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Here are the top 11 things to do in Houston this weekend

With Oktoberfest kicking off this weekend, you might run into people wearing lederhosen, carrying big steins, and pretending to be German. But, as always, there is other interesting stuff popping off all over the city these next few days. Here are some highlights.

Thursday, September 20

Party for democracy at Te Vote: Bombon x El Danzon
The vivacious, tropical-dance DJ crew Bombon is joining up with the Say Something Texas organization, in order to get black and Latino communities in Harris County out the house and into the voting booths. Fabian's Latin Flavors will host a voter registration drive that'll also offer up drink specials and Mexican/South American light bites and entrees straight off the menu. 9 pm-1 am.

Nick Cannon's gets crazy with Wild 'N Out Live
For over a decade now, actor/comedian/sometimes rapper/Mariah Carey ex Nick Cannon has given MTV audiences the crazy, hip-hop-fueled form of improv comedy known as Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out. He's now taking the show out on the road, bringing along the show's beloved regulars (Conceited, Chico Bean, Justina Valentine) and maybe getting some special guest rappers to join in on the fun. 8 pm.

Friday, September 21

Find your peace with the Rothko Chapel and the Silkroad Ensemble
If you want to have a nice, peaceful day instead of a day full of the regular, ol' madness, do yourself a kindness and check out the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble. With Rothko Chapel observing the International Day of Peace this Friday, this crew of musicians from dozens of nationalities and artistic traditions should serve as a prime example that people can get along and create something beautiful. 7 pm.

Celebrate Armenian culture at the Houston Armenian Festival
Thanks to the Kardashians, Armenian people have gained more exposure. If you want to learn more about the Armenian culture, the St. Kevork Armenian Church will throw their annual, three-day celebration of all things Armenian. There will be food, live music, an Armenian dance class, a baking demonstration, a traditional Armenian instrument demonstration, and much more fun, non-Kardashian-related stuff. 1 pm. (10 am Saturday)

Thrills and terror with the opening of ScreamWorld
Yes, we are still in September, but it's never too early to walk around a bunch of haunted houses and get the crap scared out of you. That's what the long-running haven of horrors known as ScreamWorld is looking to do. This 4.5-acre complex has been around since 1989 and, from this weekend until November 3, its 120-person "terror team" will do everything it can to scare people senseless. 8 pm. (7:30 pm Sunday)

Mars Attacks! kicks off the Sci-Fi Drive-In Series
People forget that Independence Day wasn't the only blockbuster movie about an alien invasion of Earth that came out in 1996. At the end of that year, Tim Burton came with the downright wacky Mars Attacks!, featuring an all-star cast (Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Natalie Portman) and some psychopathic Martians. This movie kicks off City Acre Brewing's Sci-Fi Drive-In Series. 8:30-10:30 pm.

Saturday, September 22

Meet the charming and handsome Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe is an old-school, '80s heartthrob who's had his fair share of ups (starring in The West Wing and Parks & Recreation) and downs (that legendary sex tape, horribly singing with Snow White at the Oscars). Now, he's going out on the road and telling anecdotes that populated his two, bestselling memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life. (No word if dude has clips of the tape). 7 pm.

All the cute with the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
Just when you've seen it all, here's comes the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. This startlingly pink cafe-on-wheels returns to bestow people with different levels of sweetness. There will be some edible sweetness, in the form of giant, Hello Kitty chef cookies or petit fours/macaron box sets. But you can also pick adorable items like plush toys, bow headbands and Hello Kitty Cafe T-shirts. 10 am-8 pm.

Take off with a fun WALL-E outdoor screening
WALL-E came out ten years ago, and it's still one of Disney/Pixar's finest achievements. This dystopian parable follows the title character, the last robot on Earth who discovers love as well as an entire civilization of humans in outer space. If you and your fam have yet to see this masterwork, it will be the latest feature presentation at Discovery Green's latest, outdoor film night. 8 pm.

Sunday, September 23

Dive into Caribbean food and culture at the Houston Jerk Fest
Houston Jerk Fest is not an event where douchebags come together and embrace their obnoxiousness. It's actually a fun, enjoyable experience devoted to Caribbean food and culture. Sample some spicy, delicious cuisine while taking in live performances from Wayne Wonder, Naila Blackman, The Galaxy Band, The J-Unit Band, and others. 2 pm.

Mel Brooks' silly Spaceballs gets the quote-along treatment
If you're not a fan of Mel Brooks, then apparently you're not a big fan of joy. The man has made some of the funniest films of all time: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. He also made what has become a cult classic: the 1987 Star Wars parody Spaceballs. And if you know the movie's script from front to back, you can head over to this screening and quote along with the audience. 6 pm.

Get to know the charming and handsome Rob Lowe.

Photo courtesy of Rob Lowe

Get to know the charming and handsome Rob Lowe.

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Movie Review

Billie Eilish takes fans behind the scenes in immersive 3D tour film

Photo by Henry Hwu/courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Billie Eilish in Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft - The Tour Live in 3D.

In 2021, at the tender age of 19, singer Billie Eilish was already the subject of a documentary, The World’s a Little Blurry. At that point, she had only released one album, so the film threatened to feel too early for such treatment. The ensuing five years have only made her a bigger star, though, so in many ways that movie now feels prescient for the person on display in the new concert documentary with the unwieldy title of Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft - The Tour Live in 3D.

Directed by Eilish and blockbuster filmmaker James Cameron, the film takes viewers inside Eilish’s 2024-2025 tour in support of her latest album, 2023’s Hit Me Hard and Soft. Filmed mostly at her series of shows in Manchester, England, the movie is a showcase for Eilish’s music, but it also serves as a smaller exploration of the type of person she is, as well as the impact she has had on her legion of fans.

The draw of the film is the use of Cameron’s beloved 3D technology, which he has employed in each of the three Avatar films. Unlike in those films, where the 3D has the odd effect of making the visuals too realistic for their own good, the technique brings an intimacy to the large-scale show that underscores the unique bond the singer has with her supporters.

Eilish and Cameron go back and forth between performances at the concert to behind-the-scenes sequences, detailing the enormous effort it takes to put on a show like that and how Eilish spends her time getting ready for it. As in The World’s a Little Blurry, this film continues to portray the singer as down-to-Earth, someone who yearns to maintain the connection to her fans that she’s had since she released her first single, “Ocean Eyes,” 10 years ago.

And as the many emotional songs in Eilish’s concert playlist prove, the feeling from the crowd is mutual. While Eilish has multiple bangers like “Bad Guy,” “Therefore I Am,” and the Charli XCX collaboration “Guess,” it’s the sad songs like “Everything I Wanted,” “Happier Than Ever,” and the Oscar-winning Barbie anthem, “What Was I Made For?” that hit the hardest. The depth of feeling emanating from her many sobbing fans singing along to crushing songs cannot be understated.

For audiences of the film, though, it’s the breadth of camera angles and shot choices that make it truly dynamic. There are cameras everywhere, including in the crowd, inside a cube at the center of the stage that rises and descends, following Eilish as she traipses every inch of the long, rectangular stage, and even a small one Eilish uses to bring an extra personal touch to the in-arena screen. Combined, they capture the complete energy of the concert, something that is not always the case in a film of this type.

Eilish has almost as many movies — two — as she does albums — three — which borders on overkill for a singer of her age. But both her music and the movies show her to be a person who knows the responsibility of being a celebrity, someone who understands that her fans are the reason she’s famous at all. Her career may go up or down from here, but it’s clear she’s already made a huge impact on those who love her most.

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Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft - The Tour Live in 3D opens in theaters on May 8.

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