all aboard

Houston-backed movie Drunk Bus revs up return of the buddy comedy

Charlie Tahan and Pineapple Tangaroa in Drunk Bus

Houston-backed buddy comedy Drunk Bus premieres Friday, May 21.

Photo courtesy of FilmRise

When John Carlucci and his family moved from a small town in New York to Houston in the late ’80s, he thought the city was gonna be all tumbleweeds and cowboy hats. Little did he know it would eventually influence him to become the filmmaker he is today.

“Houston was very integral in kind of building my creative world, when I started to kind of go into all things art-related,” the Brooklyn-based Carlucci, 46, tells CultureMap via phone. “And especially with cinema, because I now had a movie theater within five minutes from my house, and I would go constantly.”

He was even impressed with how movie tickets were distributed around these parts, like that time he caught a screening of the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Semetary. “Prior to that, going to the movies — your ticket was like one of those carnival tickets that comes on a roll, you know,” he remembers. “It says ‘admit one’ and you rip it in half. This is the first time I ever got a movie ticket stub that had the name of the movie printed on it, the time, the date, the location. I thought it was the coolest thing, and I saved it.”

He ended up saving a lot of his H-Town movie stubs. “I have them all in an album, from Willowbrook Mall to all over Houston,” he says. Carlucci attended high school at Strake Jesuit, where he met Michael Carroll, who would start a Houston-based entertainment financing company, Vanitas Entertainment with fraternity brother Tom Gordon, co-founder of Slim Chickens.

The meeting would prove fruitful, as Carroll, reached out to fellow Houstonians, Jay Fields of private investment firm Bear Dean Capital and Josh Oren, to help bankroll the new film alongside another Carlucci high school friend, Ed Nash.

About that film: This Friday, May 21 audiences around the country can get a ticket to Drunk Bus, the debut film Carlucci co-directed with longtime filmmaking partner Brandon LaGanke. Locals can catch it on-demand on all digital platforms, including Amazon Prime.

The low-budget comedy, which has won several awards and is South by Southwest selection, stars Charlie Tahan (Ozark) as a heartbroken, virginal bus driver who spends his nights shuttling around drunk, obnoxious college students from the same college he graduated from. He gets snapped out of his rut when he meets a large, facially tattooed Samoan (Austin actor Pineapple Tangaroa) who’s been hired as the bus’s security guard.

The two eventually become partners-in-mischief, with this burly eccentric pushing our boy to take some long-overdue chances. (Most of this actually happened to LaGanke, who drove a college bus in the aughts.)

After years of he and LaGanke directing commercials, music videos, and experimental short videos (including this R-rated short that went viral), Carlucci had his mind set on doing a feature. But he did learn putting a film together can be complicated and messy as hell.

“It sounds derivative, but always stay true to the vision that you’re trying to make,” he says. “Because it can become difficult to sort of keep a vision consistent from when you conceive a story and write it versus when you've broken up your entire narrative over days and nights — and days and weekends. And you’ve taken the puzzle apart and you’ve dumped all the pieces on the ground. And, now, you kind of have to retain what it looks like, because that could become confusing. And holding true to that vision is important.”

As arduous as the journey may have been, Carlucci is proud of what he has accomplished— and he’s ready to go again. “I went to film school 20 years ago with this goal in mind, and I had a long and sort of circuitous path to get here,” he says. “But I never wanted to give up on accomplishing this. And I think a lot of people can lose faith. And I think that’s important too. If it’s really what you want, just stay on the path — because it might take a while.”

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Drunk Bus premieres on Friday, May 21 on digital platforms including Amazon Prime.

movies

weekend event planner

Here are the top 15 things to do in Houston this weekend

Photo courtesy of Bun B

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While people will be gearing up for White Linen Night on Saturday (don’t worry – that article is coming soon), we’re looking forward to Art House Theater Day on Thursday. That’s when CultureMap contributor Craig D. Lindsey (aka, me) will introduce the 1976 comedy Car Wash at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. There will also be a pre-screening reception/record swap held at Mo’ Brunch & Brews down the street.

But, of course, let’s not forget about the other things going down this weekend, from the UniverSoul Circus to Bun B performing live to a terrain race to a musical featuring tunes from a ‘90s rock icon.

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?

Thursday, July 30

Cactus Music presents Waterparks Meet & Greet
Local rock trio Waterparks just dropped its sixth album Jinx last Friday. So far, the reviews have been appreciative. (“Might be better than therapy!” raved one reviewer.) To celebrate the release, the band will be over at Cactus Music for an album signing/meet and greet. People can pre-order now through the Cactus Music website to get a CD or vinyl copy and receive a “priority” line wristband for the event. (One wristband per person per item.) 5:30 pm.

UniverSoul Circus
UniverSoul Circus features an all-star cast, circus thrills, stunts, and interactive entertainment. Audience favorites are returning, including the Caribbean Street Carnival, featuring 20-foot dancing puppets, fire-breathing stilt dancers, and vibrant folklore characters. Fresh the Clownsss keep the crowds entertained with their hilarious antics. And high above the big top floor, daring motorcycle stunt artists perform heart-stopping flips and dives 60 feet in the air. 7 pm (Noon, 3:30 & 7:30 pm Saturday; Noon, 3 & 6:30 pm Sunday).

Houston Shakespeare Festival: The Tempest
Exiled by her brother to a remote island and left to die, Prospera — the once loved Duchess of Milan and now an all-powerful sorceress — conjures a great tempest to wash ashore a ship of her enemies. With the power of magic, Prospera manipulates the survivors of the wreckage to weave a story of revenge, retribution, and reconciliation. Rich with spectacle, humor, and wonder, Shakespeare’s final play brings audiences to a “brave new world ” where reconciliation is possible and humanity is renewed. Through August 5. 8:15 pm.

