weekend event planner

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

Supergroup August Greene hits Houston this weekend.

Photo courtesy of August Greene

This is a slim calendar this week, mainly because everybody will mostly be at home for Thanksgiving weekend, probably too full to leave the house. (For some, the longest trip will be to the fridge for leftovers.) Nevertheless, there are still some worthwhile things that'll be happening, for those venturing past the Frigidaire.

Thursday, November 22

69th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade
Of course, before the eating commences, folks will line up downtown for the annual, Thanksgiving Day Parade. It all started in 1949, when Santa Claus — or some pudgy guy who looks like him — arrived at Union Houston and rode his sleigh to the downtown Foley's (remember that store?) Now in its 69th year, it's a definite tradition around these parts. So, do your damnedest to get there early for a good spot! 9 am.

It's Santa Photo Time at Katy Mills
Katy Mills is getting ready for the holiday season. Holiday hours will be extended for the mall this weekend, with its Black Friday shenanigans kicking off at 6 am. But this weekend also welcomes good' ol Santa Claus — or some portly dude who looks like him — to the shopping center. St. Nick will be available to take photos with families, children with special needs and even your freakin' dog! 6 pm.

H-Town Thanksgiving
Local hip-hop heads who who are done eating this Thanksgiving can head over to White Oak Music Hall. That's where a top-notch, Houston rap show will be taking place later that evening. Space City hip-hop's best of the best will all be onstage: Z-Ro, Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Lil Keke, Lil Flip, and Yung Martez. In all likelihood, this show will be just as plentiful and satisfying as the big-ass meal you just ate. 8 pm.

Friday, November 23

Flea at Silver Street presents Black Friday Holiday Market
Chances are, the day after Thanksgiving, department stores, malls and spots like Best Buy and Wal-Mart will be littered with crazy people, hellbent on getting some Black Friday deals. Flea at Silver Street has its own, annual Black Friday extravaganza, but it lasts for the entire weekend and we're sure it won't be just as insane. Guests can visit 100 booths of handmade, vintage, original art, home decor, food, and more inside a 20,000 square warehouse. 10 am.

War'Hous and Super Happy Incredible Toys present DC vs. Marvel Art Show
With grumpy old men like Bill Maher going on about how comic books are really nothing but kids' stuff, people need to be reminded just how inspiring and influential comic-book art can be. So, here comes this event, which will have various artists showing and selling DC/Marvel-inspired artwork. There will also be a vendor market, cosplay contests and giveaways from Super Happy Incredible Toys. 6 pm (noon Saturday and Sunday).

Saturday, November 24

Saturday Morning Bake Sale with Wayne Mueller
At Fluff Bake Bar's regular Saturday-morning bake sale, studly restauranteur Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue will be there to rock people's worlds with his fabulous, smoky meats. His signature showstopper is beef ribs on a freshly-baked croissant. While we're still waiting for Mueller to bring a Louie Mueller Barbecue around our parts (he spoke to us about it last year), we'll take this special appearance — along with all the meat he can grill up.

August Greene in concert
If you've never heard the name August Greene, you've most likely heard of the men who are in this hip-hop supergroup. First off, there's Oscar-winning, conscious-rapper extraordinaire Common. Then, we have jazz pianist, producer, and hometown boy made good Robert Glasper. Rounding things out is drummer Karriem Riggins, who has also produced good tunes for artists. They'll be in town promoting their debut album, which dropped earlier this year. 7:30 pm.

Trill Sweater Party: Post Malone vs. Travis Scott
If you're still on a high from attending last week's inaugural AstroWorld Festival, the House of Blues will have a night of music from that show's two biggest draws — fest creator Travis Scott and Post Malone — and you can show up wearing trill (and tacky) attire. Maybe this event, which also benefits Toys for Tots, will also have tons of Chick-Fil-A, since Scott surprised Malone with that when he performed here last week. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, November 25

Cafe Poetes presents Le Petit Marché de Paris
If you're feeling in the mood for some French stuff this holiday weekend, may we direct you to what contemporary, Parisian-style cafe Cafe Poetes will be doing. It's partnering with Music Doing Good for a one-day, holiday artisan market called Le Petit Marché de Paris. There will be plenty of items on hand, including handmade shoes by Atelier Aliénor, active apparel by Elastique Athletics, jewelry from Morgana, arts and crafts from Mona Loves Gustav, and more. 1 pm.

Pieces of April at Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra
We're kinda surprised Pieces of April hasn't turned into one of those offbeat holiday movies that start getting heavy replays on cable this time of year. This 2003 film stars Katie Holmes as a boho, Lower East Side gal who invites her heavily dysfunctional family (Patricia Clarkson got an Oscar nom for her role as the breast cancer-suffering mom) to her apartment for Thanksgiving. Go see this movie if you want to get away from your fam for a bit. 3:30 pm.

event-planner

Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

---

Queer is now playing in theaters.

movies film