weekend events planner

Here are the top 11 things to do in Houston this weekend

News, Shelby, Pet Set Gala, Sept. 2015, Tena Lundquist Faust, Carmina Zamorano, Tama Lundquist

Join the party animals at Houston PetSet's Fierce & Fabulous Soiree.

Sure, tropical storms might be looming. But that doesn't mean you have to stay in — not when there's such an array of hot happenings. Expect a super-chic fashion show, a hot party that's gone to the dogs, a masterful merge of classical and hip-hop music, and more. Here's a rundown of several things to get you out of the house this damp weekend.

Thursday, September 6

Chic fashion at the Junior League of Houston's Opening Style Show
Ladies, the Junior League of Houston will be giving you two chances this weekend to check out the most stylish clothing you should be draped in this fall. The League has partnered with swanky fashion house Elizabeth Anthony to do two style shows, as well as provide a delicious meal courtesy of The Junior League Tea Room. 11 am and 7 pm.

Brushstrokes and burgers at "Paint Nite"
There are painting parties going on all over the place these days. So, why don't you go to one where you can eat a nice burger while also creating art? On Thursdays, the fine folks at Balls Out Burger throws a "Paint Nite" for people and, to tell you the truth, we're shouting this one out simply because we had no idea there is a burger joint around here called Balls Out Burger. 7-10 pm

Friday, September 7

FM Kitchen And Bar's new weekend market
We don't know if the "FM" in FM Kitchen and Bar means "Friday Market," but that's exactly what'll be happening on the premises this weekend. Local artists and creatives are welcome to show off what they have to offer — whether it's artisanal items or fresh local produce — at this new event, which will run every Friday until December 14. 11 am-2 pm.

Party fur a good cause at Houston PetSet's Fierce & Fabulous Soiree
According to its website, Houston PetSet is an umbrella organization whose goal is to help those who are "in the trenches" rescuing, spaying, neutering, fostering, adopting, and protecting Houston's animals. PetSet is also throwing a fun party, complete with cocktail reception, dinner, and silent and live auctions, benefiting Houston's animal non-profits. 7 pm.

Frat hijinks with the National Lampoon's Animal House movie party
This year, National Lampoon's Animal House celebrates its 40th anniversary. It seems like just yesterday this crude, raucous, uninhibited comedy had John Belushi leading an uncouth frat house into doing just-plain-wrong stuff on the campus of Faber College, officially igniting the gross-out comedy genre. So, dress up in your toga and just go nuts at this movie party. 7:30 pm.

Saturday, September 8

The Catastrophic Theatre toasts 25 years with "Get Loud at the Library"
The Catastrophic Theatre has been staging "madly dangerous drama" for a quarter of a century now. So, what better way for them to celebrate their 25 years of disturbing the Houston theater scene by holding an anniversary soiree — in a library? There will be drinks and light bites at this shindig, which also doubles as the induction of their archives into the UH Libraries Special Collections. 5 pm.

Fotofest opens Seeing Harvey: Personal Stories, Public Responses
It's one year later and Hurricane Harvey and its aftereffects still cast a painful, lingering pall over this city. For its latest exhibit, FotoFest gathered over 500 images from an open call on social media and the web, in order to give a visual capsule on how much this natural disaster affected the region's landscape, infrastructure and communities — and, of course, also brought people together. 5-8 pm.

Hip-hop and classical music collide with "B-boy meets Beethoven"
While Cypress Hill and the London Symphony Orchestra are still trying to make that collabo they once had in cartoon form a reality, you can see hip-hop orchestra collective Thee Phantom and the Illharmonic Orchestra meld strings and brass with scratches and rap verses for a night of music they refer to as "B-boy meets Beethoven." 7-9 pm.

Sunday, September 9

Barbecue for a good cause at the Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser
There's something about the fact that you can sample some dynamite barbecue and help a charity, all while not leaving the comfort of your car, that sounds downright amazing to us. The crew at Bottomless Pit BBQ will be serving up plates with chicken, sausage, potato salad, and more benefiting the Counseling Changes for Change Inc. Mental Health Services Program. 11:30 am-1:30 pm.

Divisi Strings inspires kids with the violin at My First Music Lesson
You don't see a lot of aspiring, young violin players out there, do you? Where are the future Itzhak Perlmans of today? String collective Divisi Strings is getting together with Discovery Green to see if any of them are still out there with this monthly class. Children from first to eighth grade can pick up a violin and see if they have what it takes to rosin up that bow and get to fiddlin'. 3-4 pm.

The A Fistful of Soul team spins at "Hi-Fashion Dub"
The A Fistful of Soul DJ crew might've shut down their monthly, Friday-night residency at The Continental Club earlier this year, but that doesn't mean they've stopped spinning retro grooves for the masses. Their latest happening is this night filled with rocksteady, regga, and early dancehall records, which they will do on the second Sunday of every month. 4-8 pm.

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Movie Review

New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past