Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

The Fourth of July celebrations might be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep the fun going. From sensational exhibits to free pizza slices and a summer rosé fest, read on for your guide to the best nine things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Mexican movies
Thursday, July 6-Saturday, July 8
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents “The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema,” featuring 14 films complementing current museum exhibition, Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910–1950. Screenings include You’re Missing the Point (Ahí está detalle) on Thursday, July 6; Another Dawn (Distinto Amanecer) on Friday, July 7; and A Woman in Love (Enamorada) on Saturday, July 8. (2 pm, tickets: $9 per person)
1001 Bissonnet St. 713-639-7300

Wish you were here
Thursday, July 6
Pink Floyd veteran Roger Waters plays at Toyota Center as part of his US + Them Tour, which comes behind his new solo album, Is This the Life We Really Want? Waters will also perform new songs as well as classic Pink Floyd tunes. (8 pm; tickets: $55-$295 per person)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Chills and thrills
Thursday, July 6-Sunday, July 8
New arts company Strange Bird Immersive presents The Man From Beyond: Houdini Séance Escape Room at the Silos on Sawyer. With only eight seats per show, the interactive adventure promises an adrenaline rush as participates take part in a séance hosted by eccentric medium Madame Daphne. (8 pm; tickets: $29-$36 per person)
1502 Sawyer St.; 832-314-8804

Art exhibit
Friday, July 7
"The Big Show" opening reception at Lawndale Art Center kicks off the art center's annual juried exhibit with work in all media by artists living within a 100-mile radius. Artwork will remain on display through August 12. (7-9 pm; tickets: free)
4912 Main St.; 713-528-5858

Jingle bells
Saturday, July 8
Celebrate the holidays early at 5K run, Christmas in July, benefiting The Salvation Army of Greater Houston. (7 am; tickets: $35-$50 per person)
1500 Austin St.; 713-752-0677

We’ll drink to that
Saturday, July 8
Wine representatives serve up free tastings of several refreshing rosés at the Summer Rosé Festival at Midtown’s Izakaya restaurant. The afternoon lineup also includes DJ spins and a photo booth, plus free appetizers from the kitchen and free samples from next door’s Fluff Bake Bar. Proceeds go to Houston Area Women’s Center. (12-4 pm; tickets: $25 per person or bring a donation of new — with tags — yoga pants, sweatpants, and sweatshirts)
318 Gray; 713-527-8988

When the moon hits your eye
Saturday, July 8
Montrose pizzeria Love Buzz celebrates its two-year anniversary with free slices of pizza and drink specials. Grazie. (1-6 pm; tickets: free entry)
412 Westheimer Rd.; 713-521-2899

Slam dunk
Saturday, July 8
The Harlem Globetrotters bring their show to NRG Arena in back-to-back games. The team roster includes Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm, along with female stars TNT Maddox, Ace Jackson, Swish Young, and Hoops Green. After each game, Globetrotter stars will sign autographs and take photos with fans. (2 pm and 7 pm; tickets: $$19-$408 per person)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Say yes
Sunday, July 9
Be inspired to create the wedding of your dreams at the Bibi Bridal Show at downtown’s Hyatt Regency Houston. Check out the newest trends in wedding design curated for luxurious South Asian weddings and get advice from industry experts on a range of topics from decor to choosing a photographer. (12 pm; tickets: $15 per person)
1200 Louisiana St.; 713-654-1234

Roger Waters performs at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.

Photo courtesy of Roger Waters

Roger Waters performs at the Toyota Center on Thursday night.

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Movie Review

Star-filled pickleball comedy The Dink aces on Apple TV+

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson in The Dink.

While the sport of pickleball was invented way back in the 1960s, it has exploded in popularity in the 2020s. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out a way to make a movie about the craze, and a comedy like the new Apple TV film The Dink provides the best way to honor and make fun of the divisive sport at the same time.

Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), aka The Hammer, is a former tennis phenom who’s now working as an instructor at a club owned by his dad, Chuck (Ed Harris). While the two don’t always see eye-to-eye, they have a mutual hatred for pickleball, which they have begrudgingly allowed on the property by giving it the worst court.

Dusty is hoping to stop all future pickleball expansion by winning a one-on-one grudge match, but when he injures his wrist, he’s given a prescription of pickleball as a form of rehab. Older women like Candace (Mary Steenburgen) are the only people he can find to play with, and despite his disdain for the sport, he soon falls prey to its low-key charms.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper) and written by Sean Clements, the film is probably the best advertisement pickleball will ever have. Dusty’s introduction to the sport serves as a lighthearted tutorial for the uninitiated while still getting in some nice digs at its expense. The other players — Candace, Gail (Cleo King), and Judy (Lynn Marie Stewart) — are equally welcoming and critical of Dusty, who initially has trouble adjusting to the game’s different rules.

The film’s approach to the story is silly but never stupid. Dusty is a blowhard, but he’s also able to admit when he’s wrong, especially when Candace introduces him to multiple things he had never considered before. A long-standing feud between Dusty and Andy Roddick provides more than just a goofy cameo for the real-life tennis star. The film also pushes right to the edge of being over-the-top before pulling back, allowing it to keep a semblance of reality to it.

Clements’ story follows a tried-and-true formula, making the film very predictable but enjoyably so. Where it earns its comedy credentials is in its finer details, like Dusty’s love for his 1999 Buick LeSabre with under 200,000 miles on it, his trunk full of old VHS tapes, or his interactions with his assistant PJ (Aaron Chen), who manages to be the comic relief in an already funny film.

Johnson, probably best known for starring in the sitcom New Girl in the 2010s, has the right amount of smarm and niceness to pull off the role, letting viewers laugh at and root for him at the same time. The film is full of comedy all-stars in small roles like Oswalt, Chris Parnell, and Ben Stiller, but Harris steals everyone’s thunder. The line readings by the four-time Oscar nominee give an extra punch to his character’s jokes, especially one that hints at the sordid history of the tennis club.

It’s a shame that The Dink is only playing on a streaming service as there’s a dearth of good comedies like this in movie theaters. With a solid joke-telling approach, a respect for its subject matter, and a cast who all play off each other well, this is a film that deserves to be seen by more than just those with an Apple TV subscription.

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The Dink is now streaming on Apple TV.

movies sports pickleball film