weekend event planner

Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend

Get down at a fun weekend bash at East End Backyard.

Whiskey fans, assemble.

The Monsters of Smoke Tour — created by Ardbeg, the Ultimate Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky — will hit locations in and around the city, dispensing drams to smoky whisky lovers.

Even more spirited affairs (sorry) await you this weekend. Look for a long-running Houston film fest, a hilarious Wayans brother's Houston stop, a spacey bar opening, a pet-themed market, and more. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, April 22

Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival
The 54th annual Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival will not only be happening this year — it will be going down at its usual venue: Cinemark Memorial City. The fest will be keeping things brief this time around. It'll kick off on Thursday night with the opening night film, the action/adventure Narco Sub. Then, it will go on through Sunday, showcasing almost 40 features and a variety of short films. For more information on films and showtimes, go here. 7:05 pm.

Marlon Wayans at Improv Houston
As someone who was born into a family of funny people, a family that made sure many of their relatives make it in the comedy biz, Marlon Wayans has been surprisingly spending his middle-aged years proving he's funny on the mic. Much like his older brother/The Wayans Bros. co-star Shawn, Wayans has been doing stand-up for a long while now, even dropping a Netflix special, Marlon Wayans: Woke-ish, a few years back. Catch him all this weekend at the Improv. 7:30 and 9:45 (7 pm Saturday and Sunday; 9:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, April 23

Space Cowboy Grand Opening
Located inside the Heights House Hotel, Space Cowboy is a vibrant, colorful, and quirky hotel bar with tropical drinks and island food. It features a 1,500-square-foot interior with 35 seats, including eight seats at a wraparound bar. Outside, the property boasts a 2,000-square-foot patio and green space adjacent to the hotel pool. Signature drinks on the opening menu include the Banana Hammock with Tempus Fugit Creme De Banane and Cream Fortress with aguardiente, mango, kiwi, coconut and boba, among others. 4 pm.

Donkeemom and Donkeeboy presents Donkeeshow at East End Backyard
Alex Roman Jr. (Donkeeboy) and Sylvia Roman (Donkeemom) are bringing back their popular Donkeeshow this weekend. The two-day experience will feature an exclusive art exhibition, an artist panel, a craft vendor market, and more — taking visitors on a journey inside the minds of two of Houston's most celebrated artists. It kicks off on Friday night with the Artist Talk and Tacos panel. The next day will have breakfast sandwiches, art installations, a piñata, the grand opening of the Donkeeshop, and more fun. 6 pm (Noon Saturday).

Houston Arboretum presents Alfresco Gala: A Roving Dinner at the Houston Arboretum
This year marks the completion of the Houston Arboretum’s transformational Master Plan. To celebrate the moment, and to ensure safety for those who attend, the annual Alfresco Gala will be held along the Arboretum’s renovated trails and restored landscape as a roving dinner experience. Guests will enjoy delectable gourmet food and fine wines as they stroll in small groups under the evening sky. Guests can also choose to support the event with a take-home basket. 6 pm.

Nubia Lounge & Bar Soft Opening
New Third Ward hotspot Nubia Lounge & Bar is going to have a lovely, little soft opening this weekend. While details are kinda slim, there will be music provided by DJ AKT and the Soul Control crew of DJ Anarchy and DJ Elevated. There will also be small bites, libations, palm wine (whatever that is), and hookahs ready to get smoked up. So, it seems like this will be the new place for the grown-and-sexy folk to hang out and chill whenever they're near 288. 8 pm.

Saturday, April 24

Easter Seals Greater Houston presents Walk With Me Houston
For its special ten-year anniversary, Walk With Me is going hybrid to stay true to Easter Seals Greater Houston’s mission of providing inclusive means of participation for all. Participants can choose their own route near their home or join the main event at the Houston Zoo. This non-competitive 5K (or shorter Family Fun Walk) benefits Easter Seals Greater Houston, which provides services for people of all ages with all types of disabilities. 8 am.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention presents Out of the Darkness Drive-Through Event
Over at Moonstruck Drive-In Cinema, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will present this drive-through event, a chance for people to remind those who need it how much they are still needed. Guests can pick up their 2021 Out of the Darkness Walk shirt, community-resource swag bag, AFSP honor beads and merch and view the memorial. Participants/teams are encouraged to decorate their vehicles to show hope to the community. 10 am.

Galveston Arts Center presents Heyd Fontenot: "Sacred Order of Eternal Wounds" opening day
Heyd Fontenot is well-known for his stylized and delicate nude portraits. His latest exhibition delves into the myth of American identity to explore the politicized topics of gender, sexuality, queer identity, and what the artist calls "the false-promise of comfort-in-conformity." This exhibition debuts new visual experiments in figuration, illustration, and decoration in a series of mural-scaled paintings. This will be on display through Sunday, July 11. Noon.

