weekend event planner

Here are the top 16 things to do in Houston this weekend

Catch new flicks and blockbusters like Barbie — again or for the first time — for just $4 this Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

This weekend, Houston resident, rodeo wine baller, and pop culture superstar 50 Cent holds court at Toyota Center. That same day, fans can hit the rooftop for an open-air movie screening of Inglorious Basterds — and sip Saint Arnold's Brew.

And speaking of movie screenings, Sunday brings National Cinema Day, where fans can catch new hits, blockbusters, and more for just 4 bucks (check local listings).

Stay cool and enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, August 24

50 Cent in concert

Rapper/actor/television mogul/professional social-media troll 50 Cent comes to Houston (which we still believe he calls home) as part of his "Final Lap Tour." He will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', performing dozens of fan-favorite and chart-topping hits along with select tracks that have not been performed live in years. He'll be joined by special guests Busta Rhymes and Jeremih. 7 pm.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Inglourious Basterds

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown has partnered with Saint Arnold Brewing Company to present Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist-AF WWII movie from 2009. For this special film, Saint Arnold will provide guests with tastings of their beer, which will pair impeccably with both the film and the skyline of Uptown Houston. They will also be joined by one of their reps to talk more about their current seasonal favorite Oktoberfest, plus some of their other delicious concoctions. 7:10 pm.

The Aphrodisi-Acts presents Neon Dreams

The Aphrodisi-Acts presents a blacklight burlesque show that pushes the boundaries of artistic expression. Performers adorned in neon costumes will captivate senses with their sultry dances, blending the art of burlesque with the magic of UV lights. It's a fusion of seductive performances, including dynamic aerial arts, and mind-bending projection mapping that paints the stage with vibrant hues. 7:30 pm.

Friday, August 25

Burger-Chan presents Anti Anti Burger Club

Usually, the Galleria-area burger favorite is only open for lunch, but it will make an exception on Friday. Since the restaurant will be closed on Saturday, owners Diane and Willet Feng will serve dinner for one night only. Diners have the option of Burger-Chan’s full menu of build-your-own burgers, chicken sandwiches, fish sandwiches, and hot dogs along with sides and drinks. 3-8 pm.

The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art presents The Happening XI: RESURGENCE

The Orange Show’s breakout, monthly experimental performance art and open-mic showcase continues this Friday. Experience the event that everyone is talking about: a no-holds-barred immersive celebration of creative expression that will challenge your perception of the world, as you experience it through the lens of emerging artists working in a multitude of mediums. New for this month: enjoy dinner and a show. Pupusa Mami will bring her famous pupusa pop-up Allwayz Hungry, so come ready to eat! 6 pm.

Bree Blooms events at The Plant Project Houston

Enjoy plants, sips, and community at Bree Iman Clarke's Bree Blooms events.Photo courtesy of The Plant Project

Houston's plant princess Bree Iman Clarke invites locals for a day of flower therapy. Friday, gather friends, friends, family, book club, moms’ group, neighbors, or besties for a Girls Night Out event centered around plants, wellness, and conversation. The $60 admission includes plants, vase, and plenty of wine/sips.

Saturday (noon to 1 pm) continues with an afternoon summer blooms workshop — again, admission includes plants, vase, and plenty of sips. Admission is limited; sure to mention CultureMap when calling to RSVP. Both events are at Plant Project Houston at Montrose Collective. Call 832-834-5920 to RSVP.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister Harmóniák)

Béla Tarr —one of the most distinctive filmmakers of the late 20th/early 21st century—collaborated with Ágnes Hranitzky on this 2000 parable of societal collapse, consisting of 39 long, black-and-white takes. In the Hungarian lowlands, a mysterious circus arrives and awakens a kind of madness in the citizens, which builds inexorably toward violence and destruction. The villagers line up by the hundreds to see the main attraction: a stuffed whale hiding a mysterious prince. 7 pm (5 pm Saturday and Sunday).

