weekend event planner

Here are the top 10 things to do in Houston this weekend

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen get chatty at Smart Financial Centre.

Photo courtesy of AC2Live

Yes, everyone is getting ready for the onslaught of scares, candy, and tacky outfits that'll definitely be showing up on Halloween next Thursday, October 31.

As for us, we're getting psyched for Grand Tapestry, the West Coast trio that combines rap and hip-hop with sarod and tabla, who'll be performing at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday night. You won't want to miss this cool, outdoor show, which starts at 7:30 pm.

Otherwise, get ready for a weekend of shopping, bubbly, and some bubbly conversations with a couple of TV stars:

Thursday, October 24

DASH Market at Silver Street Studios
DASH Market, Houston's leading home décor and gift market, will be open and ready for business this weekend. The market provides an exceptional shopping experience, displaying a curated selection of home décor, clothing, jewelry, and gifts from over 80 vendors.

It's also partnering with Camo Animal Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to saving dogs from euthanasia in Texas and surrounding areas. On-site adoptions will be available to pre-qualified pet lovers. 6 pm (10 am Friday-Sunday).

Chef Collaboration Dinner at Ninfa's Uptown
Original Ninfa's corporate chef Alex Padilla will welcome Felix Florez, who has become a partner in Cherry Block and Blood Bros. BBQ, along with Stephanie Velasquez, pastry chef & co-owner of Tlahuac. Every guest who purchases a ticket will receive a $25 gift card to the Ninfa's Uptown (valid at this location only). 6:30 pm.

Friday, October 25

October Exhibitions at Sawyer Yards
Arts District Month is winding down, so why not check out one of the largest creative communities in the nation. Sawyer Yards, home to over 350 local artists, will showcase seven art exhibitions on Friday and Saturday. Among the exhibitions: "Interior Interruptions" at Sabine Street Studios, "Flight of the Monarch - 2019 International Art Biennial" at Spring Street Studios, "You Are So Naive" at TANK Space, and "Excavations at The Silos" at Sawyer Yards's Gallery 200. 9am-5 pm.

Sip & Shop for a Cause at Boardwalk at Town Center
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Boardwalk at Town Center will be celebrating this by hosting a free, Sip & Shop event benefiting Breast Cancer Charities of America. Shoppers will get a chance to tour the upscale apartment community and browse a selection of curated clothing, jewelry and gifts. Participating retailers and brands include Kendra Scott, Hemline, French Cuff Boutique, Switch2Pure, and Cake & Confetti. 4-7 pm.

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen at Smart Financial Centre
When it comes to who are two of the most entertaining, celebrity BFFs out there, no one holds a candle to CNN superstar anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo talk-show host/professional tea stirrer Andy Cohen. And, now, they're taking their act on the road.

Join them for an unscripted, uncensored, and unforgettable night of conversation, where they interview each other, take questions from the audience and give a behind-the-scenes look at pop culture and world events. 8 pm.

Saturday, October 26

a'Bouzy Yelloween Brunch at a'Bouzy
Even a'Bouzy, our favorite wine-serving establishment, is getting in the Halloween spirit. Put on your costumes and join them for a Yelloween brunch. What's so yellow about this event? Well, there will be Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut, available for purchase at $49 per bottle. Reservations are required. 10 am-3 pm.

Halloween Bash at Truck Yard Houston
It'll be a grand ol' spooky time at Truck Yard, which will be having its annual Halloween Bash this weekend. It starts with a dog costume contest, where you can dress your furry friends in Halloween getup and maybe win a $150 first-place gift card. Next up is the human costume contest, where the prize is a $250 first-place gift card. After that, it's the pumpkin smashing: buy a pumpkin for $13, and take your best shot. (You also get a free beer and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the SPCA.) 3 pm.