Photo courtesy of Bun B

Bun B will celebrate 30 years of Ridin' Dirty on Saturday.

Friday, July 31

Buffalo Bayou Partnership presents Cistern After Hours
Visitors can experience the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern in a new light at Cistern After Hours, an evening of art, music, and discovery. It will feature "Undercurrents," an interactive art installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, live music by DJ Josh Zulu, complimentary wine and beer from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, and local food trucks. Buskers will also be on site, creating personalized poems inspired by spectators and the downtown setting. 7 pm.

Mitochondria Gallery presents "Between Flame, Stone, and Tide" opening reception
Mitochondria Gallery will present its summer exhibition, "Between Flame, Stone, and Tide," bringing together the practices of Alex Peter Idoko, Chika Idu, and Ejiro Fenegal. Each artist investigates the ways memory, identity, and belonging are shaped by the elemental forces that define both personal and collective histories. The exhibition ultimately invites viewers to reflect on the enduring relationship between material, place, and the environments that sustain us. Through Saturday, August 22. 7 pm.

Punch Line Houston presents Chris O'Connor
Chris O'Connor will be in town for a two-night stint over at Punch Line Houston. O’Connor is a Philadelphia native comic now living in Austin. These days he’s best known for co-starring (and co-writing) in the hit Netflix series Tires, alongside star/co-creator Shane Gillis. O'Connor also wrote and acted in Gillis’s sketch series Gilly and Keeves and is one-half of the podcast Stuff Island. 7 & 9:15 pm. (7 and 9:15 Saturday).

Cultural Center "Our Texas" presents "The Summer Mood" opening reception
Cultural Center "Our Texas" presents their new exhibit, "The Summer Mood," a group exhibition featuring artwork from Vladimir Shkred, Iryna Sheytman, and Tatiana Gobert. The exhibition brings together an array of colorful floral compositions alongside delicate soap flower bouquets and the natural beauty of fresh flowers. Together, these works create an atmosphere of warmth, color, and summer joy. Visitors are invited to enjoy a glass of wine as they explore the show. Through Friday, August 28. 7:30 pm.

Saturday, August 1

Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair
The 16th annual Mayor’s Back 2 School & Health Fair, going down at the George R. Brown Convention Center, will help approximately 20,000 Houston-area elementary students prepare for the new school year with backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies. Families will also have access to health, vision and dental screenings, immunizations, mental health resources, community organizations and family-friendly activities. It’s free, but advance registration is preferred and space is limited. 8 am.

Terrain Race Houston
At the Houston Terrain Race, runners take on mud, ropes, walls, and water in an obstacle-packed course designed to test grit, balance, and determination. This is an untimed, choose-your-pace event, so participants can sprint for a personal challenge or move steadily with their crew and still feel like a champion at the finish line. Expect rope climbs, monkey bars, cargo nets, tire jumps, and mud pits that keep things wild from start to finish, with multiple distance options so both new obstacle racers and seasoned athletes can find the right level of challenge. 9 am.

Company OnStage presents A Taste of the Season
Company OnStage will celebrate the new theater season with cake, creativity, and community. The inaugural baking competition and family-friendly event brings together local bakers, theater lovers, and community members for a day of sweet treats and artistic inspiration. People can admire the entries, enjoy tastings, and experience a fun day centered around creativity and community pride. Proceeds from the event support Company OnStage’s mission of providing affordable, professional-quality theater in Southwest Houston. 11 am.

Axelrad presents KG BBQ pop-up
Austin's Michelin-recognized, Egyptian-influenced barbecue restaurant returns to Houston for another pop-up at Axelrad in Midtown. With his trailer in tow, pitmaster-owner Kareem El-Ghayesh will served a menu that includes smoked lamb chops, spice-rubbed lamb shoulder, brisket, sides, and more. Pre-orders are available now via KG's website. Later than evening, Axelrad will host country dancing with a live band. 12 pm.

Bun B in concert
Rapper, icon, hip-hop pioneer, smash burger entrepreneur – these are all things Bun B is known for. But let’s not forget about 30 years ago, when he and the late MC/producer Pimp C dropped Ridin’ Dirty, their third album as hip-hop duo UGK (aka Underground Kingz). Bun will return to the stage for a one-night-only performance, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Dirty. He'll be joined by some special guests. 8 pm.

Sunday, August 2

Asia Society Texas presents A Nice Indian Boy
Asia Society Texas and Aerial Roots Theatre Company bring Madhuri Shekar's A Nice Indian Boy back to Houston audiences. Naveen Gavaskar just wants a traditional Hindu marriage to a nice Indian ... boy. Naveen brings his new boyfriend home to his Indian-American family, just as his sharp-tongued sister, Arundhathi, returns with news of her own. What follows is an uproarious journey as the family navigates duty, tradition, and self-discovery in their quest for happily-ever-afters. Through Sunday, August 9. 1:30 & 7 pm.

Art Factory presents Jagged Little Pill
Set behind the facade of a picture-perfect suburban family, Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill follows the Healys as their carefully constructed world begins to crack wide open. Built around songs from Morissette’s era-defining album, Jagged Little Pill became a Tony-winning theatrical sensation for its fearless storytelling, electric score, and unflinching emotional power. Art Factory will present the first locally-produced staging of the musical to Houston. Through Sunday, August 9. 5 pm.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Tower
On August 1, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes in what was a previously unimaginable event. Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation, this 2016 doc is based entirely on testimonies from witnesses, heroes, and survivors, in a suspenseful retelling of the unfolding tragedy. Director Keith Maitland and cinematographer/executive producer Sarah Wilson will be around for a post-screening discussion. 5 pm.

things to do art house theater day alanis morrissette houston weekend events event-planner