weekend event planner

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

Toast National Margarita Day on Friday.

This weekend will see people celebrating either Valentine's Day or Presidents Day, but we're also looking forward to National Margarita Day on Friday. In fact, The Rustic, The General Public, and Fajita Pete's will be offering up margarita specials the whole day.

Here are other things that are worth checking out this weekend:

Thursday, February 14

Bootycandy at the Catastrophic Theatre
African-American playwright Robert O'Hara has written several intriguing things that have sadly not seen the light of day, like screenplays for biopics on Richard Pryor and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux that were to be directed by Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee, respectively. But he has managed to bring his works to the stage, like this autobiographical, certain-to-be-outrageous comedy about a gay, black man who goes on a journey through his life and times. It runs through March 10th. 7:30 pm.

Friday, February 15

Vox Culture Presents Beer Summit
The third annual, Vox Beer Summit will have the Mental Health America of Greater Houston, Comcare and the Houston Grand Opera will present information pertaining to their work, the current mental health challenges and stigmas Houstonians face, what more needs to be done to give proper support and creative methods to raise awareness. 6 pm.

Blazing Saddles Movie Party at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
There are many movies staffers around these parts hold very dearly to our hearts. (The Big Lebowski comes up in casual conversation way too often.) And Mel Brooks's classic, 1974 Western parody is one of them. Written by Brooks and several other funny guys (including Richard Pryor), this tale of a black railroad worker who becomes the sheriff of a lily-white town is raunchy, vulgar, offensive — and, by gum — one of the most subversive, influential, and still-hilarious movies ever made. 7:30 pm.

The Original Harlem Globetrotters at University of Houston
A couple of weeks ago, two Harlem globetrotters — a man and a woman — showed up at our offices, took photos and wowed the staff with the b-ball tricks that have made them the most entertaining, exhibition basketball team of all time. The whole crew will be in town this weekend, as part of their "Fan Powered World Tour." There will also be the "Flying Gobies," an acrobatic trampoline dunk team that'll keep the audience hyped with their exciting in-air stunts. 7:30 pm (7 pm Saturday and 3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, February 16

Horn from the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story at 14 Pews
Back in the day, Paul Butterfield was one hell of a harmonica player. Coming out of the blues mecca of Chicago and learning from such greats as Muddy Waters, Butterfield was the frontman for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, a group that played once-in-a-lifetime sets at the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock. Unfortunately, like many '60s music legends, he eventually died of a drug overdose. But if you want to see what kind of a blues-rock powerhouse, check out this documentary. 4:15 and 6:45 pm.

Comedy Festival Weekend at Horseshoe Bay Resort
The Horseshoe Bay Resort is officially getting into some funny business with the debut of its Comedy Festival Weekend. The festival basically consists of two headlining comedians. First up on Saturday is veteran weirdo Harland Williams, who you might have seen in movies like Half-Baked. And, on Sunday, Heather McDonald, best known as a former regular on Chelsea Lately, will be doing a show and also sticking around for a meet-and-greet. 7:30 pm.

Charlie Wilson & Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds at Smart Financial Centre
Yeah, Valentine's Day is on Thursday, but that doesn't mean that ladies can't get seductively serenaded by a pair of iconic, soul singers two days later. Charlie Wilson, former frontman for the '80s funk trio The Gap Band, and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who has penned tunes for Madonna, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton and so many others, will be here to perform their biggest songs. 8 pm.

Sunday, February 17

Cochon555 2019 Tour at Four Seasons Hotel
Wine and pork — it might seem weird, but they can work together perfectly. And those two things will definitely be flowing at this epic culinary celebration. This feast will feature a hundred-plus prominent chefs, farmers, sommeliers, distillers, brewers, and barkeeps all working in concert to create luxurious moments that educate the palate. This is also a fundraiser for Piggy Bank, a start-up farm in Missouri that serves as a kickstarter for new family farms and a safety net for those in the wake of a disaster. 5 pm.

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Movie Review

New thriller Crime 101 majors in cool with Hemsworth at the wheel

Photo courtesy of Amazon Content Services

Chris Hemsworth in Crime 101.

The career of actor Chris Hemsworth is a curious one, as it feels like he’s a huge star (mostly from playing Thor in Marvel movies) and not at the same time, with most of the non-MCU movies featuring him in a lead role failing to become big successes. But he still has a certain presence about him, which is why he’s being given another chance to prove his star power in the new thriller, Crime 101.

Hemsworth plays Davis, a talented thief who knows how to get what he wants without resorting to violence. When a job early in the movie turns slightly sideways, it makes him think twice about working with his handler (Nick Nolte), who seems to prefer someone with a stronger touch, like the up-and-coming Ormon (Barry Keoghan).

Davis is the main character, but two others who come into his orbit get their own subplots. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a slightly schlubby LAPD detective who’s convinced he knows the pattern of an unknown thief that likes to hit places close to Highway 101. Sharon (Halle Berry) works for a high-end insurance agency known for working with ultra-wealthy clients, the types who might be a great target for a thief like Davis.

Written and directed by Bart Layton, the film has a decent propulsion to it that comes with most crime thrillers. Davis and Ormon represent the yin and the yang of criminal approaches, and and it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two as their simmering rivalry heats up over the course of the film. When the film commits to actually showing its crimes, it has an excitement that’s worth watching.

Unfortunately, Layton displays a real lack of focus, taking the audience into subplots with each of the three main characters that prove unnecessarily distracting. Lou’s marriage problems may explain his disheveled appearance, but there’s no need to see him deal with them with wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Sharon’s troubles with her male-dominated company prove slightly pivotal, but still don’t merit the time put into exploring them.

The most baffling subplot is Davis pursuing a relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a woman he randomly meets. At different points in the movie, including many of his interactions with Maya, Davis seems like the most uncomfortable, antisocial person in the world. And yet he somehow morphs into a suave smooth-talker who’s able to convince anyone to do what he wants at other key points, making it unclear exactly what kind of person he really is.

Hemsworth does relatively well in the lead role, but he’s still missing that certain something to make his character, and therefore the movie, truly compelling. The rest of the cast is fine, too, but each of them seem to be putting in just the minimal amount of effort to make the film watchable. Ruffalo and Barbaro come off the best, but with the talent in the cast (11 Oscar nominations and one win), they could have been used better.

Crime 101 has most of the ingredients to be another great entry in the genre, and it succeeds when it actually decides to deliver on its promise. But too much of the film is spent on things that have no real bearing on plot or character development, leaving the movie in the middle of the pack.

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Crime 101 is now playing in the theaters.

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