Fort Worth Weekly // July 8-14, 2026

The Ultimate Dive

Upper 90 offers refuge for Fort Worth footballers after loss to Belgium.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY ZACH FREEMAN

METROPOLIS

Biker-friendly Operation Liberty House fundraiser for homeless vets parks at VFW Post 6111 in Arlington Sunday. BY MARK HENRICKS

STATIC

Hive Bakery surges after online attacks by internetpopular trolls Libs of TikTok.

BY ANTHONY MARIANI

EATS & DRINKS

Visiting footballers, Arlington’s food scene has a lot more to offer than chains.

BY LAURIE JAMES

8-14, 2026

MUSIC

From Toadies and .MARCEL. to The Post, Werewolf Victim Revival, and Rush, we’ve got news you can use. BY ANTHONY

AND STEVE

METROPOLIS

4 Static // The Hive Mind: After right-wing trolls attacked, a Flower Mound bakery watched its follows — and sales — soar.

By Anthony Mariani

5 Metro // Operation Liberty House: A preview of a fundraiser for homeless vets Sun, Jul 12, at VFW Post 6111 in Arlington.

By Mark Henricks FEATURE

7 Stuff // Bon Voyage, Baller: After decades in business, North Texas barbershop legend Travis Dehorney retires.

By Kena Sosa WORLD CUP

8 Stuff // World Cup Update: Catching up with all the football action.

By Kristian Lin

13 Eats // Welcome to Arlington, Footballers: It may seem like all chains, but plenty of quality locally owned restos sit by Dallas Stadium.

By Laurie James

16 Last Call // The Ultimate Divel Stopping by Upper 90 on Magnolia to catch USA/Belgium.

Story and Photos by Zach Freeman CALENDAR

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Anthony Mariani

Art Director: Ryan Burger

Special Projects Manager: Jennifer Bovee

Calendar Editor: Elaine Wilder

Film Editor: Kristian Lin

Music Editors: Patrick Higgins, Steve Steward

Proofreader: Emmy Smith

Editorial Board: Anthony Mariani, Emmy Smith, Steve Steward, Elaine Wilder

Contributors: E.R. Bills, Jennifer Bovee, Jason Brimmer, Todd Camp, Amber Chadwick, Jess Delarosa, Buck D. Elliott, Danny Gallagher, Ozzie Garza, Juan R. Govea, Mark Henricks, Patrick Higgins, Laurie James, Patrice Jones, Kristian Lin, Cody Neatherly, Rush Olson, Jeff Prince, Emmy Smith, Kena Sosa, Steve Steward, Jennifer Zooki Sturges, Teri Webster, Ken Wheatcroft-Pardue, Elaine Wilder, Cole Williams

Owner / Publisher: Lee Newquist

Director of Operations: Bob Niehoff

Director of Sales: Michael Newquist

Director of Marketing: Jennifer Bovee

Account Manager: Julie Strehl

Sr. Account Executive: Stacey Hammons

Account Executives: Tony Diaz, Wendy Maier, Sarah Niehoff, Wyatt Newquist

8 4 17 5

9 Night & Day // Give It a Rest: There’s still much to do and see and hear while the footballers enjoy their “rest days.”

By Elaine Wilder SCREEN

11 Streaming // Wicked Widow’s Bay: A review of Apple TV’s new, delightful horror comedy. By Cole Williams

12 Film Shorts // In short, it’s hot out there. Cool off at the movies.

By Elaine Wilder & Kristian Lin MUSIC

17 Notes and News // Toadies, Werewolf Victim Revival, Brandon Marcel, The Post songwriter showcase, Rush at Dickies, and more keep the Fort abuzz.

By Anthony Mariani, Patrick Higgins, and Steve Steward

CLASSIFIEDS

18 Crosstown Sounds // July Gigs

19 Weekly Happenings // Back to (Obedience) School

20 Bulletin Board

Brand Ambassador: Clint Newquist

COPYRIGHT

The entire contents of Fort Worth Weekly are Copyright 2025 by Ft. Worth Weekly, LP. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the express written permission of the publisher. Please call the Fort Worth Weekly office for back-issue information.

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The Hive Mind

After right-wing trolls attacked, a Flower Mound bakery watched its follows — and sales — soar.

BY ANTHONY MARIANI

With millions of followers on social media, the Libs of TikTok account fights the conservative fight from the trenches of hate and insanity. The Libs’ latest target? An old, formidable foe from Flower Mound.

After doxxing Hive Bakery a second time, the Libs no doubt scurried back under their crusty, soiled rocks as Hive’s social-media follows climbed by 15K on Facebook, 10K on TikTok, and 8K on Instagram to well over half a million total

It all started with the Libs posting, “Attention everyone in [the] Flower Mound, Texas area. The [sic] Hive Bakery apparently hates conservatives and our country. This was their message for the 4th of July: ‘We refuse to observe this holiday. F*** this fascist regime.’ Would be a shame if everyone in the area saw this!”

The bakery’s address and phone number accompanied the message.

“I’ve literally never experienced anything quite like this before,” replied Hive owner, founder, and Food Network champion Haley Popp. “Our bakery phone is ringing off the hook today, and I decided to answer a few. The first

Just in time for the Fourth of July, Hive whipped up some politically charged treats.

caller didn’t know what a sycophant was. Couldn’t even pronounce it. Said they don’t watch the news. Couldn’t define fascism. But go off, guys. Just proving my point. … You know you’re doing something right when the lowest of the low come for you. MAGA is losing its grip. Don’t let up. Resist. Rebel. Revolt.”

The 8-year-old business specializes in baked political statements, too. For the Fourth of July, Hive whipped up treats emblazoned with the upside-down American flag sandwiched by the words “UNDER” and “DISTRESS.”

“People need to chill,” Popp posted the other day. “Freedom of speech is powerful. It’s how we choose to rebel in a time when everything feels corrupt. It became abundantly apparent yesterday after several phone calls and hundreds of emails from MAGA that there are far too many uneducated individuals out there making uninformed decisions. Put Newsmax away. Stop

watching Fox News. Immerse yourself in knowledge, not propaganda. … Stay on the right side of history. Resist. Rebel. Revolt. Love it. Wish me luck.”

Popp goes on to ask for patience as “hundreds” of online orders are filled.

The baker may want normal, everyday antifascists to know that her shop sits at 360 Parker

Square Rd and that orders can be made by calling 972-316-7625 or visiting HiveBakeryTX.com. This column reflects the opinions of the editorial board and not the Fort Worth Weekly. To submit a column, please email Editor Anthony Mariani at Anthony@FWWeekly.com. He will gently edit it for clarity and concision.

Operation Liberty House

Event this weekend in Arlington aims to help programs for homeless veterans.

BY MARK HENRICKS

By day, Shareé Gill studies for a master’s in social work and interns at Liberty House, a Tarrant County MHMR facility for homeless veterans faced with substance dependency and mental health issues. By night, she tends bar at a VFW Post in Arlington.

The apparent mismatch is not lost on Gill. “I found myself serving alcohol to vets and at the same time working at Liberty House,” she said. At the same time, she didn’t know exactly how to reconcile the two disparate activities. Then one Wednesday evening at the VFW Post, she was telling a group of veterans at the bar about Liberty House and was surprised to learn that they had never heard of it. In a flash, she had a vision for an event that would inform vets about the program, bring members of the veteran community together, and also generate some money to support Liberty House operations.

Thus was born Operation Liberty House, a first-of-its-kind awareness-booster, fundraiser, and connections-maker from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, at VFW Post 6111 (1200 W Harris Rd, Arlington, 817-465-1124). While veteran-focused,

METROPOLIS

Operation Liberty House is open to all and will include a range of activities, including live music.

