Weekend Event Planner

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

This upcoming weekend is full of events that will kick off the celebratory holiday season, as well as take advantage of the cooler weather we are finally experiencing.

The Houston Cinema Arts Festival, The Cellar Classic, and and the GR8 Taco Challenge are just a few of the events highlighted in this round-up. Our CultureMap Events Calendar has a full list of other events that you can sift through when planning out your weekend.

Thursday, November 10

Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market

"The 12 Days of Christmas" is the theme for the 2016 Houston Ballet Nutcracker Market. This yearly market, which continues through Sunday, plays hosts to over 280 vendors from across the country selling unique goods, gifts, food, jewelry, home decor and more. This year will see new vendors at the ,arket, but loyal visitors can expect to see mainstays like Toffee To Go and decorations from Clutter Yule Love.

Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Honky Tonk Heaven: Legend of the Broken Spoke is the opening night film for the 2016 Houston Cinema Arts Festival with a live performance by Dale Watson following the screening. This eight-day festival features a wide array of films and other events at various locations like The Menil Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, the Asia Society Texas Center, and the Museum of Natural Science.

Friday, November 11

Children's Museum of Houston presents Mission After Dark

Kids take on their R.I.V.A.L. as agents on a special task force, S.E.C.R.E.T., at the Children's Museum. The covert mission gives these undercover agents the opportunity to collect intel, shoot down security bots, track down and block subsonic emitters, and so much more as well as offering a entertaining, learning experience.

Saturday, November 12

AIA Houston Heights Bicycle Tour

This bicycle tour will explore the Houston Heights from a point of view that many may not have stopped to experience yet. The Heights is home to 120 of the 215 National Register of Historic Places that can be found in Houston and is the first mixed-use community in Texas. Historic and contemporary architecture and how it fits into the fabric of the Heights will also be explored on the tour.

Hermann Park Conservancy: Run in the Park

Run in the Park at Hermann Park starts at the Molly Ann Smith Plaza and circles the park on the Marvin Taylor Trail. This annual run is for the entire family, with a 5k walk/run and a 1k kids fun run. After you've finished the race, while being cheered on by family and friends, join in the post fun party with music, food, and drinks.

2016 Genesys Works Houston Cellar Classic

The 2016 Houston Cellar Classis features samples from over 100 of the finest wines from around the world and food provided by some of Houston's most popular restaurants. While you wine and dine, keep in mind that 100 percent of the net proceeds will benefit Genesys Works Houston, a non-profit that offers skills training and internships to disadvantaged high school students. CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler is one the judges to decide the Media Favorite and there will be a People's Choice, too. To keep the evening rolling, The Revelators will provide live entertainment.

The Galleria Tree Lighting and Ice Spectacular

No holiday season in Houston is complete without the lighting of the 55-foot tall Christmas tree at The Galleria ice rink. Houston-raised Mary Sarah, finalist from Season 10 of The Voice, will perform for guests as they watch the tree illuminated with over 450,000 lights. A skating Santa, fireworks, face painting, and other in-store retailer activities will also entertain shoppers.

Sunday, November 13

EaDo Vintage Fest

Selected local vendors will be featured for a day of vintage fashions at the EaDo Vintage Fest. Vistiors will find everything, ranging from '50s to '90s vintage streetwear, as well as music, food, and beer.

GR8 Taco Challenge

Some of the city's top restaurants, including State Fare, Americas, and Bernie's Burger Bus, will battle it out to produce the best "taco" in H-Town using 8th Wonder beer as an ingredient. Tickets include 4 beer tokens, a souvenir pint glass, 1 taco sample from each challenger, and access to a premium Michelada bar (what goes better with tacos than a great Mexican beverage of beer, lime juice, and assorted sauces, spices, and peppers?). A portion of the proceeds will benefit Kids Meals, Inc.

Have fun this weekend at this events around town! And let us know about your experiences.

Shop vintage goods in EaDo at the Vintage Fest.

Photo by EaDo Vintage

Shop vintage goods in EaDo at the Vintage Fest.

event-planner

Movie Review

Knives Out series takes a more serious turn in Wake Up Dead Man

Photo by John Wilson/Netflix

Josh O'Connor and Josh Brolin in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Since 2019, writer/director Rian Johnson has essentially turned over his career to murder mysteries, including 2019’s Knives Out, 2022’s sequel Glass Onion, and the just-canceled Peacock series Poker Face. He’s back for another bite of the apple with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

While private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns to help investigate a seemingly impossible murder, the majority of the focus of this film is on the employees and parishioners at a small Catholic church in upstate New York. Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) has been assigned to the parish to work under Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks is a fiery orator who relies on intimidation, as well as the help of church aide Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), to maintain control over his flock.

That group includes lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), her politically ambitious brother Cy (Daryl McCormack), Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), writer Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), and groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). The tenets of Catholicism, and religion in general, are put to the test as Father Jud challenges Monsignor Jefferson for leadership, and a death changes things even further.

The free-wheeling and fun nature of the first two Knives Out films gives way to a more methodical and introspective approach in Wake Up Dead Man. While Johnson is interested in presenting a murder mystery, it’s the lives of the various characters that take precedence, especially that of Father Jud. He is shown from the start as someone who wrestles with his faith, which is tested on multiple occasions as he encounters people who challenge him more than expected.

The arrival of Blanc on the scene turns the film into a type of buddy movie, with Father Jud serving as both investigator and suspect. Neither man embodies the type of behavior one might expect out of their respective professions, and what limited comedy the film has comes from their interactions. They’re reined in by Police Chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis), although her desire to get to the bottom of the murder is somewhat stymied by Blanc and Father Jud’s diversions.

The lessons learned from two very different types of sources — mystery novels and Catholicism — collide over the course of the film. A book club that very coincidentally includes multiple mystery novels, including John Dickson Carr’s The Hollow Man, plays a key role, as does the devoutness of the various people at the church. Ultimately, as was the case in the first two films, the nature of the whodunit comes in second place to how the characters react to the multiple reveals along the way.

Craig seems to tone down the over-the-top way he usually plays Blanc in this film, and his performance fits in well with the story being told. O’Connor, a star on the rise after Challengers and more, is asked to carry the film and he does so ably. The strong actors in the supporting cast are not used as well as they could have been, with only Close and Brolin truly making an impact. Geoffrey Wright shows up in a couple of small scenes and makes his presence known quickly.

Wake Up Dead Man is the least entertaining Knives Out film so far, but that’s not to say that it’s uninteresting. Johnson explores topics that result in more talking than action, but those conversations — especially between Blanc and Father Jud — are consistently engaging and revelatory about the characters and the crime they are investigating.

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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now playing in select theaters; it debuts on Netflix on December 12.

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