Weekend events planner

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

Even though it’s a short work week, the weekend still can’t get here soon enough. Ready to have some fun? We hear you. From lively festivals to can’t-miss food events, read on for the top eight things to do in Houston this weekend. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Deep in the heart
Thursday, June 1
Head to posh downtown residential high-rise The Star Houston for a Texas-themed three-course dinner, including cocktail pairings, by chef and former contestant on the Food Network's Chopped Javani King.

A cheese and fruit board gets things started before course one, an Heirloom tomato salad with aioli, 25-year-old balsamic, and burrata cheese, is served. It’s followed by a main entree of pan-roasted quail with aioli blanched garlic potato puree and braised kale, and chocolate bourbon pecan pie for dessert. Proceeds benefit nonprofit Preservation Houston. (6:30-9 pm; tickets: $50-$70 per person; free valet)
1111 Rusk St.

Back in time
Friday, June 2-Sunday, June 4
Experience up-close encounters with a lifelike Stegosaurus, Velociraptor, and T-Rex at Discover the Dinosaurs Unleashed event at NRG Arena. Kid-friendly activities include miniature golf, a scavenger hunt, digging for fossils, and play time in the Adventure Zone with bounce houses, crafts, and face painting. (Various times; tickets: $15-$19 per person)
1 NRG Park; 612-375-9670

Mermaid tale
Friday, June 2
Polish fantasy horror flick The Lure puts an adult spin on The Little Mermaid. The storyline involves two mermaid sisters, caught in a love triangle when they fall for the same man. Catch a showing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (7 pm; tickets: $7-$9 per person)
1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

Soccer state of mind
Saturday, June 3
Kick it at FM Kitchen and Bar, where you can catch the play-by-play as Juventus takes on Real Madrid in UEFA Champions League soccer final. Score big thanks to specially priced Italian and Spanish beers ($1 off while each respective country's team leads the game) available all throughout the match. (1:45 pm; tickets: free entry)

Get your game on early with spins by DJ Ryan McKay (10 am-kickoff), and work up a thirst as former Houston Dynamo Mike Chabala, of soccer-inspired fitness club Sphere, leads two workout classes. (Classes are at 10 am and 11 am; tickets: Space is limited with free admission for the first 10 people to arrive)
1112 Shepherd Dr.

Music fest
Saturday, June 3-Sunday, June 4
The lineup of more than 55 artists on four stages at the 2017 Free Press Summer Festival includes headliners Lorde, Flume, G-Eazy, Cage The Elephant, Solange, and The Shins. Fuel up at the festival food court with elevated bites by chefs Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan of The Pass and Provisions. (11 am - 11 pm on Saturday, 11 am - 10 pm on Sunday; tickets: $148 per person)
150 Sabine St.; 888-512-7469

Where the wild things are
Sunday, June 4
On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, the 52nd "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" exhibition/competition at The Houston Museum of Natural Science features 100 awe-inspiring images, from fascinating animal behavior to breathtaking wild landscapes. The annual contest receives almost 50,000 entries from 96 countries, with this year’s 100 award-winning images showcased in an international tour across six continents. (9 am; tickets: $25 per adult and $15 per child)
5555 Hermann Park Dr.; 713-639-4629

Car show
Sunday, June 4
The Houston Exotic Auto Festival and Luxury Lifestyle E-X-P-O hits NRG Arena with a display of luxe automobiles from McLaren, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and more. (11 am; tickets: $20-$35 per person)
1 NRG Park; 713-629-3700

Puppy love
Sunday, June 4
At the Chefs for Paws fundraiser at The Merrill House, enjoy tastings created by a roster of local top chefs, including Martha DeLeon (Pax Americana), Alyssa Dole (Cherry Pie Hospitality), Felix Flores (Ritual), Ben McPherson (Krisp Bird & Batter), and Ryan Hildebrand (FM Kitchen and Bar). You’ll also enjoy cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka, beer from Goliad Brewing, and wine from Cannonball Wines. Proceeds go to Rescued Pets Movement. (5-7 pm; tickets: $75 per person on up to $500 for a VIP table for eight)
2502 Algerian Way; 713- 360-2002

The lineup at the 2017 Free Press Summer Festival boasts more than 55 artists on four stages, plus a lot of happy fans.

Photo by Marco Torres

The lineup at the 2017 Free Press Summer Festival boasts more than 55 artists on four stages, plus a lot of happy fans.

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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