weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Sebastian Maniscalo brings his brand of kooky comedy to town.

This weekend, cosplayers and comic-book will be flocking to Comicpalooza on Saturday and Sunday. Expect downtown Houston to be a straight-up geekapalooza.

However, for those with — shall we say a more "refined" — taste, Sunday is National Caviar Day. Several spots will be taking advantage of this with special caviar-related events, including The Annie Cafe and Bar, Turner's and Uchi Houston. Also, check out our National Caviar Day coverage here.

Also this weekend, look for a local theater's big event, beer-fueled bashes, a bar anniversary party, fun markets, and a red-hot comic coming to town. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 15

Express Theatre presents Rhyme & Reason
This virtual event will feature music, dance, and performance poetry, presenting Black history from ancient Africa to today. The production features poetry by Houston Poet Laureate Emeritus Deborah DEEP Mouton and members of her slam poetry team, with a special appearance by Lauren Anderson, the world’s first African American prima ballerina, from the Houston Ballet. There will also be a short Q&A with the cast. 10 am.

The Riot Comedy Show presents The Interruption with Tre Tutson
For those who have ever checked out went to LA and checked out The Benson Interruption, where comedian Doug Benson would interject other comics doing their sets on-stage, The Riot Comedy Show has something just like it. A hand-selected lineup of comedians have agreed to be interrupted in the middle of their performance by Tru Tutson, one of the most flippant, unfiltered, abrasive, and hilarious Houston comedians who always gets the last word in with these comics. 7:30 pm.

Friday, July 16

Big Trouble in Little China Watch Party & Beer Release
To celebrate the 35th Anniversary of John Carpenter's wacky 1986 adventure, Eureka Heights is showing the film on their new titan screen. Come early and grab yourself a good seat and pint or a 4-pack of their new Golden Six Shooter Golden Ale. They worked closely with co-star/man of many weapons himself Gerald Okamura on this brew. They will also be giving away autographed items and swag to a few lucky fans in attendance. 7 pm.

Sebastian Maniscalco: Nobody Does This Tour
Along with being perhaps the only comic to have a obsessed fan in E! personality Giuliana Rancic, Sebastian Maniscalco has celebrated heights only a few comedians ever achieve. In addition to his stand-out stand-up career, which has seen him headlines at arenas across the country, he has appeared in movies like Tag, Green Book, and The Irishman. He's now on the road, ready to make a stop in Houston as part of his Nobody Does This tour. 7 pm.

Theatre Southwest presents All in the Timing
All in the Timing is a collection of one-act plays by David Ives. The short plays are almost all comedies, which such titles as Words, Words, Words, Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread, and Variations on the Death of Trotsky. These plays focus mainly on language and wordplay, existentialist perspectives on life and meaning, as well as the complications involved in romantic relationships. This will run through Saturday, July 31. 8 pm. (3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, July 17

Brews & Browse Art Market
Bring the family out to the Ingenious Brewing Co Brewing Company (where they have some monthly events as a night of beer and lobster!) and join them for this new, monthly gathering full of beer, food, art, and handmade fun. They will have a full selection of beer on tap, wine by the glass and bottled soda for sale. GastroCraft will be serving up some delicious grub to satisfy your hunger. And let's not forget all the art vendors that will be selling all their creative stuff. Noon.

Revelry on Richmond 7 Year Anniversary Party
Revelry is going all-in for their seven-year anniversary party this weekend. They'll also be celebrating surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and want to give thanks to everyone that helped support them. The sports bar will turn into a casino for the night with fun games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and more. They will also be raffling off cool raffle prizes throughout the night, such as Astros tickets, a two-night stay at the Heights House Hotel, a foursome at Houston National Golf Club and much more. 7 pm.

Community Music Center of Houston presents Family Funk Festival
This funk celebration will be intergenerational, beginning in the 1970s to the present. Some of Houston’s great musicians, including Vivian Mosley and her band The Storm, will perform hits from Parliament, Funkadelic, George Clinton, and others. After intermission, Tweed Smith, a former member of the funk band War, will wow audiences with some of their greatest hits. The uniqueness of this concert is that it includes both classic and new songs in the world of funk. 8:30 pm.

Sunday, July 18

Legacy Community Health presents Mint Julep
For close to 40 years, Legacy has led the fight against HIV, opening its doors to the LGBTQ+ community in 1978 as the Montrose Clinic. Now in its 19th year, this legendary Houston LGBTQ event will honor Jani Lopez, a former Mint Julep chairperson and long-time supporter of Legacy's mission to drive healthy change. The event's integrated approach to care has helped give patients the opportunity to live healthier, more productive lives, and help end the spread of HIV. 10 am.

Cosmic Creature Events presents Solar Summer Food Fest
Located at the back patio of Social Beer Garden HTX, this is a celebration of all things: smoked and savory, spicy and sweet, cheesy and mouthwatering. But, mostly, this is an event made for Houstonians by Houstonians! They will have a plethora of local eats and sweets for you to enjoy. There will be plenty of options to fit every taste and diet. Bring your family and friends. Vegan options available. 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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