Weekend Event Planner

Here are the top 14 things to do in Houston this weekend

Houstonians have anime, cheering for the marathon, and some grand openings to enjoy this weekend. But we shouldn’t forget what’s most important: celebrating David Bowie’s birthday.

Dan Electro’s will have its annual BowiElivis Fest on Friday night, which celebrates the b-days of Bowie and Elvis Presley. DJ Hallospace Boy and DJ Scary Monster will play Bowie tunes at Platypus Brewing on Friday night and Cactus Music on Saturday afternoon. Numbers will have its #bowieallnight dance party later that evening,with DJ Wes Wallace spinning. And Alamo Drafthouse Cinema LaCenterra will screen both Labyrinth and the Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream on Sunday.

So, no matter where you go or what you do this weekend, jamming to Bowie will always be the right thing to do.

Thursday, January 8

Asia Society Texas presents "The House of Ikebana: Anime Edition"
Asia Society Texas will present a special pop-up exhibition of anime-inspired ikebana, created by members of Ikebana International Houston Chapter #12. Presented within "The House of Pikachu: Art, Anime, and Pop Culture," local practitioners will debut new floral arrangements thoughtfully crafted in response to the exhibition's themes. Thursday admission will be free. Noon (10 am Friday-Sunday).

Houston Tri Delta Philanthropies, Inc. presents The Sale Houston
At The Sale, shoppers will see discounted merchandise from 50+ premier retailers like Christy Lynn, Hunter Bell, Bering's, and more. The event kicks off with a preview night on Thursday giving shoppers exclusive access to the best deals of the season. Proceeds benefit Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers. Since 2015, the event has raised $2.5 million for pediatric cancer research. 5 pm (9 am Friday and Saturday).

Memorial Hermann Broadway at the Hobby Center presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Disney’s 30th anniversary production of Beauty and the Beast is a breathtaking musical filled with romance and grandeur. The enchanting and timeless tale has been brought to life like never before, with spectacular new sets and dazzling costumes. The show boasts the Oscar-winning and Tony-nominated score from Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, including the classic songs “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Through Sunday, January 18. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 1 and 6:30 pm Sunday).

Friday, January 9

Chevron Marathon Houston Weekend
There is literally going to be a lot of running around this weekend. It starts on Friday with the two-day Houston Marathon Health & Fitness EXPO, over at George R. Brown Convention Center. The next day, you can wake up early and take part in either the We Are Houston 5K over on McKinney and Crawford, or the RunFest at Discovery Green. All this leads up to the Chevron Marathon Houston and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, which starts at Congress and Fannin. 10 am (6:30 am Saturday; 6:35 am Sunday).

Lin’s Grand Buffet Grand Opening Celebration
Lin’s Grand Buffet will open its second Houston location this weekend. Located on Highway 6 between Clay Rd. and West Little York Rd., the dining destination, which originated in Texas, will serve a variety of Chinese, Japanese and seafood selections. The new restaurant will seat 274 guests within the 9,000-square-foot space. Enjoy a vibrant sushi bar, Mongolian grill, and freshly prepared steak crafted at live cooking stations. As a part of the celebration, guests will experience a lion dance performance at 7 pm. 11:00 am.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Golden Eighties
The 1986 musical Golden Eighties, from feminist filmmaker Chantal Akerman, is a unique portrait of love and survival. In a shopping mall, store employees cycle through breakups, makeups, and misunderstandings, punctuated by imaginative production numbers. Akerman deftly balances the shiny pop pleasures of the genre with variations on her signature themes. DACAMERA artistic director Sarah Rothenberg will introduce the film and talk about the upcoming performances of D’Est en musique, inspired by Akerman. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert
The battle between good and evil rages on in the final 1983 chapter of the original Star Wars trilogy. Luke, Leia, Han, and the whole Rebel Alliance seek to destroy the Death Star and face a final showdown with Darth Vader and the Emperor. Audiences will feel the full splendor and “force” of John Williams’s incredible score - from the fanfare to closing credits - as the Houston Symphony accompanies the movie live. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday).

Saturday, January 10

Honest Mary’s Grand Opening Celebration
Austin-based healthy bowls brand Honest Mary’s will host a grand opening celebration at its first Houston location at River Oaks Shopping Center. The community is invited to stop by the restaurant for the midday event to experience the stylish new space, enjoy live music and sample the brand’s thoughtfully crafted grain bowls, sipping broths, aguas frescas and more. The debut marks the brand’s fifth location overall and a meaningful hometown moment for founder Nelson Monteith, who was born and raised in Houston. 11:30 am.

Cactus Music presents Rich Hopkins & The Luminarios In-Store Performance
Rich Hopkins & The Luminarios will take the Cactus stage this weekend. A prolific writer, singer, guitarist, producer and humanitarian, Hopkins is concerned for the well-being of his fellow man and wonders about the events that have shaped us as a nation and a race. For years, Rich Hopkins has said after each new album that it will be his last. And yet, he continues to surprise us with new songs, recorded with his band The Luminarios, based in both Tucson and Austin, where Rich and his wife commute. 4 pm.

Sicardi Ayers Bacino presents Gabriel de la Mora: "Subject/Object" opening reception
Gabriel de la Mora uses unorthodox materials such as acrylic-painted turkey feathers to create colorful geometric compositions that are often schematic or child-like. In one characteristic work, 127, 687 minute shards of egg shells are sorted by hue and then meticulously fitted together. The result - a monochrome that de la Mora describes as a combination of painting, sculpture and drawing - reflects on the loss of function of organic life forms, the passage of time, and its transmutation onto an aesthetic object. Through February 21. 6 pm.

Shaun Cassidy: The Road To Us
Shaun Cassidy comes to Houston as part of his live music and storytelling tour, The Road to Us. After originally making his name as a ‘70s pop heartthrob, Cassidy went on to create, write, and produce a number of television series, including American Gothic, Roar, Cold Case, Cover Me, The Agency, Invasion, and Emerald City. Cassidy recently spent five years as executive producer and writer for the hit NBC/Netflix series New Amsterdam. 7 pm.

Sunday, January 11

The Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston presents Festa della Befana
The Italian Cultural & Community Center (ICCC) of Houston invites children and families to its annual Festa della Befana. According to legend, the three wise men asked la Befana to come with them to bring gifts to baby Jesus. To this day, she is still searching for the baby Jesus, and for this reason she brings sweets and candies by broomstick for children who have been good—or a lump of coal for those who have been bad. Enjoy an afternoon of tombola and meet la Befana, who will bring sweets for the children in attendance. 3 pm.

DACAMERA at the Eldorado: Rising Jazz Stars - Brandon Woody's Upendo
Rooted in Baltimore, trumpeter Brandon Woody has built his career from his hometown, drawing on its vibrant creative culture and community spirit. A rising force in contemporary jazz, Woody released For The Love Of It All, his Blue Note Records debut album, last year. Featuring his longtime band Upendo, the album showcases Woody’s ability to craft music that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. 5 and 7 pm.

River Oaks Theatre presents Live Q&A: The Wasps with directors Jake Binstock and Parker Rouse
In an adaptation of one of the oldest comedies known to man (made in a literal backyard set in Austin), populist demagogue Cleon rules over Athens, contracting the bored and elderly to serve on the courts and do his bidding. Anticleon attempts to teach his juryman father, Procleon, how to be a respectable, modern man instead of wielding his misplaced rage on Cleon's political enemies. made in a literal backyard set in Austin, directors Jake Binstock and Parker Rouse will be around for a post-screening Q&A. 7 pm.

Chevron Houston Marathon/Facebook

Show your support for the Chevron Houston Marathon on 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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