weekend event planner

Here are the top 7 things to do in Houston this weekend

Join the party animals at Houston Zoo's After Dark.

Photo courtesy of Houston Zoo

On Sunday, May 19, the final episode of Game of Thrones will air, which means, come Monday morning, a lot of people will have to find a new show to obsess and complain about. But something else is also wrapping up on that day — the spring season of Cigna Sunday Streets. The monthly bike tour/walking tour/outdoor extravaganza will close things out at the neighborhood of Alief, on Beechnut between Dairy Ashford and Kirkwood. So, before you get all angry about how the dragon show will end, maybe head over to this event and get some good exercise and fresh air.

Be sure to check out these other fun events:

Thursday, May 16

Collected Stories at Spring Street Studios
4th Wall Theatre Company is coming to a close this season, and the final play its putting on just happens to be a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Donald Marguiles' Collected Stories is a drama (inspired by a real-life literary scandal involving novelists David Leavitt and Stephen Spender) about the lives of two writers — a respected short-story writer and her young protegee — and their friendship, ambitions, rivalries, and betrayals. It will run through Saturday, June 8. 7:30 pm.

After Dark at Houston Zoo
For the second year in a row, Houston Zoo will keep its gates open during the evening with After Dark, a monthly series of events geared towards the 21-and-up crowd. The first event up is the '90s-celebrating #Throwback Thursday. Guests can sing and dance to a '90s cover band, play vintage arcade games or challenge their friends to giant yard games. Guests are also encouraged to wear their '90s duds (break out those Cross Colours!) to celebrate the decade. 8 pm.

Friday, May 17

Silent Film/Live Music at Discovery Green
We all know about the ol' days of early 20th-century moviegoing, when silent movies were the rage and a piano player was always there to score the proceedings. Discovery Green will be taking people back to that time with an outdoor showing of the 1924 Harold Lloyd comedy Girl Shy, complete with musical accompaniment by Two Star Symphony. There will also be a 1920s costume contest, with the chance to win gift cards to The Grove, and dance lessons with Dance Houston. 9 pm.

Saturday, May 18

Otto Records! Showcase at Cactus Music
Based in San Antonio, Otto Records! is a rock-and-roll label that prides itself on 1) promoting small indie bands from around the world and 2) giving all the money to the artists. To show what kind of hellraisers they have in their stable, the label will bring three bands — Tex-Mex surf band Nuclear Juarez, San Antonio rock band The Walk Offs and Boston alt-blues duo 61 Ghosts — to Cactus Music to rock out all Saturday afternoon. 1-3 pm.

Tony Buzbee for Mayor Pet Rally
Mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee really wants the pet-owner vote. That would explain why he's telling folk to bring their pets to this rally over at Nett Bar, which will also raise awareness for the major homeless-animal issue in Houston. This is a free event with Taco Deli tacos, drinks, pet photos, gourmet dog treats, pup swag, rescue dogs, and a meet-and-greet with Buzbee and Munchi, the miniature dwarf rescue horse from Habitat for Horses. 1-3 pm.

Sunday, May 19

Houston Café Bustelo Café MECA Charitable Event
Cafe Bustelo, the pop-up coffee shop that has been a very popular place of business since opening in Montrose last March, will be shutting down at the end of the month. Before they go, they’re hosting an a event with MECA Houston (Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts). Ten percent of all proceeds from sales will be donated to MECA. Visitors can also win free coffee and Café Bustelo merchandise while supporting the local community. 10 am-3 pm.

Tacos Over Texas at the Original Ninfa's on Navigation
Who doesn't love a good ol' taco competition, especially one that honors the legacy of Mama Ninfa Laurenzo? The second annual Tacos Over Texas competition is back to benefit The Ninfa Laurenzo Scholarship Fund, which was created to assist students who demonstrate economic need and a desire to positively impact their community through education. More than 15 of Houston's best restaurants will be competing. Plus, there will be live music, a raffle, and a silent auction. 12pm-4 pm.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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