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

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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