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wouldn’t want tickets to see T Swift?

Her May 25 concert at Cowboys Stadium is completely sold-out, but the good people at Diet Coke are going to give four lucky competitors a chance to see Swift perform with their social media-fueled “Silver Ticket” scavenger hunt. Starting Thursday at 8 a.m., Diet Coke will release Swift-inspired clues through their Twitter (@DietCoke) that will lead fans in Dallas to a the hidden location of the Silver Ticket. The first four fans over the age of 18 will receive two passes to her sold-out performance.

So get your thinking cap on, brush up on all things Taylor, and prepare to think quick and act fast this Thursday, May 23.

Fans can follow @DietCoke and #DCSilverTicket for exclusive Silver Ticket access. Be sure to check into YouPlusDallas as well as we share the clues as they are released this Thursday.

Happy scavenging and may the odds be ever in your favor!

1.First the biggest and nerdiest: DALLAS COMIC CON! May 17-19 

Awww yeah! The annual Dallas Comic Con/SciFi Expo is back this year at the Irving Convention Center  and it’s going to be three days full of everything your little nerd heart could ever want want. Vendors, costumes,celebrity photo ops and autograph signings galore will fill the Irving convention center to the brim, making it quite possible that you’ll go in on Friday and not come back out until Sunday.  Before you dive into the sea of fan boys and girls here are a couple of things that are a couple of things that are going to be kind of a big deal this year at Dallas Comic Con.

1. Celebrity photo ops and autograph signings with William Shatner and Nathan Fillion

Two of the finest captains to ever command a spaceship will be on site to sign your memorabilia and take a photos with you, make sure to wipe the sweat off your palms before you go in for a handshake or a hug.

2. For the comic book guys and gals: John Romita, Jr. and Arthur Suydam

It’s going to be a good day for super hero and zombie fans. Attending this year’s comic con and signing autographs are John Romita, Jr. and Arthur Suydam, two of the comic book world’s most recognized artists. John Romita, Jr. is most well known to folks as the illustrator and co-creator of the comic book Kick-Ass while Arthur Suydam is the award winning artist of both The Walking Dead comic book series and Marvel Zombies (he has appropriately been dubbed the zombie king), and as if meeting him wasn’t enough Mr.Suydam will also be doing FREE sketches for comic con attendees 16 and younger (omg! free amazing art!).

Like I said these are only a couple of things that are happening this weekend up at Comic Con. Aside from the awesome people watching there will be no shortage of cool stuff to do and see, have a look at the official schedule and see.

2. The Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival, May 17th-19th

What: Wildflower! is an award-winning, multi-day eclectic arts and music festival featuring six performance stages, the Wild! Marketplace, the Taste of Texas Food Garden, the family

friendly Kidz Korner, and a whole lot more!

Where:  Galatyn Park Urban Center in Richardson- just north of Dallas at US 75 and Galatyn Parkway

Who: Oh boy, the line up here is pretty extensive but I saw a few you all might be eager see such as The Toadies, Charlie Daniels Band, Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Mouth and  Spin Doctors. Check out the full schedule to see all the ones I missed.

3. The Tasty Run 5k, May 18

Me being the (free) food lover I am, this is a 5k run I can get into. Coinciding with this weekend’s Taste Addison,  the Tasty Run will feature a 5K and Fun Run with tasting stations of top Addison’s restaurants along the route keeping runners fueled and satisfied with yummy bite sized samples. Individuals, teams and costumes are all to welcome to come enjoy a good run and some good food.  The race will benefit the Addison Legacy Foundation with an award ceremony afterwards. 

Tasty Run Stations Along the Course Include:
La Madeleine – Chocolate Croissants
Genghis Grill – Stir-fry Teriyaki Chicken with White Rice
Tiff’s Treats – Cookies
On the Border – Crispy Tacos, Brisket Burritos and Sopapillas
Raising Cane’s – Fresh Squeezed Lemonade Stand

Restaurants Participating in the Tasty Run 5K After Party:
Buffalo Wild Wings – Wings
La Madeleine – Chocolate Croissants, Strawberries Romanoff, Iced Tea and Coffee
Raising Cane’s – Munchies and Lemonade Stand
Dos Equis – Beer
Greenz Salads – Smoothies

Online registration for the event has ended  check out the on site registration schedule here .

Once again, the Dallas Comic Con will be a major attraction for the Irving Convention Center.  With an impressive line-up of talent across a wide range of Film, TV, Comic Books, and Graphic Novels, Texas’ biggest pop culture event attracts fans from around the world.

With appearances by William Shatner, Brandon Routh, John Romita Jr. (co-creator of KICK-ASS), Nathan Fillion, Andrew McCarthy and many more, there will be plenty for everyone at this year’s Dallas Comic Con.

Last year, You+Media was there with The Big Freeze to provide entertainment near the Main Ball Room.  Check out the photo gallery below for some of our favorite freezes.

This was a place to see, but also to be seen.  Many Comic Con attendees came as their favorite characters displaying impressive costumes, models, and even an actual Delorean tricked out and ready to hit 88 mph.