Attendees will learn that Liberty House is a year-long transitional housing program that provides a place to sleep and three meals a day to homeless veterans experiencing problems associated with mental illness and substance abuse. Vets in the program get a safe and drug-free environment and access to counseling, housing vouchers, employment, and health and dental care. They also receive crucial help getting documents such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

There will be food and drinks for sale, as well as a raffle, a chili cookoff, and poker, pool, and darts tournaments. The event will have a significant motorcycle flavor thanks to the involvement of Gill’s co-organizer. Will “Rooster” Meek, who grew up in Mansfield and served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, rides with Regimental Army Warriors MC.

Sporting full sleeve tattoos and a warhawk haircut with shaved sides revealing a scalp tattoo of the crossed rifles symbol for infantry, Rooster serves as Tailgunner on Army Warriors group rides.

“That means I’m always covering our club’s six, riding at the back and making sure nobody gets between us,” he said.

Rooster himself is a graduate of veteran assistance programs. After serving in Iraq during the 2007 and 2008 surge, he left the military on full disability. Back home, he struggled to adapt to civilian life without the Army he loved.

“I got in trouble, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Rooster said. “I went through treatment court, and it changed me. Then I came back as a mentor.”

Since January, Rooster has been employed by MHMR working at Liberty House. In his capacity as co-organizer of Operation Liberty House, he has coordinated the involvement of a number of other motorcycle clubs.

Rough Riders MC, another veteran-focused

biker group, has already donated four beds to Liberty House. The Christian Motorcyclists Association is donating underwear and bed linens. Other biker clubs are providing knives and assorted motorcycle gear for the raffle and silent auction. Other involved groups include American Legion Chapter 379 Riders, associated with Bedford’s American Legion Post 379, and Support Operation Services, which helps out veterans as well as first responders and their families.

The lively and personable Gill, who grew up in Arlington and Fort Worth, is close to finishing her degree at UTA. After graduation, she plans to work as a death doula and certified psychedelic-assisted therapist.

As part of organizing Operation Liberty, Gill has also reached out to other VFW and American Legion posts in the area. She’s solicited their involvement with a rationale like the one that spawned the idea in the first place. “I said, ‘How are we going to give alcohol to vets without informing them of where they can go if that begins to threaten their lives?’ ”

Part of the strategy behind recruiting all these veteran groups is to create more connections, so that, in addition to tapping organized resources like Liberty House, former service members can help one another cope with homelessness, PTSD, substance dependence, and other challenges. Gill is optimistic that bringing all these people and organizations together will create a lasting network of support. “We have a lot of community coming together with us.”

Fundraising, the third objective of Operation Liberty House, will help vets acquire the necessary documents for finding work, obtaining housing, and otherwise integrating effectively into society. Buying raffle tickets and bidding on items in the silent auction are two ways for attendees to

contribute financially.

They can also help support Liberty House by purchasing food and drink. All profits will go to the veterans’ transition facility, Rooster said. Finally, direct donations can also be made to Liberty House. As it’s a 501(c)3 nonprofit, these donations may be eligible for a tax deduction.

The live music runs from 2 to 8 p.m. The chili cookoff tasting commences at 3 p.m. Throughout the afternoon and evening will be the other events, including the poker, pool, and darts tournaments.

Vets can get information about Liberty House as well as apply to participate in the assistance program by calling the Fort Worth VA Homeless Program at 817-255-7150. Tarrant County also offers a variety of other programs designed to address veteran needs, including employment opportunities, help finding a job, and vocational rehabilitation.

A number of local programs address the housing needs of the sizable population of homeless veterans. There are vouchers programs to give vets access to the housing market, plus services to help vets stay in their homes and others that provide medical and dental treatment. Homeless vets can also access substance abuse and mental health care on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.

None of the many veteran-focused assistance and support initiatives do quite the same thing in quite the same way as Liberty House. And for Gill and Rooster, there’s nothing quite like putting on Operation Liberty House to express their caring and concern for ex-service members who could use a helping hand. Gill said, “My team and I are proud to be serving the homeless veterans in

city.” l

STUFF

Bon Voyage, Baller

North

Texas barbershop legend Travis Dehorney retires after decades in the biz.

BY KENA SOSA

We may be a little late, but we’d like to wish a happy retirement to a North Texas barbershop legend.

In April, 84-year-old Travis Dehorney retired after multiple decades in business as owner and operator of Dehorney’s Barber & Beauty. He has created a legacy of not only great, smooth cuts but of inspiring the young people who fell under his shears.

“I have known [Dehorney] for more than 15 years,” said customer Evariste Konji, “and throughout that time, he has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, professionalism, and dedication. His priority has always been customer satisfaction rather than making money. He genuinely cares about every client and always goes the extra mile to ensure they leave happy. … He is truly one of a kind, and he is greatly missed.”

Dehorney built his businesses while breaking down doors and boundaries set long before him, a fate he could not have imagined as a young boy, son of a sharecropper, outside Ravenna, Texas, near the Smith Plantation.

His father, who could not read or write, knew that Travis was destined for more. Pushing him to give up his high school summers for barber school at 16, Travis’ father gave an example of forging a path for yourself and your children, which proved pivotal in Travis’ life. He did not like sacrificing his summers off at the time, but he learned the value of caring and shaping pride through this service. Who doesn’t feel good after a skilled haircut?

His path was far from straight and narrow. After high school, Dehorney studied at Prairie View A&M University, then went on to serve in the Vietnam War. With all the skills he honed in the military, he then worked for General Dynamics, Bell Helicopter, and General Motors in the 1960s and 1970s before feeling a pull back toward the barber shop.

He recognized the lack of representation in the Arlington area in barbering and decided he would open up the town’s first Black barbershop in 1985. Many took notice, and when he was met with doubt, he refused to bend, even when customers had their windows broken, even if

Influencing people to develop themselves before there were influencers, Dehorney wants to continue to inspire young people today.

people spoke out or questioned him. He saw it as something necessary for the community. If it did not work out, as he says, he had a lawnmower and legs. Resourceful as always and claiming success was already in his grasp by opening the doors, Dehorney was undeterred.

Early on, a newspaper article attracted quite a few customers, many impressed he could cut hair for anyone who came to his door, and he did so without the price in mind. He emphasized that some of his first customers challenged him to cut their straight hair, but Dehorney was ready. All the hairdressing books at the time featured white hair, so barbers had skills in working with any and all hair. He earned many loyal clients by delivering results with his warm attitude to all. Dehorney enjoyed taking care of people and helping them feel good about themselves.

Some of his favorite memories from his time at the barbershop are of giving back. Back in the 1980s and ’90s, D.A.R.E. seemed to be everywhere and was active locally by helping those recovering from substance-abuse issues and incarceration. Dehorney employed several graduates of the program himself, claiming them as some of his best employees. Many went on to open their own businesses, while Dehorney opened other locations as well, including the last one in Hurst.

Just a few months ago, Dehorney remembers one elderly client who needed a haircut but had only $3 to contribute to the $20 cost. Dehorney insisted the man sit and get his hair cut and refused his $3 so that he could buy himself some food and necessities instead while looking his best.

Dehorney never allowed his barbers to charge more than $20 and is baffled at others charging up to $50 for a basic haircut, but he attributes it to rising business costs. That is another reason he opted not to keep the shop open but to close on a good note with happy memories.

Dehorney was a staple for locals and celebrities alike. Having given a trim to stars like NFL Hall of Famer Emmett Smith and legendary Cowboy Larry Brown, as well as doing hair for Miss Black USA, he even gave pitcher Dereck Rodriguez his very first haircut as a tot.

As for Dehorney, after closing the history-making barbershop, he continues to be present in the community, smiling and inspiring in new endeavors. Creating partnerships with catering companies, he

helped cater the NFL draft with Triple Star Catering. They served comfort food to those in the green room (about 2,400 people) in 2011.

He also works part time as security at AT&T Stadium, mixing it up with celebs like Jamie Foxx, former President George W. Bush, and Shaquille O’Neal. Smiling and staying humble, Dehorney sends credit for his wonderful life back to his father, who could never have imagined the doors opened for his son with his influence and persistence.

