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

Fun final act isn't enough to make Clayface DC's next great movie

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie in Clayface

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh

Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie are patient and doctor in Clayface.

The history of DC Comics in movies has been hit-and-miss, especially when it comes to anything not directly involving Batman or Superman. Over the years, films have been headlined by heroes like Catwoman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Shazam, the Flash, and more, and while some succeeded, none left a lasting mark on moviegoers’ imaginations.

Much like they did with Joker, the powers-that-be behind DC Studios productions are trying to entice viewers with a no-holds-barred story in Clayface. Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is an A-list movie actor with both critical and commercial appeal. Unfortunately, a night of celebration for his recent Oscar nomination leads to him sleeping with Theresa (Ruby Sear), the girlfriend of Markos Szabo (David Dencik), a prominent mobster in Gotham City. Markos then enacts revenge by taking a razor to Matt’s face.

Desperate to find a way to look like his old self again, Matt seeks out Dr. Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), who’s conducting cutting-edge nanotechnology research that can heal any kind of damage. While the solution works on Matt, it also has the side effect of his body doing unintended things, even morphing into those with whom he comes into contact. After initially struggling with his new body, Matt decides to use his powers to enact revenge on those who’ve done him wrong.

Directed by James Watkins (Speak No Evil) and written by Mike Flanagan (The Life of Chuck) and Hossein Amini, the film is only intermittently entertaining as it tries to sell its ridiculous premise. Right from the start, it seems like the filmmakers have been given a limited budget, as everything from the sets to the CGI to the stilted dialogue feels cheap. For a film coming from a major studio, the whole thing comes off as schlocky and undercooked.

Watkins and his team try to make up for that shoddiness by delivering R-rated thrills like nudity and body horror, but those elements can only distract for so long. Much of the film is spent dealing with Matt’s trauma, and the downbeat nature of his body issues combined with very little action makes the movie not very fun to watch. The film also tries to make hay with more than a doctor-patient bond between Caitlyn — who has a boyfriend on the police force — and Matt, but like the most of the film, it never connects.

It’s not until the final third of the movie that the filmmakers land on the tone they should have been using the whole time. Matt’s ability to transform himself, while illogical and confounding, provides multiple over-the-top, funny moments and some legitimately creative kills. Instead of taking forever to set up Matt/Clayface’s origin story, Watkins and his team should have just cut to the chase and let him loose to see what the character could truly do.

This is the first big role for Welsh actor Harries, and while he’s not exactly magnetic, he proves himself worthy of the lead role. Ackie is also fine, but after several years of trying to advance up the Hollywood ladder, she may be running out of time to show she’s a star. The supporting cast has a couple of familiar faces, but it’s mostly lesser-known actors who do nothing to indicate they deserve bigger showcases.

It’s difficult to imagine any non-DC Comics fans having a strong attachment to the character of Clayface, and the film fails to make the case that he should be a continuing character. The poor quality of almost everything that appears on screen is indicative of the kind of effort and money that was put into the film, and sometimes you really do get what you pay for.

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Clayface opens in theaters on October 23.

movies film clayface

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Movie Review

Fun final act isn't enough to make Clayface DC's next great movie