Dallas News Blog

Just spent the better part of an hour watching a rough cut of National Geographic Channel's The Lost JFK Tapes: The Assassination, a found-footage doc that makes its debut Monday at 8 p.m. C.S.T. Those burned out on Last Day of JFK documentaries need to take note: It's not another rehashing of the events of November 22, 1963, not one more conspiracy-theory hodgepodge, but a crisply assembled film made exclusively from local TV and radio stations' as-it-happened, breaking-news accounts of John and Jackie's visit to Fort Worth and Dallas.

Above you'll find National Geographic Channel's trailer for the doc, which was just posted. But those eager to sneak peek The Lost JFK Tapes, which also uses audio from Parkland Hospital and Dallas police, can see it at 1 p.m. tomorrow at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. The screening's absolutely free.

Gary Mack, the museum's curator, tells Unfair Park that Tom Jennings began assembling the film, oh, around 1995, when the museum had just received all of Channel 4's video and audio tapes for sake keeping. Jennings, based in Los Angeles, offered a swap: He would get first-use right to the footage if he paid for its transfer and remastering. To which the museum said, Sure, absolutely.

"And he was astonished with what he saw," says Mack. "Most people think that most Kennedy footage is funky, out of focus and poor, but it's terrific. ... Some of the stuff [in the documentary] was considered outtakes back then and not of any use, but that's when he got the idea of marrying the footage with some of the radio reports."

Gloria Levario

This was so not logical: Mr. Spock's actually a Blockbuster marketing guy.

​Blockbuster's torn: Stores or kiosks? Kiosks or stores? Says one analyst this week, Not stores, no friggin' way. But how else will the Dallas-based videotailer host a release party? Our Gloria Levario was out and about early this a.m. and happened by the Star Trek DVD and Blu-ray shindig at the near-West Village location on McKinney Ave., one of 20 Blockbusters in the U.S. to stay open till the wee small hours.

It was, she noted, sparsely attended -- meaning, maybe five people, not including customers trickling in and out -- but also, as she puts it, "spirited," no doubt referring to the fact the event was an after-midnight Lone Star Radio-sponsored gift-card giveaway. Also, she spied "a couple enjoying the film in lawn chairs in the middle of the store." A sneak peek at Blockbuster's future, perhaps.

Patrick Michels

Kristofferson accepts the award named for his longtime friend and collaborator Stephen Bruton, Friday night at Lola's Saloon.

​Even knowing the award would carry his good friend's name for years to come, it wasn't easy for Kris Kristofferson to stand onstage at Lola's Saloon Friday night and say too much after accepting the Lone Star International Film Festival's first Stephen Bruton Award.

Bruton, who died in May, spent nearly 40 years playing guitar with Kristofferson, and along with a solo career, worked with T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello and others. His film career included roles in bars and onstage -- often opposite Kristofferson -- and in the Alamo.

In the future, the film festival in Fort Worth, in its third running now, will give the Bruton award to artists whose careers have spanned film and music. This year's festival also included, on Friday night, a director's cut of Blood Simple, from which the Coen Brothers trimmed three minutes; and on Saturday night, The Messenger, with Army officer Woody Harrelson on casualty notification duty. The festival wraps today, with a schedule including screenings of the festival's best documentary and narrative film picks.

Back in 2005, Keven McAlester wrote one hell of a fine story for the paper version of Unfair Park about former Texas Rangers pitcher Dock Ellis's immortal acid-drenched no-hitter, done, of course, while he was a Pittsburgh Pirate. Piece wasn't just about the feat, of course; if memory serves, it was the end result of a documentary Keven had considered making about the now-late-n-great baller before he turned his attention to damaged rock icons on the mend and live-action gamers. All of which is a rather lengthy wind-up by way of introducing this animated take on the no-hitter, itself a wigged-out work of art.

Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes

​Blockbuster sent word at the end of the day Thursday: It had a terrible third quarter -- profits again down by double digits, millions hemorrhaged even after adjusting for debt refinancing and the sale of its European operations. And yesterday came word, per the release, that the Elm Street-based videotailer would be "closing no more than 115 domestic company-owned stores during the fourth quarter of 2009, in addition to the 216 that have already been closed through the third quarter of 2009." Hence the huge pre-market sell-off -- the stock was down 15 percent, to a whole 70 cents, before the opening bell.

