weekend event planner

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

This weekend is all about coming out – both figuratively and literally – to play.

Two Pride Month screenings practically open and close this weekend. (As a comic icon who’ll be performing on Saturday would say, not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Sandwiched in-between, we’ll also have the return of a very big art show, an anniversary celebration/Prince tribute going on at a Montrose spot, a taco fest thrown by a legendary Texas magazine, and the Houston Symphony saluting the classic works of a legendary Hollywood composer.

Thursday, June 5

The Woodlands Arts Council presents Jim N. Hill: “Essence: People & Places” opening reception
The Woodlands Arts Council will present its summer exhibition,featuring the work of artist Jim N. Hill. The colorful and expressive collection invites viewers into a world of serene landscapes, cheerful moments, and reflections on the joy of everyday life. Hill’s career spans several decades and continents. His technique combines acrylic, watercolor, collage, and pencil to create textured compositions that are both emotional and imaginative. Through Thursday, August 7. 6 pm.

Discovery Green presents Park After Dark
As the sun goes down, the park lights up, because the park will be keeping the fountains and lights on late every Thursday this month. Discovery Green’s Rocket Dog art cart will be onsite with games and toys for rent. Freshly painted picnic tables double as game boards for guests to bring chess or checkers and challenge a friend. Food trucks and local vendors will be serving up sweet treats and tasty eats all evening. 7 pm.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Pride Month: Challengers
Rooftop Cinema Club Houston is rolling out the rainbow carpet for Pride Month with a lineup of films and events. Expect matchmaking, skyline views, and special screenings where 15 percent of ticket proceeds will be donated to Tony’s Place, a local nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability. The first screening will be Challengers, that hot-and-heavy sports drama starring Zendaya as a tennis prodigy torn between two competitive BFFs (Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist). 10 pm.

Friday, June 6

Lawndale Art Center presents The Big Show 2025 opening reception
The Big Show is an exhibition of new work by artists practicing within a 100-mile radius of Lawndale Art Center. The 2025 edition will be juried by Dr. Phillip A. Townsend, curator of Art & Art Galleries at Black Studies and lecturer in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Artists include Mathieu JN Baptiste, Marcus John Guillory, Renata Lucia, RANDY WROSIV and others. Admission is free. Through Saturday, August 2. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents "John Williams & Steven Spielberg: Movie Magic"
Spanning 50 years and 29 films, John Williams’ and Steven Spielberg’s legendary partnership has created unparalleled movie magic. This concert will relive the unforgettable music from Jaws, Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and more in this symphonic celebration of Hollywood’s dynamic duo. This concert will be conducted by Steven Reineke. 7:30 pm (2 and 7:30 pm Saturday; 2 pm Sunday).

Marriott Marquis Houston and Hulu present Summer Poolside Cinema
This summer, movie night gets a rooftop twist at Marriott Marquis Houston.Altitude—the hotel’s open-air rooftop terrace—will transform into a lively outdoor cinema each Friday night, thanks to a new partnership with Hulu. The first movie will be the 2020 sci-fi romcom Palm Springs, starring Andy Samberg. Themed popcorn boxes and other fun touches will round out the experience, making this a can’t-miss series for locals and visitors alike. Guests can also purchase seasonal cocktails and summer bites. Through Friday, September 5. 7:30 pm.

Stageworks Theatre presents Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play
In Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play, spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast of the master of suspense's earlier films. Featuring The Lodger, Sabotage, and The 39 Steps, Vintage Hitchcock is a triple feature, complete with vintage commercials, that recreates a daring train chase, a serial killer's ominous presence, and a devastating explosion through the magic of live sound effects. Through Sunday, June 22. 7:30 pm (3 pm Sunday).

Saturday, June 7

Texas Monthly presents Taco Fest
At the inaugural Texas Monthly Taco Fest South, visitors will enjoy an evening of live entertainment and some of the best tacos Texas has to offer. Taco Fest is a celebration of the “New Tejano” culinary movement popping off in Texas. Tickets will give folks access to bites from 15 taco joints featured on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best Tacos in Texas list and the accompanying list of honorable mentions, including No. 1 ranked Ana Liz Taqueria from Mission, Texas. 5 pm.

Echoes 3 Year Anniversary Celebration
Expect a lot of purple stuff over at Echoes this weekend. The Montrose hangout marks its third anniversary with a celebration honoring the legacy of Prince on what would have been his birthday. The night will feature Prince-themed music all evening — from deep cuts to dancefloor anthems — along with specialty cocktails, and a nod to the funk and soul that define both the artist and the venue. 4 pm.

Alejandro Escovedo with special guest Aaron Lee Tajsan
Alejandro Escovedo is known for being an acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter, born and bred right here in Texas. But we were today years old when we found out he opened for The Sex Pistols. Back when he was in the California punk band The Nuns, they opened up the Pistols’ notorious final concert in San Francisco. He dips back in his past for his latest album, 2024’s Echo Dancing, including new and repurposed versions of songs from his catalog. He’ll be performing those this weekend at The Heights Theater. 8 pm.

