weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Take a stroll down Discovery Green and celebrate some Houston heroes .

Courtesy photo

The summer movie season officially starts this weekend with Avengers: Infinity War, where all your fave superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe join forces to defeat some purple, Bruce Willis-looking dude intent on destroying the world. It might be exciting but enjoyable, but it also might be noisy and chaotic — just like every other superhero movie that comes out these days.

If you prefer to take part in some superhero-less events this weekend, here are a few that might get you soaring:

Thursday, April 26

Kristen Johnston stars in Recovery’s Spring Luncheon
For its 35th-annual spring luncheon, the Council on Recovery and the Waggoners Foundation Speaker Series found a keynote speaker who’ll most likely have some harrowing tales about dealing with drugs and alcohol — and still be hella funny. Most people know Kristen Johnston as the Emmy-winning star of the wacky sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. But anyone who’s read her bestselling memoir, Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster, knows she’s had her own hellish battles with addiction. It starts at 11:15 am.

Fishbone rocks “Party on the Plaza”
We can say, without any certainty, that Avenida Houston’s latest “Party on the Plaza” show will be all kinds of rockin’. How do we know this? Because the headliners are going to be Fishbone, the ska/funk/punk band of brothas who’ve been raising a ruckus — musically — for nearly 40 years. (No Doubt, Smash Mouth and every other ’90s skacore band also owes them a debt of gratitude, but that’s for another time.) Opening up for them will be local DJ crew The Waxaholics, who we’re sure will be just as rockin’ as the headliners. It starts at 6 pm.

Ride a Latin Wave at the MFAH
It’s time once again for Houstonian cinephiles to get a taste of what Latin America has to offer — in terms of challenging, innovative cinema — with this year’s Latin Wave 13 program. Not only will there be a fine selection of eight recently released Latin American films that’ll be screened Thursday through Sunday, but several of the filmmakers will be in attendance for the screenings, as well as available for selfies, chitchat and what not for a “Meet the Filmmakers Brunch” on Saturday at 11 am at Under the Volcano. The whole thing starts at 7 pm.

Friday, April 27

Enjoy tea with Mario Lopez
Tea on the Lawn invites guests to don fancy attire and enjoy a benefit for New Danville, a community that enriches the lives of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we find that lovely and worthy. However, the big news about this event is the keynote speaker, and that speaker is a dashing hunk of man by the name of Mario Lopez. We’re not saying we have on crush on Lopez, the former star of Saved by the Bell and currently the host of Extra. We’re just saying he’s an attractive man and Mark-Paul Gosselaar ain’t got nothin’ on him. It starts at 10 am.

Celebrate Houston Harvey heroes
Hurricane Harvey may be a thing of the past, but it’s a thing that people are still trying to recover from. It’s also a thing where many people stepped up and selflessly took action. Discovery Green will be saluting people with Harvey Heroes: Discovery Discussion, which will feature several Houstonians who aided in rescuing, assisting, feeding, clothing, and sheltering those affected by Harvey. There will also be a presentation by Dr. Stephen Klineberg about Harvey’s impact on Houstonians, as reflected in the 37th annual Kinder Houston Area Survey. It starts at 6:30 pm.

Saturday, April 28

“Yoga on the Meadow” at the Houstonian
Look, we all need some yoga in our life. A lot of us need to stretch out and do some downward dog or whatever and try to alleviate some of the stress that gets locked in our muscles and bones from time to time. With all the yoga events that pop up in this city every weekend, how about attending one that’s for a good cause? “Yoga on the Meadow” is a family-friendly event hosted by Nora’s Home, which helps out organ failure and transplant patients at Texas Medical Center. This event will also educate guests on the needs of organ failure and transplant patients. It starts at 10 am.

Take in a pleasant Heights art stroll
When was the last time you went for a stroll, huh? And when was the last time you looked at art while you were going on said stroll, hmmm? If you would like to check out some vivid visuals while gaining some steps on your FitBit, the Sawyer Yards Spring Biannual Art Stroll will be open for both browsing and moseying. More than 300 local artists will open their studios so visitors can hang with the artists and even pick up a piece or two. Artists will donate a portion of proceeds to establish a student scholarship at the Glassell School of Art. It starts at 4 pm.

Lewis Black brings his rage to Houston
Comedian/The Daily Show commentator Lewis Black has a special relationship with the city of Houston. In his act, he used to talk about how Houston is the “end of the universe” because of those two Starbucks across the street from each other on West Gray and Shepherd. (We wonder if he knows about the Starbucks café located inside the Barnes & Noble that’s just a few feet away.) We know Black will have a lot to say about our current president, but let’s hope he brings up those twin Starbucks — and asks how they treat certain folks in there. The show starts at 8 pm.

Sunday, April 29

Celebrate Children’s Day
How many of y’all know about Children’s Day? It’s been around since 1856, when a pastor in Massachusetts decided to hold a special service dedicated to the kiddos. (It wasn’t celebrated nationally until 1923.) Over here in H-Town, the Children’s Museum of Houston gives it up to the young ones with its annual Dia del Nino Celebration. Now in its 16th year, the event will feature a live performance by reggaeton rising star Miguelito, backed up by Mariachi Imperial de America. There will also be giveaways, story time, face painting — the works. It starts at noon.

Blues, Brews, and Barbecue (what more could you want?)
As the name implies, you can get your Blues, Brews, and Barbecue on at Picnic for Parkinson's benefiting Houston Area Parkinson Society (HAPS). The cookoff is chaired by acclaimed Houston chef Brandi Key of Lasco Enterprises (Max’s Wine Dive, The Tasting Room, and The Boiler House), so you can bet the food will be on point. You can also enjoy tunes from High Tech Rednecks, Bluestown Shakedown, Road Gang, and The Steve Krase Band. The event takes place at chill Heights bar Wicklow Heights, and runs from noon to 5 pm, with VIP entry at 11 am.

event-planner

Movie Review

New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.

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