CEO Jim Keyes, ex of 7-Eleven, begged investors in a conference call Thursday to be patient as it rolls out the come-and-get-it, anyway-you-want-it future that includes those SD digital download kiosks we wrote about earlier this week: "I know a fair bit about convenience, as you can imagine," he said, "and if you cut through the noise and clutter of our business, it's all about providing customers with the most convenient access to media entertainment." The transcript's a riveting, revealing read: hopeful (Keyes points to the success of direct-to-video Blockbuster Premieres, an exclusive line of titles that includes The Line with Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta -- never heard of it), defiant (despite the hundreds of brick-and-mortar shutterings, he insists "the physical stores also represent an important point of differentiation for our total access business, with a vast majority of our subscribers taking advantage of their in-store exchange privileges") and pragmatic. Says the CEO about the declines in revenue, quarter after quarter after quarter, it has forced the company to spend a lot of time and capital doing what it should have years ago: re-inventing the antiquated, broken business model.

If you only provide movies through a vending machine, you aren't convenient. If you only offer streaming content or if you do offer streaming content but only offer older movies, you just aren't convenient to everyone. If you only provide digital movies to the computer or to the home television, you aren't convenient. If you only provide movies by mail, you aren't convenient. If your platform is closed, requires a PC, a set-top box, or if your ecosystem is not interoperable, you are just not convenient. And if your movie offering is through channel 999 video on demand, it certainly isn't very compelling, descriptive, or entertaining and certainly not convenient.

Because of the many changes in our industry, technology changes, distribution changes, channel changes, window changes, it is very easy to lose sight of what is important to the customer and it is our opportunity at Blockbuster to solve this problem for the customer with our goal being very, very simply to make it convenient, make it more entertaining, make it easy to experience, and make it more compelling and personal where the customer gets to control his or her own choices. ... But please keep in mind -- business transformations do not happen overnight

Bradley Whitford

​Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, breaks the big news: "We have landed the Fox TV Studios production Jack and Dan." Which, for those who don't read The Hollywood Reporter, is the latest series from Burn Notice creator and exec producer Matt Nix. And it's set to star Bradley Whitford, ex of The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and son-of-Tom Colin Hanks. What else says THR?

It centers on Jack (Hanks), an ambitious, by-the-book detective whose habit of undermining himself has resulted in a dead-end position at the Los Angeles Police Department. Worse, he has been partnered with Dan (Whitford), a drunken, lecherous, wild-card cop who hangs onto his job only because of a heroic act years before.

Only, hold up. Burklund says one of the reasons the series is being shot in Dallas is because it's actually set in Dallas -- unlike ABC's The Deep End, which will still be "set" in Los Angeles. Pre-production's under way at this very moment, with shooting set to begin around town in January.

"This is a big deal," Burklund tells Unfair Park. "I've been chomping at the bit to get this one out there. This was not easy. We were up against Atlanta, which has a 30-percent tax credit -- almost double ours." Word is, an official press release is forthcoming; we'll update accordingly.

Update at 1:05 p.m.: The Official Press Release concerning today's announcement follows. A preview: Says Mayor Tom Leppert, "Hollywood is catching on that Dallas has a lot to offer including incentives, an affordable economy, mild climate, interesting architecture and skyline, and a welcoming attitude towards their creative efforts."

Patrick Michels

​The Deep End's extras casting director sure knows how to butter up the Friends of Unfair Park. Tara Di Leva, from 20th Century Fox, sends word that the ABC series, currently shooting at The Studios at Las Colinas and around town (saw signs around Victory Park yesterday), needs extras for the final two episodes left on the to-do list. Instructions are after the jump, but Di Leva opens her missive with the note that last time we put out the call for extras, "It worked fabulously!! You definitely have some great looking readers!" Hence, this casting call: "We have two episodes left with some heavy EXTRAS days and we'd love another input of your readers!" So hop to!

​The director of Clerks and Chasing Amy was in town over the weekend, doing one of his evening-withs at the House of Blues. One local in attendance shot a good hunk of the show, including a bit during which Smith addresses, among other things, why he can't get Red State made -- a very interesting bit of inside baseball. Then, toward the end, Smith takes the audience member's cell phone to talk to a buddy who couldn't make the show due to an H1N1 diagnosis, which Smith verifies by asking him a question that indicates he's clearly not a medical professional. Jump for it, unless you're at work.

