fall on the rooftop

Houston's Rooftop Cinema Club reveals long-awaited fall lineup full of fan faves, Halloween thrills, singalong series, and more

Fall on the rooftop is (finally) back.

Photo by J. Thomas Ford

Houston has withstood another scorching summer, and as we look ahead to cooler temps, plans trend to outdoors and al fresco fun. With that in mind, Houston’s first and hottest rooftop movie club is back with a highly anticipated lineup just in time for fall cinema season.

Rooftop Cinema Club, the red-hot venue boasting sweeping skyline views at BLVD Place in Uptown (1700 Post Oak Blvd.), revealed its new season on Tuesday, August 16, oen full of its trademark clever, signature series, events, and fan fests. The new schedule runs from September 6 through October 31; the full lineup can be found online, with tickets available at noon Tuesday.

Tickets range from $17.50 to $25.25 depending on the day of the week and choice of the venue’s new double Adirondack Love Seat, a single Adirondack, or Lounge Seat with or without popcorn. Fans can expect concessions and snacks, plus an extensive menu of beer, wine, and canned cocktails available for purchase. Notably, guests can bring outside food to enjoy on the Rooftop (a huge help to those with dietary restrictions or with kids); no outside drinks are permitted.

As for the films: Naturally, no cinema showcase would be complete without an homage to beloved pop icon Olivia Newton-John, who recently passed away after a 30-year battle with breast cancer. Rooftop will host a special sing-along screening (an audience favorite) of Grease at 7:30 pm Tuesday, August 23. In honor of the superstar, all ticket proceeds will benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre.

September will see a return of all-ages screenings, plus special Hispanic Heritage Month programming. Fans can also look forward to, per the club:

Love It or Hate It series
A must for hyper-critical movie fans (and there are many), Saturdays in September will shine a spotlight on some of cinema's most divisive movies. That means comedies that fell flat with critics, an ambitious, visionary feast that’s “not for everyone,” (uh-oh) and scoffed-at romps like White Chicks, La La Land, and more.

People’s Choice: Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
In this “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” edition of the People’s Choice series, fans vote online for the female coming-of-age movie they want to see. Voting closes August 31, the winning film will be announced September 1.

Virgo/Libra/Scorpio Season
Rooftop has crafted yet another new tradition, this one centered around the Zodiac. From August 23 through September 22, the venue celebrates Virgos by screening movies made by or starring popular Virgos such as our queen Beyoncé, Keanu Reeves, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

From September 23 through October 22, Libras get their due, such as Zac Efron, Anthony Gonzalez, Susan Sarandon, and more.

Fiery Scorpios get some love from October 23 through November 22, with a showcase of scorpions starring Winona Ryder, Jamie Lee Curtis, and others.

October fun
In the club’s favorite month, fans can expect an eclectic mix of spooky favorites, film anniversaries, and fun events, such as:

People’s Choice: Best Horror Sequel
Vote which horror movie sequel to screen at the Rooftop online. Voting closes October 6, the winning film will be announced October 7.

Witches Weekender
Which witch? Find out on the penultimate weekend in October. Rooftop concocts a spell of movies that feature the most fun, scary, and awesome witches.

Hocus Pocus Madness
This event celebrates the beloved tradition of watching Hocus Pocus on during the Halloween season. This year, the club dedicates a whole day to screenings of the modern classic.

Halloween
Look for a double dose of Halloween classics (literally, in the titles) with screenings of the family fave Halloweentown and the chilling, OG slasher Halloween (1978) on October 31.

I Know What You Did Last Summer 25th anniversary
What’s your favorite scary movie? For many, it’s this ’90s slasher horror-comedy. Enjoy the superstar cast all over again October 12 at 9:45 pm.

The Ring 20th anniversary
The psychological horror movie that made many all scared toss those VHS tapes (for those who remember them, that is) turns 20 this year. Perfect time to spool together a celebratory (and terrifyingly creepy) screening. (A little advice: Watch out for long-haired ladies who climb ceilings and refuse to flip their hair off their faces.)

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Movie Review

Cillian Murphy examines Ireland’s past in Small Things Like These

Photo by Enda Bowe/Lionsgate

Cillian Murphy in Small Things Like These.

Last we saw actor Cillian Murphy, he was starring in the titular role of Oppenheimer, a role that would go on to earn him a Best Actor Oscar, not to mention many awards for the film itself. Instead of a big, flashy follow-up to build on that momentum, Murphy has gone in the opposite direction with the small and personal Small Things Like These.

Set in the 1980s in Murphy’s native Ireland, the film centers on Bill (Murphy), who owns a coal delivery company. One of his clients is the local convent, and during a delivery he witnesses a young pregnant woman being forced into the convent against her will by her mother. The scene triggers memories from his own childhood when he was raised by a single mother.

Every subsequent delivery to the convent has him questioning his own morality, although his taciturn nature doesn’t allow him to share his misgivings with his wife, Eileen (Eileen Walsh). With the Catholic Church an all-encompassing entity in Ireland, even if Bill wanted to help the girls who are trapped and mistreated at the convent, he’s not sure of any way to go about it.

Directed by Tim Mielants and written by Enda Walsh, the film has a slow build to it, so slow that it is a little difficult to ascertain the point of the story. The filmmakers go back and forth between scenes showing Bill as an adult and Bill as a child, and even though they each contain elements of trauma for the characters, the connection between the two timelines is not as strong as they might want it to be.

Even when it’s not part of a scene, the power of the church is the driving force of the film. Bill is clearly having a crisis of faith given his history and what he sees, but his wife seems to be willfully ignorant of any faults of the church and remains a true believer. The few segments that take the audience inside the convent are full of unforgiving nuns, with Sister Mary (Emily Watson) as their ultra-stern leader.

Given that this is an Irish film featuring all Irish actors, heavy accents accompany the majority of the dialogue, making it difficult to understand at times. While it helps with the verisimilitude of the story, anyone who doesn’t have a lot of experience with the Irish accent may find themselves a little lost and/or disengaged with the emotions of the story.

Murphy’s role in Oppenheimer and this one don’t share much in common save for the fact that he clearly put his whole self into each of them. This is a testament to Murphy’s skills and dedication that he cares as much about an inherently local story as he did about a world-changing one. Walsh and Watson are also great as two women who have a huge influence on Bill’s outlook on life.

Small Things Like These, based on the book by Claire Keegan, is not as huge a takedown of the Catholic Church as some other films, but it’s still a searing indictment of its arcane practices. It’s one made even more effective by using a smaller story of one man’s lonely fight against injustice.

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Small Things Like These opens in theaters on November 8.

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