Influencing people to develop themselves before there were influencers, Dehorney wants to continue to inspire young people today. His advice to youth: Be honest, have a good work ethic, and build good credit so you can do what you dream of. It’s no wonder Dehorney takes the most pride not in the famous hands he has shaken but in the hard-working hands he has used to open doors for himself and to hold open the door for others. l

STUFF

World Cup Update

It’s the Trump Jinxed Us Edition.

BY KRISTIAN LIN

My mother is currently being treated for pneumonia, and so I watched Team USA’s Round-of-16 loss to Belgium from her hospital room. I really should apologize to the nurse, who was asking my mother questions about her health and kept being interrupted by me groaning over yet another USA defensive error leading to a Belgian goal. I’ve got all the questions and answers about the last week of the World Cup, including about our idiot president injecting himself into the soccer-sphere without accomplishing anything. Take it away, my imaginary friend.

So, is this a successful tournament for American soccer?

You tell me. On the one hand, we got to see our guys play really well in three victories on the world’s biggest stage. Our fans were swept up in weeks’ worth of good vibes that a tournament like this produces for the host country. The same men who a generation ago would have dismissed soccer as not our sport were this year dissecting the successful elements of Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield press. The bigger field of competitors allowed us to witness Cape Verde’s magical run firsthand. The world found out that Malik Tillman can score directly from free kicks. Granted, the one against Belgium took a deflection off a defender’s head, but the one against Bosnia-Herzegovina was a thing of beauty. One thing our nation hasn’t produced is free-kick artists (at least on the men’s side), so that was good to see. The win over Bosnia had Team USA looking like a seasoned European

team, as the players did not lose control even after Folarin Balogun’s (soft) red card. All that was great.

But …

The game against Belgium showcased Team USA’s shaky side at its worst. This wasn’t a valiant effort in defeat like Mexico’s gripping-as-a-telenovela loss to England. This was shambolic, nowhere more so than goalie Matt Freese fumbling the ball miles away from his goal and leaving Hans Vanaken an empty net to shoot at. The Club Brugge attacker’s goal effectively killed Team USA’s chances of coming back. The soccer world is used to seeing top-level goalkeeping from the Americans, but we don’t have it anymore.

Freese was hardly alone, as the whole lineup turned in poor performances. A quarterfinal match against Spain would have been gold, even if that game had ended in a lopsided loss for the hosts. Our team got as far as Brazil did (the five-time champs ran into an exceptionally bad matchup with Norway), but like their fans, we were expecting more.

How’d this happen?

The Belgians did have something to do with their win. Coach Rudi “Resting Bitch Face” Garcia rooted Kevin de Bruyne to the bench after the once-great playmaker mislaid pass after pass in the comeback win over Senegal (a comeback, I’d add, that happened only after de Bruyne had been subbed out of that game). Without him, Belgium’s midfield made USA’s high-energy midfield look second-best. Garcia learned his lesson, unlike Portugal Coach Roberto Martínez, who engineered a comeback

win over Croatia without Cristiano Ronaldo, then promptly played the washed striker for all 90 minutes of Portugal’s loss to Spain.

Donald Trump says he got Balogun’s red card overturned. Did that distract Team USA? Hard to say, especially since we weren’t inside the team’s training camp before and after FIFA publicly rubbished its own rule. I am pretty sure that Poch spent a full three days prepping his team to play without the AS Monaco striker before finding out that his player was available. That’s not easy. I’m also sure that something caused the guys wearing the stars and stripes to look unsettled like they hadn’t before at this World Cup. The USA players said that the controversy didn’t affect them, but then, what else are they going to say? Maybe FIFA lifted Balogun’s suspension without regard for the president’s attempt to put his thumb on the scale, but it’s not hard to understand Belgium enjoying their victory with a heaping side of schadenfreude.

Why should we feel bad about Donald Trump’s interference when it wound up not mattering? I mean, are we doing this now? Are heads of state going to pressure FIFA to make favorable soccer decisions for their national teams? If so, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum might as well call FIFA President Gianni Infantino to relitigate the “no era penal” game from World Cup 2014. Heck, King Charles should ask FIFA to take away Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal from 1986. It was just so appropriate that Trump called Balogun’s red card a “great injustice,” the same phrase he used to

pardon the traitorous January 6 rioters. The moral of the story, as always: Rich old white guys get all the do-overs, especially when people like Infantino are the ones handing them out.

Why is pundit Bastian Schweinsteiger in trouble?

The 2014 World Cup winner trotted out an ancient but still insulting stereotype before Germany’s game against Ivory Coast, when he said the Elephants played “African football,” meaning they are “wild” and “not conditioned by tactics.” The whole idea that teams full of Black players are superb athletes who lack discipline, well, that has been true of some African teams in the past, but we’ve seen enough different ones by now to know that each of them has their own character. South Africa and Ivory Coast are out of this World Cup because they ran into superior opponents, not because they failed to execute a game plan. DRC and Cape Verde fought royal battles against soccer’s elite before they exited. As for Senegal, they just choked, but no African team was less disciplined than Tunisia, which comes from the part of Africa that is predominantly Arab, not Black. Schweinsteiger had so many great Black teammates at Bayern Munich and Germany. You’d think he would know better.

What about Cape Verde?

If you aren’t inspired by what they did, just go away. You don’t need to be reading this. Their Roundof-32 game against Argentina was supposed to be a procession for the defending champs, and the Blue Sharks turned it into a slugfest. Sidny Lopes Cabral’s goal to tie it up at 2-2 deservedly goes down as one of the great goals in World Cup history. Surely someone needs a left-back who can score goals like that, and an MLS club needs to put in a bid for Vozinha, especially since he’s available for free. The country’s tourism trade has boomed because of the team’s run. Whenever I get the urge to write off some tiny nation’s team before a tournament begins, I’ll remember Cape Verde.

How’s your mother doing?

I’m hoping that the treatment she receives in hospital makes her better. She is no soccer expert, but she comes from São Paulo, and she was proud of the national team at a time when that (and samba music) were among the few things Americans knew about Brazil. She turned me on to this sport when Brazil had that magnificent 1980s outfit of Zico, Falcão, and Sócrates that’s on the shortlist of greatest teams that didn’t win the World Cup. Without her, this column might very well not exist. I hope to watch the next World Cup with her. l

CALENDAR

Night & Day: Give It a Rest

BY ELAINE WILDER

It’s hard to imagine, but we’ve got only two weeks left in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This six-week spectacular came with eight built-in days off called “rest days,” and four of them are coming up, including today, Wed, Jul 8. Wednesdays are for reading the Weekly. But then what?

While there is a match at 3pm — France vs. Morocco in the quarterfinals — you’ve got plenty of time after the game to stop by Second Thursday at the Carter. At 5pm, the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (3501 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-738-1933) hosts an evening of cocktails, conversations, and live music. The theme of this month’s event is Drink & Draw. Cocktails will be available for purchase in the atrium. Then, head to the Lounge from 5pm to 8pm to put pencil to paper and draw your own sketch themed around works in the museum’s permanent collection. RSVP for free at CarterMuseum.com.

There are three World Cup matches this weekend. First, Spain vs. Belgium is at 2pm on Friday. On Saturday, the two matches are Norway vs. England at 4pm, then the winners of Argentina/Egypt and Switzerland/Colombia at 8pm. Instead (or after), it might be fun to check out Totally Made-Up Musical at Circle Theatre (230 W 4th St, Fort Worth, 817-877-3040) in Sundance Square, not far from the Summer of Soccer outdoor WorldCup watching parties. This full-length improvised show features actors, musicians, and you — yes, there’s audience participation — creating musical theater on the spot. Tickets to the 8pm performances Sat-Sun are $20 at CircleTheatre.com.

Ah, finally a day of rest. No FIFA, no problem. Go to brunch. Take a dip in the pool. Then, at 6:30pm, head to the

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (1600 Gendy St, Fort Worth, 817-255-9300) for your moment of zen. SE7EN WAVES: Sound Bath Under the Stars screens inside the Omni Theater. Artist Matthew Riley will be creating immersive soundscapes, and Aisha Conner will play the flute and do ethereal vocals. Tickets are $50 at FWMuseun.org.