Friend of Unfair Park Peterk sends word: "Yes, folks, now you can buy Icky Twerp items." And just in time for the holidays. The shop's right here, though be warned, it's not much: two T-shirts, a Slam Bang Theater best-of DVD and two video cassettes (!). Says Paul Camfield, son of Icky, the product's left over from the September celebration in Fort Worth. Camfield wants to do more, but needs the partner ... "and the time," he says, "because I'd love to celebrate the show with fans."

But the bigger question is: When will Richard Allan Kent's doc about the late, great Bill Camfield, Icky Twerp: The Electronic Babysitter, get a proper release, at least on DVD?

"We're talking about it right now," Camfield says. "Thirty, 40 were made to sell at the fest, and Richard says he's gonna turn 'em loose, and I'll sell 'em. But we want ot make those are available too. That's his property, so we're trying to make sure he gets compensated fairly. But it's a great, great, great doc, and the fans would enjou it immensely. It'll happen. Maybe an on-demand thing on the Web. But it's going to happen soon. No doubt about that."

Patrick Michels

Timothy Busfield, ex of thirtysomething and The West Wing, is in town to direct the fourth episode of The Deep End starring, of course, Billy Zane. He also did the second show.

​Tales of Billy Zane sightings are not hard to come by in recent weeks, from kids' hospital charity fundraisers to the AT&T Performing Arts Center gala opening to the AC/DC show a few days ago. If nothing else, he can be found at least twice a week at Premiere Video on Mockingbird Lane, chatting up proprietors Sam Wade and Heather Hankamer.

"It's my office," Zane says, sitting in his other office -- the set of The Deep End on a sound stage at The Studios at Las Colinas. "Those guys are awesome. I'm trying to envision a film channel Sam should host and just walk people through and pick from that amazing collection. They're really true curators."

Zane has been here for several weeks and will remain here till at least year's end; no word yet on whether ABC will order from Fox, the show's producer, more than six episodes of the legal dramedy, a midseason replacement due to bow in the spring. We'll have more about the making of the show later: Patrick Michels and I spent the afternoon on the set, itself a surreal site -- a sturdy yet wholly make-believe law office whose windows reveal a phony Los Angeles skyline drenched in smoggy sunshine. Till then, then, Zane spends quite a bit of our interview chatting up Dallas, his home-away-from for who knows how long -- perhaps only till December, maybe a whole season or several depending upon network execs' capricious whims.

Jump for his love letter to our home town.

Frank Campagna walking past the old Good Latimer Tunnel murals in a scene from Dig Deep

​The Dallas Video Festival kicks off today at the Angelika Film Center -- we'll sneak peek a few offerings as it unspools over the coming days. But I did want to mention one highlight, titled Dig Deep, as it's probably the festival offering most likely to connect with locals. After all, this is director Mark Birnbaum's and Manny Mendoza's 8:38-long look at Frank Campagna, proprietor of Kettle Art and keeper of the flame in Deep Ellum even when it appeared to be little more than a dying ember.

It began as a short about the demise of the Good Latimer Tunnel, which was razed to make way for Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Green Line. Mendoza, who'd taken a buyout from The Dallas Morning News as its TV critic, asked Birnbaum to help him make a film about the tunnel and Campagna; Birnbaum said yes, but only if Mendoza first helped him shoot a movie about the demise of the newspaper business. They began Dig Deep three years ago, then shelved it to finish Stop the Presses, and returned to Campagna once the Green Line was up and running -- the tunnel having been trampled by tracks and The Traveling Man sculptures.

"I think the movie's really about yet another transition in Deep Ellum," Birnbaum says. "I'd seen Deep Ellum go through a pretty active time and then degenerate and fall apart and become the dead thing it is now. So I guess the intent was to look at, ya know, yet another rebirth of this area of town that has been the site of so much history and so much great music.

"And Frank has been one of the few constants in Deep Ellum," the filmmaker continues. "He's seen an awful lot of it, and he puts money where his heart is. He opened Kettle Art. He's a booster, but he's just such a nice guy, which is kind funny since he's curmudgeon." Birnbaum laughs. "He cares about folks, whether it's artists or musicians, and he's had such a visual impact on Deep Ellum with the tunnel and the murals on the side of the Gypsy Tea Room. That's what drew Manny to the subject in the first place: This is a guy who paints on walls and does remarkable stuff."

