weekend event planner

Here are the top 12 things to do in Houston this weekend

Throw on those costumes and head to some fun Halloween events.

Photo by Getty Images

This weekend, the one costume we imagine most Houstonians will don is that of a Houston Astros jersey, as our boys in blue (and orange) head to Atlanta to take it back and bring home a World Series title.

But it's also Halloween, meaning a ton events await to scare up some fun. Don those costumes and get out there (in-between Astros games, of course). Here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, October 28

CityPlace presents Día De Los Muertos Black Dinner
CityPlace will host a four-day Dia De Los Muertos celebration that will be kicked off with an exclusive Black Dinner, featuring Mexican chef and restaurateur Eduardo Palazuelos in collaboration with Houston’s own David Cordúa. A curated, four-course dinner paired with unique cocktails will be served. There will also be Catrina face painting, flower crowns, and an unveiling of a traditional altar to honor passed loved ones. Seats are limited to 50 guests. 6 pm.

Tahirih Justice Center presents Journey to Justice – Hope & Healing
This gala will be an evening of hope and healing where guests will virtually come together to honor the resiliency of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence on their journey to justice after an especially difficult year. The program highlights recent achievements and includes special messages from Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Entertainment will be provided by Houston poet laureate “Outspoken Bean,” local singer songwriter Kristine Mills, and world-renowned salsa performer Tito Puente, Jr. 7 pm.

Czech Center Museum Houston presents Musical Tribute to Holocaust Survivor, Dr. Ervin Adam
The Czech Center Museum Houston will honor 99-year-old Holocaust survivor, Dr. Ervin Adam, of Czech origin. This event will feature a musical tribute to Holocaust victims and survivors by Houston Symphony cellist Louis-Marie Fardet and pianist Sherry Cheng. The evening will further Houston’s commitment to celebrating its diverse cultural landscape. This in-person event will include Czech hors d’oeuvres and other refreshments. 7:30 pm.

Friday, October 29

Holocaust Museum Houston presents "Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare" opening day
Holocaust Museum Houston will host this multi-sensory exhibition, highlighting issues of persecution, loss of civil liberties and the dangers of propaganda. The exhibition explores the intersection of politics, art, economics, and the social dynamics that impacted the American First Amendment rights of speech, religion, and assembly, during Hollywood’s Red Scare. On display through Sunday, February 20. 10 am.

Project Row Houses present Howling on Dowling
Celebrate the past, present, and future of the historic Eldorado Ballroom as Project Row Houses is set to revitalize the iconic building. There will be a gathering in the parking lot for a casually elegant night of music, drinks, and fun. Music curated to celebrate the golden era of Eldorado by DJ Elevated of Soul Control will be accompanied by cocktails, wine, and food courtesy of Lucille's 1913. 6:30 pm.

The Roots and Wings Project and Houston Coalition Against Hate present Matriarch
The Roots and Wings Project, in association with the Houston Coalition Against Hate, presents this two-day, transformative theatre experience that explores the roles women play in our patriarchal society and the urgent need to transform that dynamic. Following the performance, HCAH executive director Marjorie Joseph will host a panel discussion featuring performers and local domestic violence prevention advocates who are also Coalition members. 7 pm.

Saturday, October 30

8th Wonder Brewery presents Otaku Festival
8th Wonder Brewery will host a vibrant, two-day celebration of Otaku culture and street food featuring a market with rows of food vendors, live music, a Kawaii Zombie costume contest, trick-or-treating for the kids, and more. Modeled after popular street food markets found across Asia, the Otaku Food Festival will offer a dizzying array of mouthwatering dishes, many of which are prepared before visitors' eyes. Noon.

The Alta Arts presents David Hacker: "Inarticulate Paradise" opening day
The Alta Arts presents the first major exhibition of all new works in over a decade by American abstract painter David Hacker, and his first showing in Texas. Hacker’s paintings are purely abstract, featuring bold color choices against natural tones, and heavy marks both in the form of brush strokes and scrapes. The organic blocks of color and meandering brushwork together create a psychedelic space that is also reminiscent of the deep forests in the Catskills around Hacker’s studio. On display through Saturday, December 18. Noon.