The remaining World Cup rest days are Mon, Jul 13, and Thu-Fri, Jul 16-17. Tuesday’s semifinal brings the last match day in Arlington to Dallas Stadium at 2pm. Wednesday’s semifinal at 2pm is the last match in Atlanta. Then, on Sat, Jul 18, two teams will vie for third and fourth places as part of the Bronze Finals.

The World Cup final is here! As part of this much-anticipated FIFA finale, for the first time in the history of the #BeautifulGame, there will be a halftime show: hip-shaking Shakira

will perform along with BTS and Madonna at the final at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, and she’s even written a special song for the occasion. The match starts at 2pm, after which we can all go back to our regularly scheduled programming.

No talking. No food and drinks. No drawing.

Come break the rules and say “yes!” to new art experiences at the Carter’s Second Thursdays!

Every Second Thursday is different than the last. You’ll never think of museums in the same way again.

SECOND THURSDAYS ARE ALWAYS FREE!

THURSDAY JUL 9 | 5–8 P.M.

DRINK & DRAW

Grab a drink and put pencil to paper with this evening themed around drawing works of art in our collection.

SCREEN

Wicked Widow’s Bay

Apple TV’s newest success packs in horror and hilarity.

BY COLE WILLIAMS

What if the mayor from Jaws was the hero and had to deal with a cursed island? That’s basically the premise of Widow’s Bay, a new Apple TV horror comedy, this one from Parks and Recreation writer Katie Dippold. And like much of Apple TV’s recent output, notably Severance and Pluribus, it’s another surefire hit.

Mayor Tom Loftis (The Americans’ and Perry Mason’s Matthew Rhys) is convinced the small town of Widow’s Bay can be the next Martha’s Vineyard, so much so that he’s managed to get a travel writer from the New York Times to visit. The first problem is bad things are known to happen on the island, from a plague in the 1700s to a masked serial killer decades ago. And now, with a mysterious fog rolling in and someone going missing, locals like sailor Wyck (Stephen Root) are worried the bad times are back. “The island’s waking up,” Wyck says.

The second problem is that Mayor Loftis is incredibly cowardly and self-interested and is determined to make the island a recreation spot come haunt or high water. The question becomes what will push him over the edge into believing Wyck’s stories of violent revenants (“like a zombie”) and

if it’ll be too late to save the island and its tourists from a horrible fate.

Horror and comedy have gone together since the days of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. But while most horror comedies are known for mixing splatter gore with outrageous laughs like in Evil Dead 2 or Dead/Alive, Widow’s Bay takes a different approach. Here the comedy comes from things like Loftis butting heads with Wyck on what a “haunt” is. “A haunt is worse than a spook but not as bad as a fright?” asks Loftis. Or a conversation with the Times writer as Loftis insists there was no cannibalism, which cuts immediately to an old-timey newspaper headline that reads, “CANNIBALISM!”

A lot of the humor also comes from Rhys’ reactions, from screaming like a girl after encountering a mysterious woman on the road to just his facial expression as he gets roped into staying the night at a supposedly haunted inn. Surprisingly, the often-hilarious Root (Office Space, King of the Hill) stays primarily in drama mode here, playing Wyck as a man who knows instinctively what’s wrong with his home island and keeps butting heads with the mayor about it.

Stealing the show out from under both is Kate O’Flynn. A British actress recently seen in series like Everyone Else Burns and My Lady Jane, she plays the mayor’s assistant, Patricia, who’s terribly insecure and may or may not have barely escaped a serial killer back when she was in high school. Now, she’s desperate to make friends and move on from her high school reputation, leading to what may be the season’s best episode, when she comes across a self-help book and decides to throw a cocktail soiree that, let’s say, goes askew. Her mixture of nervousness and desperate energy makes every scene she’s in a little awkward and a little sad but always funny and worth investing in. That’s not to say the show isn’t scary. Through expert sound design and directing, Widow’s Bay builds a sense of dread from Scene 1. Unsettling music by composer David Fleming (The Last of Us) pricks the ears, while barely heard words and ominous voices seep out of your speakers. Hiro Murai, who directs half the episodes of the season, uses plenty of slow zoom-ins to establish a great feeling of doom. And then there’s an episode set in the island’s distant history helmed by House of

the Devil director Ti West which features plenty of period-piece scares.

Any flaws in the show are mostly nitpicks. The different types of frights the characters encounter make the overall supernatural element seem somewhat incohesive, but it’s all pretty well glued together by the kind of Northeast-Atlantic atmosphere and mythology that would please H.P. Lovecraft. And, with its long history of haunts and murders, there’s no way Widow’s Bay itself wouldn’t already be a destination crawling with ghost hunters and true-crime podcasters. Those minor caveats aside, with its entertaining characters and winning mix of horror and comedy, Widow’s Bay is a perfect stopover for those looking for their next streaming addiction. l

EATS & drinks

Welcome to Arlington, Footballers

Fort Worth and Dallas may try to win you over, but there’s a plethora of good eats right around the stadium.

BY LAURIE JAMES

I admit it. I’ve fallen in love with international soccer fans. The cultural exchanges have been absolutely priceless. The Tartan Army drinking Beantown dry! The Japanese diner who waxed

rhapsodic about biscuits and gravy! The Korean and Mexican fans swigging tequila outside the stadium! The hundreds kvelling about our ranch dressing and our air conditioning! The general state of love and trust so far is genuinely heartwarming. Which is why I want to make sure you actually get to the good restaurants. Not the ones that the mayors and the visitors’ bureaus are promoting. I want visitors to go to places that are locally owned, in Arlington –– because that’s where you are, not Dallas. I want you to go where you might actually meet the owner or their kids. Your time is short –– as of this writing, you might be watching the winners of France/Morocco and Spain/Belgium on Tuesday, July 14. The list below focuses on places that are comfortably walkable or a reasonable rideshare away.

The Stalwarts Restaurants as old or nearly as old as the stadium where you’re watching the World Cup include Piccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant (829 E Lamar Blvd, 817-265-9174), the closest thing we have to fine cuisine in that area. It’s the place to find baked manicotti, Veal Parmesan, or pasta like your Nonna made it. And it’s BYOB. Tom’s Burgers & Grill (1530 N Cooper St, 817-459-9000) puts out breakfast, burgers, and the area’s lone decent chicken-fried steak. Mariano’s Hacienda Ranch (2614 Majesty Dr, 817-640-5118) is an absolutely solid choice for comforting Tex-Mex classics. Get the enchiladas (any kind), and you won’t be disappointed. J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill (400 E Abram St, 817-274-8561) is the kind of place where any of us who participated in youth sports got to go after winning a big game. There’s a lot on the menu, but don’t pass on the Irish Nachos with a side of the restaurant’s house-made ranch dressing. Finally, Prince Lebanese Grill (502 W Randol Mill Rd, 817-469-1811) serves up the best, sweetest family story about football. In 1989, family patriarch Francis Kobty opened the restaurant in a former drive-in, and Prince’s may have been most locals’ first taste of the Mediterranean diet. Football apparently runs in the family, and Kobty’s son Aziz wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page: “The World Cup has always been a family tradition. We made brackets and cheered together. Pops, I know you’re looking down and smiling down at what you built. As big fans, it’s a dream come true that Prince and the Kobty family now get to be a part of the World Cup and share our food with the masses.”

’Cue It Up

Lockhart Smokehouse (1650 E Randoll Mill Rd, Ste 130, 817-769-1747) is the only regional chain

in the exceptionally crowded Texas Live! complex. Jill Bergus has deep roots in Texas Hill Country barbecue, and she and husband Jeff Bergus serve up some of the best. Things to try: burnt ends, the brisket beans, or the Kreuz Market Sausage, made with the family’s 110-year-old recipe. Hurtado Barbecue (205 E Front St, 682-323-5141) has served Mexi-cue since 2020. If you’re going to try a giant brontosaurus-sized beef rib, this is the place. The barbacoa is also on point. Adjacent to the restaurant is the bar Hayters, where I’ve been continued on page 15

known to grab a beverage to kill line-waiting time.

