Weekend events planner

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

As the hectic work week comes to a close, it’s time to unwind and have some fun. Below are nine can’t-miss events, from a classic holiday flick to wrestling action to concert fun. For more options, check out the full CultureMap Events Calendar.

Latin vibes
Thursday, November 16
Grammy-winning recording artist Enrique Iglesias performs at downtown’s Toyota Center. Iglesias' hit songs include "Bailamos,” “Escape,” and “Hero.” He's joined by co-headliner and fellow Grammy Award-winner, Pitbull, who's touring in support of his 10th full-length album, Climate Change, featuring singles “Options,” “Greenlight,” and “Messin’ Around.” (7:30 pm; tickets: $39.95-$199.95 per person)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Christmas cheer
Friday, November 17
Get into the holiday spirit with a showing of the 2003 comedy, Elf, starring Will Ferrell, at Miller Outdoor Theatre. (7 pm; tickets: free admission)
6000 Hermann Park Dr.; 281-373-3386

Outdoor fest
Saturday, November 18-Sunday, November 19
The 12th annual Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival, with a 2017 theme of “70 Years in Color,” boasts work from more than 200 local and international artists and band performances on three stages. The art and music fest also features family-friendly activities, food, and beverages. Proceeds benefit nonprofit, The Center for Hearing and Speech. (10 am- 5 pm; tickets: $7 per person for general admission and $40 per person for a VIP pass)
900 Smith St.; 713-523-3633

Ugly sweater soiree and shopping galore
Saturday, November 18-Sunday, November 19
Celebrate the holidays at the Winter Holiday Arts Market Ugly Sweater party and happy hour, presented by Fresh Arts, at Winter Street Studios. On Friday, the event gives guests an early preview of the annual curated market featuring fine art and handmade crafts from over 65 local artists. Find a unique gift for everyone on your list Saturday and Sunday when the market opens to the public. (Friday from 6 - 10 pm, Saturday from 10 am – 7 pm and Sunday from 11 am – 4 pm; tickets: For Friday, tickets are $15 per person in advance and $25 per person at the door. Admission on Saturday and Sunday is free).
2101 Winter St.; 713-868-1839

Hit the ice
Saturday, November 18
Head to the opening of The Ice at Discovery Green at Frostival for a fun-filled night including an ice carving by Reverend Butter and DLG Ice Factory, music by The Peterson Brothers, and the debut of the park's new winter art installation, "Hello Trees!" The outdoor ice skating remains open through January 21, 2018. (Frostival is Saturday from 6-10 pm. Click here for ice rink hours of operation; tickets: Frostival tickets are $20 per person contribution to Discovery Green Conservancy and ice rink tickets are $14 per person for regular admission)
1500 McKinney St.; 713-400-7336

WWE
Saturday, November 18
At World Wrestling Entertainment NXT Takeover: War Games at Toyota Center, fans can catch Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, Hideo Itami, Adam Cole, Ember Moon, Sanity, Authors of Pain, Kassius Ohno, and more in the ring. (6:15 pm; tickets: $20-$300 per person)
1510 Polk St.; 713-758-7200

Thanksgiving farmer's market
Sunday, November 19
FM Kitchen and Bar converts its parking lot and patio into a Thanksgiving-themed Farmer’s Market presented by Urban Harvest. Shop for items from 15 local vendors, including Artisana Bread, Texas Hill Country Olive Company, Tejas Heritage Farm (turkeys, chicken, wild boar), Plant it Forward Farms (vegetables), and Java Pura Coffee Roasters, offering a mix of items to get your household ready for T-Day. Shop away and then grab brunch as FM Kitchen and Bar serves a special midday menu inspired by the market. (11 am - 3 pm; tickets: free admission)
1112 Shepherd Dr.; 832-804-6006

Taco Sunday
Sunday, November 19
Your ticket to the second annual Gr8 Taco Challenge at 8th Wonder Brewery gets you a custom souvenir pint glass, tunes by Heapin' Helpin', four beer tokens, and a taco sampling from participating restaurants like Presidio, Riel, State Fare,The Pit Room, and Uchi. A portion of proceeds goes to Kids' Meals Houston. (12-4 pm; tickets: $40 per person in advance and $50 per person at the door)
2202 Dallas St.

