weekend event planner

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

Raise a glass at Houston Cocktail Fest.

While the weather has been a wet one this week, hopefully that won’t stop you from attending the George Floyd Remembrance Walk this Saturday morning. Organized by The Brothers of Jack Yates, this two-hour walk will start at McGregor Park and end at Jack Yates High School, and all social clubs — Greek organizations, motorcycle riders, school bands, line dancers, etc. — are invited to tag along.

As always, there are other events for those who aren’t afraid to go out and get a bit damp. Such as:

Thursday, May 20

People Against Leigh Syndrome presents Green Out for PALS
Goode’s Armadillo Palace will be the location for this annual fundraiser — also known as Green Out for PALS — chaired by Rosie Murphy and Peyton Jones. Guests will enjoy food and libations from Goode Company, while helping to fund research and clinical care for Leigh syndrome, pediatric-onset, progressive, and fatal neurological disease closely linked to Parkinson's Disease. 6:30 pm.

The Parkway at Regent Square presents Cinematic Throwbacks
Regent Square is expanding its calendar of outdoor programming at The Parkway with Cinematic Throwbacks. The moonlit movie event will feature campy classics on a giant inflatable screen. The evening will be BYOC (bring your own chair), with Bovine & Barley’s Adult Ice Cream Truck on site selling concessions for noshing. May’s throwback film, the 2001 comedy Zoolander, with Ben Stiller flashing that blue-steel look as a bumbling male model. 8 pm.

Friday, May 21

The Menil Collection presents "Dream Monuments: Drawing in the 1960s and 1970s" opening day
The Menil Collection will present this exhibition, which features drawings that challenge the conventional idea of the monument as a permanent, grand or commemorative form. The exhibition takes its inspiration from the unrealized “Dream Monuments,” planned by the Menil Collection’s founders Dominique and John de Menil. This will remain on display through Sunday, September 19. 11 am.

MECA Performing Arts Series presents From Buenos Aires to New York
MECA’s Performing Arts Series presents this benefit concert, which will celebrate Latin American melodies performed by world-renowned pianist and MECA alum Alejandro Vela. Praised for his power to carry an audience away by creating an atmosphere of mystery and sensuous beauty, Vela is a pianist of northern Mexican origin, now performing in concert halls and orchestras worldwide. 8 pm.

Houston Cocktail Fest
Houston Cocktail Fest is back and ready to celebrate the art of the cocktail, showcasing some of Houston’s favorite mixologists as they put their skills to the test. Signature recipes are offered to consumers, with a “people’s choice” cocktail awarded to the evening’s best recipe. Consumers can experience the joy of these cocktails along with reveling in an atmosphere that celebrates the finest mixologists in Houston. 9 pm.

Saturday, May 22

Tropical Summer Party at Parkview Terrace
As part of the Marriott Marquis Houston’s seasonal "Parkview Terrace Presents" series, locals are invited to enjoy rooftop season with elevated entertainment and pool party programming on the sixth floor all summer long. Things will kick off with this inaugural party, featuring music from DJ Athenz, tropical leis & Instagrammable scenes, Bacardi giveaways and access to the infamous, Texas-shaped lazy river. 1 pm.

Social Bud Garden with Highway Vodka
Social Beer Garden will be hosting this event with Highway Vodka, which will be serving two special cocktails on site. The Liquid Marijuana, with vodka, melon, coconut, blue curacao, pineapple and ginger beer; and the Pink Lady, with vodka, aperol, St. Germain, peychaud bitters, fresh lemon juice and sparkling rose. There will also be a smoke lounge, CBD products and food by Funnelocity, Nelson Cheese Steaks & Captain Ceviche. 4 pm.

Weekend Smokehouse Series at Woodshed Smokehouse
The Levy Park smokehouse concept by celebrity chef Tim Love is kicking off a free, summer concert series this weekend with live music on Saturday and Sunday evening. John Egan will perform an acoustic solo set on Saturday, and Dustry Neuman will perform an acoustic solo set on Sunday. The concert series will continue all summer on Saturday and Sunday nights, weather permitting. 6:30 pm.

Sunday, May 23

Memorial City Farmers & Feel Good Market
This outdoor, experiential shopping event, held next to the new Torchy’s Tacos and Mia’s Table on Gessner Road and Mathewson Lane, will feature more than 50 local farmer and artisan vendors, offering locally curated fresh produce and foods, as well as stylish jewelry, clothing, and gifts. There will also be family-friendly entertainment including face-painting, a balloon artist, acrobatic performances, a DIY succulent bar, music, and more. 10 am.

“As I Am” Art Festival
KNOWAutism Foundation is hosting this free, inaugural festival, which will spotlight the artwork from the students of 12 participating Houston-area schools and nonprofit organizations, representing a different art medium that will be available for purchase. There will also be music, bubble activities, a magician and live performances from the Houston Ballet, The River, Social Motion Skills and much more. 11 am.

event-planner

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

movies film