Brekkie

Yes, there is a Waffle House nearby (1910 N Collins St, 817-274-6021), but opt for Marquez Bakery (1730 E Division St, 817-265-8858) for relatively inexpensive breakfast burritos all day, as well as some Mexican classics like migas (shredded corn tortillas scrambled with eggs, pico de gallo, and cheese alongside refried beans and more tortillas). Pan dulce (soft, sweet bread with crackly topping) would work if you’ve got a little one or if you don’t like spicy. If you’re majorly hungry, Marquez serves both red and green pozole and family meals you could take back to your hotel. Breakfast Brothers (400 E Front St, Ste 100, 682-563-6490) is going to be the place for your soul food options: biscuits and gravy, catfish and grits, and a decadent red velvet waffle served with fried chicken.

Other Options

Grease Monkey Burger Shop (200 N Mesquite St, Ste 103, 817-665-5454) has long been a go-to for hungry people leaving one of the stadiums, and the lunch deal for a burger and fries is a mere $6.50 on weekdays. Café Americana (403 E Main, 682-2700041) absolutely defies description –– it’s a gastropub where Peruvian, Indo-Portugese, and Spanish flavors snuggle up to classic American steak.

Two local chains that made their start in Fort Worth have Arlington outposts. Rodeo Goat (333

E Division St, 817-898-4628) has won a number of burger competitions, and the restaurant donates some proceeds to local charities –– this month, it’s the area’s public radio station. You can’t go wrong with any of the burger options, and the Moontang is stellar. Cane Rosso (200 N East St, 817-5333120) offers Napolitan pizza out of an oven that owner Jay Jerrier brought from Italy. Of course you can order the margherita pizza, but the Honey Bastard is also semi-legendary. Part of the proceeds benefit Jerrier’s Cane Rosso Rescue for dogs.

Hotel Restaurants Worth a Try Farena (Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center, 888 Nolan Ryan Expwy, 800-235-6937)

Steeped in football tradition, Aziz Kobty (left) pays homage to father Francis Kobty, the original “prince” of Prince Lebanese Restaurant, saying, “The World Cup has always been a family tradition. We made brackets and cheered together. Pops, I know you’re looking down and smiling down at what you built. As big fans, it’s a dream come true that Prince and the Kobty family now get to be a part of the World Cup and share our food with the masses.”

serves upscale Italian, while Soy Cowboy (817766-6444), a magical fusion of pan-Asian cuisine, is also located at the bottom of the Loews Hotel. Reservations are going to be a must for both.

If You Just Need Groceries … Whole Foods Market (801 E Lamar Blvd,

817-461-9362) and Walmart Neighborhood Market (2121 N Collins St, 817-505-1386) will keep you deep in drinks, fruit, and snacks. I genuinely regret our lack of transit options. If you’re visiting from another country or even from Chicago, New York, or Seattle, you’ve noted that Arlington is the statistically largest major metropolitan area with no organized mass transit. However, some of the restaurants, like Grease Monkey and J. Gilligan’s, offer shuttles to and from the stadiums on game days if you plan ahead and dine in. l

Laurie James has written about food in Arlington and Tarrant County since 2006.

LAST CALL

The Ultimate Dive Upper 90 offers refuge for Fort Worth footballers after loss to Belgium.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ZACH FREEMAN

In soccer, the upper 90 is said to be the best place to take shots. For Fort Worth soccer fans, the Upper 90 may be the best place to take shots.

Named after the top 90-degree angles in a goalpost, this casual hole-in-the-wall on Magnolia has catered to Texas soccer enthusiasts for the last decade.

Nowhere in North Texas will discerning footy fanatics find a more welcoming environment: cheap booze, a 6 a.m. opening time during Tottenham and Bayern Munich game days, and a flat-screen TV every 2 feet.

Manager Claudia Reuter said the usual clientele is a healthy mix of Fort Worth natives and international expats all united by the love of one sport.

“Everyone cheering for the same thing at the same time is always so much fun,” she said. “It’s a very, very cool culture. We have a few guys who have met up here, just happened to be watching the same game, started talking, and then formed a group.”

Regulars and newcomers alike have been drawn to the site night after night during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. On the evening of July 6, fans screamed, cried, and hung their heads in shame as Team USA’s journey came to an end after an embarrassing 4-1 loss to Belgium.

For lifelong soccer players like Tyler Eidson, the bitter loss was not without a silver lining.

“I’m mainly just glad that America’s on the map,” he said. “I traveled a lot growing up, and soccer was kind of a language, and so I was able to speak with and connect with a lot of people around the world. … Soccer is one of those sports, or football rather, that really is more than just the passes that are made. There’s so much passion in it that people just can’t help but get involved and want to see their countries do well.”

Eidson, who lives a few miles from Upper 90, said it was only his second time visiting the sports bar but that he had already begun making connections and having a blast sharing his favorite pastime with others.

“Compared to a Dallas Cowboys game, which feels like everyone’s there with a clipboard in an office and very quiet and analytical, today was just full of passion and love for the game,” he said. “I think that if Upper 90 plays even a 1% part in the growth of the game, then more people will come and really start to enjoy what all it has to offer to the world.” l

MUSIC

Notes and News

Toadies, Werewolf Victim Revival, Brandon Marcel, The Post songwriter showcase, Rush at Dickies, and more keep the Fort abuzz.

BY ANTHONY MARIANI, PATRICK HIGGINS, AND STEVE STEWARD

Awooo!

It’s been only two years since one of the area’s most celebrated Americana outfits released what was supposed to be their swansong. Left Arm Tan’s Undefeated was intended to be their last big swing. But champs don’t stay on the mat for long. Shortly after LAT’s end and a dalliance with a new band, the cosmic rockers Marfa Lights, guitarist and principal songwriter Daniel Hines suffered an injury and subsequent surgeries that left him unable to play for a time. As he slowly recovered and began to regain his chops, “the songs just started pouring out of me,” he said. He wrote the entire album of what is to be Left Arm Tan’s resurrection. When Tigers Smoked is due out in October, with a first single coming Aug 6. Whether the quintet’s seventh full-length is a temporary reunion or an all-in return to their decade of longevity remains to be seen.

Singer-songwriter Hannah Owens released her debut EP in 2021 and followed it up with a couple of singles in her style of country-tinged pop in 2024. Now she’s set on her biggest venture yet: her first album. The problem is, she’s light on the necessary funds. To help her achieve her goals, she’s taking a stab at crowd sourcing, offering patrons “extra pieces of art” and added content. “I think building this myself and with my fans is going to make this record even more special,” Owens said.

Supportive fans can help the emotive songstress reach her goal via her Facebook page Alt-rockers Henry the Archer are dropping a new single, “Eldred,” on Jul 16. Mullet-hawked frontperson Richard Hennessey, a.k.a. “Henry O,” is sporting a new rhythm section with Big Heaven’s Mandy Hand on bass and singer-songwriter Sarah Savage smashing the skins. The new three-piece cut the song in March at Cloudland Recording Studios with engineer Joe Tacke (Mean Motor Scooter, Denver Williams). The trio will perform on Sat, Jul 18, at Doc’s Records and Vintage (2628 Weisenberger St, 817-732-5455) with Hand’s new project, Mandy Hand & The Applause, opening. Sat, Jul 18, looks to be a great day for live music in general. Merch/party people Vinyl Ranch are celebrating their 19th anniversary at Cowtown’s oldest continuously run dancehall, Stagecoach Ballroom (2516 E Belknap St, 817-831-2261). Sponsored by local

nonprofit music ambassadors Hear Fort Worth, the event features a live performance by outlaw country revivalist Cory Cross and a DJ set by Disko Cowboy.

