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

Drink for the flag and veterans at The Rustic.

The Rustic/Facebook

This weekend, everyone will celebrate a day that's as American as baseball, apple pie, and Dear Ol' Mom: National Fried Chicken Day (gotcha).

Saturday will be the day where people can dig into greasy, delicious yardbirds without guilt. Several local eateries already have some succulent meal deals prepared for this day. (Our favorite is the double-donut fried chicken sandwich, fries, and a drink for $10 over at Sam's Fried Chicken & Donuts.)

Here are some other things happening this week. And, by the way, the Fourth of July is this weekend, too. Happy Independence Day to all!

Thursday, July 4

Kidpendence Day at the Children's Museum of Houston
As part of the Children's Museum of Houston's "Action-Packed Summer," the museum will have a very special Independence Day, called Kidpendence Day. Among the special attractions: a National Anthem/flag ceremony with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, an elephant toothpaste patriotic blast (whatever that is), and Captain America and Wonder Woman will be around for photos. Don't forget to wear your red, white, and blue! 10 am.

Drink the Flag at The Rustic
Get buzzed for a good cause at this Fourth of July event. Drink the Flag will raise funds and awareness for the Lone Survivor Foundation's mission to restore, empower, and renew hope for wounded service members, veterans, and their families through health, wellness, and therapeutic support. There will be live music from Brandon Smith, Jeremy Webb, and the Whiskey Daniels Band, and all U.S. military attendees will receive a complimentary Rustic burger. 1 pm.

Friday, July 5

Elizabeth Warren at University of Houston
With the 4,000 or so candidates angling to be the one who goes up against the president in 2020, Elizabeth Warren seems to be one of the few Democrats who actually generates some buzz. In fact, she'll be here this weekend, holding a town hall at University of Houston, talking more about her presidential plans and, hopefully, discussing how Kamala Harris basically bodied Joe Biden at that last debate. 4:45 pm.

Amazing Grace at the MFAH
One of the best movies so far this year was actually made nearly 50 years ago. In 1972, the late director Sydney Pollack filmed Aretha Franklin, the recently departed Queen of Soul, as she recorded her Grammy-winning, live gospel album at Los Angeles' New Bethel Baptist Church. This film, which hit theaters earlier this year, not only captures Franklin at her electrifying best. You also get to see the audience — look out for Mick Jagger in the crowd — getting the Holy Spirit along with her. 7 pm (2 pm and 5 pm Sunday).

Saturday, July 6

Splice Records 5th Anniversary Party at The Continental Club
Local trans-genre label Splice Records will be going all-out for its fifth-anniversary party this weekend. Not only will there be performances from Splice artists Arthur Yoria, Ancient Cat Society, Bayou City Funk, and Tomar and the FCs, but this shindig will also serve as a kick-off party for Splice's fifth-annual River Revival Music Fest, which will happen on the Guadalupe River in September. DJ Mikey Drag will also spin tunes out on the patio. 7:30-11:30 pm.

Cholo Goth Prom at Grand Prize Bar
Stylist and self-proclaimed "Montrose Gothic Chola Princess" Sarah Victoria Castillo will turn 30 this weekend, and she'll celebrate her birthday the only way she knows how — with a Cholo Goth Prom. Join her upstairs at Grand Prize and dance to goth hits from Morrissey and Depeche Mode — as well as some classic, Houston/West Coast hip-hop sprinkled here and there — that'll be spun by DJ Squincy Jones. There will also be a prom photo booth, so prom gear is seriously encouraged. 9:30 pm to 2 am.

Sunday, July 7

Beach Bash & Drag Brunch at B.B. Lemon
There's a new eatery and bar on the Montrose block — and its name is B.B. Lemon. After opening its first location on Washington Avenue last November, B.B. Lemon is now expanding to Montrose Boulevard. To celebrate this new addition, the spot will throw a beach bash/drag brunch benefitting The Montrose Center. 100 percent of the ticket proceeds will support the Center in its mission to empower LGBTQ individuals and their families to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives. 11:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Open House closing day at Sam Houston Park
Sunday will be the official closing day for Havel Ruck Projects’ Open House, a small, abandoned abode that was transformed into an interactive, temporary public sculpture. This site-specific installation was scheduled to shut down earlier this year. But it seems like this attraction, where viewers are able to stroll through the house — the openings acting as peepholes to the present through the past — has been a very popular piece of public art. 7 am to 7 pm.

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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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Movie Review

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