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    Party in the U.S.A.

    The Procrastinator's Guide to the Fourth of July

    Sarah Rufca
    Jul 4, 2010 | 7:54 am
    • Fourth of July isn't just about fireworks in Houston.
    • La Torretta Lake Resort is offering a special getaway package.
      Photo by Thomas Hart Shelby

    The recipe for a good Independence Day is pretty simple: Barbecue + bathing suit = backyard bliss.

    But there's no reason not to take this holiday weekend up a notch. Luckily, CultureMap's got the round-up of all the happenings, from posh to patriotic, to have a most festive Fourth.

    - The big event every year is the Freedom Over Texas concert and fireworks at Eleanor Tinsley Park from 4-10 p.m. on July 4. In addition to being the largest land-based fireworks demonstration in the country, the concert is headlined by Texas country crooner Pat Green.

    - Neighboring Baytown's Fourth of July Festival is set to one-up Houston with two days of sun, fun and music Saturday and Sunday. The big draw will be Saturday night at 8 p.m. when '70s legends Blue Oyster Cult take the stage.

    - For a party in a more posh setting on July 4, head to CityCentre, where retro cover band Video Vamp will entertain shoppers before a fireworks show.

    - If fireworks means a day at the lake, do it in style on Lake Conroe with La Torretta Lake Resort's July 4th Fireworks Cruise Package. It includes a night in a one-bedroom suite and two tickets on the "Little Palm," an 80-foot luxury houseboat cruiser, for a two-hour trip on the lake. The cruise features a variety of hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar — and culminates in a fireworks display overhead.

    - Fans of dogs and sports alike shouldn't miss national touring event DockDogs when it comes to Discovery Green Friday through Sunday. Dogs of all size, stripe and breed compete in a long jump from a 20-foot runway into a 40-foot pool, with winners crowned in height, speed and retrieval time categories. This is a truly athletic competition, with some jumps catching over 24 feet of air!

    - Show your patriotism in your drink order this weekend. Cyclone Anaya's is offering the Independence Margarita, with frozen margaritas, Chambord and Blue Curaçao striped in a pilsner glass.

    Or grab the fresh and fruity Stars and Stripes Martini at RA Sushi, a mix of muddled blueberries, Skyy Citrus vodka, Chambord, Blue Curacao, lemonade, simple syrup and lemon-lime soda. At the newly refurbished 5115 in the Galleria, guests can sip Patriotic punch, a mix of Tito's vodka, Railean rum, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, and enjoy it with the All-American Dog — a Kobe beef hot dog served with four-cheese mac and cheese and freedom fries.

    - Branch Water Tavern is getting in on the celebration with its First Annual Fourth of July Pig Roast. On Sunday from 1-10 p.m., all comers who order a drink at the bar get a complimentary meal of roasted suckling pig with all-American sides and homemade biscuits. There are also other a la carte specials, like a Bombshell Blonde Beer and Kobe beef burger combo for $10.

    - Randy Rucker's Bootsie's Heritage Cafe in Tomball is also breaking out the smoker, serving up a backyard barbecue menu of pulled pork, duck and beef brisket all weekend.

    - Pico's Mex-Mex is having a north-of-the-border buffet on July 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For $12.95, you get all-you-can-eat grilled pork, beef and chicken, sliders, and hot dogs, plus $5 bottomless mimosas and $2.75 micheladas.

    - History buffs looking for a holiday that's more Independence Day than Fourth of July should head to Bayou Bend for its annual extravaganza of Americana, with historical performers, activities, crafts and refreshments, plus a Texas-sized Declaration of Independence to put your John Hancock on.

    - Looking for cultural history of a different sort? Don't miss the Shen Yun Performing Arts, dancers reinvigorating 5,000 years of Chinese cultural patrimony in a dazzling display. They'll be in Houston for three shows Friday and Saturday at the Wortham Theater Center.

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    Movie Review

    How to Train Your Dragon remake puts a fresh twist on the original

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 12, 2025 | 4:14 pm
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon
    Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon.

    Let’s get it out of the way right at the top: The new live-action How to Train Your Dragon, coming a mere 15 years after the original animated film, serves no real purpose other than to make more money for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures. However, unlike Disney’s approach toward remaking their animated movies, this attempt manages to succeed on its own merits instead of being a half-baked vessel for nostalgia.

    As fans will remember, Hiccup (Mason Thames) lives in Berk, a town on a remote island populated by Vikings who constantly have to defend themselves against rampaging dragons. Hiccup’s dad, Stoick (Gerard Butler), is the community’s vaunted leader, with a legacy that seems impossible for Hiccup to measure up to, especially since he’s stuck in the armory alongside Gobber (Nick Frost).

    But Hiccup has a knack for inventions, and his use of one new weapon during a dragon attack takes down a feared Night Fury. Finding the wounded dragon deep in the forest, Hiccup decides against killing it, leading to an unexpected bond between the two of them. Most of the film shows Hiccup trying to prove himself to his townspeople, including the fierce Astrid (Nico Parker), while also nursing the dragon he dubs Toothless back to health with the help of another one of his ingenious creations.

    Written and directed by Dean DeBlois (who’s had the same roles on all four HTTYD films), the film is most notable for how engaging it is despite it retelling a story many already know and love. The biggest reason for this is a pivot away from telling a story mainly for kids toward one that feels like an extremely light version of Game of Thrones. Almost right away, there are real stakes for the people in the film, and the way DeBlois and his team stage the scenes, the danger can be felt by the audience.

    This sense of “realness” comes through especially well in the scenes between Hiccup and Toothless. The design of Toothless is faithful to the original, but the CGI makes the dragon feel amazingly believable. And when they start flying, the film literally and metaphorically takes off. At multiple points, the camera seems to have trouble keeping them in frame, a smart move toward verisimilitude when the filmmakers clearly could have made it an overly smooth watching experience.

    Even though it’s more serious than the original, the film still has plenty of fun to offer. Characters like Gobber (who replaces his two missing limbs with odd contraptions) and the ragtag group of teenagers who come to be in awe of Hiccup’s skills at taming dragons provide more than a few laughs. Hiccup isn’t quite as goofy as he was when voiced by Jay Baruchel, which turns out to be a good thing as his sense of purpose amps up the drama of the story.

    Thames’ performance gets better and better as the film goes along, as Hiccup goes from town whipping boy toward hero. He really shines in the last act when he’s given a few scenes that show off his acting range. Parker is equally good, demonstrating the girl power needed for the role, but also the softness of a potential love interest. Butler, the only actor reprising their voice role, is a great presence who sells the outsized personality of Stoick.

    Against the odds, this new version of How to Train Your Dragon is equal to the success of the first film, accomplishing the goal of making it feel like you’re watching the story for the first time. If live-action remakes are going to continue to come out, future filmmakers should study this film for how to respect both the history of the franchise and the audience paying good money to be entertained.

    ---

    How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters on June 13.

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