Sunday, April 25

APDAT Print Co and Night Shift presents Stop the Hate
Stop the Hate is a hospitality-driven fundraiser bringing awareness towards the hate crimes currently happening in the country. Visitors can participate in denouncing hate, discrimination, racism, bigotry, and xenophobia towards all communities while enjoying the best talents from Houston's hospitality industry and small businesses. One hundred percent of event proceeds will be donated to Stop AAPI Hate/CAA and OCA Greater Houston-Asian Pacific American Advocates. Noon.

The Art Cellar of Houston presents The Parkway Market Days
Regent Square is continuing its calendar of outdoor programming at The Parkway with a pet-themed art market in recognition of Pet Awareness Month. The community (including the four-legged neighbors) is invited to stop by the outdoor activity and event site at the corner of Allen Parkway and Dunlavy, across from Buffalo Bayou Park and The Villas at River Oaks, for a market featuring local vendors and a pastel paint activity, plus pet adoptions with Best Friends in Houston, music, and food. Noon.

Russian Cultural Center "Our Texas" presents Russian Spring Celebration
Russian Cultural Center will present its big annual festival, a chance for Houstonians to celebrate spring in the style of a Russian folk holiday. Guests will have a chance to purchase original, hand-made Russian souvenirs as well as art and craft items from different vendors. The fest will also feature a performance by Austin band the Flying Balalaika Brothers, along with performances from theater Marmelad, a kids' performance from Kido International Pre-School and folk dances by Austin Russian Center. 2 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York lifts big rewards from small stakes

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

John Turturro in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.

John Turturro is one of those people who embodies the term “character actor” the best. With over 120 credits in his nearly 50-year career, Turturro has rarely been the star of any of his projects. Instead, filmmakers have mostly used his unique face, New York accent, and inimitable acting style to help support the lead actors, a role for which Turturro seems well-suited.

Now 69, Turturro is taking the reins in The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, playing Harry, a long-in-the-tooth thief who still has skills but not as many opportunities. The plucking of wallets isn’t as lucrative in the mostly-cashless modern society, and Harry has little use for smartphones since he doesn’t know how to use them. However, a rare opportunity presents itself when he happens upon Dylan (Will Price), a young man who seems to be as oblivious as he is rich.

After a clever robbery of Dylan’s vintage car, though, Harry discovers he might be in over his head, especially when he finds a card-shaped USB drive. It's the contents of the drive that soon puts Harry and anyone around him in danger, including his wife, Rosie (Karina Arroyave), who’s suffering from unresponsive wakefulness syndrome; Ben (Steve Buscemi), who helps Harry sell stolen items; and even his estranged daughter Kelly (Tatiana Maslany).

Written and directed by Noah Segan, the film is a low-key thriller made to emulate the tempo of Harry’s life. While one of the plot points puts a degree of urgency into his actions, for the most part Harry is someone for whom slow and steady always wins the race. He is someone who has developed relationships over decades, including with NYPD Detective Warren (Giancarlo Esposito), and it’s those bonds that help him make it through each day.

Even though Harry is a criminal, the film treats him as an overall good guy, especially through the way he takes care of Rosie and the generosity he displays with his (stolen) money. Almost no one has a bad thing to say about him, and so Segan comes up with a couple of ways to give him more depth. His one scene with Kelly does the trick, providing a glimpse into a lesser man who clearly existed at one time.

One of the pleasures of the film for longtime movie fans are the reunions Turturro has with Buscemi (his co-star in The Big Lebowski) and Esposito (his co-star in Do the Right Thing). All three could be all-stars on a team of character actors, with each having made big impressions in all sorts of roles over the past 40 years. Seeing them back together again as very different characters from when they last collaborated underscores the level of talent each of them has.

Turturro ably carries the load in the lead role, but given his acting style and the type of role he’s called to play, his performance is far from showy. The same goes for Buscemi and Esposito, who are there to give great support to the classic supporting actor. When someone does go over-the-top, as Price does in most of his scenes, it stands out in a bad way. Maslany scores a lot of points in her brief appearance.

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a quiet film with big rewards despite its small ambitions. The beauty of the story lies in its small details, both character-related and not. Turturro rarely disappoints when he’s not the lead actor, and he demonstrates that he’s equally capable of making a movie great when he’s out front.

---

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York opens in theaters on October 30.

movies film the only living pickpocket in new york

weekend event planner

Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend

Houston restaurant breaks silence about wage theft allegations

New Orleans-inspired neighborhood restaurant hatches in the Heights

Houston star Lizzo to lead Thanksgiving parade, En Vogue for tree lighting

Movie Review

The Only Living Pickpocket in New York lifts big rewards from small stakes