weekend event planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

Don your your best hat and head to Julep for Derby Day.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Even though this is the weekend of wall-to-wall Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby parties, let us remind you that you can still go to museums — for free.

On Saturday and Sunday, Bank of America will offer free entry to museums in Houston for cardholders through its Museums on Us program. If you have a BOA card, you can visit the Children's Museum of Houston, or the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where the Vincent Van Gogh exhibit is still in progress.

Here are some other fun ways to spend your weekend:

Thursday, May 2

Barnes & Noble River Oaks presents Gary Sinise
Actor Gary Sinise has done a lot of things in his time: he co-founded the legendary Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Forrest Gump, starred in spinoffs from both CSI and Criminal Minds and, apparently, can also slap da bass big time. You can now add author to his list of accomplishments. He has recently dropped his memoir, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service, which he'll be signing copies of over at the Barnes & Noble in River Oaks — real early in the morning. 10 am.

Latin Wave at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Latin Wave is once again upon us. For the 14th year in a row, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is bringing in films and filmmakers from Latin America with this four-day fest. Cristina Gallego will be here with her film Birds of Passage, while Margarita Hernandez will show up with Che, Memories of a Secret Year and Federico Veiroj will come with Belmonte. You can also get a couple of chances to see Alfonso Cuaron's Oscar-winning film Roma on the big screen. (Hopefully, it'll be shown with its straight-up engulfing, Dolby Atmos mix intact.) 5 pm (11 am Saturday; 1 pm Sunday).

Friday, May 3

Insomnia Gallery 8th Anniversary Weekend
Though the gallery will technically turn eight next month, the folks at Insomnia will basically spend Friday through Sunday having an action-packed party. It starts on Friday with an art show paying tribute to "queen of color" Lisa Frank. On Saturday, there will be Mortal Kombat 11 and Super Smash Bros ultimate tournaments. And things will wind down on Sunday with a live music showcase, featuring performances from Tee Vee, Pitter Patter, Future Ghost, Heavenly Stars, and Colin. 7-11 pm (4-11 pm Saturday).

My Favorite Murder Live at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land
When My Favorite Murder hit the podcast scene in 2016, it tapped into an audience that doesn't get a lot of ink: female true-crime geeks. Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark found they had a bond in the history of sensational, homicidal crimes and turned it into one of the most popular comedy podcasts out there. They even have a spinoff book, Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide, dropping in May. Before that happens, they're hitting the road, doing a live show right here on Friday. 8 pm.

Saturday, May 4

Camp Bow Wow Greater Houston Heights Grand Opening & Adoption Event
There will be several Star Wars-themed "May the 4th Be With You" events popping off all over the place on Saturday. By far, the most adorable one is this grand opening/adoption party for the newest, doggy day-care facility. This event will come correct with live music, complementary beer (from Eureka Heights!), a professional selfie station, a dog biscuit bar and other cute stuff. And you can get Padawan (puppy) and/or Jedi (dog) adoptions from Animal Justice League and Pup Squad Animal Rescue. Noon to 4 pm.

Generation Park Block Party at Redemption Square
Come for a day filled with live music, delicious food and drinks and plenty of activities for the whole family at this free, second-annual block party. Headlining music acts include Sundance Head, winner of The Voice's 11th season, and contemporary country artist Bri Bagwell. And if you wanna get your grub on, you can check out Redemption Square’s newest restaurants, Wholesome Kitchen and Wholesome Pies, or take in Food Truck Row and their many options. And, of course, there will be a Kids Zone with face painters, glitter artists, caricaturists, and more. 3-10 pm.

Fifth Annual Julep Derby Day
Alba Huerta's nationally acclaimed cocktail bar on Washington Avenue typically draws more than 1,000 guests for its annual Derby Day party. Expect two screens for the race, lawn games, a spritz bar, mint julep bars, three cocktail bars, a DJ, live music, live auctions for whiskey tastings, and more. Eats come courtesy of El Topo Truck and chef Ryan Lachaine of Riel, who will provide hot dogs. Huerta has apparently procured some 5,000 flowers from local farms and local businesses to commemorate the party's five-year anniversary. Tickets are $15, with discount packages for four and up. Noon.

Sunday, May 5

Three Amigos Quote-Along at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra
Since Cinco de Mayo will most likely have people running around drunk off tequila and wearing big-ass sombreros, you might wanna commemorate the day by being in an indoor setting and watching Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short play clueless silent-screen stars going up on against villainous bandito in Three Amigos. It was not favorably reviewed when it came out in 1986 (in his Texas Monthly review, James Wolcott called it "abysmal"), but it's still an effectively silly time at the movies. 6 pm.

NCT 127 at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
You know, when it comes K-pop, BTS has been getting all the love lately. But there are many other groups kicking out the Korean jams. Truly the most massive group is NCT, a South Korean boy band that consists of 18 members. This group is actually made up of several subunits (our favorite is the surprisingly soulful NCT U, who gave us the sexy "The 7th Sense"), including NCT 127, hailing from Seoul. Embarking on their first world tour, they will make a Houston appearance this weekend. 8 pm.

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.

---

Superman is now playing in theaters.

movies film reviews