Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

You’ve been working hard all week, so let loose this weekend with our picks for the best things to do in Houston. Enjoy some amazing concerts, a standout dinner prepared by some renowned chefs, and a soccer exhibition competition. And don’t forget to get your tickets and head to CultureMap’s Country Club Social. Read on for nine can’t-miss happenings going on Thursday through Sunday.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

It's a dog-eat-dog world
Thursday, July 20-Sunday, July 23
The World Series of Dog Shows heads to NRG Park. The canine extravaganza features agility and performance events, creative grooming contests, AKC conformation, and breed judging, plus goods and services from more than 230 vendors. (Various times; tickets: $5-$20 per person)
8400 Kirby Dr.; 281-536-0528

Quintessential preppy
Thursday, July 20
Put on your pearls and tennis skirts, pop your collars, and head to CultureMap’s Country Club party at SkyHouse River Oaks. Held on the 25th floor of the luxe high-rise, both inside the chic clubhouse and on the rooftop terrace, expect amazing views, bites by Liberty Kitchen, and beverages by Gentleman Jack whiskey, Deep Ellum Brewing Company, and Topo Chico. Shop 'til you drop with Sid Mashburn and Ann Mashburn and play games, from bocce ball to mini golf. All proceeds benefit Candlelighters Houston, which supports families facing childhood cancer. (6:30- 9 pm; tickets: $25 per person)
2031 Westcreek Ln., 25th floor

Game on
Thursday, July 20
English Premier League rivals Manchester United F.C. and Manchester City F.C. face off at NRG Stadium in the Manchester Derby, part of the 2017 International Champions Cup. This match is the first Manchester Derby played outside of the United Kingdom in the rivalry’s 115-year history. (8:30 pm; tickets: $50-$250 per person)
8400 Kirby Dr.; 713-629-3700

Weekend flick
Friday, July 21-Saturday, July 22
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents a film series starring award-winning English actor Sir Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy. The Ladykillers plays July 21, while The Lavender Hill Mob screens on July 22. (Various times; tickets: $9 per person)
1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

Country star
Friday, July 21
Country artist Travis Tritt, who has 11 studio albums under his belt, performs at the Arena Theatre. Tritt’s hit songs include “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” "Here's a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares),” "It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” and “"Best of Intentions.” (8 pm; tickets: $$25.50-$65.50 per person)
7326 Southwest Fwy.; 713-772-5900

Say I Do
Saturday, July 22-Sunday, July 23
The Bridal Extravaganza Summer Show at downtown’s George R. Brown Convention Center presents 350 wedding vendors, fashion shows, cake tastings, and more. (Various times; tickets: $15-$45 per person)
1001 Avenida de las Americas; 281-340-7777

Puppy love
Saturday, July 22
Score refreshing treats by Saint Arnold Brewing Company and Hot Rod Pops at the Dog Days of Summer event at Doc’s Motorworks Bar and Grill. The afternoon, which benefits BARC animal shelter, also offers a dog costume contest and frosty PUPsicles to keep Fido cool. (4-7 pm; tickets: free to enter)
1303 Westheimer Rd.; 713-521-3627

Pop concert
Saturday, July 22
Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes performs onstage at Toyota Center in support of his newest album, Illuminate. Songs by the 18-year-old Canadian heartthrob include “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” “Lights Out,” “Stitches,” and “Handwritten.” (7:30 pm; tickets: $47.50-$67.50)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Good eats
Sunday, July 23
At the Salty Supper No. 3 dinner at Midtown’s Reef restaurant, enjoy a delicious meal prepared by local and national top chefs including Bryan Caswell (Houston’s Reef), James Beard award-winning chef John Currence (Oxford’s City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast), Kelly English (Memphis’s Restaurant Iris, The Second Line), Ryan Pera (Houston’s Coltivare, Revival Market), Martha De Leon (Houston’s Pax Americana), and Sarah Schnitzer (Houston’s Pax Americana). As well, sip cocktails created by Morgan Weber (Houston’s Eight Row Flint). (6:30-9:30 pm; tickets: $250-$2,000 per person)
2600 Travis St.; 713-526-8282

The World Series of Dog Shows heads to NRG Park.

Photo by Zuzana Leckova

The World Series of Dog Shows heads to NRG Park.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

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