Entertainment

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Fall is in the air, which also means a new season of movies for people to go see at their local theater.

As Mitchell Theaters Owner Brian Mitchell tells it, 2024 has been good so far for the movie business.

“We knew, starting the year off, there would still be a bit of fallout from the SAG/AFTRA strikes that took place last year, and there were multiple releases that got pushed back,” Mitchell said. “A big example of that is 'Deadpool & Wolverine,' which was actually supposed to be our big kickoff in May, but ultimately got pushed back to near the end of July. We were still dealing with a bit of a shortage of product, but then in the middle of June, 'Inside Out 2' was released and turned everything around for us, which was great. We're still not back to a completely full slate of films, but we are working our way back to those levels now that the strike is over. We're seeing quite a diverse array of movies, and the summer ended up really strong.”

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Legacy sequels are becoming more of the norm in recent times (“Top Gun: Maverick” and “Twisters,” among others), and recently, another 1980s cult classic got the legacy sequel treatment with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

The film takes place 36 years after the original 1998 “Beetlejuice” and reunites viewers with the Deetz family as they return to Winter River following a tragedy. While in Winter River, Lydia Deetz’ daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega) is tricked into opening a portal to the afterlife, leading Lydia (Winona Ryder) to reluctantly call upon demon Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) – who’s dealing with problems of his own – to help her save Astrid, and there are other shenanigans that happen along the way.

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Those looking for some good music, fun and food will soon need to look no further than Southwest Kansas.

The 2024 High Plains Music Fest will be Saturday, Sept. 14 at Dirtona Raceway in Hugoton, with the gates opening at 4 p.m. and the music lasting from 6 p.m. to midnight. The opener will be Maddox Ross, followed by Bailey Rae, then Grady Spencer and The Work, and then the headliner, The Great Divide. 

ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

This year’s High Plains Music Fest will include a bit of old school this year from the event’s youngest performer, Maddox Ross.

As Ross tells it, he got bitten by the music bug early, and it has stayed with him since.