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presents Jerry Seinfeld
Sometimes, we wonder if Jerry Seinfeld gets flanked by fans, ready to give him the myriad junk food that he and Larry David made famous on their classic sitcom Seinfeld. From Drake’s Coffee Cakes to Junior Mints to Chuckles to Snapple to just plain ol’ cereal, Seinfeld has to be the most junk food-crazy show in television history. Seinfeld continues to give props to junk food – he starred and directed in Netflix’s quasi-Pop Tarts history Unfrosted last year. Let’s see if any Pop-Tarts show up on stage when he does a show in The Woodlands this weekend. 7:30 pm.

Sunday, June 8

Houston Cinema Arts Society presents Pride Month Double Feature
Houston Cinema Arts Society will have a special Pride Month double feature at the historic DeLUXE Theatre. First up is the iconic 1991 documentary Paris Is Burning, which provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. After that, it’s the 2024 doc I’m Your Venus, which follows the unsolved murder of Paris star Venus Xtravaganza. These two films speak to the beauty, power, and resilience of the trans communities, as well as the violence and oppression they face. 4 pm.

Theatre Under The Stars presents Brews & Broadway
Theatre Under The Stars presents Brews & Broadway, a festive, casual event that gives Houston’s theater lovers a place to gather, cheer on their favorite shows, and celebrate the 78th Annual Tony Awards, all while supporting TUTS’ artistic and educational programs. Attendees will enjoy a live screening of the awards, along with theatre-themed games, live performances, themed bites, and giveaways. The event is only for those 21 and older. 6 pm.

Black Magic Social Club presents The Freak Show
You know, we don’t regularly shout-out shows featuring local bands getting their hard-rock/metal/grunge/goth on around these parts. But let’s change that by sharing news about The Freak Show, going down this weekend at Black Magic Social Club. This show is packed with rockers – The Shroons, Vengaza, The Sickens, Damien, and Kings, Queens and Jack – getting hard and heavy with it (the music, that is). This one is definitely for the headbangers. 8 pm.

Photo courtesy of Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld will perform in The Woodlands this weekend.

weekend events event-planner

Movie Review

New horror film M3GAN 2.0 turns up the campy fun of the original

Photo by Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures

M3GAN in M3GAN 2.0.

When a studio releases a movie in January (aka Dumpuary), the general rule of thumb is that they’re trying to get rid of a movie that isn’t very good. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, as M3GAN was in 2023, which rode the comedy of a killer AI robot who likes to dance to over $180 million worldwide.

A sequel was a given, and now with a built-in fanbase, M3GAN 2.0is a prime summer release. After running into trouble with her robot invention, Gemma (Allison Williams) has seemingly seen the error of her ways, now focused on creating things like a mechanical exoskeleton that can benefit society. Little does she know that the code she used to create M3GAN (aka Model 3 Generative Android) has been co-opted to create AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), a new robot which is being used for nefarious purposes.

Naturally, the only thing to do is to bring M3GAN (played by Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) back from the “dead,” which is easy to do because — surprise! — she has been lurking inside the smart house in which Gemma and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) now live. The inevitable showdown between the two robots is alternately helped and hindered by people like billionaire Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement), fellow tech entrepreneur Christian (Aristotle Athari), co-worker Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez), and others.

Written and directed by Gerard Johnstone, who also directed the first film, M3GAN 2.0 doesn’t stray from the original formula, delivering way more laughs than scares. Because there’s a familiarity with the character, Johnstone leans into the campy side of things, essentially winking at the audience for much of the film. Whether it’s temporarily imprisoning M3GAN in an innocuous desktop robot or a number of one-liners, there is a lot of comedy to be found.

The film is a type of horror, though, and it delivers in the mild, PG-13 way that won’t offend non-horror fans. AMELIA (aka Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android) gives off Terminator vibes, and she lays waste to virtually all challengers. M3GAN doesn’t get to show off her skills as much as she did last time, which might be a tad frustrating for some, but she gets in enough punches and kicks for the experience to be worth it.

The story itself starts off strong before devolving into an overly complicated mess. The arc of AMELIA is particularly strange, as the strength of her powers and the level of her autonomy seem to change at will in the second half of the film. Gemma develops a rivalry with another character that might have worked better if it had been hinted at early in the film instead of being dropped in as a surprise.

Davis’ voice performance as M3GAN is once again fantastic, as she delivers sarcasm and menace equally well. Sakhno isn’t asked to do much but look terrifying, and she accomplishes that job. Williams is up and down in her role, stronger in the moments when she’s not being asked to prove her tech bona fides. Clement is his usual over-the-top self, which suits his character.

As with the first film, if you go into M3GAN 2.0 not expecting anything more than some goofy violent robot action, you’ll walk away satisfied. The unlikely breakout hit for Blumhouse Productions may not be able to support a good story, but it entertains in the way it’s supposed to do.

---

M3GAN 2.0 is now playing in theaters.

movies film