Dig Deep screens Sunday at 8 p.m. as part of The Texas Show.

Speaking of the Dallas Video Festival ...

DVF founder Bart Weiss mentioned during our conversation this morning that this year's short film that'll be used to introduce each screening was made by a student filmmaker. As in: a junior at Greenhill named Ryan Kline. Says Weiss, Kline "came to me looking for advice," and he opted to give the kid a job ... along with a crew of 20 local pros (including commercial, music video and feature film cinematographer Bill Schwarz).

"And he had total control over it, which meant Ryan had to tell 20 adults what to do," Weiss says. "When I was that age, I'd be scared shitless." He laughs. "But he knew exactly what he wanted. He might have been scared inside, but he held up really well. All throughout the process I was amazed."

From the sound of his brief intro posted to the Video Fest's YouTube page, Kline was indeed, um, worried. He writes, "People who read my script continually described it as ambitious, but many got excited about its possibilities. I slowly began to realize how ambitious my script really was: a war, a Lamborghini, a supermodel, what was I thinking?" Dunno. See for yourself.

Texas Rangers

​During its 22 years of existence, the Dallas Video Festival has paid tribute to a great many pioneers and visionaries, among them Monty Python's Terry Gilliam, Robert Smigel, Paul Reubens, Martin Mull, Mike Judge, Mystery Science Theater 3000's Joel Hodgson and Slam Bang Theater creator Bill Camfield. To that list, add another great: Chuck Morgan, otherwise known as The Voice of the Texas Rangers.

"He's the auteur of stadium video," DVF founder Bart Weiss tells Unfair Park. "What other stadium do you know of where you know the guy running the video?"

Morgan, whose official title is vice president of in-park entertainment, tells Unfair Park this morning he had no idea that his event, scheduled for 7 p.m. November 2 at the Angelika Film Center, was a tribute. He just thought he was comin' over to show some old clips from Arlington Stadium and the Ballpark, talk about birthing the dot race and whatever else he could think of to fill 90 minutes.

"I didn't know I was kind of the center of attention, but it's really great," says Morgan. "I just thought I was part of the program. Then I read more about it, and I was like, 'That's awesome.'"

After the jump, a Q&A with Morgan. Me, I could talk to that man all day. Hard to keep it brief.

So, right. Like I said, Kirk Cameron was in town Sunday, and the Growing Pains star preached to three separate services at First Baptist Dallas -- which, frankly, just sounds exhausting. A video's just been posted from the third service, and as soon as I hit the part about some of the ladies in the audience suffering from "Seaver Fever" at around the 2:20 mark, well, I knew I had to spread The Word.

A Message of Hope from Actor Kirk Cameron from First Dallas on Vimeo.

Eli Luna

Without a doubt, this woman was by far the most popular person at the Plano Centre on Saturday. By. Far.

​Sci-fi cons held days before Halloween are always highly recommended, for reasons made clear in this slide show from Eli Luna, who trekked out to the Plano Centre for Star Wars Fan Days. I was out there for, oh, a solid hour Saturday -- waded through the sea of stocky Boba Fetts and Stormtroopers to get the kid an action figure, as always. But instead we walked out with something far better: a handful of made-on-the-spot mini-paintings, including a portrait of the boy, by the great Katie Cook. All for $20. In other words: I think we're over Star Wars, at last. On to Green Lantern, basketball and Junie B. Jones. Win.

Sir Anthony Daniels: The Unfair Park Interview from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.

The 6-year-old who lives in my house has spoken: We will be attending Star Wars: In Concert tomorrow night at the Cowboys Stadium, where, one prays, The Force will be with the sound system for a change. So, then, what to expect: two hours' worth of the six Star Wars movies sliced and diced into Cliff's Notes narrated by Anthony Daniels, who'll be joined by an orchestra performing a John Williams best-of. Daniels, of course, links the '77 original through the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars series and beyond -- he's more or less the franchise's official ambassador, a role with which he's become comfortable only recently.

