Weekend Event Planner

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

It's the weekend before Thanksgiving and there's so much happening in Houston that it's a bit difficult to keep this list at 10. Comedienne Amy Schumer taking over the Toyota Center, the Via Colori Street Festival, and the Houston BBQ Throwdown are all a part of the fun happenings. (We admit we had 11 suggestions, but Morrissey canceled his Saturday night concert at the White Oak Music Hall.)

This roundup is just a taste of events going on this weekend, but you can always check out the full list on our CultureMap Events Calendar.

Thursday, November 17

METdance presents Breaking Borders

Breaking Borders, the latest production by the Houston-based dance company, highlights and celebrates the various cultural backgrounds and movement styles that past and present METdance choreographers are inspired by. It features a world premiere by Princess Grace Award winner Rosie Herrera, along with work by Camille A. Brown, Joshua L. Peugh, and Katarzyna Skarpetowska. Performances are also scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, November 18

Fresh Arts Winter Holiday Arts Market

Art and handmade goods from more than 90 Houston artists will be available for sale at the three-day Winter Holiday Arts Market (WHAM) presented by Fresh Arts. This is a great opportunity to celebrate the amazing local talent we have in the city. WHAM kicks off the weekend with an Ugly Sweater Party on Friday and then carries on with the market for the remainder of the weekend.

Eat. Drink. Art. at the Houston Museum of African American Culture

Eat. Drink. Art. is a series at the Houston Museum of African American Culture that aims to expose artists to tastemakers and art enthusiasts. Ticket purchases benefit programming for the next year at the HMAAC. Guests at this series will also enjoy a fashion show, light bites, drinks, and shop goods from local artists and businesses.

Space: The Final Playground by ROCO

The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra presents Space: The Final Playground, featuring the Texas premiere of "Cosmos" by composer Michael Gibson. Co-commissioned by ROCO, the musical piece is composed in five short movements, each of which are inspired by an element of the Cosmos. WindSync, a Houston wind quintet, will engage in the performance by moving throughout the space while playing. A second performance is on Saturday.

Friday Flicks on the Lawn at GreenStreet

Families, couples, and singles are welcome to bring a blanket and watch a movie on the large screen on The Lawn. This Friday's feature film is Elf and is sure to be a nice way to spend the evening now that cooler temperatures are finally here.

Saturday, November 19

The Great Inflatable Race

The Great Inflatable Race at Sam Houston Park is a fun experience that knows no age limits. Adults and children alike are invited to join this unique fun run full of inflatable obstacles. Be prepared to bump, bounce, and slide throughout the course. What a cool way to get out and interact with new people in the city; think of it as a large scale bounce house.

Via Colori Street Painting Festival

The streets of downtown Houston will once again be transformed by over 200 local and international artists as "A Colorful World" is the theme of the two-day festival. Also take in various food, art and entertainment options (25 performers, including Jessica Meuse from American Idol, on three stages). The festival benefits The Center for Hearing and Speech, whose mission is to help deaf children learn to speak, listen, and hear; a worthy cause to benefit in a creative and expressive festival.

Ghetto Dinner with Anthony Calleo and Adam Doris

Adam Doris (CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Chef of the Year) brings back his Ghetto Dinner pop-up with special guest Anthony Calleo (Pi Pizza) Saturday night at Ladybird's. The menu includes Togarashi Spiced Pork Rib Fried Pie, Fire Dome Roasted Lamb Sandwich with pepronata, Napa slaw, and brown butter aioli as well as a Big Feast Plate — Fire Dome Roasted Free Range Chicken, whole roasted pork hash w/smoked potato and grilled honeycrisp apple, butternut squash with charred rapini salsa verde, smoked pork sausage kolache, and a sanguinaccio doughnut (courtesy of those badasses at Morningstar). The two chefs are shaking things up on the Houston culinary scene and this dinner is a great way to experience their creative abilities.

Sunday, November 20

Houston BBQ Throwdown

CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler is one of the judges for the 2nd Annual Houston BBQ Throwdown at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Fourteen of Houston's best barbecue spots will serve dishes that aim to show the culinary diversity in the Bayou City and earn top honors. Guests can also vote for the "People Choice" as their favorite of the night. Who's going to win this finger-licking battle?

Amy Schumer at Toyota Center

The Inside Amy Schumer star has taken the entertainment world by storm and created a loyal fan base. Whether it's her take on current events, her award winning show, or hilarious movie roles, Schumer is unapologetically herself. Expect to hear some choice words from the comedienne about the president-elect.

Enjoy the weekend and be sure to share your events experiences with us via social media.

"A Colorful World" at the Via Colori Street Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

Photo by Liem Bui

"A Colorful World" at the Via Colori Street Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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