Screen scene: Director of film wants to do a roll call of those affected by autism

At first, director John Asher wanted to dedicate his latest film, Po, to his son Evan.

After finishing the movie, which is about a widower struggling to bring up his 10-year-old autistic son, Asher wanted to do more.

The film had already touched the lives of some families dealing with autism: Asher, star Christopher Gorham, and writers Colin Goldman and Steve C. Roberts all have children with the disorder. But Asher settled on another way to let more children speak. He wants affected families to add their names to the film's closing sequence. (According to Autism Speaks, the disorder affects one in 68 kids.)

Affected families can add a name by going to themoviepo.com.

"Filling a 20-foot by 40-foot movie screen with the names of thousands of children with autism will be extraordinarily powerful," Asher says. Indeed.

508 PARK MOVIE NIGHT Encore Park and the Texas Theatre will continue a joint, three-part series honoring the 1929 building at 508 Park that was the Warner Bros. film exchange and distribution center for the region through the '50s. The Wise Quacking Duck (1943, 7 mins.) and Casablanca (1942, PG, 102 mins.) will screen Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. at 508 Amphitheater, 1835 Young St., Dallas. The band Goodspeed will perform at 7. Admission is free, but register online. Gates open at 6:30. Patrons may take small coolers and blankets but no pets, guns or high heels. encoreparkdallas.org.

TCM PRESENTS Beat the Halloween rush to see Psycho, as Fathom Events and Turner Classic Movies continues this film series with a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's master stroke on Sept. 20 and 23 at 2 and 7 p.m. TCM host Ben Mankiewicz will introduce the film (1960, R, about 120 mins.), which is being shown digitally at more than 500 theaters across the country, including three in Dallas: Galaxy Theatre, 11801 McCree Road; Northpark Center 15 With Imax and ETX, 8687 Park Lane Ave. at North Central Expressway; and Cinemark 17 With Imax, 11819 Webb Chapel Road. $5-$13.54. Mankiewicz will take viewers inside the psychological thriller. Not too close to the shower, though. fathomevents.com.

LINCOLN CENTER AT THE MOVIES The Great American Dance Series will launch with the San Francisco Ballet's performance of Romeo and Juliet (PG, about 120 mins.) on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. Hosts Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa of Live With Kelly and Michael will introduce the event, which will be at theaters across the country, including in Dallas at Cinemark 17 With Imax, 11819 Webb Chapel Road and Galaxy Theater, 11801 McCree Road. $16-$19.49. fathomevents.com.

DVD LOOKOUT Week of Sept. 21 — The Flash was silly, irreverent, inventive and serious in its first season. It was also good and fun for the CW, a network that can sometimes tend to the overly dramatic. Its shiny, happy colors and tone underscored its brave-new-world outlook, a world in which the hero is not at all conflicted about his powers. Barry just wants to run. See how far it takes him when The Flash: The Complete First Season comes to Blu-Ray and DVD. Also out next week: Arrow: The Complete Third Season; Harper Lee: From Mockingbird to Watchman; In the Name of My Daughter; New Girl: The Complete Fourth Season; Pitch Perfect 2; Results; Saint Laurent (Blu-Ray); SpongeBob SquarePants: The Adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Please send submissions at least two weeks in advance toThe Dallas Morning News, Film Events, 508Young St., Dallas, Texas 75202 or dburkes@dallasnews.com.