Weekend events planner

Here are the top 9 things to do in Houston this weekend

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the city is starting to recover with a weekend full of events, including several hurricane relief fundraisers, some amazing concerts, an NFL game opener, and a can't-miss culinary throwdown.

There's also an extended charity dining extravaganza and a blowout bar celebration, with an incredible deal on drinks. Read on for the nine best things to do in Houston this weekend.

For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Dine out for a good cause
Thursday, September 7-Saturday, September 30
Houston Restaurant Weeks has been extended through September 30. A portion of the cost of each HRW menu goes to the Houston Food Bank. For the list of participating restaurants, head to the HRW website. (tickets: $20-$45 per HRW menu, per person)
Various locations

Shake up the camp scene
Thursday, September 7
Enjoy bites by local chefs and tunes by Max Flinn at the Camp Culinary Challenge: Taste of Texas, hosted by Camp For All Young Professionals at White Oak Music Hall. Funds raised go towards bringing campers with special needs to Camp For All. (VIP reception from 6-7 pm, main event from 7-10 pm; tickets: $65-$175 per person)
2915 N. Main St.; 713-686-5666

Music to our ears
Thursday, September 7
Head to the Thursday Night Concert series at Discovery Green for performances by Charlie Robison and opening band, Charlie and the Regrets. (7-9 pm; tickets: free cover with donations going to the Mayor's Relief Fund and Charlie Robison's Coastal Relief Fund)
1500 McKinney St.; 713-400-7336

The show will go on
Thursday, September 7
The Goo Goo Dolls hit the stage at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in support of their 2016 album, Boxes. They’re joined by former American Idol winner, Phillip Phillips. (7:30 pm; tickets: $19.50-$89.50 per person)
2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands; 281-363-3300

Hurricane relief concert
Friday, September 8
Apollo Chamber Players, in partnership with Musiqa Houston and Jazz Forever present: A Harvey Relief Concert, including a premiere by Houston-based composer Mark Buller, at Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH). All proceeds go the Greater Houston Community Foundation and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for hurricane relief efforts. (7-9 pm; tickets: pay what you will to support the aforementioned charities)
3400 Main St.; 713-521-4533

Miss Jackson
Saturday, September 9
Janet Jackson brings her State of the World tour to Toyota Center. The playlist boasts songs from Jackson's 2015 album, Unbreakable, career smash hits, and soon-to-be released tracks. (8 pm; tickets: $150 per person)
1510 Polk St; 713-758-7200

We are Texans
Sunday, September 10
The Jacksonville Jaguars go head-to-head against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in the season opener. (12 pm; tickets: $49-$400 per person)
NRG Pkwy; 832-667-1400

Cheers
Sunday, September 10
Downtown watering hole Public Services celebrates its third anniversary with 25 percent off all spirits. What’s more, you’ll also save on rare, large-format wines served by the glass. Feast on Taiwanese-style steam buns and dress to impress. The event features a Blade Runner/Cyberpunk theme; feel free to dress the part. (4 pm-2 am; tickets: free entry)
202 Travis St, Ste. 100, 713-516-8897

Hometown favorites
Sunday, September 10
ZZ Top plays at Smart Financial Centre as part of The Tonnage Tour. Post-Harvey, the concert has been converted to a benefit show, set to raise $100,000 for hurricane relief. (8 pm; tickets: $144-$250 per person)
8111 Lexington Blvd., Sugar Land; 281-207-6278

The Jacksonville Jaguars go head-to-head against the Houston Texans in the season opener.

Houston, 5th annual JJ Watt Charity Classic, May 2017, J.J. Watt on the field

Photo courtesy of the Houston Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars go head-to-head against the Houston Texans in the season opener.

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

movies film