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    weekend event planner

    Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig Lindsey
    Jul 7, 2022 | 6:00 am
    Maverick City Music
    Music sensation Maverick City Music hits town with Kirk Franklin this weekend.
    Maverick City Music/Instagram

    This weekend, the hills are alive with a Houston stage return of one of the most cherished movies of all time. One of the hottest musical acts of the summer heads to town, as does a decidedly clean comic. A local brewery gets totally cheesy, and the Moody Center presents a fun family day. And, some female bartenders take action following a controversial Supreme Court ruling.

    Enjoy and stay cool; here are your best bets for the weekend.

    Thursday, July 7

    Sabine Street Studios presents "Growing Pleasures" closing reception
    The artists at Sabine Street Studios will celebrate the closing of their latest group exhibition, a selection of works inspired by the force of nature and the energy of rebirth. The event celebrates the revival of the art season in Houston; flourishing, nature, harmony and lots of color are part of the collection of works on display. During the closing event, live music and drinks will be offered. Additionally, artist studios will be open. 4 pm.

    Community Workshop at Exotic Pop
    Houston, Black-owned beverage company Exotic Pop is hosting this free community workshop, with speakers and resources for youth and adults covering a host of topics from kid entrepreneurship to stock options. The workshop is part of a free, community resource program the company recently launched to give back and provide the Houston community, with free resources and knowledge to help people navigate areas like personal finance, entrepreneurship, health and well-being, legal issues, and more. 5 pm.

    A.D. Players presents The Sound of Music
    Vienna, 1938. The hills are alive with the sound of music — at least that's what Maria believes. The iconic American musical follows the story of free-spirited, young Maria, who finds her place, purpose, and love within the home of the Von Trapp family. Set against the backdrop of the building conflict with Nazi Germany, this story of triumph in the face of adversity has stood the test of time. Through Sunday, August 14. 7:30 pm (8 pm Saturday; 2:30 and 8 pm Sunday).

    Friday, July 8

    Fresh Arts presents "MythoFutuRiddim" opening reception
    The Space Taking Artist Residency, powered by Fresh Arts, is a six-week opportunity for traditionally underrepresented local artists to experiment and “takeover” a public space in new and out-of-the box ways. As part of this residency, MythoFutuRddim, an arts and cultural festival, has been chosen for the summer residency. Along with contemporary art, the festival will also include music performances, poetry readings, an interactive installation, kids' events and more. Through Sunday, August 14. 6 pm.

    Improv Houston presents Bruce Bruce
    It's always great when our favorite host of BET's long-gone, stand-up showcase ComicView comes back to Houston. Bruce Bruce is a name synonymous with keeping audiences rolling with laughter, thanks to his captivating improv skills and larger-than-life comedic style. Although Bruce is known for his adult comedy, he prides himself on not using vulgarity to win a laugh, and is no stranger in winning over new audiences with every appearance. 7:30 and 9:45 pm (7 and 9:30 pm Saturday; 7:30 pm Sunday).

    Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin in concert with Jonathan McReynolds and Housefires
    If you like your gospel with a bit of boom-bap in it, it's time to make a joyful noise. Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin will co-headline this special concert. The Atlanta Christian/gospel collective and the legendary inspirational artist have joined forces for their newest project Kingdom Book One, a live album which raises awareness on the injustice of mass incarceration. They will be joined by Jonathan McReynolds and Housefires. 6:45 pm.

    Opera Leggera presents Broadway Serenade
    Kingwood-based fans of musical theater will be getting a special treat this weekend. Opera Leggera is bringing the magic of Broadway to the community for two performances. Featuring some of Houston’s finest, local music artists, this musical revue will showcase excerpts of some of America’s most beloved musicals, including Oklahoma, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, My Fair Lady, and more. 7:30 pm (7 pm Saturday).

    Saturday, July 9

    Moody Center for the Arts presents Summer Jam Family Day
    Open to kids of all ages and families of all types, guests will get a chance to explore the Moody and see the artwork on view. Kids can enjoy face painting, art activities, and a scavenger hunt, while adults sip beverages, shop at the indoor, local food market, and snack on hot food options from Lemond Kitchen, JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ, and Desi Fresh. This event is co-presented with The Informal Grub, creators of the Rice Village and Heights Farmers Markets. Noon.

    Giant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
    James M. Vaughn Jr. (1939–2022), a longtime supporter of MFAH Films, had a lifelong interest in mathematics. The Museum honors him with a series called The Mathematician Moviegoer, three weekends of his favorite movies selected by his widow, artist Salle Werner Vaughn. First up is George Stevens's Lone Star saga from 1953. James Dean, Rock Hudson, and Elizabeth Taylor star in this sprawling epic about a wealthy, Texas ranching family. 2 pm.