Long story short, in the video above -- an interview I conducted with Daniels at Hotel ZaZa a few weeks ago, shot by Patrick Michels -- he talks about assuming the role of mouthpiece; about how difficult it is being 3PO, even without the costume; and about how he was initially against this In Concert concept. And we discuss what it will be like inside Jerry Jones's Death Star, as sprawling and cold a place as the Emperor's. Daniels, incidentally, will also be in Plano on Saturday for the weekend-long Star Wars Fan Days shindig, where he'll be joined by Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Darth Maul and other guys who wore some costumes for George Lucas a long time ago in a ... well, you know.

Caity Colvard

Mark Salling, during the Glee cast's visit to the Galleria in August

​At last. Mark Salling, the pride of Lake Highlands High School (Class of '01), was finally more than just a bit player on last night's episode of Glee. Having transitioned from brooding football bully to cougar-chasing horndog to song-and-dance man over seven brilliant episodes of the best high-school show since Freaks and Geeks, Salling's Noah Puckerman ("Shalom!") finally stepped out of the chorus line and got his own plot line: He's just a guilt-ridden Jew who wants to make his Mama proud by finding a nice Jewish girl to date ... or, at least, make out with whilst pining for the shiksa cheerleader who's carrying his kid, though no one else yet knows it. (Mama Puck is played by longtime character actress Gina Hecht, who I first remember as Jean DaVinci from Mork & Mindy.) Jump for the already highlighted highlights, sweet Caroline!

Update at 3:57 p.m.: So, funny thing. I just got off the phone with Mark's mom, Condy, who works at Lake Highlands Junior High. And, turns out, "Sweet Caroline" is among her favorite songs -- has been ever since she first heard it during her freshman year at SMU "30-something years ago," she tells Unfair Park.

"My husband and I followed him at several concerts," she says. "We'd play him in our house all the time, and 'Sweet Caroline' was my favorite. I even bought myself some sheet music and taught myself how to play it. For him to be given that song to sing, what are the odds? He was so excited to share it with my mother. Mark's very close with her here in town. He was just really subdued but so excited he got to sing his mom's favorite song. Its a very emotional thing for me because of that history, and his heart was really in it. He's in his groove when he's behind a guitar, and then to be singing that song, it's pretty emotional."

We'll have more with the Sallings in the near future. Till then, Condy directs our attention to a tweet from a certain Neil Diamond: "Hey, so who's this guy Puck singing 'Sweet Caroline' so good,so good,so good on #Glee? Loved it!!" Love that.

One prospect from a dating show -- one that's not otherwise Viking-themed -- featured in the latest Found Footage Fest.

​When we last spoke with Nick Prueher of the Found Footage Festival, he and fellow comedian-rummager Joe Pickett were gearing up for their first-ever visit to Dallas with their show, a live presentation of confounding 20-year-old workout videos, public access shows and ill-advised celebrity advice tapes.

Some scars from that first show are never going to heal (thanks, bath-tub scene from Angela Lansbury's workout video), but Pickett and Prueher return to the Lakewood Theater with a new show tonight, morbid curiosity will have me crawling right back.

Yesterday Prueher told Unfair Park the new show includes highlights from VHS-finding missions during that tour back in May, including the surefire party hit Pornography: Every Man's Battle, plucked right off the shelf of the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store at Northwest Highway and Webb Chapel Road.

More of Prueher's advice on thrifting for vintage weirdness, and on what to expect from tonight's 8 p.m. show -- and the greatest Dallas-based find of all -- after the jump.

Patrick Michels

Mike Modano and Willa Ford at the Dallas Observer Music Awards back in July

​Speaking of the local film business ...

Willa Ford's an awful nice lady from my limited experience spent with Mr. and Mrs. Mike Modano, but I've seen little of her film work; this, for example, is all I've seen of her star turn as Anna Nicole Smith in 2007, and I somehow managed to miss February's redo of Friday the 13th. So we'll wait and see how this turns out: From Cole Avenue-HQ'd Dreamfly Productions comes  word today that on Monday, it'll begin shooting -- both in Dallas and "on a fabulous 5,000 acre ranch in Frisco" -- a film called Minuteman, which it pitches thusly: "a sci-fi thriller in the tradition of Bourne Identity and Manchurian Candidate." The cast includes the great Barry Corbin, familiar TV guester Riley Smith and others, and is being directed by author and filmmaker Mark Millhone. The press release describes him as "Oscar winning director," which is technically accurate: Says the Internet Movie Database page, in 1997 he won a Student Academy Award for his Columbia University short Christmas in New York.