A record crowd turned out last year, a testament to the hard work from all the organizers, volunteers, exhibitors and fans.  Even with the crowds and lines, everyone had a great time meeting stars and other fans.  Will this year be bigger, still?

So until we assemble again – Excelsior!

“His career was launched when, disguised in native garb, he crossed the Pakistan border into rebel-controlled Afghanistan just before the Russian invasion. When he emerged, he had rolls of film sewn into his clothes of images that would be published around the world as among the first to show the conflict there. His coverage won the Robert Capa Gold Medal for Best Photographic Reporting from Abroad, and award dedicated to photographers exhibiting exceptional courage and enterprise. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Magazine Photographer of the Year, awarded by the National Press Photographers Association. That was the same year in which he won an unprecedented four first prizes in the World Press Photo Contest. He has won the Olivier Rebbot Memorial Award twice.” (via)

McCurry’s most recent exhibition, entitled The Unguarded Moment, will be making its Dallas debut this weekend at Laura Rathe Fine Art. The opening reception will be held this Saturday evening  from 6 to 9. This exhibit will give Dallasites the chance to up close and personal experience of McCurry’s iconic images of cultures from around the world and the amazing stories they tell.

Lara Rathe Fine Art located on 1130 Dragon St #130  Dallas, TX 75207

The latest release of Walt Disney and Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 3 marks the third installment in the Iron Man/Tony Stark saga. Like any fantasy film, audiences must suspend their belief of traditional reality. Similar to previous Marvel films, Iron Man 3 has a lot of intense action, special effects, and ingenuity combined with superhuman abilities. Based on previous and current box office numbers, Marvel knows what they’re doing.

Iron Man 3 continues the long list of large-scale, superhero/comic book, fantasy blockbuster films from Marvel, including past films such as Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers, and future films like Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers 2, and more. Iron Man 3 does a great job of making the audience feel like they are in the right place and time following the events of The Avengers. This film is also the first of the Iron Man series available in 3D, creating a darker and different experience than before.

Courtesy of Google Images

Iron Man 3 takes place after the events of The Avengers, with New York City recovering from the aftermath of an alien invasion and the departure of the rest of the superheroes as they’ve gone back to their respective homes or planets. The film begins with Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) speaking to the audience and quickly flashing back to Stark’s younger party years, where he overlooked several people eager for his attention. Tony has no idea that these relationships will someday come back to haunt him. The audience is then taken back to present day, where Stark is tinkering in his workshop.

Soon after these events, a new threat presents itself to humanity: the Mandarin (played by the hilarious Ben Kingsley), who seems hell-bent on seeing man suffer and surrender as he carries out a series of terrorist attacks. At first, Stark is too preoccupied to interfere, but when his friend, Happy Hogan (Favreau), is caught in one of the Mandarin’s attacks, Iron Man must suit up to save the day. Stark quickly sends a public message to the Mandarin, including an invitation to come to Stark’s mansion along with his address, and the events that follow send Tony on a journey of rebuilding and retribution.

Courtesy of Google Images

Tony Stark is still the superhero, genius, witty, playboy philanthropist from the previous Marvel films, but in Iron Man 3, he begins to experience psychological panic attacks and post dramatic stress from the events of The Avengers. Iron Man 3 features everything audiences love about Tony Stark and films of this genre, but this film is more about Tony Stark than Iron Man. It features action, explosions, new gadgets, great threats, and many laughs but also takes us on a unique adventure as Stark must rediscover his identity and learn to be a hero with or without the suit. Iron Man 3 allows for character development, character relationships, and a more in depth, complex story than previous installments.

The best way I’ve heard Iron Man 3 described by other critics is that the film “follows a psychologically tormented hero who has light-hearted fun while engaging in cartoonish mayhem and uncovering corruption that reflects on contemporary politics” (NOW Magazine, Toronto). This statement sums up Iron Man 3 best because it hits on major themes of the movie while giving you an example of the mouthful of information this film presents. There are a lot of great elements of this film, but there is also a lot of information to digest.  Iron Man is one of the few superheroes without superhuman abilities; he relies on brains and science. Iron Man 3 continues this trend by creating unique villains and truly testing Tony Stark’s ability to survive and combat the new evil.

Courtesy of Google Images

Iron Man 3 stars Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Paul Bettany, and Ben Kingsley. This film is rated PG-13 for sequences of intese sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief suggestive content.  Running time is 2 hours and 10 minutes. 4 out of 5 stars.

By: Hayden Pittman

Click here to view my author archive, movie reviews and entertainment news on YouPlusDallas

Courtesy of Google Images

• Taylor Swift tickets giveaway – a pair of tickets to her sold out concert at Cowboys Stadium

• Entertainment by Radio Disney

• Free blood pressure screenings

• Games and prizes, and more

See, something to get excited about! Really though, every area of Dallas should have a Doctors Express equivalent. They’re convenient, affordable, and will get more people the help they need.

