weekend event planner

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

Celebrate Earth Day at Discovery Green.

It's Houston Art Car Parade Weekend, which means a lot of people will be taking in the colorful rides and grand events that'll be happening all over the city. (Be sure to check out a parade after-party that'll be happening at Saint Arnold on Saturday.)

But before and after the colorful car festivities, mood, here are some fun events to check out this weekend.

Thursday, April 11

An Evening for the Animals at Hotel ZaZa
If you are fed up with the animal homeless problem in this city, may we direct you to Houston Pet Set's benefit cocktail hour happening at Hotel ZaZa. This event is to support the mission to end homelessness and suffering of companion animals and elevating their status in society. This little soiree will have light bites, specialty drinks, a DJ, a photo booth and a silent auction. But the best reason to show up is that they'll have puppies around to hold and cuddle. That's cute as hell right there! 6-9 pm.

The Bryan Museum’s second annual Tejas Libre
Grab a partner and head to Houston’s iconic Bayou Club (8550 Memorial Dr.) for the not-to-be-missed event of the season. The Bryan Museum’s second annual Tejas Libre will be an evening of delicious hors d’ oeuvres, fine wines from the Vines of Mendoza, renowned Garrison Brothers Texas Bourbon, lively Western music with a modern flair by Alligator Handshake, Briar Shoppe hand rolled cigars, fabulous Tenenbaum jewelry, and more. The highlight of the evening will be a chance to purchase rare Texas items of historical significance from J.P. Bryan’s personal collection. Tickets are $250; event starts at 6 pm.

Peter Plagens at Texas Gallery
Peter Plagens is all about the art. He taught art at University of Texas in the '60s, has written in-depth books on art, has done art criticism for The Washington Post and, of course, has had solo shows throughout his career. His latest exhibition of new paintings will be at Texas Gallery, where Plagens had a show in 2013. The paintings all have central images surrounded by multiple fields that emphasize the visceral layering of paint. It will run through May 18. 6-8 pm.

Friday, April 12

CS Blues at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
There is another name for this 1972 documentary, which follows The Rolling Stones during their 1972 U.S. tour, but we can't say it. And if you do know the title, then not only do you understand why we can't say it, you also understand why this is still considered an unreleased rarity. This film catches the band at their most debauched and depraved: doing drugs, hanging out with groupies and basically being hardcore rock stars. It's the ne plus ultra of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. 7 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Da Camera presents Dave Douglas - Dizzy Atmosphere: Dizzy Gillespie at Zero Gravity
Trumpeter/composer Dave Douglas is returning to Da Camera to give a very special salute to Dizzy Gillespie. For those of you who don't know of the late, great Gillespie, the man was a pioneering jazz trumpeter with the most impressive jowls we've ever seen. Joining Douglas is a powerhouse group of improvisers and composers, including David Adewumi on trumpet, Fabian Almazan on piano and Carmen Rothwell on bass. 8 pm.

Saturday, April 13

Cullen Underpass Improvement Initiative Kickoff Party
Local graffiti maestro GONZO247 will be getting together with students in the senior graphic design program at the University of Houston School of Art, for a large-scale installation to beautify the Cullen Boulevard-I-45 underpass. Titled "Perspectives," it will cover 22 pillars with colorful brush strokes and icons that symbolize the rich history of Houston’s Third Ward, Eastwood, EaDo, and the University of Houston. So join them at this kickoff party, complete with food and entertainment. Noon-3 pm.

Bodies of Light at The Glass Crescent
Rebecca French and her Rebecca French Choreography present a collaboration of movement, music, costuming, and video effects, which will be held at The Glass Crescent, known as one of Houston's most intriguing architectural spaces. 8 pm.

Negami at Herrera’s Tejano Night Club
Houston-based Tejano band Negami (aka Grupo Negami) has been around for a long time — 20 years, to be exact. So why not celebrate it with a 20th anniversary concert? Estevan Campos, Anthony Martinez, and Eldon Samos will rejoin current members Juan Carlos Villegas, Peter Flores, and Angel Arizpe for this show, which will also have free carne asada ready to serve between 8 and 9 pm. Ladies can get in free until 9. 8 pm.

Sunday, April 14

Discovery Green presents Green Mountain Energy Earth Day
Discovery Green’s citywide Earth Day celebration, presented by Green Mountain Energy in partnership with the Citizens Environmental Coalition, will be educating, inspiring and encouraging folk about the environment. This event will feature displays, exhibits, and booths on topics ranging from alternative energy to recycling methods. They will also have an Urban Harvest Farmers Market, a live-music acoustic mini-festival and more, all in a zero-waste footprint. Noon-5 pm

Houston Area Parkinson Society presents Blues, Brews and Barbecue
For the second year in a row, the Houston Area Parkinson Society will be holding a beer/food/live music shindig to benefit and raise awareness of Parkinson's disease. Cook-off teams will submit their best meat, sauce and side to compete for the Judge's Choice and People's Choice awards. As for the blues bands, they include High Tech Rednecks, Road Gang, Bluestown Shakedown, The Steve Crias Band, and The Rick Lee Band. Noon.

The American Folk Blues Festival Vol. 1, 1962-66 at 14 Pews
Local radio DJ Hank Lamb is starting a monthly movie series at 14 Pews this weekend, aptly titled Second Sunday Music Series. And he's kicking things off with two showings of this concert doc, which features live performances from Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and others. In between the screenings, author and blues historian Roger Wood will be around to talk about blues music and take questions. 4 and 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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