weekend event planner

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

With Oktoberfest kicking off this weekend, you might run into people wearing lederhosen, carrying big steins, and pretending to be German. But, as always, there is other interesting stuff popping off all over the city these next few days. Here are some highlights.

Thursday, September 20

Party for democracy at Te Vote: Bombon x El Danzon
The vivacious, tropical-dance DJ crew Bombon is joining up with the Say Something Texas organization, in order to get black and Latino communities in Harris County out the house and into the voting booths. Fabian's Latin Flavors will host a voter registration drive that'll also offer up drink specials and Mexican/South American light bites and entrees straight off the menu. 9 pm-1 am.

Nick Cannon's gets crazy with Wild 'N Out Live
For over a decade now, actor/comedian/sometimes rapper/Mariah Carey ex Nick Cannon has given MTV audiences the crazy, hip-hop-fueled form of improv comedy known as Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out. He's now taking the show out on the road, bringing along the show's beloved regulars (Conceited, Chico Bean, Justina Valentine) and maybe getting some special guest rappers to join in on the fun. 8 pm.

Friday, September 21

Find your peace with the Rothko Chapel and the Silkroad Ensemble
If you want to have a nice, peaceful day instead of a day full of the regular, ol' madness, do yourself a kindness and check out the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble. With Rothko Chapel observing the International Day of Peace this Friday, this crew of musicians from dozens of nationalities and artistic traditions should serve as a prime example that people can get along and create something beautiful. 7 pm.

Celebrate Armenian culture at the Houston Armenian Festival
Thanks to the Kardashians, Armenian people have gained more exposure. If you want to learn more about the Armenian culture, the St. Kevork Armenian Church will throw their annual, three-day celebration of all things Armenian. There will be food, live music, an Armenian dance class, a baking demonstration, a traditional Armenian instrument demonstration, and much more fun, non-Kardashian-related stuff. 1 pm. (10 am Saturday)

Thrills and terror with the opening of ScreamWorld
Yes, we are still in September, but it's never too early to walk around a bunch of haunted houses and get the crap scared out of you. That's what the long-running haven of horrors known as ScreamWorld is looking to do. This 4.5-acre complex has been around since 1989 and, from this weekend until November 3, its 120-person "terror team" will do everything it can to scare people senseless. 8 pm. (7:30 pm Sunday)

Mars Attacks! kicks off the Sci-Fi Drive-In Series
People forget that Independence Day wasn't the only blockbuster movie about an alien invasion of Earth that came out in 1996. At the end of that year, Tim Burton came with the downright wacky Mars Attacks!, featuring an all-star cast (Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Danny DeVito, Natalie Portman) and some psychopathic Martians. This movie kicks off City Acre Brewing's Sci-Fi Drive-In Series. 8:30-10:30 pm.

Saturday, September 22

Meet the charming and handsome Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe is an old-school, '80s heartthrob who's had his fair share of ups (starring in The West Wing and Parks & Recreation) and downs (that legendary sex tape, horribly singing with Snow White at the Oscars). Now, he's going out on the road and telling anecdotes that populated his two, bestselling memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life. (No word if dude has clips of the tape). 7 pm.

All the cute with the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck
Just when you've seen it all, here's comes the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. This startlingly pink cafe-on-wheels returns to bestow people with different levels of sweetness. There will be some edible sweetness, in the form of giant, Hello Kitty chef cookies or petit fours/macaron box sets. But you can also pick adorable items like plush toys, bow headbands and Hello Kitty Cafe T-shirts. 10 am-8 pm.

Take off with a fun WALL-E outdoor screening
WALL-E came out ten years ago, and it's still one of Disney/Pixar's finest achievements. This dystopian parable follows the title character, the last robot on Earth who discovers love as well as an entire civilization of humans in outer space. If you and your fam have yet to see this masterwork, it will be the latest feature presentation at Discovery Green's latest, outdoor film night. 8 pm.

