weekend event planner

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

Lagoonfest hosts a triathlon and aquathon this weekend.

This weekend brings a chance of rain and with that, a chance of cooler temps. That may affect an athletic, multi-sport showdown at Texas' largest Crystal lagoon. Those who choose to stay indoors can opt for a staged version of Tina Fey's hilarious examination of mean girls. Also downtown, a beloved draught house celebrates 22 years with an epic blowout.

Art lovers can take in a summer show opening, a showcase of Texas parks imagery, a cutting-edge dance show, and a visit by a jazz superstar.

Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, August 18

Amazon’s Adopt-A-Shop 2022 at Independence Heights Park
Amazon has teamed up with HISD to host its annual back-to-school event to support thousands of HISD students in need. Amazon is donating backpacks, school supplies, hair-cut vouchers, mani/pedi vouchers, career guidance and more. This two-day, family-friendly event will 6,500 pre-filled backpacks, 800 haircut vouchers and 500 mani/pedi vouchers to Houston’s underprivileged youth. There will also be a live DJ, snow cones, games, food trucks and more. Noon.

Foltz Fine Art presents The Art of Texas Parks reception
Foltz Fine Art is currently hosting an exhibition and benefit sale benefitting Texas state parks, through a partnership with Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The exhibition and sale will present a preview of thirty selected works from the upcoming and long-anticipated Art of Texas Parks publication. Many of the artists and authors involved with the project will be in attendance. Through Saturday, August 27. Reception today at 5:30 pm.

Memorial Hermann Broadway at the Hobby Center: Mean Girls
The hilarious hit musical (based on the 2004 hit comedy) has an award-winning creative team, including writer Tina Fey (who wrote the movie), composer Jeff Richmond, lyricist Nell Benjamin, and director Casey Nicholaw. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies. 7:30 pm (2 pm and 8 pm Friday and Saturday; 2 pm and 7:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, August 19

Stardust Entertainment, LLC presents Delta H Con
Assembling fans near and far, this three-day, anime and gaming convention will inspire con-goers to embrace their inner hero, among a community of fellow pop-culture aficionados, for a weekend of anime, gaming, literature, cosplay, and more. Fans will have plenty to do with cultivated programming covering an array of fandoms and topics; unique local and national exhibitors sharing their diverse collection of handmade goods, art and collectibles; and panels featuring some of the stars in the industry. 9 am.

Summer Science Shakedown at Children's Museum Houston
Kids are going back to school, but Children’s Museum Houston is not done with summer just yet. Join them as they celebrate one last summer hurrah with interactive activities that will shake things up as kids and parents both wind down for school. There will be a live demonstration where you can float a beach ball, blast cereal across the room and launch toilet paper 20 feet into the air. You can also explore sound vibrations and learn how earthquakes make our planet jiggle. 11 am.

Summertime Art Show & Sale at Spring Street Studios
Come out for a hot summer night of art, live jazz music, food, and drinks. Meet new artists and shop an array of paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed media, jewelry, and more. Make your way through the building playing the Passport Game, and get a chance to win door prizes donated by the artists. Ronnie Davis & Friends will provide the music, while Treebeard's will provide the red beans and rice, chicken gumbo, and butter cake. 5 pm.

The Riot Comedy Show presents Kelsey Cook
Kelsey Cook is the daughter of an international yo-yo champion and a professional foosball player, which made for a humor-filled life at a young age. She made her late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, followed by other television appearances, including Comedy Central’s This is Not Happening. She has spent the last six years touring in over 60 cities across the country, splitting her time between Los Angeles and New York. 7 pm (7 pm and 9 pm Saturday).

NobleMotion Dance presents An Intimate Act
This heartfelt performance features the return of Photo Box D, the company’s seminal collaboration with light artist Jeremy Choate. Other collaborations include a climbing sculpture made by Jared Doster, an original music composition by Travis Lake, and an innovative film made in collaboration with Jeremy Stewart and A.I. technology. NobleMotion’s trademark physicality and innovation are palpable as the audience sits right on top of the action in a black box setting. 8 pm (4 and 8 pm Saturday).

Saturday, August 20

Lagoonfest Texas presents Lago Mar Multisport Festival
At this two-day, multi-sport estival, racers of all ages can participate in a 5K or 10K road race along the streets of Lago Mar on Saturday. Also happening Saturday is a youth triathlon. Those ages 6 to 10 will compete in a 75-yard swim, 2-mile bike ride and three quarter-mile run. On Sunday, youth and adults can compete in an aquathon. The full course consists of a 200-yard swim and 5K run and is for adults and youth age 11 or older. 6 am.

DACAMERA presents Houston SUMMERJAZZ: Joshua Redman 3×3
Jazz superstar Joshua Redman’s latest project is a celebration of the power of three – the music of three iconic jazz composers interpreted in the classic trio format of saxophone, bass, and drums. The music is drawn from the works of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Wayne Shorter, each of whom Redman considers “not just relevant but foundational” for today’s musicians; and the setting returns to a format that he has excelled in throughout his career. 7:30 pm.

Viva Mexico at Wortham Center
Fill your heart with pure feeling and sing along to your most beloved songs at the greatest concert of Mexican music, for the first time in the U.S. Enjoy the most beloved, Mexican music with two of the greatest Mexican singers, Fernando de la Mora (tenor) and Olivia Gorra (mezzosoprano), along with the PanAmerican Philharmonic Orchestra, Mariachi Champaña Nevin, a grand choir and the Anita Martinez folkloric ballet, under the baton of Héctor Guzmán. 7:30 pm (2 pm Sunday).

Sunday, August 21

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium 22-Year Celebration
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium will celebrate 22 years in downtown Houston with an epic blowout. They will tap 30 local, national, and internationally renowned beers, many of which have never been tapped before. Bingo begins at 2 pm with prizes from Eureka Heights, Duvel, Saint Arnold, Great Heights, and more. Swag giveaways will be given throughout the day, while food specials and commemorative cups and apparel will be available for purchase. Dine-in and patio dining is available. 11 am.

Nerd Market at B-52 Brewing
Over in Conroe, B-52 Brewing has teamed up with The Adventure Begins Comics, Games, and More for a super awesome, super geeky market for all ages to enjoy. Multiple nerdy vendors will be around, including Arcadeology, HTX Nitro Creamery and others. There will also be face painting, themed frozen drinks, a Mario Kart tourney, a costume contest and cosplay characters (word on the street is Doctor Strange & the Scarlet Witch will be roaming around). Noon.

True Crime Obsessed's Patrick Hinds and Friends
True Crime Obsessed is a true-crime/comedy podcast featuring hosts Gillian Pensavalle and Patrick Hinds, who recap true crime documentaries with humor, sass, heart, and just the right amount of snark. In this live show, Patrick will be joined by friends Maggie, Lance, and Tim to present their hilarious take on the absurdities of true-crime characters and storylines, tearing into a true-crime documentary using video clips, music, and their signature garbage bell. 8 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

movies film