Houston Chronicle Top Texas Film Picks: Paris, Texas Screening at MFAH

November 13, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Houston Chronicle Top Texas Film Picks: Paris, Texas Screening at MFAH

Hunter Carson and Mydolls will participate in an on-stage conversation and Q&A after the film.

(Houston) – As part of the “Houston Chronicle Top Texas Film Picks” series, Films at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) will present a screening of New German Cinema pioneer Wim Wenders’ internationally acclaimed classic, Paris, Texas, on Friday, November 30, from 7-10 pm in the Brown Auditorium. Paris, Texas is a 1984 drama directed by Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) and starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Nastassja Kinski and Hunter Carson. Robert Morast, Houston Chronicle arts and entertainment editor, will introduce the film, and Mydolls (1978-present), a female-fronted band which pioneered the art punk scene during the early 1980s in Houston, will join actor, writer and director Hunter Carson for a talkback and Q&A following the film screening.

In the early 1980s, while traveling through and documenting the Texas landscape, Wenders became a fan of Mydolls’ experimental sound and asked the band to appear in a cameo role in his latest independent film, Paris, Texas. That film went on to win the Palme d’Or top prize at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival as well as the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.

L.M. Kit Carson (Hunter Carson’s father) co-wrote the screenplay of Paris, Texas with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Sam Shephard. The film follows the mysterious, nearly mute drifter Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) as Travis tries to reconnect with his estranged son (Hunter Carson), wife (Nastassja Kinski), and brother (Dean Stockwell). From this setup, Wenders and Shepard produce a powerful statement on codes of masculinity and the myth of the American family, as well as an exquisite visual exploration of a vast, crumbling world of canyons and neon. Mydolls can be seen rehearsing their song “A World of Her Own” during the peep show scene.

Tickets to the film screening range from $7-$9 and may be purchased, along with memberships, on MFAH’s website.

 

About Hunter Carson
Actor, screenwriter, producer, and director Hunter Carson is the son of actress Karen Black and film director L. M. Kit Carson. Paris, Texas was Hunter Carson’s first role, followed by a remake of Invaders from Mars; the comedy-drama Mr. North, also featuring Harry Dean Stanton; and the fashion drama Perfume. He co-directed the feature film Single in South Beach and directed the short With It, which Houston Chronicle entertainment writer Andrew Dansby says echoes the style of Wim Wenders.

About Robert Morast
A North Dakota native raised on a ranch, journalist Robert Morast has been the Houston Chronicle arts and entertainment editor since 2016, preceded by stints including Arizona State University, the Virginian-Pilot, the Argus Leader and the ProRodeo Sports News. Morast also co-authored the horror film The Girl in the Photographs, which was produced by Wes Craven and was an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival.

About Mydolls
Formed in 1978 by Trish Herrera, Dianna Ray, Linda Younger and George Reyes, Mydolls was one of the earliest art punk bands in Houston who created a DIY sound that was as ethereal, fluid and poetic as it was politically charged and feminist. Throughout their 40-year history, these pioneering musicians have paved a path for women and minorities in the music and arts scenes, and Mydolls continues to perform today with their original lineup. Mydolls was the focus of a 2016 music-based lecture series at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and the band most recently performed as part of the SPEAKEASY experimental music and art program series at Lawndale Art Center in Houston. University of Houston Special Collections is in the process of acquiring the band’s archive. Mydolls’ latest EP, It’s Too Hot for Revolution, was released as a collectible red vinyl edition in February 2017, and their latest single, “Easter,” was released in February 2018.