“Doctors Express bridges the gap between a primary doctors’ office and the emergency room,” said Beata Toth, managing owner and center administrator at the new location in the Addison- area, “and does it in a convenient, patient-focused way that ensures high-quality, affordable treatment in a comfortable setting. A primary difference between Doctors Express and other walk-in care options is that every single patient at Doctors Express is seen and diagnosed by an experienced physician.”

Their grand opening event is scheduled for May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dallas filmmakers of all levels and experience are invited to participate (past teams have included elementary school students to professional filmmakers), but teams must make it to the finish line by midnight to be eligible for judging. Student teams compete against other student teams and adult teams are categorized by team size rather than skill level.

Race teams are divided into 5 categories:

Pixelvision       K-12 Teams

Futurevision     Current College/University students and recent graduates

Auteur               Professional or amateur teams of a single member

Guerilla            Professional or Amateur teams of 2 to 5 members

Hollywood       Professional or Amateur teams of 6 or more members

Teams can STILL register online at http://www.24hourvideorace.com/ until 5 p.m. Friday, May 10!

Follow the link to some fantastic 24-Hour winners from years past.

The Biggest Loser is headed back to Gilley’s in Dallas to find cast members for their 15^th season. The only written requirement for hopefuls: “must have at least 80 pounds to lost.” But surely there’s something more specific these guys are looking for?

We spoke with The Biggest Loser’s amazing casting director Randy Bernstein, cofounder of the full service casting agency Casting Duo, to find out exactly what they’re looking for and (even better) what they’ve seen in the past.

I see that you own, Casting Duo, a full-service casting company where you found memorable reality stars like Christian Siriano (Project Runway) and Top Chef’s Padma Lakshmi. How did you get into the casting business?

I sort of just fell into it. I used to work as a second assistant to a TV exec at Paramount Studios. One of the PAs we hired for Frasier or Cheers came in. We became friends and he said people were looking for casting recruiters. I didn’t even know that was a thing!

This was back in the day when dating shows were all the rage. I thought this wave of reality casting was just going to be a temporary thing, and it’s turned into an amazing career. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

What was the first show you ever cast?

Dismissed on MTV. My most favorite shows that we’ve ever done have been Top Chef and The Glee Project.  The Biggest Loser has actually  been incredible so far. Just the love and the motivation the people have to change their lives; being involved with that has been a very rewarding experience.

What has been your most memorable experience during a casting process?

One of the ones that comes to mind was actually during The Biggest Loser. A guy came in with three bags of McDonalds and ate the hamburgers throughout the entire interview.  He said, “This is why I need help.” That memory is etched into my mind.

Another experience that stands out is seeing Christian Siriano (Project Runway) just sitting on the floor talking [during Project Runway casting]. He had this presence that we couldn’t turn our heads away from, and then to watch him become this superstar in the fashion industry… it’s pretty cool to watch.

What would you say is the number one quality you look for in potential cast members for The Biggest Loser?

Somebody that has a burning desire to change and aren’t just there because someone told them to be there. We can tell if you want to be there.

We also want to hear your story. Whether it’s that “I want to ride a rollercoaster” or “walk my daughter down the aisle” or “I don’t want to have to buy two seats on a plane.” Tell us why you’re motivated.

What would be the best advice you could give to those who hope to be cast at the Dallas auditions on Saturday, May 11?

Bring pictures of your family and the people that you are doing this for. Tell me about your support group and what you’re going to do when you lose the weight, but don’t rehearse it.

Be yourself. If there’s something that you want, make sure that you tell us. I hate when somebody leaves and we didn’t hear everything that they wanted us to hear. Come and tell us everything you want us to know. Talk from the heart and soul; really tell us why you’re ready to change and why now.

And don’t forget to get there a couple hours before they start. Also, bring snacks and water; it could be a long day.

The Biggest Loser casting call will be held Saturday, May 11 at Gilley’s (1355 S Lamar St. Dallas, TX 75215) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The cast of The Biggest Loser will receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to lose the weight and compete to win $250,000. 

The weekend has grown tremendously from its humble beginnings in the Grapevine Convention Center. The tremendous turnout throughout the years led last year’s move to the Hyatt Regency inside DFW with 93,000 square feet compared to the 23,500 square feet at the Grapevine Convention Center. But not everyone had as much faith in Texas Frightmare Weekend (which will henceforth be known as TFW) according to festival owner Loyd Cryer.

“When we first started, everyone told us that we’d never be able to pull off a horror convention in Texas,” Cryer said. “Texas is the ultimate red state, and we were told that not enough people would go to a horror convention.”

Perhaps that was solid advice, but it proved to be nothing more than pessimism. When they opened their doors to the very first TFW, the line was around the building.

“I don’t know what it is, and I hate to get too deep, but I think that horror movies can be a cathartic experience for people. It’s like riding a rollercoaster; you get scared but you know you’re safe,” Cryer said.  “Texas has become a very diverse state in the past few years. It’s no longer just the Bible belt people and that lends to growth.”

And that’s a very good thing, because TFW is going to bring a lot of great movies, panels, people and Q&A’s to Dallas, so check the schedule of events, get your tickets, and prepare to get there early.