Art Factory presents The Great American Trailer Park Musical

In this musical, the audience is transported to Armadillo Acres, where a new resident named Pippi is about to seriously shake things up. The trusty “Greek chorus” of narrators guide us through the raucous and raunchy events that follow. Norbert, a toll-collector, has gifted Jeanie, his agoraphobic wife tickets to the Ice Capades for their anniversary, but will she be able to face her fears and leave the trailer? Will Pippi’s marker-huffing ex-boyfriend figure out where she’s hiding? Through Sunday, September 10. 8 pm (5 pm Sunday).

Open Dance Project presents Peter & Wendy

This production takes a fresh look at the classic Peter Pan tale through signature athleticism, daring physicality, and theatrical whimsy. Featuring the music of Two Star Symphony and paying tribute to J.M. Barrie’s beloved story, performances on aerial silks and trapeze by Peter and Tink provide a magical approach to the story. A multigenerational cast of dancers and aerialists sets the ingenuity and imagination of children at the heart of this performance for family audiences. 8 pm.

Saturday, August 26

Saturday Jazz Brunch at Brennan’s

Due to Jazz Brunch Sundays being fully booked during Houston Restaurant Weeks, Brennan’s is also hosting its festive jazz brunch for two more Saturdays during the month-long charitable giving event. Settle in for toe-tapping live music while dining on elegant Texas-Creole specialties from the regular or HRW menus. Recommendations include the Creole fried chicken sandwich and their legendary turtle soup, as well as classic desserts like Creole bread pudding. 11 am.

Faded Decade Houston Fourth Anniversary

Downtown clothing store/temple of cool Faded Decade will celebrate four years of business with a day-long extravaganza. First off, the store will launch a new graphic-tee collection. Late Night Call will provide live music, while DJ 9th Sage will be spinning some tunes. And Umbrella Fellas and Rabbits Got the Gun will hook everybody up with some grub. As they say over there, pull up and enjoy life. Noon.

Leaf & Grain Fancy Chef Sandwich Series with Joseph Manglicmot

Leaf & Grain, the popular local restaurant known for its healthy food, will have its final Fancy Chef Sandwich Series this weekend. 93 Til chef Joseph Manglicmot will serve a specialty, soft shell crab sandwich with fried, Gulf Coast soft shell crab, wasabi aioli, butter leaf lettuce, summer tomatoes, pickled vegetables, and cilantro on rye bread. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center (NFCC), a local nonprofit that provides accessible mental health resources. Noon.

The Ensemble Theatre presents 47th Anniversary Black Tie Gala

The Ensemble Theatre's annual gala serves as their major fiscal year-end fundraiser, with a goal to net $450,000 to support an array of performing arts programming and day-to-day theater operations. This year’s theme is "Legacy Alive. Honoring the Past. Inspiring the Future." Mayor Sylvester Turner will receive the prestigious Legacy of Leadership Award, in honor of Turner's unwavering support of The Ensemble and for his accomplishments of elevating the arts as the city's mayor for the past eight years. 7 pm.

Sunday, August 27

National Cinema Day

It’s that time of year again when the film studios and the theater chains lower ticket sales, hoping that people will get up off their couches and watch some movies on the big screen. Although Barbie and Oppenheimer (or Barbenheimer, if you will) have already a great job doing that, as both films have made tremendous heaps of money, all the theater chains (AMC, Regal, even Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas) will still be devoting a day where the tickets are $4, and all the movies will be there for your enjoyment. All day long.

Second Annual Misfit Market

Over in League City, the Purple Ravens, an outfit dedicated to offering the best metaphysical products to customers, will have its second annual, Misfit Market celebration. Join them for shopping, food, entertainment, and so much more. The Ravens will be hosting vendors galore, so you are able to support your favorite small businesses. They will also have limited-edition tote bags, available for purchase to the first 220 buyers. 10 am.

Le Brunch de Funk x Tito’s Vodka at Brasserie 19

This month's Le Brunch de Funk is partnering with Tito’s Vodka and Houston PetSet, a local organization with the mission to end the homelessness and suffering of companion animals and elevate their status in society. There will be special cocktails flowing, dog treats, raffles, brunch specials by chef Michael Hoffman, and dancing while DJ FXBox spins records on his classic turntable. Houstonians are invited to put on their best disco accessories to make it an afternoon to remember. 12:30 pm.

Movie Review

New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past

Photo by Jessica Miglio

David Corenswet in Superman.

When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

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Superman is now playing in theaters.