New museum exhibit
Sunday, November 19
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents "Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands," an exhibition of more than 100 works highlighting the artistic and cultural heritage of Iranian civilization from the 6th to the 19th century. Highlights include miniature paintings from the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic and a range of historically significant ceramics. The exhibit runs through February 11, 2018. (12:15 pm; tickets: $15 per person for general admission to the museum)
1001 Bissonnet St.; 713-639-7300

The twelfth annual Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival boasts pieces from more than 200 local and international artists.

$Via Colori\u00ae Street Painting Festival$

Photo courtesy of The Center for Hearing and Speech

The twelfth annual Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival boasts pieces from more than 200 local and international artists.

event-planner

Movie Review

28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later.

The 2000s brought two of the best zombie movies ever made in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Both films, despite being made by different filmmakers, featured intense action with fast-moving zombies, harrowing sequences, and real emotional connections with their main characters. Now the original director and writer — Danny Boyle and Alex Garland — have returned with the first of a possible three sequels, 28 Years Later.

The rage virus from the first two films that turns humans into insatiable monsters has successfully been contained to the United Kingdom, and one group of survivors has managed to band together on a small island off the coast of England. We’re introduced to the group through Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams).

Isla is sick with an unknown illness, while Jamie is set to take the 12-year-old Spike on his first trip to the mainland to hunt zombies. That trip not only gives Spike an education as to the different types of feral zombies that now populate England, but also a clue that other people have survived there. When he discovers that one of them may be a doctor, he makes plans to take his mother there in hopes of finding a cure for whatever ails her.

While the first two films were notable for their brisk pace that kept the potency of the stories high, Boyle and Garland almost go in the opposite direction for much of this film. The first 90 minutes are relatively slow, with only a couple of sequences that raise the blood pressure. The final half hour or so go a long way toward filling that void, so it’s clear that the filmmakers were biding their time for the story to come in the sequel. A bit more balance in this film would have served them well, though.

What they do show involves some weird, wild stuff that is objectively upsetting, even for fans of the genre. The zombies have evolved in strange ways, giving them a variety of body shapes and abilities to suit the environment in which they live. These storytelling choices may thrill some and have others scratching their heads. Another human character living on his own (played by Ralph Fiennes), appears to have gone the way of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, with a revelation that is bone-chilling.

Boyle, who’s directed everything from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, doesn’t have a signature style, and he makes some choices in this film that test your patience. He occasionally employs an odd technique in which the film stutters, for a lack of better term. It’s a bit jarring, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve the storytelling. He also inserts scenes from older films involving medieval warfare that emulate the bow-and-arrow weaponry used by characters in this film, but the exact connection he’s trying to make is unclear.

The young Williams has a lot put on his shoulders in the film, and he proves to be up to the task of carrying the story. He isn’t precocious or annoying, instead reacting almost exactly like you’d expect a boy of his age to do when faced with extreme situations. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are good complements for him, drawing him out with their polar opposite characters. Fiennes makes a huge impression in the final act of the film, while Jack O’Connell makes a very brief appearance, teasing a bigger role to come.

It’s difficult to fully judge 28 Years Later because it’s designed to only give you part of the story; part 2, The Bone Temple, is due in 2026, while a third film will follow if the first two do well. This film has its moments and winds up on the positive side of the ledger, but it’s also a frustrating experience that could have used a more stand-alone story.

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28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

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Weekend events planner

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

The twelfth annual Houston Via Colori Street Painting Festival boasts pieces from more than 200 local and international artists.

Movie Review

28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

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