills. When Alfred performs an awe-inspiring trick for which there seems no logical explanation, the friendly competition shared between the pair turns to deadly rivalry as the enraged Rupert determines to uncover his rival's deepest secrets.

Perfect for those who love mystery and thriller movies with a twist!

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