Sunday, September 23

Dive into Caribbean food and culture at the Houston Jerk Fest
Houston Jerk Fest is not an event where douchebags come together and embrace their obnoxiousness. It's actually a fun, enjoyable experience devoted to Caribbean food and culture. Sample some spicy, delicious cuisine while taking in live performances from Wayne Wonder, Naila Blackman, The Galaxy Band, The J-Unit Band, and others. 2 pm.

Mel Brooks' silly Spaceballs gets the quote-along treatment
If you're not a fan of Mel Brooks, then apparently you're not a big fan of joy. The man has made some of the funniest films of all time: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. He also made what has become a cult classic: the 1987 Star Wars parody Spaceballs. And if you know the movie's script from front to back, you can head over to this screening and quote along with the audience. 6 pm.

Peace, love, and serious joy flows with the Silkwood Ensemble at Rothko Chapel.

Photo courtesy of Silkroad Ensemble

Peace, love, and serious joy flows with the Silkwood Ensemble at Rothko Chapel.

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Movie Review

Reminders of Him taps into grief, grace, and the power of moving on

Photo by Michelle Faye / Universal Pictures

Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers in Reminders of HIm.

Texas author Colleen Hoover has gone from being a popular writer to a full-on celebrity in the 2020s. The new film Reminders of Him marks the third adaptation of her books in just 19 months (a fourth, Verity, is scheduled for release in October 2026). All of her books that have been adapted so far — most notably It Ends With Us — are female-led stories that feature elements of romance and trauma, catnip for studios looking to appeal to the underserved demographic of women.

Leading the way in this film is Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), who returns to her hometown of Laramie, Wyoming after spending years in prison for killing her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), in a car accident. That relationship resulted in a daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), whom Kenna gave birth to while imprisoned and is now being raised by her grandparents, Patrick (Bradley Whitford) and Grace (Lauren Graham).

Yearning to be a part of Diem’s life, Kenna tries to reconnect with Patrick and Grace, only to be rebuffed by Scotty’s best friend, Ledger (Tyriq Withers), a former NFL player who now owns a local bar. In running interference, Ledger starts to become closer to Kenna, discovering that her tragic mistake shouldn’t be the only thing that defines her.

Directed by Vanessa Caswill and written by Lauren Levine, the film features mostly surface level examinations of its themes and average performances, yet it winds up being effective thanks to a willingness not to rush through its storytelling beats. The filmmakers take the slow and steady approach toward the coupling of Kenna and Ledger, setting up their bond through a series of heart-to-heart conversations that makes any romance feel earned.

The majority of the focus is on Kenna reclaiming her place in the world, and on Ledger coming to terms with the fact that the person who killed his best friend is not inherently a bad person. The film definitely could have gone deeper in its explorations of grief and anger, but the sheer amount of time it takes in addressing the characters’ doubts and fears turns out to be sufficient for a film that’s not aiming to be considered a dramatic masterpiece.

It also helps that Caswill and Levine do a solid job of establishing the variety of characters that inhabit the film. Kenna and Ledger don’t always feel like fully-formed people, but they become so through their interactions with each other and the other townspeople. Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a girl with Down syndrome who lives in Kenna’s apartment complex, and Roman (Nicholas Duvernay), Ledger’s co-worker at his bar, help to broaden the appeal of the two leads.

Monroe has, to this point, been best known for starring roles in horror films like It Follows and Longlegs. While she does somewhat well in this role, her delivery is often more flat than you’d expect for a character going through what she does. Withers thankfully doesn’t remind viewers of his recent bomb Him, demonstrating a crossover appeal that should serve him well in the future. Whitford and Graham don’t get to do much, but their combined experience gives their roles exactly what is needed.

It may sound like damning with faint praise, but Reminders of Him is a competently made film that knows how to serve its core audience without insulting anyone who may not automatically be all-in for such a story. The filmmakers don’t try to force any of the key moments down the audience’s throat, and that stands out in a genre that’s not always known for its subtlety.

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Reminders of Him opens in theaters on March 13.

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