Dreamfly ... Dreamfly ... that rings a bell. Oh, wait. Now I remember: That was the production company behind Serenity Falls, which was supposed to star Sam Shepard, Paz Vega, Omar Epps and Burton Gilliam and begin shooting here last year. Wonder what became of it? Calls have been made. This go-round, Dreamfly's been keeping a pre-production blog. And: There's a video game, courtesy SMU's The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University.

​I'd forgotten, till he called me back a few minutes ago, that I'd left Karl Zavitkovsky, head of the city's Office of Economic Development, a message Monday morning concerning the Dallas Film Commission's pending move into City Hall. Nonetheless, he was kind enough to further explain the reason for commission's move out of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau offices pending the council's OK next week. So, after the jump, a brief Q&A in which he provides, as much as possible, a sneak preview of the ramifications of the city's involvement in the moving-picture business -- and a look at how the city's changing the way it does business.

For the last week, this sign directing folks to The Deep End set has been posted at the Walnut Hill Lane exit on the Dallas North Tollway.

​Since its inception in October 2002, the Dallas Film Commission has been charged with trying to lure filmmakers to Dallas -- no easy task, given that until recently the state of Texas offered bupkus by way of incentives, while Louisiana and New Mexico were giving movie studios and TV production companies all the tax rebates and credits they could carry across state lines. And, for the past seven years, the Dallas Film Commission has done its duty while under the auspices of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau -- because, well, that's the way everyone else done did it. (The Austin Film Commission is also an arm of the Austin CVB, as is Houston's.)

But come month's end, that will change: The Dallas City Council is set to vote on a proposal that would put the film commission under the banner of the Office of Economic Development in City Hall. Janis Burklund, head of the Dallas Film Commission, tells Unfair Park the deal's been in the works for six months -- and that it was City Manager Mary Suhm's idea.

"It came out of a conversion I had with her," Burklund says. "She threw the idea out." Shortly after that, Burklund began talking with Karl Zavitkovsky, head of Economic Development; and then, that was that. Burklund expects the council to approve the deal on October 28; shortly after that, the Dallas Film Commission will move into City Hall.

According to a memo sent Friday to the council's economic development committee from assistant city manager A.C. Gonzalez, the reason for the switcheroo is simple: Luring Hollywood to Dallas is no longer an issue of selling the city's image, but putting dollars into the city coffers. "Due to changes in the entertainment industry (i.e. film, digital image and other), and its tie into economic development," Gonzalez writes, "it is considered that the function of marketing and promoting Dallas as an attractive and desirable location for the industry will find a natural synergy with the City's multifaceted economic development strategy."

Much more after the jump, including the state film commissioner's suggestion that this move could help another entertainment industry even more than the film business.

Danny Fulgencio

Carlton and Susan Marshall, with Sgt. Andy Harvey at right, during today's press conference in advance of Sunday night's airing of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

​Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the day Dallas Police Lt. Carlton Marshall took a bullet in his neck during a narcotics raid in Oak Cliff. Extreme spinal damage, hearing loss and a stroke still limit Marshall's mobility. To make matters worse, shortly after Marshall's injury, his daughter began suffering from seizures. Coupled with those blows, their home's sinking foundation, a snake infestation and a sputtering septic tank on the lawn made the four-member Marshall family's existence a made-for-TV tragedy in need of a happy ending.

Enter ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. In blistering July heat Fort Worth-based Cheldan Homes, the cast of EM:HE and some local law-enforcement officers built a 4,080-square foot home for the Marshalls in just six days. That week has been condensed into an hour's worth of television: Sunday night at 7 on WFAA-Channel 8, the Marshalls' new home makes it national debut.

Musician Trace Adkins played celebrity volunteer for the construction. "He worked real hard," Marshall said at this afternoon's press conference at the Dallas Police Department HQ. He then said that during the thick of a sweltering summer, Adkins was encouraged to take a break -- at which point the performer said, "What, do I look tired?"

