weekend event planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

It's Easter Weekend, and while some will be celebrating the season by hunting down colored eggs, brunching, or devouring a giant Easter bun with processed Tastee Cheese, there are some fun events worth checking out:

Thursday, March 29

Avenida Houston’s “Party on the Plaza” kickoff
Avenida Houston’s free concert series known as Party on the Plaza has an amazing lineup of performers for its 2018 spring lineup: Fishbone, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, and The Waxaholics. So, it’s quite interesting that the first artist out the gate is YouTube personality-turned-pop diva Poppy. All we can say about this lady is, um, interesting. It’s best if you just go on YouTube and watch some of her out-there videos if you want a sense of what you’ll be getting. She’ll be at Discovery Green at 6:45 pm.

The Urbane Society's swanky launch party
The Urbane Society is a members-only network geared for all the upscale, plugged-in foodies who like going to sophisticated restaurants and getting their grub on with friends. (Their logo is a dapper-looking gent — with the head of an old-school pepper mill — holding what appears to be a laptop.) The Society is hosting a swanky, pre-launch party at B&B Butchers and Restaurant, where people can learn more about their new app, enjoy light bites, dance to music, and get tipsy at the open bar. It starts at 7:30 pm.

Friday, March 30

All things anime at the George R. Brown
Just when you thought the release of Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Ready Player One was going to be the geekiest thing to happen this weekend, there is also an insane anime convention going on at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Known as Anime Matsuri, this four-day event will actually mark the 12th year the festival has brought in people looking to partake in Japanese animation, games, fashion, cosplay, and so much more. Expect some 300 exhibitors, vendors and artists, as well as more than 800 hours of programming. The event starts at 11 am.

Saturday, March 31

The Houston Food Truck Block Party
You gotta love food trucks. Whether they’re parked outside a sporting event, a public gathering or a nightclub after closing time, these automotive eateries are always around, ready to cook up some delights for hungry, on-the-go folk. Some 20 trucks will be lined up for the Houston Food Truck Block Party, happening on 5610 Richmond Ave. We’re talking Mama Neats Snoballs, Boogies Chicago Style BBQ, Planet Churros, Muddy Water Crawfish, Iced Cupcakery —just oh-so-much damn food to choose from. Things get rolling at noon.

Sing-along to Beauty and the Beast on the Green
It’s that time of year when more outdoor movie screenings on popping up, inviting couples and families to pull out the blankets and lawn chairs and watch a movie under the stars. Bank of America and Taquerias Arandas are presenting a free film series at Discovery Green called Screen on the Green. This weekend’s feature presentation is last year’s global box-office smash Beauty and the Beast. But, this time, it will be an all-new, sing-along version, so everybody can follow the bouncing ball and sing with Bella and them. It starts at 8 pm.

ARKA ART’s The Meet Up art market/disco party
Periodically, Midtown art/event space ARKA ART brings in local vendors who sell clothing, artwork, knickknacks, and more for an evening of art, music and fashion known as The Meet Up. For the latest open-market gathering, there is a theme, and that theme is “A Psychedelic DISCO.” People are welcome to show up wearing vintage threads and shop while DJ crew The Foundation plays funky, retro grooves, and Chris Cisneros of Labels Vintage Streetwear provides some far-out lights and effects. Beverages will also be hand to help you get loosey-goosey. The boogey starts at 6 pm.

Sunday, April 1

The World’s Largest Showcase of Homes
Are you the sort of person that gets all hot and bothered when you look at a fine, scintillating piece of real estate? If you answered yes, David Weekley Homes will be hosting the third-annual, World’s Largest Showcase of Homes in cities across the country, including Houston. All through April, people can visit any model or showcase home and enter for a chance to win prizes, like a smart watch or an electronics package. And Ronald McDonald House Houston will receive a $5 donation for each visitor who registers with a sales consultant.

My First Music Lesson at Discovery Green
If you’re one of those parents who wants your children to get in touch with their musical side — or you just want your kids to be preoccupied with something so they can leave you alone for a damn day — you can take your offspring to My First Music Lesson at Discovery Green. This free, hands-on class is led by professional musicians from talent agency Divisi Strings, whom will teach kids how to play instruments. Children grades 1 through 8 are welcome, and the parents can join in on the fun — or go somewhere and get a beer (we suggest the latter). Events starts at 2 pm.

Get ready to cosplay and celebrate all things anime at Anime Matsuri.

Photo by Justin D.

Get ready to cosplay and celebrate all things anime at Anime Matsuri.

event-planner

Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

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Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

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