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    The Fame Monster

    Want to be famous? Theater District Open House turned out to be a great place tostart

    Fayza A. Elmostehi
    Aug 30, 2010 | 2:04 pm
    • Oh yeah, ballerinas? Well, I can balance a spoon on the end of my nose. So takethat!
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
    • My name! In lights! Can't you see it now? I can.
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
    • I let her borrow my vanity perch. Lead actresses like me should be nice to thesupporting actress staff.
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
    • The crowd for the Houston Symphony's free performance was egregiously large. Whowants to see excellently-crafted musical harmonies when you can see ME?
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
    • Test driving a Caddy? As long as it doesn't upstage me.
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi
    • I wanted onstage at the Alley Theatre. But this guy wouldn't give up thespotlight.
      Photo by Fayza A. Elmostehi

    Spending muggy Sunday afternoons outdoors in August never makes any sense to me. Unless I'm mashing the pedals and crashing into trees while falling off my mountain bike on some out-of-town trails.

    Suffice it to say that the idea of passing my afternoon in the city shuttling between performing arts venues downtown on foot didn't exactly appeal to me.

    Enter Capital One Bank Theater District Open House. Otherwise known as The Good Time I Didn't Know I'd Have Despite Sweating. Or The Prequel to Fayzanation, whatever you prefer.

    Even though you won't find me applauding the idea of an effective block party in Houston during the dog days of summer, I must admit — Theater District Open House won me over. And strengthened my visions of my own personal greatness.

    On what other day of, well, my lifetime can I pretend to be in the starring role of a Wortham Theater production? Granted, the only occupied seats in the house were way up in the rafters, where eager Houstonians were getting a lecture in theater-related things. And yes, the stage itself was packed with children frolicking under a lively demonstration of stage snow.

    The Fayza Show, it was not. Yet.

    But so? I stood center stage, and I reckoned with those red velvet seats until they cowered in the shadow of my awesomeness. I'm destined to be a superstar, and my not-so-dormant diva appetite was whetted once again.

    The Theater District Open House volunteers didn't even snicker when I asked where my name would be placed on the dressing room door. I took that as a good sign that preparations were in the works to make me the next headlining actress. I'll check back next week.

    I even let my companion sit in front of the lights in my dressing room. She'd look really good as a supporting actress. No upstaging me, of course.

    Meandering over to the Alley Theatre, I was a little disappointed with the lack of theatrical inroads I could make. A swashbuckling pirate-type gentleman had already taken the stage (effectively nixing my ability to deliver the soliloquy I had diligently rehearsed), cracking a whip and illustrating the usage of other stage weapons.

    Nice, if you like beating your fellow actors up with cool medieval toys. I'm a little higher brow than that.

    Since scripted violence isn't my bag, I oohed, I aahed, and sought out more opportunities for my overdue superstardom.

    While Jones Hall was massive and overwhelmingly impressive to my virgin orchestral eyes, I simply couldn't believe all those people were there to see the Houston Symphony.

    Like, huh? With me so near? I was just on stage at the Wortham an hour prior. Where were the adoring fans then?

    They must've gotten mesmerized by the magical siren song of violas and cellos and woodwinds. Oh my.

    Figures. Simple folk.

    As my friend and I walked dejectedly back to my car (well, after a quick head poke into Samba Grille — I figured someone would have to treat me like the celebrity I am there, right?), I realized I'd spent a pleasant afternoon getting acquainted with a part of Houston I'd only read about on CultureMap.

    And my career aspirations had finally taken shape.

    First, the Wortham. Next? Broadway, baby!

    Watch out, Wicked. Here comes your witch of the southwest.

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    Movie Review

    28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 20, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
    Photo by Miya Mizuno
    Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later.

    The 2000s brought two of the best zombie movies ever made in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Both films, despite being made by different filmmakers, featured intense action with fast-moving zombies, harrowing sequences, and real emotional connections with their main characters. Now the original director and writer — Danny Boyle and Alex Garland — have returned with the first of a possible three sequels, 28 Years Later.

    The rage virus from the first two films that turns humans into insatiable monsters has successfully been contained to the United Kingdom, and one group of survivors has managed to band together on a small island off the coast of England. We’re introduced to the group through Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams).

    Isla is sick with an unknown illness, while Jamie is set to take the 12-year-old Spike on his first trip to the mainland to hunt zombies. That trip not only gives Spike an education as to the different types of feral zombies that now populate England, but also a clue that other people have survived there. When he discovers that one of them may be a doctor, he makes plans to take his mother there in hopes of finding a cure for whatever ails her.

    While the first two films were notable for their brisk pace that kept the potency of the stories high, Boyle and Garland almost go in the opposite direction for much of this film. The first 90 minutes are relatively slow, with only a couple of sequences that raise the blood pressure. The final half hour or so go a long way toward filling that void, so it’s clear that the filmmakers were biding their time for the story to come in the sequel. A bit more balance in this film would have served them well, though.

    What they do show involves some weird, wild stuff that is objectively upsetting, even for fans of the genre. The zombies have evolved in strange ways, giving them a variety of body shapes and abilities to suit the environment in which they live. These storytelling choices may thrill some and have others scratching their heads. Another human character living on his own (played by Ralph Fiennes), appears to have gone the way of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, with a revelation that is bone-chilling.

    Boyle, who’s directed everything from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, doesn’t have a signature style, and he makes some choices in this film that test your patience. He occasionally employs an odd technique in which the film stutters, for a lack of better term. It’s a bit jarring, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve the storytelling. He also inserts scenes from older films involving medieval warfare that emulate the bow-and-arrow weaponry used by characters in this film, but the exact connection he’s trying to make is unclear.

    The young Williams has a lot put on his shoulders in the film, and he proves to be up to the task of carrying the story. He isn’t precocious or annoying, instead reacting almost exactly like you’d expect a boy of his age to do when faced with extreme situations. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are good complements for him, drawing him out with their polar opposite characters. Fiennes makes a huge impression in the final act of the film, while Jack O’Connell makes a very brief appearance, teasing a bigger role to come.

    It’s difficult to fully judge 28 Years Later because it’s designed to only give you part of the story; part 2, The Bone Temple, is due in 2026, while a third film will follow if the first two do well. This film has its moments and winds up on the positive side of the ledger, but it’s also a frustrating experience that could have used a more stand-alone story.

    ---

    28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

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