It's Party Time

The 10 hottest (and most exclusive) Super Bowl parties in Houston

Houston is set to host Super Bowl LI on Sunday and the city’s social scene is kicking into high gear with several mega soirees going on all week, and weekend, long.

So many parties, so little time.

Allow us to narrow down the choices for you. Before the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons hit the field at NRG Stadium, get amped for the big game at these 10 hottest Super Bowl parties.

Thursday, February 2

The Big Texas Party: Presented by CultureMap, ESPN Radio, SB Nation
Former Houston Oilers Mike Barber, Gregg Bingham, and Cris Dishman, along with former Dallas Cowboys Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Randy White, are set to host blowout Super Bowl soiree, The Big Texas Party. And they’re taking this pre-game bash for the NFL’s biggest game of the year seriously with tasty ‘cue from some of the city’s top joints (think El Burro & The Bull, Feges BBQ, and Killen's Barbecue), plus bourbon, beer, surprise NFL stars, and a slew of VIP guests like Elvin Hayes, Jamaal Charles, Jadeveon Clowney, and Ricky Williams. What’s more, country star Bart Crow, named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 new country artists you need to know,” will perform. You don’t want to miss it! (Silver Street Studios; 2000 Edwards St., 77007; Tickets:$125 to $1,250).

EA Sports Bowl
It’s video game paradise at EA Sports Bowl, the successor to the long-running EA Sports Madden Bowl. Pro athletes will go head-to-head in both EA SPORTS Madden NFL 17 and FIFA 17 tournaments before a trio of top entertainers hit the stage, including country music singer Sam Hunt, Grammy-nominated duo The Chainsmokers, and Snoop Dogg. Expect to see sports stars like Eric Berry, Dak Prescott, Mike Evans, and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on the sticks. (Club Nomadic; 2121 Edwards St., 77007; Tickets: $100-$275 per person).

Friday, February 3

Bruno Mars at Club Nomadic: Presented by LIFEWTR
Pop superstar Bruno Mars, who just released his 24K Magic album, will bring his Uptown Funk to newly-constructed, 62,500 square-foot traveling nightclub Club Nomadic. Our dancing shoes are ready. (Club Nomadic; 2121 Edwards St., 77007; Sold out, but tickets on Ticketmaster resale site $200-$1,200 per person; agencies like Vivid Seats also have tickets starting at $158).

ESPN The Party Houston
Super Bowl weekend gets Fergalicious at ESPN’s The Party thanks to a performance by The Duchess herself, Fergie. DJ Khaled will also headline the over-the-top affair in a warehouse decorated in "construction chic." If you can’t score a ticket to the exclusive shindig, watch it live on ESPN at 10 pm CST (1201 Oliver Street, Tickets: invite only).

Leather and Laces (Friday and Saturday night parties)
A favorite of Victoria's Secret models and Hollywood celebrities, the sexy Leather and Laces soiree spans two nights. Friday, NKOTB member and Blue Blood star Donnie Wahlberg and his wife Sirius XM/iHeart Radio Host and actress Jenny McCarthy will host with Sprint Cup Winner Kyle Busch. Victoria Secret Angel's Adriana Lima and Sara Sampaio will head up Saturday’s party, which will feature performances by Cirque USA, DJ Michael Jerome, DJ Avi, and DJ Automatic (Hughes Manor Campus; 2811 Washington Avenue; Tickets: $375 to $20,000).

Saturday, February 4

Taste of the NFL
Top chefs from the 32 NFL cities, including Houston's Robert Del Grande of Cafe Annie, will team up with Hall of Fame and alumni players from each of the NFL franchises to serve up delicious fare at the 26th annual Taste of the NFL. The Band Perry will play for guests including Fox sports broadcaster Daryl Johnston, Miss America 2017 Savvy Shields, and celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. Taste of the NFL is dedicated to raising funds for hunger relief (University of Houston; Tickets: $700 - $10,000).

Rolling Stone Live Super Bowl Party
It stands to reason that this party, hosted by leading entertainment publication Rolling Stone Magazine, boasts a killer lineup of artists including Grammy-nominated rapper Diplo, hip-hop artist Nas, and DJ Cassidy. The magazine, which has covered the music industry since 1967, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and, as this A-list event kicks off the celebration, it’s guaranteed to be one heck of a blowout bash (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Tickets: invite only).

