Selena will be honored at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Star Trail of Fame.
Photo courtesy of the MFAH
The Queen of Tejano music is receiving royal recognition at RodeoHouston. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, once a young hopeful from Lake Jackson, Texas who quickly rose to international fame to become arguably the most famous Mexican-American celebrity of the late-20th century, will be inducted into the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s prestigious Star Trail of Fame.
The ceremony will take place 1:30 pm Sunday, March 8, at the second floor of NRG Center (near the entrances to the rodeo offices). Much like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Star Trail of Fame pays tribute to the stars who have made an impact on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the community.
A fitting tribute, as the artist, actress, and fashion designer known simply as Selena performed at RodeoHouston three consecutive times — seeing a total of more than 180,000 adoring fans, who hung on every lyric of smash singles including “Dreaming of You” and the catchy “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” Her last concert in Reliant Astrodome set the all-time attendance record in 1995.
Selena will be the ninth star honored with a plaque to commemorate her years of musical entertainment on the RodeoHouston stage, according to the rodeo.
Though the young, bicultural icon tragically lost her life at 23 when she was shot to death by her friend and former manager, Yolanda Saldívar, her presence is still felt each year at rodeo concerts. Several RodeoHouston entertainers, including Kacey Musgraves, Camila Cabello, Prince Royce, Cardi B, and most recently, Becky G, have paid tribute to Selena during their shows.
In a time when true movie stars seem to be going extinct, Timothée Chalamet has emerged as an exception to the rule. Since 2021 he has headlined blockbusters like the two Dune movies and Wonka, and also earned an Oscar nomination for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (his second nomination following 2018’s Call Me By Your Name). Now, he’s almost assured to get his third nomination for the stellar new film, Marty Supreme.
Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a world-class table tennis player living in New York. But reducing Marty to his best skill doesn’t do him justice, as he’s also a motormouth schemer who will do almost anything to achieve his dreams. He doesn’t have any qualms about wooing married women like neighbor Rachel (Odessa A’zion) or actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), or hiding his true ping pong skills to win money in scams with friends like Wally (Tyler the Creator).
Marty is seemingly on the go the entire movie, whether it’s trying to convince Kay’s millionaire husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) to fund his table tennis ambitions; or trying to track down the dog of Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a man he accidentally injures; or trying to avoid the ire of the boss at the shoe store where he works. Just when you think he might slow down, he’s off to the races on another plan or adventure.
Directed by Josh Safdie and written by Safdie and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein, the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives, and yet the throughline of Marty keeps everything tightly connected. His particular type of brash behavior turns much of the film into a comedy as he does and says things that are both shocking and thrilling.
Another thing that makes the movie sing is the fantastic characterization by Safdie and Bronstein. Almost every person who is given a speaking line in the film has a moment where they pop, which speaks to airtight dialogue that the writers have created. Characters will be introduced and then disappear for long stretches of time, and yet because they make such an impression the first time they’re on screen, it’s easy to pick up their thread right away.
Safdie, as he’s done previously with brother Bennie (Uncut Gems), calls on a host of well-known non-actors or people with interesting faces/vibes to inhabit supporting roles, and to a person they are crucial to the film’s success. O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), rapper Tyler the Creator, director Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi each deliver knockout performances. The relative unknowns who play smaller roles are just as impressive, making each beat of the film feel naturalistic.
Leading the way is the powerhouse performance by Chalamet. For one person to believably play both the famously reserved Dylan and also a firecracker like Marty is astonishing, and this role cements Chalamet’s status as his generation’s movie star. A’zion is a rising star who gets great moments as Marty’s on-again/off-again love interest. Paltrow pops in and out of the film, lighting up the screen every time she appears. Fran Drescher as Marty’s mom and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor also pay dividends in small roles.
Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial effort is unlike any other movie this year, or maybe even this century. Thanks to its breakneck storytelling, a magnificent performance by Chalamet, and countless intangibles that Safdie employs expertly, the film smacks viewers in the face repeatedly and demands that they come back for more.
