Reel Blood

I say forget the Daniel Day-Lewis vanity project There Will Be Blood--that's for Californians. The definitive movie about oil here in Texas will always be Giant. The George Stevens 1956 cinematic masterpiece should be required viewing for anyone living in the Lone Star State and for all who move here. In fact, it should be used to teach English to incoming immigrants. When Elizabeth Taylor's Leslie tells nouveau-riche James Dean's Jett, "Money isn't everything," to which he responds, "Not when you've got it," it sums up the balls-out attitude Texans have to have. Beyond the brass is a beautiful painting of a film that lives up to its title as well as its running time. And it doesn't hurt that the rest of the cast includes Rock Hudson, Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge and Sal Mineo. Seriously, they just don't make them like this anymore. Ask Mr. Day-Lewis. The Dallas Museum of Art screens Giant at its Late Night, Friday at 8 p.m. in the Horchow Auditorium. But everything opens at 6 p.m. so get there early, get some drinks, see some art and then plop down at showtime for the next 200 minutes. It will be so worth it. Visit dallasmuseumofart.org for more information.
Fri., July 18, 8 p.m., 2008