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Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

woman with candy lollipop selfie Houston

Have some candy, snap a selfie at the Candy Factory pop-up.

Photo by Getty Images

It's Memorial Day Weekend, which means summer has officially started. But while some may venture to your nearest waterpark, others may just wanna stay as dry as your favorite wine.

Luckily, Saturday is National Wine Day and The Union Kitchen is offering half-off all wine glasses and deep discounts on high-end bottles including Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon ($60), Prisoner Red Blend ($40) and Director’s Cut ($25), at all its locations.

Here's what else is happening this weekend:

Thursday, May 23

William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects at the MFAH
There are two famous William Forsythes: One is the popular character actor who has played heavies and bad guys in everything from Dick Tracy to The Devil's Rejects to Boardwalk Empire. The other is an acclaimed choreographer who has created this new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Blurring the lines between performance, sculpture, video and installation, this exhibit invites you to connect to the organizing principles of choreography. It will run through September 15. 10 am.

Office Space at Greenway Plaza
There is one major reason why Houstonians should be proud of Office Space, Mike Judge's workplace satire/cult classic that is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year (and will have an outdoor screening at Greenway Plaza). While it was mostly shot in Judge's Austin homebase, the movie has a gangsta-rap soundtrack that mostly features tracks from legendary H-Town rappers Scarface and The Geto Boys. So, props to Judge for giving local gangsta-rap icons some on-screen love. 5 pm.

Friday, May 24

A Trip to the Candy Factory at Calhoun RoofTop Bar & Grill
Who doesn't love candy? Sure, they're little pieces of sugar-filled temptation you feel guilty eating afterwards, but they're still fun, edible delights. The Pop Up Connoisseurs are hoping a lot of people with sweet teeth will attend this pop-up that runs through Monday. It's an interactive, Insta-worthy, Willy-Wonka-themed experience that will feature specialized drinks, small tapas, 3D photo booth, souvenirs, a candy wall, swag bags, and more. Noon.

Juvenile and Mystikal at Arena Theatre
Once upon a time, New Orleans MCs Juvenile and Mystikal were the toasts of Southern hip-hop. Back in the day, Juvenile was the star of the Cash Money Records crew (a crew that included a young Lil Wayne), turning out bangers like "Back That Azz Up." Meanwhile, the aggressively fast-talking Mystikal was one of No Limit's soldiers, dropping hits like "Shake Ya Ass." They now have joined forces for a tour, certain to make audiences do things with their posteriors. 8:30 pm.

Saturday, May 25

Kickin' Kombucha Taproom and Tea Shop Grand Opening
Locally based health-drink brewery Kickin' Kombucha will celebrate the grand opening of its recently redesigned taproom and tea shop. Eighth Wonder Brewery, Cruiser Coffee, and Highway Vodka will be there providing drinks, while Mr. Donut will have donuts and kolaches in the morning, and Food Music Life Food Truck will be there for lunch. There will also be a raffle where you can win free kombucha for a year, a case of your very own custom flavor, and other prizes. 9:30 am to 3 pm.

How Rednecks Saved Hollywood: An Evening with Joe Bob Briggs at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra
It's always fun when Joe Bob Briggs, America's foremost drive-in movie critic, shows up around these parts. The last time he was here, he hosted a holiday-themed, horror double feature. Now, he's back to show how much rednecks are a part of Hollywood history. He'll host a two-hour clip show that basically reviews the history of rednecks in America, as told through the classics of both grindhouse and mainstream movies. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, May 26

Ultimate Kolache Pop Up at Pearl Bar Houston
What is it about kolaches that Houstonians can't get enough of? If you're a kolache fiend, Sinfull Bakery, Yeti Sunshine Shaved Ice and Pearl Bar Houston are joined forces for a brunch-time, kolache feast that will benefit Hatch Montrose Center's Rapid Re-Housing program for LGBTQ homeless youth. 11 am to 4 pm.

Trippin tha Love Family Reunion at The Secret Group
Two decades ago, Trippin tha Love was a weekly dance party for grown-up rave kids who still crave some house grooves. It brought out the best DJs, both locally and nationally. But, after two years of business, the party unfortunately came to an end. This weekend, the party is returning for a special reunion extravaganza. All of the city's heaviest hitters — from Kung Fu Pimp to Brotha Jibril to dance vocalist Karina Nistal — will get back together to keep the party going all day long. 3 pm to 3 am.

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Movie Review

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 doesn't match the first movie's enthusiasm

Blumhouse

Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

Blumhouse Productions first made their name with the Paranormal Activity series, establishing themselves as a leader in the horror genre thanks to their relatively cheap yet effective movies. In recent years, they’ve added on “soft” horror films like M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s to draw in a younger audience, with both films becoming so successful that each was quickly given a sequel.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 finds Mike (Josh Hutcherson) and his sister Abby (Piper Rubio) still recovering from the events of the first film, with Abby particularly missing her “friends.” Those friends just so happen to be the souls of murdered children who inhabit animatronic characters at the long-defunct Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, children who were abducted and killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard).

A new threat emerges at another Freddy Fazbear’s location in the form of Charlotte, another murdered child who inhabits a creepy large marionette. Mike, distracted by a possible romance with Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), fails to keep track of Abby, who makes her way to the old pizzeria and inadvertently unleashes Charlotte and her minions on the surrounding town.

Directed by Emma Tammi and written by Scott Cawthon (who also created the video game on which the series is based), the film tries to mix together goofy elements with intense scenes. One particular sequence, in which the security guard for Freddy Fazbear’s lets a group of ghost hunters onto the property, toes the line between soft and hard horror. That and a few others show the potential that the filmmakers had if they had stuck to their guns.

Unfortunately, more often than not they either soft-pedal things that would normally be horrific, or can’t figure out how to properly stage scenes. The sight of animatronic robots wreaking havoc is one that is simultaneously frightening and laughable, and the filmmakers never seem to find the right balance in tone. Every step in the direction of making a truly scary horror film is undercut by another in which the robots fail to live up to their promise.

It doesn’t help that Cawthon gives the cast some extremely wooden dialogue, lines that none of the actors can elevate. What may work in a video game format comes off as stilted when said by actors in a live-action film. The story also loses momentum quickly after the first half hour or so, with Cawthon seemingly content to just have characters move from place to place with no sense of connection between any of the scenes.

Hutcherson (The Hunger Games series), after being the true lead of the first film, is given very little to do in this film, and his effort is equal to his character’s arc. The same goes for Lail, whose character seems to be shoehorned into the story. Rubio is called upon to carry the load for a lot of the movie, and the teenager is not quite up to the task. A brief appearance by Skeet Ulrich seems to be a blatant appeal to Scream fans, but he and Lillard only underscore how limited this film is compared to that franchise.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is better than the first film, but not by much. The filmmakers do a decent job of making the new marionette character into a great villain, but they fail to capitalize on its inherent creepiness. Instead, they fall back on less effective elements, ensuring that the film will be forgettable for anyone other than hardcore Freddy fans.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2 opens in theaters on December 5.

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