If you’re looking for something a little heavier, that same night, the men of the noise-metal Werewolf Victim Revival celebrate the release of their full-length debut, Panoramic Kill Scene, at The Cicada (1002 S Main St) with indie-rockers Caddis and heavy-gazers Dream Deleter. If the Revival’s new first single, “Golden Ray,” is any indication, attendees will leave the show without their freshly rocked-off faces. — P.H.

Whoosh!

In preparation for drafting the following, I just watched the MTV News intro from 1992, and what I want young people to know is this: Decades ago, the news, when broadcast to teenagers and people who were just recently teenagers, often came with a lot of urgent whooshing noises. Am I imagining the updates I get from local musicians, PR whisperers, and promoters accompanied by similar sound effects? I’m not not doing that! Anyway, in May, The Post (2736 W 6th St) launched a weekly Wednesday-night songwriter showcase hosted by local singer-songwriter Austin Clay Cox, and if you’ve been sleeping on it, well, wipe the crust out of your eyes and get out of the house. Partnering with Texas Tailgate, the promo/ content creation arm of Stockyards-based record label Smith Music Group, Texas Tailgate Songwriter Nights gives local tunesmiths an opportunity to sign up for a spot and perform their material in front of concertgoers there to pay attention. While The Post is certainly capable of loud and rowdy lineups — just ask anyone who went the the LABELS/Heavy Petal/ Love Cuts/Flowerbed show this past Friday — it’s also a really great listening room, which the venue emphasizes on these nights with table seating and by encouraging people to be quiet during the songs. Signups start at 7pm and are open to the public, and performances start at 8. While Cox is the regular host, each week also features special guests like Jordan Ashley, Dalton Torres, and Quaker City Night Hawks’ Sam Anderson. The special guest for July 8 is the one-and-only Charlie Shafter! There’s no cover charge, and there are also no covers (and no backing tracks), as the songwriter nights emphasize original material performed live in all its rawness. A lot of these artists wind up on the Texas Tailgate Spotify playlist, so you know: SSSSSYNERGY!

SSSSSHHHHPEAKING of LABELS, the area psychedelic hardcore band’s show at The Post this past Friday was the official kick-off of their July tour, which takes them to the Whittier Bar in Tulsa on Jul 8; to Rubber Gloves in Denton on the 9th; Austin’s 13th Floor on Jul 10; Paper Tiger in San Antonio on Jul 11, opening for Los Angeles-based rockers High Curb; and the Mid City Ballroom in Baton Rouge on Jul 13. Got friends in those places? Send ’em to see LABELS!

And since I have MTV on the brain, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some new music videos by local artists: Toadies debuted a video last month for

“Damage,” the latest single off their new album, The Charmer, filmed live in front of a crowd at the Backyard Amphitheater at Dallas’ Longhorn Ballroom. It’s a great depiction of a veteran rock band doing what they do best, directed/edited by Justin Wilson (who’s shot videos for DFW artists like Leon Bridges, Polyphonic Spree, and Riverboat Gamblers). Then there’s R&B singer-songwriter Brandon Marcel, who’s performing as .MARCEL. and who dropped a new single and accompanying video last week. “Slow Nights” has a futuristic slow-jam vibe that cruises across your mind with some tasteful, dream-like production and an intentionally sparse arrangement that really showcases both the golden-hour richness in Marcel’s voice and that of his best friend, Leon Bridges. The video, directed by Dustin McLaughlin (co-founder of Twelve Midnight Creative and director of videos for local artists Abraham Alexander and Matthew McNeal), is a gorgeous depiction of yearning, told across dramatic tonal shifts in color and location. In a different era, this would’ve been a TRL smash — S.S.

Rush: ‘A Garden to Nurture and Protect’ Rush was supposed to play four dates within the span of about a week at Dickies Arena but had to cancel a couple times: one for immigration issues crossing into the states from Mexico, more recently for frontperson Geddy Lee, who’s battling laryngitis and bronchitis. The makeup shows are Sat, Jul 11, and Mon, Jul 13 Tickets start at $123. Secondary markets may hold some deals as many fans had booked travel around the canceled dates and may be stuck with unusable concert tickets. And that’s no small amount of folding money. It’s the kind of ka-ching I certainly do not have, but because I’m a big-time media personality whose prose will make you cry (for it to stop), I was able to catch my favorite rock band of all time on Night 1 in the Fort. Dork Mode: Activated!

It was my 12th or 13th Rush show (laugh it up) and my first time experiencing this new version of the Canadian prog-rock outfit, now a quartet with the addition of touring keyboardist Loren Gold and a new permanent drummer. Anika Nilles replaces the legendary Neil Peart, easily the most creative, most musical prog-rock beatmaker of all time, who died of cancer in 2020. Anika (we’re all on a first-name basis here) is amazeballs, but more on her later. This 88-date Fifty Something tour represents Ged and Alex’s first time back onstage together since 2015 No surprise, they sounded superb, and the setlist overflowed with enough creamy Velveeta to coat my awkward, acne-riddled, teen-boy-at-heart heart

If not the “best,” then the coolest part of how they sounded was the rust flakes. Flubbing the occasional note was something I’d never heard them do in all my years as a fan. That these two seventysomethings kept on rocking even louder, even harder gave the night a freewheeling, almost punk energy that I never realized had been missing from all those other (let’s not say) “sterile” Rush gigs. Anika capitalized, rolling off Neil’s most popular fills note for note while doing what the open-hearted Neil would have wanted and improvising whenever. As much as Neil was a student of drumming, always challenging himself, always learning, “The Professor” was also a great teacher and ambassador of the instrument. I hate to make a reach like this, but having read two of his nonfiction books, which both show how indeed open-hearted he was as a human being, I can’t see him quibbling with Anika’s addition. Or her additions.

The setlist covered a lot of ground, and there’s a lot there (19 studio albums in 50 years). From the short film intro segueing into a song that I don’t think the band has ever opened with, “Xanadu,” off 1977’s Farewell to Kings (a.k.a. No Kings in my house), late-’70s/early-’80s Rush predominated, which makes sense since it was

their most fertile and popular period. The decidedly not popular and rather long but totally buzzsawing “Natural Science” from 1980’s Permanent Waves was one of several performances that rocketed me out of my seat. (Stop. I had already eclipsed my 10,000 steps that day and had earned a cush for my tush. You bet I sat when I could.) Easily a Top 5 Rush track for me, it came to life flawlessly, with Alex hunching over and tearing off the syrupy, bouncy riff like a madman and Anika motoring through the frenetic, propulsive, powerful stickwork looking as cool and on-it as a fighter pilot.

Of the scant early-’70s material and ’90s-onward work, Rush best handled “La Villa Strangiato,” “The Garden,” and the first of two encores, “By-Tor and the Snow Dog.” (The show closed with the always appropriate blue-collar anthem “Working Man.”) Like 1991’s “Bravado” earlier in the set, the band dedicated “The Garden” to Neil, whose lyrics had only grown deeper and more open-hearted as he got older. His wordsmithing on the entire album from which that track comes, 2012’s Clockwork Angels, bears that homespun, casual, friendly quality that made Billy Collins famous: “The measure of a life / Is a measure of love and respect / So hard to earn, so easily burned / In the fullness of time / A garden to nurture and protect.” *wipes away tear*

Another strophe stood out to me at Dickies, this one from 1984’s “Distant Early Warning,” and it held little to no meaning to me before I had become a dad: “The world weighs on my shoulders / But what am I to do? / You sometimes drive me crazy / But I worry about you / I know it makes no difference / To what you’re going through / But I see the tip of the iceberg / And I worry about you.”

