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    weekend event planner

    Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

    Craig Lindsey
    Oct 17, 2019 | 6:00 am
    Brenner's on the Bayou Wine Festival
    Sip and stroll at Brenner’s on the Bayou’s annual fall wine fest.
    Photo courtesy of Brenner's on the Bayou

    This weekend sees the triumphant return of The FOMO Factory, and at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, the trendy multiplex is launching a new film festival: Graveyard Fest.

    Starting on Thursday, this four-day fest will feature a slew of horror-themed flicks (just in time for Halloween!), including classic chillers (David Cronenberg's Rabid), much-buzzed-about thrillers (Knives and Skin) and, for opening night, a "Twinkie Feast" screening of Zombieland: Double Tap.

    Of course, there's plenty more fun on tap for this weekend.

    Thursday, October 17

    Are You Smarter Than a Breakthrough Student! at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
    Education program Breakthrough Houston is looking for folks to test their knowledge in a quiz bowl, with questions taken from Breakthrough’s middle school curriculum. Gow Media CEO, David Gow, and Carla Dawson — the hosts of The Boss and The Gloss show — will serve as quizmasters for the evening.

    This features three rounds of trivia, with the top two tables competing against a table of Breakthrough 8th graders for the prize. Guests will enjoy an Oktoberfest menu from the Saint Arnold kitchen, plus plenty of beer and wine. 6-9 pm.

    13th Floor Media and Influencer Night Houston
    The outfit known as 13th Floor is out here ready to freak people out with this media and influencer night. VIPs will gain access to the main haunt, an axe-throwing class from Sister Axe Throwing Company, escape areas, and a VIP lounge and bar area, sponsored by Devil's River Whiskey. Cameras, cell phones, and other devices will not be permitted inside the haunt without previous coordination. Photography will be welcome outside on the surrounding premises. 7:30 pm.

    Friday, October 18

    Fandemic Tour on NRG Center
    Fandemic is officially upon us, and let us rattle off the stars that'll be at this three-day event: Sebastian Stan, Milo Ventimiglia, The Phelps Twins, Sean Astin, Jon Bernthal, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Tom Hopper, a Buffy reunion, stars from Game of Thrones, The Umbrella Academy, and more. It's an entertainment extravaganza celebrating all things pop culture, gathering celebrities, artists, illustrators, professional and amateur cosplayers, vendors, and exhibitors with programming and panel discussions. 3 pm (10 am Friday and Saturday).

    The Network's Annual Erotic Ball at Cle Houston
    The Network's Erotic Ball is here for those freaky-sneaky Houstonians who want to get all hanky-spanky for an evening. Now in its tenth year, the ball is a two-night event that embraces all that is adult-oriented, but with a classy and upscale twist. Attendees can enjoy live music, DJs, erotic performers, exotic dancers and wild sideshows, and partake in playful interactive fun. 9 pm (10 pm Saturday).

    Saturday, October 19

    Brenner's on the Bayou Wine Festival
    Wine aficionados are invited to stop and smell the rosé at Brenner’s on the Bayou’s annual fall wine fest. Guests will be able to sip on the exquisite collection from 18 exclusive wineries (J. Lohr Vineyards, Premium Ports, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, and more) and stroll around the scenic grounds.

    Live music comes courtesy of the new Blue Bar, and several of Landry’s chefs will be on-hand to prepare and share signature light bites from seven of Houston’s top restaurants to pair with these exceptional wines. 3 pm.

    Halloween Edition Silent Disco at 40 Below
    The recently revamped underground “Premium Experience” lounge and bar known as 40 Below (located under Revention Music Center) will have a special edition Silent Disco this weekend.

    It's Halloween-themed, which means there will be themed drink specials and games and a costume contest with contest-ticket prize packages. Of course, once you get your pair of Quiet Events headphones, you'll get to hear six local DJ’s spinning a mix of EDM, hip-hop, Latin, Top 40, and more. 9 pm.

    Sunday, October 20

    Cigna Sunday Streets at Spring Branch
    This month, Cigna Sunday Streets will be ib Spring Branch, on Mathewson Lane between Gessner Road and Conrad Sauer Drive and Conrad Sauer Drive between Mathewson Lane and Westview Drive. It's also home to the new Conrad Sauer Detention Basin and pedestrian walking trails.

    There will be two new additions – the first 250 attendees will receive $10 food vouchers to use with participating vendors and an area for people to try the Instagram-worthy Goat Yoga (yoga practiced in the presence of — and in tandem with — live goats). Noon-4 pm.

    Experience Hendrix at Revention Music Center
    Now in its second decade, Experience Hendrix celebrates the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix by bringing together a diverse array of extraordinary musicians, ranging from Joe Satriani to Buddy Guy, as well as Jonny Lang, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Johnson, and many others. Billy Cox, bassist for both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys, anchors the rhythm section. 8 pm.

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    Movie Review

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

    Alex Bentley
    Dec 5, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Michelle Pfeiffer in 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.

    ---

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

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