weekend event planner

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

Even though the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing is already behind us, there are some spots that are still in a spacey, celebratory mood.

Discovery Green’s The Grove has $5 artisanal moon pies and $10 Moonwalk cocktails that will be available through July 27. The luxe moon pies are available in classic and chocolate, and the Moonwalk is made with grapefruit juice, orange liqueur, rose water, and champagne.

As always, here are some events that will add a blast to your weekend.

Thursday, July 25

Klearly Kristen Resort 2020 Fashion Show at Social Graces Social Club
Local jewelry designer Kristen Fenrick will show off some brand-new bling as she hosts her Resort 2020 Fashion Show this weekend. She’ll debut Klearly Kristen Inc., an offshoot of her jewelry brand, designed to assist women by empowering them to create their own financial realities. Fenrick says no woman should ever feel the hopelessness that comes from loss of financial means. Fashion influencer Chris Lavish will make a special appearance. 7-10 pm.

The Catastrophic Theatre’s Speeding Motorcycle at MATCH
For those not in the know, there is a rock opera based on the songs of legendary outsider musician and artist Daniel Johnston. This revival of the 2006 production, directed by Catastrophic’s associate artistic director Tamarie Cooper, reunites much of the original creative team along with an updated script by artistic director Jason Nodler. For the next two weekends, this show promises to take audiences deep into the astounding, hilarious, and heartbreaking world of one of America’s most compelling cult musicians. 7:30 pm (8 pm Friday and Saturday; 2:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, July 26

J.B. Smoove at House of Blues Houston
J.B. Smoove is, quite simply, a damn fool. He's like one of those family members who says and does the most, um, ignant things that'll leave you in a constant state of stitches. He's been doing it for years as Leon, the houseguest who simply refuses to leave Larry David's property, on Curb Your Enthusiasm. He can currently be seen on the big screen, acting as ridiculous as he possibly can in Spider-Man: Far From Home. You can also see him doing stand-up this weekend. 7 pm.

Iyanla Vanzant at Jones Hall
Many of you may know Iyanla Vanzant as one of Oprah Winfrey's longtime homies and the host of Iyanla: Fix My Life on OWN, while some of may know her from this ever-resourceful meme. The celebrity life coach will be making a stop on her Acts of Faith Remix tour. This inspirational and interactive event celebrates the updated 25th anniversary edition of this internationally acclaimed bestseller. 8 pm.

Saturday, July 27

Rock It Baby Rock It Festival Preview at Cactus Music
On Friday and Saturday at the Continental Club, the Rock It Baby Rock It Festival will bring in bands and fans from across Texas and beyond for two nights of contemporary and legendary rockabilly, psychobilly, and old school country music. For those who prefer a daytime taste of this zoot-suit riot of hot rods, hair grease, sharp threads, and vintage tunes, Cactus will have an in-store preview, featuring music from DJ Black Slacks and Tomcat y el Rock N Roll Combo. 1-2:30 pm.

Robby Bennett at the Grand 1894 Opera House
Saturday night is going to be one magical night. Of course, we got Houston’s own Ben Jackson, doing his regular thing at the Four Seasons. But, also, visiting illusionist Robby Bennett will be over in Galveston, performing his spellbinding routines with gripping stories and hilarious anecdotes as narration. Bennett will even take someone from the audience and turn them into a genuine magician in a matter of minutes. This unique blend of fantasy and comedy makes this the kind of performance modern audiences have been waiting for. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, July 28

Matisyahu at White Oak Music Hall
Remember back in the day when Matisyahu was a rising reggae singer/rapper on the scene and he looked like a rabbinical student? These days, dude's out here resembling a beach-bum David Strathairn. Well, he's still around, as he and his band record music, do shows, and keep things respectably irie. He's currently on tour, as part of Slightly Stoopid's How I Spent My Summer Vacation 2019 Tour, along with Tribal Seeds and Hirie. 4:30 pm.

Tarnation and Angel at Rice Cinema
The 23rd annual QFest, better known as Houston's international LGBTQ+ film festival, is currently underway, running through this Wednesday. The fest has many special screenings going on around the city, including two at Rice Cinema on Sunday. First, there's Tarnation, the 2004 award-winning, coming-of-age documentary by Houstonian Jonathan Caouette (who will be in attendance). Next, things get a little sleazy with a screening of the 1984 exploitation flick Angel. 5 pm.

Speeding Motorcycle is a wild ride.

Speeding Motorcycle Houston Catastrophic Theatre

Photo courtesy of Catastrophic Theatre

Speeding Motorcycle is a wild ride.

event-planner

Movie Review

Football drama Him throws a Hail Mary of horror and spectacle

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers in Him.

One of the wildest opening scenes in a movie ever happened in the 1991 film The Last Boy Scout, in which a star running back shoots multiple opposing players in the midst of a touchdown run. That film co-starred Damon Wayans, and now over 30 years later his brother Marlon is starring in an even more insane football-themed movie, Him.

The film centers on Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers), a rising star quarterback looking to make it in professional football. His idol is Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), who’s won a string of championships with San Antonio Saviors in the film’s fictional football league. To see if the team really wants Cade to be White’s heir apparent, they set up a week of pre-draft training for Cade at White’s sprawling desert house.

What at first appears to be an intense-if-ethically-murky immersion into White’s way of staying physically and mentally fit starts to devolve into a psychological quagmire. Cade, who recently suffered a head injury, is desperate to impress White in order to prove he’s the next GOAT. The main thrust of the film is how far Cade will go in that pursuit, and if White’s tactics will succeed in corrupting Cade fully.

Written and directed by Justin Tipping, and co-written by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, the film tries to say a lot of things but ultimately can’t make a case for any of them. Scenes involving big collisions and questionable behind-the-scenes tactics comment on the danger of the game of football and the win-at-all-costs mentality. But the film also brings in a supernatural element that muddles anything it might have had to say about the game itself.

There’s actually way less football in the film than you might think. Any actual games are viewed either through a screen or clip montages that don’t give a feel for how talented either Cade or White is. The practice sessions at White’s house aren’t great showcases, either, with the mind games White uses on Cade taking priority. There’s plenty of macho one-upsmanship, but neither main character has the charisma to sell it properly.

The trailer for the film hints at the bloody craziness the third act contains, but Tipping and his team do a poor job at setting it up. While Cade is slightly unnerved at the things he witnesses, he seems to mostly accept everything asked of him. But the character’s mindset changes in a matter of seconds later in the film, almost as if the filmmakers had left 15-20 minutes of footage on the cutting room floor that would have explained the sudden shift in tone.

Wayans, best known for his comedy work with his family, does a decent job in portraying a player who will do whatever it takes to stay on top (the fact that the 54-year-old can credibly play someone much younger helps). Withers has the physique to look like a top-level quarterback, but - as seen in the recent I Know What You Did Last Summer remake - his acting could stand to be refined. It’s actually comedians Tim Heidecker and Jim Jeffries who come off the best in supporting parts.

A football-themed movie like Him coming out just as the football season is ramping up would seem to be perfect timing, but the story doesn’t succeed as either a commentary on the sport or a type of horror film. Football may be a brutal game to play, but sitting through this film might hurt your brain even more.

---

Him is now playing in theaters.

movies film