As the father of a young teen in a rough patch (incessant bullying, responding inappropriately to said bullying, wild hormones), I inhabited those lyrics: the stress, the worry, the fear of the future. For me, Neil’s words always registered equally strongly to my young mind as the band’s knotty, muscular music — none of that “baby, baby” b.s. for Neil. Or me. Just as I inhabited “Distant Early Warning” last week at Dickies, I lived the disaffection of 1982’s “Subdivisions” as a sixth grader being raised in cold, dark-at-4pm, minimum-wage Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: “Growing up, it all seems so one-sided / Opinions all provided / The future pre-decided / Detached and subdivided / In the mass-production zone / Nowhere is the dreamer / Or the misfit so alone.”

After seeing the band on their Signals tour that year or in ’83, I remember waiting outside the Civic Arena with the buddy I went with, on the lookout for our ride home (his pops, a taxi driver literally), gazing up at the bright night sky, my eyes watering, and thinking something like, “If it weren’t for Rush, my small, stupid, PB&J-everyday life would pretty much suuuuck, man. Thank you, Geddy, Neil, and Alex.”

The show almost wholly revolved around Neil, and Anika’s drumming paid him the ultimate tribute. She ruled the night. Every time she nailed one of his memorable fills, the crowd erupted. As a friend said afterward, Rush is probably the only classic-rock band able to pull off replacing one of the most beloved manly men — not just drummers — on the planet with a woman. Based on the welcoming Anika received at Dickies, supporters far outweigh the detractors. And I also bet the haters tog their “Anika” T-shirts in red eponymous-album font everywhere now, because she rocks. She didn’t follow Neil to a T except for the steady rhythms and complex passages, where the familiar precision keeps the other bandmembers on track. She brought her own subtle, dynamic flair to almost everything else, which only makes me hope the threesome starts writing new Rush material together. For the first time in a while, I feel like that sixth grader at the Civic Arena again.

Minus the abundant, eye-watering weed smoke. — A.M. l

FILM SHORTS

Film Shorts

In short, it’s hot out there. Cool off at the movies.

BY ELAINE WILDER & KRISTIAN LIN

Movie theaters are still a thing, and they have ice-cold AC, icy drinks, and plenty of snack options. Then again, so does your place. Whether it’s hitting the mall to catch something on the big screen or sticking with #NetflixAndChill on your own comfy couch, our ongoing film coverage can help you decide what to see (or not see). Most weeks, there is a film review a few pages over, but even when there isn’t, all full-length reviews can be found at FWWeekly.com in the Screen drop-down under Film Reviews

We also keep track of what’s currently playing in a listings format called Film Shorts. Even there, Film Editor Kristian Lin has thoughts and feelings. That’s where I found these nuggets. Spoiler alert: For the most part, he didn’t like these flicks, but you might. Nostalgia and history are huge at my house, so the husband and I plan on watching Masters of the Universe and Pressure, regardless of the reviews. We’ll see. — Elaine Wilder

The Breadwinner

Nate Bargatze’s skill as a stand-up comic is little in evidence in this unbearable and loud comedy about a Nashville car salesman who takes time off his job to raise his three daughters (Stella Grace Fitzgerald, Charlotte Ann Tucker, and Birdie Borria) after his wife (Mandy Moore) travels abroad to fund her startup company. The hijinks wouldn’t have passed muster in the 1980s when Hollywood first started

making comedies like these, and the stacked cast fails to contribute anything of note. (PG)

Jackass: Best and Last

Not really the best, though it does seem like it’s Johnny Knoxville’s time to hang up the penis shock collar. He and his crew perform new stunts, though unseen footage of old stunts that MTV refused to air are the most impressive here. The early 2000s sees Johnny shoot himself point-blank in the chest while wearing a Kevlar vest and some porn magazines for protection, as well as Brad Pitt taking part in staging his own kidnapping in public. It might have been nicer if the gang had gone out with Jackass Forever, but at least the guys are leaving us with their genitals (somehow) intact. (R)

Masters of the Universe

Deeply confused and not good. In this live-action adaptation of the 1980s TV cartoon series, Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man, the warrior guardian of an alien civilization who has been stuck in Oklahoma City for the last 20 years. The lead actor has a keen grasp on the ridiculous aspects of the character, but the same can’t be said for director Travis Knight, who seems unsure when to play the material straight and when to play it for camp humor. He also fails to conjure a single memorable visual from a fantasy world where futuristic vehicles and weapons exist alongside sorcerers and fantastical creatures. A high-level cast is left high and dry by this material. (PG-13)

Pressure

Too late for Memorial Day comes this not terribly exciting British film about the D-Day invasion seen through the eyes of a Scottish meteorologist (Andrew Scott) who’s brought in to provide a weather forecast for the planned day of the operation only to announce that the conditions will be terrible and that the whole thing will be postponed. Based on David Haig’s stage play, this film squeezes very little juice out of the weatherman sticking to his forecast despite heavy pressure from Gen. Dwight Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and other top brass in the American and British militaries. Despite the top-level talent in the cast, this exercise comes off as more dutiful than anything else. (PG-13)

Scary Movie

It’s been 13 years since the last film in this spoof series, and this installment cycles so quickly through parodies of Get Out, The Substance, and M3GAN that it doesn’t have time to adopt a point of view on them or crack funny jokes about them. Then again, how does that make it different from the other Scary Movies? Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans all reprise their roles as they’re stalked by a new Ghostface, who’s the same as the old Ghostface (Dave Sheridan). One of the film’s few good gags is that the original killer received a presidential pardon for his murders because he was a January 6 rioter. If the Wayans family lets go of some creative control here, this series might breathe again. (R) — Kristian Lin

ART

Back to (Obedience) School

The

Weekly has two special issues in the

coming weeks.

BY JENNIFER BOVEE

The Weekly has two special issues coming up. Our annual Creature Comforts Edition hits the stands the last week of July, and our inaugural Back-to-School Issue comes out the first week of August.

Creature Comforts 2026

Our annual animal-oriented issue comes out on Wed, Jul 29. From aardvarks to zebras, we’re covering it all, but our inspiration comes from man’s best friend. As our editor said in last year’s intro, “Loving a dog, or any pet really, allows us to give ourselves 100% to another being. There’s no fear of rejection, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love, mostly in the form of giving: giving hugs, giving pets, giving kisses, giving play, giving time. Pet-love is the most perfect kind of love because it is unconditional both ways. That our good boys and good girls don’t live as long as we do on average is a cruel cosmic joke. Not enough time with them is

apparently the price we pay for perfection, the price we pay for our too-short time with love perfected.” To reach last year’s articles, start here. You can also pursue the full issue in a flipbook format at https://www.fwweekly.com/ creature-comforts/.

Back to School 2026

From books and supplies to extracurricular activities, The Weekly is taking a crack at new cover-to-cover special issue. Back to School will hit the stands on Wed, Aug 1. On the editorial side, we hope to cover news about FWISD, fall sports at TCU, a new high school team competition, local music schools, and more. As for sales and specials from local businesses, well, that’s where you come in. (Business owners, keep reading.)

Want to Reserve Space?

Our final deadlines are on Tuesdays for our weekly edition, including the special issues listed above, but we like to book space by Fridays. Okay, Mondays if need be. If you’re interested in reserving space, please contact your FWW representative ASAP or click here to get started.

As for Articles and Listings Ideas…

We’d love to hear from you. In addition to the special dates above, each week we highlight one event for each day of the week in Night & Day and feature food and beverage events in Ate Days a Week. Do you have any upcoming events or offers we should be aware of? Please email marketing@fwweekly.com for consideration.