Houston Arboretum presents Halloween Sip & Stroll
The Houston Arboretum’s Sip & Stroll outdoor event is taking on a spooky spin this Halloween. Guests can walk along the Arboretum’s dimly lit trails where they may encounter creatures of the night. The final destination will lead attendees to outdoor music and mingling with charcuterie and dessert provided by Cotton Culinary and beverages from Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Costumes are encouraged for this fun event for ages 21 and older. 7 pm.

Sunday, October 31

Cigna Sunday in the Park
Cigna Sunday in the Park, a slight twist on the block party concept of Cigna Sunday Streets, launches this weekend at Moody Park. Celebrate Halloween and/or Dia de los Muertos with bounce houses, a haunted house, a costume contest and something called “Trunk or Treat.” Cigna Sunday in the Park will relocate each month throughout the fall to neighborhood parks across the Houston area. Noon.

Premier Productions presents Elevation Nights
Elevation Nights is a new tour featuring Elevation Worship and Steven Furtick that brings the powerful worship experience of Elevation Church into arenas. The tour is more than a concert, but a full worship experience as Furtick preaches and Elevation Worship leads some of their hit songs including “Graves Into Gardens,” “Rattle!,” “Do It Again,” “The Blessing,” and others. 7 pm.

PMT Pop Up: Halloween Cabaret
As part of its Pop Up: Cabaret series, PMT Productions will present PMT Pop Up: Halloween Cabaret. There will be Halloween-inspired live performances from Houston-area vocalists, all accompanied live by The PMT Band. From Hocus Pocus to Rocky Horror to "Thriller," they are on theme for Halloween. Guests can go all out with their costume and compete to win the best costume of the evening. 8 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg deliver comedy with depth in A Real Pain

Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg in A Real Pain.

Comedy film duos have a long history, from Laurel and Hardy in the 1920s and ‘30s to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in movies like Baby Mama. But the majority of duos have either been friends or work partners, relationships that can be close, but not as close as family. The new film A Real Pain aims for the comedy that a great duo can bring, but hits deeper because the two lead characters are related to each other.

Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg) are first cousins who decide to take a trip to Poland to visit the childhood home of their grandmother, who has recently passed. Their personalities could not be more different, with David buttoned-down and reserved and Benji extremely social, if a little wild. This contrast is on display from the moment they leave on their trip, affecting almost every aspect of their journey.

The two meet up with a diverse tour group in Poland, including guide James (Will Sharpe), recently divorced Marcia (Jennifer Grey), married couple Mark (Daniel Oreskes) and Diane (Liza Sadovy), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan), an African man who has converted to Judaism. As the group visits various historical sites, David confronts contrasting feelings about Benji, who goes from charming to abrasive seemingly at the drop of a hat.

Written and directed by Eisenberg, the film is about both the family we have and the history of those who came before us. With Benji and David being Jewish and their grandmother having escaped from the Nazis in World War II, the themes hit harder than they might in other situations. Eisenberg takes care to honor his Jewish ancestors both in the way he has Benji and David talk about their grandmother and the places they visit.

But even though emotions are heightened due to the significance of the trip, the film is far from a dour affair. Benji keeps things interesting at almost all times with a series of impulsive decisions, many that are entertaining for both the tour group and the audience watching the film. He is one of those film characters that is great to watch on screen, but would likely be too much to handle if you were confronted with him in real life.

The relationship between Benji and David is a complicated one; the two obviously have love for each other, but they rarely see eye-to-eye on the best way to approach certain situations. This tension keeps the film grounded, and Eisenberg does a great job at showing the push-and-pull the two cousins have with each other. The little moments, especially when Benji and David go their separate ways, say a lot as the characters try to reconcile where each is at in their respective lives.

Eisenberg has always been an understated performer, so this role is almost perfect for him. Culkin, fresh off his Emmy-winning role in HBO’s Succession, is an ideal foil for Eisenberg, as he has a manic energy that he can control or not control at will. It’s also nice to see Grey in action again, as she brings just the right touch to her supporting role.

The drama in A Real Pain comes from the life experiences of its two main characters, which are on full display despite the story only doling out details in small doses. The film is subtle yet powerful, a testament to Eisenberg’s filmmaking ability and the actors never trying to make too much of their scenes.

---

A Real Pain opens in theaters on November 15.

movies film