World Series Game 4 Parking Lot Party at Revelry on Richmond
Revelry on Richmond is going all-out for the upcoming, World Series game 4 between hometown heroes the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. We're talking 30 TVs, two projectors, and an additional 20-foot, inflatable screen in the parking lot, all tuned to the big game. There will be $15 domestic buckets, $20 Houston buckets and a $5 shot wheel every time the Astros hit a home run. Toasted Coconut will be grilling outside and providing their own Houston Astros Punch. 6-11:30 pm.

Sunday, October 27

Scanners at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Not a lot of people give David Cronenberg the credit he deserves for being one of the best filmmakers when it comes to horror. Look at his track record in the '80s: The Dead Zone, The Fly, Dead Ringers — all thrillers that thoroughly messed people up. But he started his Reagan-era, winning streak with a bang (in one scene, quite literally) with this heady, 1981 chiller about people with telepathic and telekinetic powers and who uses them for good or for evil. 3:15 pm.

Jazz on the Hill at Miller Outdoor Theatre
The inaugural Jazz on the Hill show is popping off this weekend, to promote music education and highlight national and local jazz artists. Mayor Sylvester Turner will open the free event, which will include music from Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band and the Houston High School All Stars featuring Derrick Hodge, presented by a collaboration of the Monterey Jazz Festival and Texas Southern University. 6 pm.

event-planner

Movie review

Nerdy teen comedies make a comeback with new movie Summer of 69

Photo courtesy of Hulu

Sam Morelos and Chloe Fineman in Summer of 69.

There was a trend in the late 2010s/early 2020s of bawdy comedies featuring teenage female protagonists, including Blockers, Booksmart, and Yes, God, Yes. Those types of films seemed to go by the wayside in recent years, but they’re making a comeback with the new film Summer of 69.

Abby (Sam Morelos) is a high school senior and video game streamer who has had a crush on her classmate Max (Matt Cornett) for her entire childhood. When she learns that Max has recently broken up with his longtime girlfriend, she’s determined to make her move. With advice from a confidant that Max likes a certain sexual position, Abby sets out to learn as much as she can about it, including hiring a stripper, Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman), to help her.

Coincidentally, Santa Monica is facing a situation where the club at which she works, Diamond Dolls, will be closed if the owner doesn’t come up with $20,000 in a week. Abby, who comes from a well-to-do family, seems to offer the perfect solution, and so the two agree to a week of lessons for that amount. Naturally, all sorts of complications arise, as well as the two women forming an unexpected bond.

Written and directed by Jillian Bell, with help from co-writers Jules Byrne and Liz Nico, the film is both suggestive and innocent at the same time. For all of the talk about sex and innuendo, having the nerdy and inexperienced Abby at the center of the film ensures that the story remains relatively chaste throughout. That includes scenes at the strip club, where Bell makes the choice to show almost no nudity.

Most of the humor of the film stems from Abby’s lack of experience, highlighted by her having “sexual” fantasies about Max that never actually get to the sex part. The juxtaposition between Abby and Santa Monica is also used for laughs, although Bell and her co-writers make sure to include a side story for the dancer that makes her into a three-dimensional person.

What ultimately makes the movie succeed is the way it keeps its characters relatable. Many high school films feel the need to play into a bunch of stereotypes, but those are kept to a minimum here. Instead, Bell upends expectations by delivering honest - sometimes to a fault for the characters - dialogue that acknowledges the spectrum of sexual realities for high schoolers, a version that differs from insatiable horniness of some other teen comedies.

Morelos, one of the stars of Netflix’s That ‘90s Show, makes for a charming lead, someone who can convincingly take her character from awkward to confident over the course of the story. Fineman, best known for her current stint as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, complements her well, showing her comedic prowess in a number of physical scenes. A supporting cast that includes Nicole Byer, Paula Pell, Alex Moffat, and Natalie Morales keeps the energy level high.

Despite its titillating title, Summer of 69 is much more sweet than naughty. Like most coming-of-age movies, it’s about a girl who’s trying to figure out where she fits in the world. The answers she finds aren’t always the ones she was expecting, but in the best possible way.

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Summer of 69 starts streaming on Hulu on May 9.

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