A big piece of Texas music and film history was damaged by last week's severe weather.
Portions of Luck, TX, Willie Nelson’s storied western town in Spicewood, were damaged by the high winds on Thursday night. Luck, TX, which is modeled after an old western town, was originally built in 1986 as the set for Red Headed Stranger, a western film starring Nelson that was inspired by his 1975 album of the same name.
Photos of the storm’s damage were posted to Nelson's official Facebook page on Monday night. "Our beautiful Luck wasn’t so lucky recently," says the post. "Last week’s tornado force winds ripped several buildings apart, including the bank, the post office and left World Headquarters holding on by a splinter."
While Luck isn’t normally open to the public, the iconic town is occasionally used for events, such as Heartbreaker Banquet, a one-day music festival held during SXSW. The town was most recently seen in the music video of "You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore," which featured Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Jessica Simpson and Woody Harrelson along with the Red Headed Stranger himself.
Luck also serves as the home for Nelson's rescue horses that can be adopted through Habitat for Horses. There are no reports of any horses being injured during the storm.
Regarding the future of Luck, the Nelson camp remains positive. "Some towns got it a lot worse, so we aren't complaining," reads a Facebook post. "Luck is a tough town. It can be rebuilt."
The World Headquarters of Luck, Texas, was left barely standing after severe weather.
Willie Nelson Facebook
The World Headquarters of Luck, Texas, was left barely standing after severe weather.
Robert Pattinson plays many different versions of the main character in Mickey 17.
Writer/director Bong Joon-Ho struck gold with his 2019 film Parasite, which won four Oscars, including Best Picture. That satire, one of the first in a recent spate of “eat the rich” stories, was the culmination of a career that the South Korean filmmaker has spent commenting on various social issues. He’s back at it again, perhaps a bit more obliquely, with his new film Mickey 17.
Set in 2054, it follows Mickey (Robert Pattinson), who decides to take drastic action after running afoul of a criminal syndicate. He decides to volunteer for a mission, led by failed politician/blowhard/cult leader Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), to colonize a far-flung snow planet called Nilfheim. Not caring what it takes to join, he chooses to become an “expendable,” aka a person who will participate in deadly experiments repeatedly, with clones of himself printed to be killed again.
Mickey fulfills his duties multiple times — 16 to be exact — until Mickey 17 unintentionally fails after seemingly being attacked by huge pill bug-like creatures dubbed “creepers,” by Marshall. Not knowing he wasn’t dead, mission staff create Mickey 18, setting in motion the central conflict. Mickey 17 must deal with the paradox of living with his clone, his now-muddled romance with Nasha (Naomi Ackie), and more.
Based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton, the film has fun with the ethics of cloning, space exploration, megalomaniacal leaders, and more. Your mileage may vary on how well the humor comes across, but it’s clear that Bong is aiming to satirize a lot of different things, as well as examine how humans react in certain extreme situations. The humanity of Mickey himself is called into question, given that the original Mickey is dispatched early in the film.
Bong used the collateral from his Oscar wins to get a much bigger budget than usual for him (reportedly $120 million), but the 140-minute film still maintains a relatively small feel. The specificity of the details of the story make it constantly interesting to watch, from the kowtowing of Marshall’s team of lackeys to the disgusting food Mickey eats throughout the film to the legion of creepers that emerge during the third act.
As the film goes along, though, it’s hard to fight the feeling that an overall point to the story is missing. The arc of Mickey 17 is enjoyable, but the film doesn’t seem to truly reckon with what it means to use clones in such a manner until a too-convenient third act reveal. The comedy and action are serviceable, but because they are supposed to be a means to an end that never fully materializes, their impact is lessened.
Pattinson clearly has a blast playing the multiple roles the film requires, imbuing each clone with little differences. He plays Mickey 17 and 18 off each other well, going between slapstick and melodrama. Ackie is a great complement to him, playing a supportive character who also has her own agenda. Ruffalo and Toni Collette, who plays Marshall’s wife, get to ham it up relentlessly, giving performances that are effective if somewhat grating.
Mickey 17 is right in line with the rest of Bong’s filmography, but after the highs of Parasite, it feels like a disappointment as a whole. Pattinson brings a verve to the film that the wild story needs; unfortunately, it never becomes as memorable as some of Bong’s previous work.