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PUBLIC NOTICES / AUCTIONS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER

59 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTzcCODE: Curio Storage Vega Dr, Fort Worth, located at 6129 Vega Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76133 n(phone: 409-203-4147) will hold a public auction of property being sold to satisfy the owner’s lien for unpaid rent and other charges. The sale will take place at www.bid13.com beginning on 7/18/2026 at 12:00 AM and ending on 7/29/2026 at 6:00 PM. Property in each space will be sold by the space. Deposit for removal and cleanup may be temporarily required. No cash accepted. Seller reserves the right to not accept any bid and to withdraw property from sale. Allcunits may contain household goods, furniture, boxes, and/or miscellaneous personal items. Sale subject to cancellation if payment is made prior to auction closing. Name and unit number of tenants: Ryan Hopkins, unit 220; Lakeshia D. Jenkins, unit 317; Maya Marquez, unit 403; Lakeshia D. Jenkins, unit 430; Merkle draughn, unit 503; Chonte Donnell, unit 635; Dietra Alexander, unit 708; J Gilberto Reynoso, unit 712; Gina Rigney, unit 715; Ezekiel Forrest, unit 716; Camerynn Jaco, unit 726; John vitto, unit 732; Krystal Winton, unit 821;

PUBLIC NOTICES / AUCTIONS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 59 OF THE TEXAS PROPERTY CODE: Curio Storage DeSoto, located at 601 S Interstate 35 E | DeSoto, TX 75115, (phone: 409-203-4147) will hold a public auction of property being sold to satisfy the owner’s lien for unpaid rent and other charges. The sale will take place at www.bid13.com beginning on 7/18/2026 at 12:00 AM and ending on 7/29/2026 at 6:00 PM. Property in each space will be sold by the space. Deposit for removal and cleanup may be temporarily required. No cash accepted. Seller reserves the right to not accept any bid and to withdraw property from sale. All units may contain household goods, furniture, boxes, and/or miscellaneous personal items. Sale subject to cancellation if payment is made prior to auction closing. Name and unit number of tenants: Keasha Anderson, unit 0A22; India Johnson, unit 0E03; Khalilah Mclemore, units 0F15 & 0G59; Dionte Heath, unit 0G61.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following vehicles have been impounded with fees due to date by Sega Tow (VSF0576658) at 2711 S Riverside Dr, Fort Worth TX, 76104, 817-572-7775; 2017 Hyundai Translead Trailer, VIN: 3H3V532CXHT282018, CHARGES: 7,333.13; and 2024 Tesla Cybertruck, VIN: 7G2CEHEE7RA011815 , CHARGES: 781.70

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has one opening in Fort Worth, TX: Data Engineer II (Ref# 22029.175.2). Req. BS in CompEng, InfoTech,CompSci, or rel field (or foreign equiv). Req. 5 yrs exp In job offered or in a Computer/Data Engineer relatedoccupation. Position reqs 5 yrs exp using Oracle, IT project management, and PL SQL; and 3 yrs exp using Azure, Pyspark, data pipelines, and Databricks.100% telecommuting permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial.com. Reference #22029.175.2.

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has one opening in Fort Worth, TX: System Architect II (Ref# 22029.142.2).

Req. MS in InfoSys and Security,CompSci, or related field & 3 yrs of exp in job offered or as IT Project Manager related role. 3 yrs of exp in development of object-oriented programing languages (C#/.NET 5/6), web service/web site development and design (WebAPI with .NET), cloud infrastructure implementation (Microsoft technologies), project management (Azure DevOps), business systems analysis and design, and CI/CD design and implementation, technical writing and documentation, and code analysis, debugging, and triage. 100% telecommuting permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial.com. Reference #22029.142.2.

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has one opening in Fort Worth, TX: Data Scientist II - OSI (Ref# 22029.143.3). Req. BS in Economics, Econometrics, Quantitative Economics or related field. Req. 3 yrs exp in job offered or in a data scientist related occupation. 3 yrs exp identifying and understanding business issues, performing analytics including Cohort analysis, Pre-Post analysis, Scenario analysis, A-B Testing, and Return of Investment (ROI) analysis, Python, SQL, ETL, and large datasets. 100% telecommuting permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial.com. Reference #22029.143.3.

EMPLOYMENT

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in Fort Worth, TX seeks a Civil Engineering Analyst to utilize technical software programs on a regular basis to analyze, produce, and QC deliverables for our clients. Requires “Engineer-In-Training” or “Engineering Intern” certification (or ability to obtain within 12 months). Apply online at https://www.kimleyhorn.com/careers or send resume to Kimley-Horn-HR@ kimley-horn.com. Please reference job position and location.

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has one opening in Fort Worth, TX: Release Train Engineer (Ref# 22029.118.5). Req. MS in Business Information Systems, Information Technology, or Computer Information Systems (or the foreign equivalent) & 2yrs exp as a Scrum Master or in a Release Train Engineer-related occupation. 2 yrs exp using Azure DevOps, Scrum, and Microsoft Office Suites. 100% telecommuting permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial. com. Reference #22029.118.5

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has oneopening in Fort Worth, TX: Product Owner II (Ref# 22029.2.4).

Req. BS in ElecEng, CompEng, or related field. Req. 5 yrs exp in job offered or in a technology management related occupation. 5 yrs exp using Guidewire (Policy Center, Claim Center, and Billing Center), JIRA, HPQC, Rally, and ServiceNow. 100% Telecommuting Permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial. com. Reference #22029.2.4.

EMPLOYMENT

General Motors Financial Company, Inc. has one opening in Fort Worth, TX: Software Development Engineer III (Ref# 22029.109.4). Req. BS in Engineering, Computer Science or IT. Req. 5 yrs exp in job offered or in software developer position. 5 yrs exp designing templates, layouts, data models and style sets, SmartCOMM software/ Thunderhead, SQL Queries, and JavaScript. 100% Telecommuting permitted. To apply, please send email to recruitment@gmfinancial.com. Reference #22029.109.4.

EMPLOYMENT

GAC Media LLC (Arlington, TX) Data Engineer. Build OTT media platform through dvlpmt of scalable, datadriven systems. Telecommuting permitted; may reside anywhere in U.S. Req’d: Master’s in CS, Eng’g or rel. + 5 yrs exp. w/ each of the following: data eng’g, incl. data pipeline design, ETL/ELT dev, data modeling & data WH; SQL and relational DB syst. incl PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, RDS & Athena; Python progr. for data manipulation, automation & integration; devel. & maintain. data pipelines using AWS srvs incl. EC2, S3, Glue, Athena, Lambda & DMS; implem. ETL workflows & data transform. using tools such as Apache Spark, dbt, Airflow & Kinesis; big data tech. incl. parquet & other columnar data formats; design. & implement. OLAP data models, star/snowflake schemas & data marts; data quality validation, schema consistency checks & data governance frameworks. 4 yrs w/ each of the follow.: implem. CI/CD pipelines & deployment automat. using Bitbucket Pipelines, GitHub Actions, or similar; containerization & orchestration technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes or ECS. Salary: $157,500 -$178,500, Send resume to hr@gacmedia.com.

EMPLOYMENT

Lead Industrial Engineer. Bach+ 2 yrs. Use Statistical data analysis; MS Excel; WMS; QC & IC methods to provide engg support & guidance to DHL eCommerce Site. Exel, Inc. d/b/a DHL Supply Chain USA, Fort Worth, TX. Salary: $91,633 - $112,130/yr. F.T. CV to Katie.Zaborszki@dhl.com ref #9887. NO CALLS/ AGENTS/NO VISA SPONSORSHIP.

EMPLOYMENT

Wabtec US Rail, Inc. dba Wabtec Corporation seeks Lead Supplier Quality Engineering Specialist in Fort Worth, TX to interpret drawings, specifications, and contracts that will enable development and review Quality Processes, and related Performance Metrics. Telecommuting permitted. 30% of domestic andinternational travel required to supplier locations for audits, assessments, and quality-related inspections. Apply at www.jobpostingtoday.com Ref #78211

HISTORIC RIDGLEA THEATER

THE RIDGLEA is three great venues within one historic Fort Worth landmark. RIDGLEA THEATER has been restored to its authentic allure, recovering unique SpanishMediterranean elements. It is ideal for large audiences and special events. RIDGLEA ROOM and RIDGLEA LOUNGE have been making some of their own history, as connected adjuncts to RIDGLEA THEATER, or hosting their own smaller shows and gatherings. More at theRidglea.com.

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