Emptying all barrels: Richardson's Shirin Askari with Tim Gunn

​Bob Mackie -- or the "Sultan of Sequins," as Tim Gunn so flamboyantly introduced him -- was the designer judge and the inspiration for this week's challenge on Project Runway. Master of Madonna's sparkling bodice, Diana Ross's sequined head and hips and Cher's tinseled titties, Mackie is the go-to guy for stage-wear.

So the designers had to design a stage costume -- not fashion, as Mackie stressed -- for none other than white-haired siren Christina Aguilera (also serving as the fourth judge this week). She's rocked the bedazzled hotpant and the plunging neckline. She's worked cornrows to corsets. This wasn't going to be an easy challenge for so many designers who have either understated style or fairly refined inspirations. But even with a hard challenge, combining Mackie and Aguilera meant Project Runway finally got back the flamboyant gay spirit that Lifetime seemed to have sucked out of it -- even if only for two-minute spurts here and there.

It was obvious who had issues from the moment the crew returned from Mood with their glitzed out fabrics, and the incredibly confident -- and just as bitchy -- Irina said as much. But she was wrong in several cases.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images

​Long, boring story short: I was on Getty Images looking for something completely unrelated when I came across this -- a photo of Luke, Andrew and Owen Wilson at the Zombieland premiere in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. Can't remember the last time I saw all three in one place. Well, except when they were out promoting The Wendell Baker Story, which, let's face it, you don't recall either. Speaking of, Luke and Andrew are making another movie together: Electric Avenue, which Andrew says is like 48 Hrs., only with reporters instead of cops. Luke will be playing Lou "Eddy" Grant.

Danny Hurley

Glenn Morshower in a photo the great Danny Hurley grabbed at the Sci-Fi Expo in Richardson back in April. "I didn't realize I had so many freckles," says the actor of the picture.

​My dad came by the office yesterday -- not to see me, of course, but to meet his favorite actor, Glenn Morshower, who'd stopped by Unfair Park HQ for a chat-up. Morshower -- who began acting at the Dallas Theater Center when he was 12 before making his big-screen debut in 1976's made-in-Dallas Drive-In -- has an estimable filmography. One-hundred and fifty-two roles and counting, ranging from stints on C.S.I. and The West Wing to roles in both Transformers films and the forthcoming The Men Who Stare at Goats. But who's counting? He's also a motivational speaker -- seriously.

But he's best known, of course, for having played Secret Service Special Agent Aaron Pierce on 24 for the past eight years. And, yes, he's called "Aaron" oh, 'bout 90 percent of the time he's spotted on the street, he says. Big Hersch almost did it -- I could tell Dad so wanted to.

Turns out Morshower and my father have plenty in common: bar mitzvahs at Shearith Israel, diplomas from Hillcrest High School. And both will be at the Studio Movie Grill at Royal Lane and N. Central Expressway tomorrow night for the Dallas Producers Association's Curse of It Came From Texas, during which Morshower will talk about making Drive-In in between Gordon K. Smith and Gary Cogill screening clips from Seniors (recall that clip we showed you?), Route 66, Bonnie and Clyde and other shot-in-Dallas moments long forgotten (often, with good reason).

After the jump, a few excerpts from our rambling chat, during which Morshower and I (and, off-screen, DPA co-founder Bob Dauber) discuss the movie Morshower wants to make here (a script he wrote for Don Rickles called Kosher, Texas), his career (especially the impact of 24), working with William Shatner and why DISD boys like Highland Park girls. Patrick Michels shot and edited; can't imagine what it was like trying to make sense of it.

ABC Television

The pay's peanuts, but you could spend all day with Leah Pipes and Billy Zane. Right.

​Before they were looking for a "Pretty-Handsome Harvard/Yale Type" to stand next to Billy Zane; now, "fit" will do. Seems Twentieth Century Fox had some trouble finding extras with whom they could fill the offices of Sterling Law: Two episodes into shooting the six-eps-ordered The Deep End for ABC, the production company has once more put out a casting call for warm bodies to finish out filming in Dallas (they were in Northwest Dallas yesterday, matter of fact), which should wrap middle of next month. Here, then, the full notice, shipped to Unfair Park last night with an extra exclamation point for "urgent":

Twentieth Century Fox Television is in Dallas filming a new television series for the ABC Television network titled The Deep End. Starring Billy Zane, the production recently completed the shooting of Episode One and are currently filming Episode Two. The Extras Casting Department for the show is actively searching Dallas for good looking, young, fit, upscale people to be cast as background for all the remaining episodes. If you fit this description and are between the ages of 20-35, then they are looking for you! Please submit the following to abcthedeepend@gmail.com

1. A Clear Picture of Yourself
2. Your Contact Info
3. Your Height & Weight
4. Your Schedule Availability

Make sure all information is on the opening page of the email. All roles are paying gigs. You MUST be a Texas resident! We are also urgently needing good looking males between the ages of 20-40 who are physically fit. If you have previously submitted a picture, please do not resend.

