weekend event planner

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

Bark in the park with the canine-friendly Sunday event, DOGust.

Photo by Lynn Sabo

Who feels like going back to the '90s this weekend?

If you long for the days of Zima wine coolers and appointment television like Melrose Place, you might also dig this concert featuring Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy, going down this Thursday at Minute Maid Park. (You don't have to show up in JNCO jeans, but it wouldn't hurt.)

If you don't feel like getting your '90s on, you could also head over to East End Backyard the same night and check out the Concacaf Gold Cup watch party. Qatar vs USA will be at 6:30 pm, while Mexico vs. Canada will be at 9 pm.

Also, look for art happenings, cool concerts, an adorable dog adoption bash, and the nicest way to tell someone they're in the Friend Zone. Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 29

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents Summer Mixtape Series
The Miller Summer Mixtape series is a three-day, multi-genre, independent music showcase featuring Houston’s top local acts. From jazz to punk, reggae to country and indie rock to pop, music lovers are invited to enjoy their favorite local artists on the lawn under the stars or from the pavilion seats. You can also watch it on the Miller Outdoor Theatre website, YouTube channel or Facebook page. 8:30 pm.

Second Promises at Two Headed Dog
Midtown hangout Two Headed Dog will be having quite the birthday-party experience for one of its employees, Khrystah Luisa de los Santos. There will be showing a double bill of Teen Wolf and An American Werewolf in London. The b-day girl will be serving up drink specials, while pop-up kitchen Knives in Water will provide an "after-school lunch program." There will also be a $2 crush-letter note passing and trivia with prizes. 9 pm.

Friday, July 30

Regal Edwards Greenway Grand Palace presents Without Getting Killed or Caught
This documentary is the true story of Guy Clark, the dean of Texas songwriters, who struggles to write poetic yet indelible songs while balancing a complicated marriage with wife Susanna, and a deep friendship with singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt, whom Susanna forged a passionate dependence. There are multiple screenings each day following the listed start time; go to the theater's website for a full schedule. Through Thursday, August 5. 1:05 pm.

Friend Zone Friday at State of Mind
Do you have a friend who's trying to take it to that next level, but you're like, "Nah, I'm good"? Don't worry about it — State of Mind has your back with this event. The nightclub will have fabulous food (including vegan options), a full bar, vendors, free parking, and a DJ playing music. So, when you tell your buddy you don't think of them that way, at least refreshments and entertainment will be there to make them feel better. 7 pm.

The Texas Lottery & Resound presents Luck Happens Live
To us, D.C. rapper Wale will always be known as the guy who found a way to bring the TV show Seinfeld into hip-hop. He memorably released two mixtapes, The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing, sliding in snippets from the show. He eventually got with Jerry Seinfeld himself for The Album About Nothing. Anyway, he'll be headlining Texas Lottery's Luck Happens Live, with Riders Against the Storm. 8 pm.

Saturday, July 31

BLK Beetles Run CRW at Tipping Point Coffee
BLK Beetles is designed to inspire, empower and support community members throughout their wellness journey. They provide opportunities for community members to build authentic fellowships while collectively creating new and thriving wellness spaces. They are days away from the first community run meet-up, starting at Tipping Point Coffee. Everyone is welcome. Radical and inclusive, just the way a running CRW should be. 7 am.

Shaping the Past Exhibition Opening at Project Row Houses
The Shaping the Past Exhibition will open to the public for the first time this Saturday at Project Row Houses' Community Gallery, together with the opening event of "Round 52: Gulf Coast Anthropocene." This Round questions what public art can inform us about this era, our connection to the built and natural environments, and our need for a more just and sustainable here-and-now. 3 pm.

Jason Mraz (and Southern Avenue) at White Oak Music Hall
Yes, Jason Mraz will be performing in Houston this weekend, but let's rap a taste about his opening act, Southern Avenue. The Memphis-based, Grammy-nominated band bridges the power of Memphis soul with jam-band liberation, gospel blues, and R&B to craft their own timeless brand of American music. The band will be releasing their new album Be the Love You Want on Friday, August 27. 8 pm.

Sunday, August 1

DOGust at Woodshed Smokehouse
Chef Tim Love's Levy Park smokehouse will host rescue awareness days every Sunday in August with Lola's Lucky Day, a Houston non-profit that rescues stray dogs in Texas and finds them homes in Wisconsin. Woodshed will offer a free appetizer and peanut butter milk-bone with any purchase during the events. Dog lovers can pet and play with the pups on the dog-friendly patio, or bring their own furry friend for a day in the park. Noon.

Main Street Theater presents Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School
Main Street Theater will present the final performance of Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School, the sequel to Junie B. Jones the Musical. This is the wisecracking first grader’s newest adventure, writing her own survival guide with tips and tricks on surviving an entire day at school. (This sounds cute as hell.) Also, the new performance location will be MECA at TBH on S. Jensen Dr. 3:30 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

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

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.

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

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