    Eureka Heights Queso Bowl
    Eureka Heights Brew Co. will be getting cheesy with it this weekend. They have gathered teams from around the neighborhood to see who makes the best queso. First place gets the biggest trophy, a $200 EH gift card and $200 donated to Kids' Meals Houston in the team's name. For those who just want to eat queso, it's free to attend. All you have to do is show up and be the trusty judges who decide the Queso Bowl Champion. 5 pm.

    Dellrose presents Live on the Lawn
    Over in Hockley, live music returns to Dellrose during this concert series. The family-friendly evenings will also feature a street market with more than 20 vendors, food trucks, ice cream, and cold beer. This weekend's band will be Breakfast at Tiffany's, a Houston-based variety band that plays music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s, as well as Latin, pop, rock, country, and today’s top radio favorites. 6 pm.

    Sunday, July 10

    The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents "Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York" opening day
    Examining Jewish ceremonial objects from antiquity to the present, this exhibit (which explores the artistic, ritualistic, and cultural significance of more than 140 works) marks the first in a series of presentations from the world-renowned collection of the Jewish Museum in New York City. The new, ongoing partnership between the MFAH and the Jewish Museum brings exceptional objects to Houston over a period of years. Through Sunday, September 18. 12:30 pm.

    Paid In Full - DJ Burb/July B-Day Edition
    The Paid in Full team will be having another birthday bash at Cafe 4212 this weekend. This time around, DJ Burb will be the b-day boy, spinning old-school/rare hip-hop and soul from the '80s, '90s, and early '00s, along with Paid in Full crewmates DJ Nimbus and MC Mistagoodbar. (A special unannounced guest will also be joining in on the festivities.) Of course, all the July babies are welcome to the celebration. 3 pm.

    An Evening of Ovary-Action at Grand Prize Bar
    The female bartenders of Grand Prize Bar, Poison Girl, Double Trouble and Lil' Danny Speedo's Go Fly a Kite Lounge will be taking over Grand Prize for this event, mixing specially-designed cocktails. Plus, there will be lots of resources and folks to talk to about reproductive health, mental health, mutual aid, legal representation, and more. The upstairs bar proceeds will go to ACLU Texas to help them in the fight for reproductive and civil rights. 6 pm.

    event-planner
    news/entertainment

    Movie Review

    Meta-comedy remake Anaconda coils itself into an unfunny mess

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 26, 2025 | 2:30 pm
    Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Anaconda
    Photo by Matt Grace
    Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Anaconda.

    In Hollywood’s never-ending quest to take advantage of existing intellectual property, seemingly no older movie is off limits, even if the original was not well-regarded. That’s certainly the case with 1997’s Anaconda, which is best known for being a lesser entry on the filmography of Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez, as well as some horrendous accent work by Jon Voight.

    The idea behind the new meta-sequel Anaconda is arguably a good one. Four friends — Doug (Jack Black), Griff (Paul Rudd), Claire (Thandiwe Newton), and Kenny (Steve Zahn) — who made homemade movies when they were teenagers decide to remake Anaconda on a shoestring budget. Egged on by Griff, an actor who can’t catch a break, the four of them pull together enough money to fly down to Brazil, hire a boat, and film a script written by Doug.

    Naturally, almost nothing goes as planned in the Amazon, including losing their trained snake and running headlong into a criminal enterprise. Soon enough, everything else takes second place to the presence of a giant anaconda that is stalking them and anyone else who crosses its path.

    Written and directed by Tom Gormican, with help from co-writer Kevin Etten, the film is designed to be an outrageous comedy peppered with laugh-out-loud moments that cover up the fact that there’s really no story. That would be all well and good … if anything the film had to offer was truly funny. Only a few scenes elicit any honest laughter, and so instead the audience is fed half-baked jokes, a story with no focus, and actors who ham it up to get any kind of reaction.

    The biggest problem is that the meta-ness of the film goes too far. None of the core four characters possess any interesting traits, and their blandness is transferred over to the actors playing them. And so even as they face some harrowing situations or ones that could be funny, it’s difficult to care about anything they do since the filmmakers never make the basic effort of making the audience care about them.

    It’s weird to say in a movie called Anaconda, but it becomes much too focused on the snake in the second half of the film. If the goal is to be a straight-up comedy, then everything up to and including the snake attacks should be serving that objective. But most of the time the attacks are either random or moments when the characters are already scared, and so any humor that could be mined all but disappears.

    Black and Rudd are comedy all-stars who can typically be counted on to elevate even subpar material. That’s not the case here, as each only scores on a few occasions, with Black’s physicality being the funniest thing in the movie. Newton is not a good fit with this type of movie, and she isn’t done any favors by some seriously bad wigs. Zahn used to be the go-to guy for funny sidekicks, but he brings little to the table in this role.

    Any attempt at rebooting/remaking an old piece of IP should make a concerted effort to differentiate itself from the original, and in that way, the new Anaconda succeeds. Unfortunately, that’s its only success, as the filmmakers can never find the right balance to turn it into the bawdy comedy they seemed to want.

    ---

    Anaconda is now playing in theaters.

    moviesfilm
    news/entertainment

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