Patrick Michels

Oprah turned up in the crowd Monday morning in this slimming cardboard number, hoisted by the good people of Stolen Oprah.

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As long as Richardson's Shirin Askari is on the show, we'll watch. But if she's auffed, we're so off.

​This week on Project Runway, which we're one local contestant auffing away from turning off forever, Heidi Klum flounced out on the runway and announced that the designers would have to pick new models. But not actual models. Instead she introduced some gay divorcées who wanted a redesign of their wedding gowns for their newly single lives. A slight revision of ye olde bridal challenge, but still too familiar.

Irina seemed to think that she's awesome, and everyone is secretly hating her for that. And I think she has absolutely no problem with that. She got first pick and went with the biggest, laciest parade float of a dress. Logan made a good pick and got a long train of material to work with. As the choices decreased, so did the yardage on the dress. Local girl Shirin got last choice and -- this irritated me a bit -- made it clear she wasn't happy with what she got. If I were her model, it probably wouldn't make me feel so hot that she sighed and threw her head back when we were paired.

Then her lady said she wanted something, you know, "Cher 'Half-Breed,'" and I changed my mind and decided Miss "Just Not Married" deserved every eye-roll and huff Shirin had in her. That being said, the girl is loud when it comes to bitching, so I wouldn't want to share a work table with her, either.

But with only two yards of new material and whatever notions-accessories they could get for 15 buckaroos, the designers headed back to the workroom to work some swerve into all that unsuccessful satin and lace.

​Whenever we post an item about the state of bicycling in Dallas, and the need (or not) for separate bike lanes, we wind up with something like the conversation taking place below. So, following yesterday's ride to Dallas City Hall, it's worth directing your attention to tonight's Cyclesomatic event at the Texas Theatre: the screening of the 2007 doc Contested Streets, about the fight over Manhattan's thoroughfares. It'll be hosted by council member Angela Hunt, who, following the ride downtown, wrote on her blog:

I mentioned the city's new bike plan update as well as our complete streets initiative, to create a multi-modal infrastructure that isn't solely focused on moving cars, but is rebalanced to move cyclists, pedestrians, and the disabled in an inviting, safe way.

We also reassured our road warrior friends that separated bike facilities would not force cyclists to ride there: cyclists who feel comfortable in traffic will continue to have that option. We just want to expand options for folks who may have a different tolerance and comfort level in traffic. It's all about options, education, safety, and better infrastructure.

The trailer for the 57-minute-long doc follows.

It's doubtful the light saber will be necessary this time 'round. Still. Better safe than sorry.

​For three years, a book recounting the relationship between a wealthy Dallas art dealer (Ron Hall) and a once-homeless Fort Worth man (Denver Moore) has been a steady hit on the inspirational circuit; the twosome's speaking schedule is a tour of local (and, often, national) churches, ministries and prayer breakfasts. Has been ever since 2006, when the book Same Kind of Different As Me was first self-published and well on its way to the best-seller list. If this rings a bell, maybe you read The News's piece on the book and the two men, in which freelancer Stella M. Chávez noted that, yes, this sounds absolutely perfect for the movies -- and, matter of fact, the producer of Will Smith's feelgood based-on-a-true-story The Pursuit of Happyness "says actor Samuel L. Jackson has also shown an interest in the project."

Turns out, it's much more than an interest, at least according to Variety last night: The trade reports that Jackson has in fact signed up to play Denver Moore. Still, the star's signing on to project is but the first step on the long road toward a green light. Variety notes that "with Jackson aboard, the script is now being shopped for production financing." The book was adapted by the screenwriters responsible for, among other things, that Jodie Foster revenge picture The Brave One.