DirectTV's Super Saturday Night
“Bad Blood” singer Taylor Swift will be the top bill at the DirecTV’s 12th annual Super Saturday Night concert, slotted for the night before the Big Game. The event, hosted by Mark Cuban, marks Swift's first time performing as part of the Super Bowl festivities (Club Nomadic; 2121 Edwards St., 77007; Tickets: invite only).

The 2017 Maxim Party
Houston-based rapper Travis Scott and DJ Khaled headline Maxim Magazine’s legendary annual bash. Get your motors running, there will also be a Monster Energy FMX Motorcycle show, as well as art installations and countless celebrity attendees (Smart Financial Centre, Sugar Land; Tickets: $750 - $22,500).

Sunday, February 5

2017 Players Tailgate
Tailgate like a VIP with chef and TV personality Guy Fieri and over 30 NFL players. Fieri, joined by chefs Eddie Jackson, Aaron May, Douglas Rodriguez, Reno Henriques, Rodolfo Valdes and Pete Blohme, has created a menu of stellar eats, including made-to-order gourmet nachos, tender brisket smoked 18 hours, and whole Maine lobster. Bon appetit (Mike Calvert Toyota; Tickets: $699 per person).

Pop superstar Bruno Mars performs Friday night at Club Nomadic.

Photo by Kai Z. Feng

Pop superstar Bruno Mars performs Friday night at Club Nomadic.

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Movie Review

Chris Pratt fights for his innocence in popcorn thriller Mercy

Photo courtesy Amazon Content Services

Chris Pratt in Mercy.

It seems like every other movie set in modern times being released these days includes either a reference to or a plot revolving around artificial intelligence. In the real world, the benefits of the technology compete with its downsides, but when it comes to movies A.I. is almost always seen as a threat, including in the new film Mercy.

The audience is thrown headlong into the slightly futuristic story involving LAPD Detective Chris Raven (Chris Pratt), who finds himself strapped in a chair in a sparse room, being told that he is on trial for killing his wife. Turns out he’s in a court dubbed “Mercy,” which is overseen by an AI judge named Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson). By the rules of the court, Raven has 90 minutes to provide reasonable doubt of his guilt, or he will be executed on the spot.

Raven is in a multi-pronged quandary: Not only does he believe he’s innocent despite a trove of evidence pointing to his guilt, but he’s also the poster boy for the law enforcement side of the equation, having arrested the first man who went to Mercy. Anger and disbelief for Raven turn into acceptance, which then turns into him tapping into his detective skills, scrutinizing every shred of evidence the court provides him in a desperate attempt to save his own life.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Marco van Belle, the film is a relatively propulsive thriller despite having a so-so story and even worse acting. The film is told in real time (with a few fudges here and there), so the concept alone of a man trying to prove his innocence in a short amount of time provides good intrigue. Bekmambetov’s use of digital elements as Raven scrolls through files or calls potentially exculpatory witnesses like his partner, Jaq Diallo (Kali Reis), keeps the film visually interesting.

On the other hand, the swift viewing of videos and documents by Raven, not to mention the high degree of cooperation by Judge Maddox, opens up more than a few plot holes. The filmmakers try to explain away a few leaps in logic by having Raven falling off the sobriety wagon the night before, but they can only use that excuse for so long. They also have the AI judge experience technical glitches along the way, errors that seem to point toward a wider conspiracy until they’re completely forgotten.

More than anything, it’s difficult to get over the wooden acting of Pratt and the misuse of other usually reliable actors. Pratt has no real presence, especially when he’s confined to a chair, so any emotion he tries to conjure up comes off as contrived. Ferguson is done no favors by a role that shows only her upper body and has her alternating between robotic and oddly sympathetic. Reis earned an Emmy nomination for True Detective: Night Country, but has little to do here, a fate that also takes out Chris Sullivan as Raven’s AA sponsor.

If you’re okay with turning off your brain for a little while, Mercy can be an enjoyable watch. But if you find yourself scrutinizing why characters make the odd decisions they do, or the wishy-washy way the film approaches AI in general, then you’re likely to find the whole thing lacking.

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Mercy is now playing in theaters.

movies film chris pratt rebecca ferguson movie review