Spooky season

Halloween in Houston: boat bashes, Dia de los Muertos, family fun, and spirited 21+ parties

Halloween weekend is upon Houston, and that means there's plenty of fun to scare up all over the city. Here are some of favorite spook-tacular findings.

Food and drink

Yelloween with Veuve Clicquot
a'Bouzy hosts its annual Halloween Sunday Funday on Sunday, October 29 with a host of Veuve Clicquot specials, including Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV for $62 a bottle and Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut Rosé for $152 a bottle. Costumes encouraged and reservations are recommended.

The Cursed Cauldron Pop-Up
Through October 31, this creepy incarnation takes root at Ninja Ramen, transporting guests to a realm of magic and mystery. Those who dare will find cocktails like Coven’s Calling, a blend of Aviation Gin, dry sherry, elderflower, sage, black pepper, lemon, and Fever Tree Tonic Water, and Freyja’s Cup, which blends Heaven’s Door Bourbon, strawberry, rose, honey, lemon, and Fever Tree Blood Orange Ginger Beer. The pop-up is located at 4219 Washington Ave., and offers "char-BOO-terie boards," along with other tricks and treats.

Día de los Muertos Mezcal Dinner at Xochi
The downtown restaurant marks the traditional Mexican celebration of the deceased on Wednesday, November 1, with a four-course seated dinner, created by Chef Hugo and Chef Ruben. Each course is paired with a Amaras cocktail. Expect items such as toasted masa pancake, braised beef cheeks, mole pasilla and blue masa triangular envelope stuffed with hoja santa , paired with a Xochirita, made with Amarás Verde Mezcal, orange liqueur, lime juice, simple syrup, gusano salt, or bacon-wrapped quail, pasilla mixed sauce, chochoyotes paired with Ama Chocolate, a combination of Amarás Azul, chocolate wash, Pimm’s liqueur, cardamom, lime, agave. The cost is $110 per person. Tickets available online.

Parties and events

Punch Party
Kick off Halloween weekend at Rienzi with this 21+ party starting at 6 pm Friday, October 27. Guests can sip and savor English punch while exploring the museum's collection of 17th- and 18th-century European art, and enjoying the sounds of live music. The cost is $65 per person. Buy tickets on the MFAH website.

Spooky Karaoke
Finn Hall hosts this frighteningly fun evening of karaoke on Friday, October 27 from 9 pm to midnight with host Mathis Jones. Enter the “Spook Eazy” at Swallow’s Nest for bewitching decorations, live music, and specialty cocktails.

7th Annual Night at the Haunted Mansion
On Saturday, October 28at 8 pm, Chapman and Kirby completely transforms into a hauntingly delightful space, perfect for celebrating Halloween in style. Spooky decorations, eerie music, DJs, Halloween-themed cocktails, and a Trick-or-Treat Bar highlight the festivities. Costumes are required, and guests have the opportunity to win exciting prizes. The event is free, but registration online is requested.

Boos on the Bayou
Moody Gardens celebrates Halloween with 21+ only cruise on the Colonel Paddlewheel on Saturday, October 28. There's a costume contest, DJ and dancing, light bites, some spooky treats, and each guest will receive two drink tickets. The cruise sets sail at 9 pm. More information here.

"Thriller" Halloween Bash
The Moran CityCentre hosts this celebration of the iconic Michael Jackson hit, complete with Level One Band, an MJ cover band. The fun starts at Fireside on Saturday, October 28 at 7 pm, and there's a costume contest, with prizes including a stay at the hotel. The first 50 guests get a Tito's Vodka swag bag. Tickets are $25. Reserve online.

FestiFall at Wooster's Garden
On Sunday, October 29, the Midtown gathering spot hosts this party from 4 pm to 10 pm. featuring a costume contest, food trucks, shopping pop ups, raffle prizes, games, a DJ, and live music

URBE Día de los Muertos Fiesta
On the heels of Halloween comes the Day of the Dead, the traditional Mexican celebration that honors the deceased and welcomes their spirits back to earth to visit friends and family. On Thursday, November 2 from 6 pm to 9 pm, the Uptown street food fave closes for dinner service to host this blow out, where guests can sample Chef Hugo’s street food with interactive stations, custom cocktails, music, a face painter, festive decorations, and even prizes for the best dressed. The cost is $75 per person. Purchase online.

Family fun

Halloween Spooktacular for Kids
On Saturday, October 28, the Houston Symphony invites families to Jones Hall. Guests can dress in their favorite spooky costumes and enjoy as an orchestra full of costumed musicians perform chilling tunes from beloved films including Harry Potter, Wednesday, Coco, Beauty and the Beast, and more. Lobby activities include trick-or-treating and an Instrument Petting Zoo, where kids can try instruments from the orchestra. Two outings are offered, at 10 a.m and 11:30 am. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online.

Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade and Costume Contest at Levy Park
Perfect for the whole family, this festival starts with a pup parade around the park at 4 p.m. on October 29, followed by the costume contest. Categories include Spooky Season (anything fall or Halloween related), From the Screen (any character or theme from TV or movies), and Best Ensemble (must include three or more people and/or dogs in coordinating costumes). Pooch owners register here. The event is free.

CityCentre’s 11th Annual Halloween Trick-or-Treat
Kids and adults alike will love strolling around the shopping district for this safe trick-or-treat experience. Trick-or-Treating is Monday, October 30 from 5 pm-7 pm, followed by music and performances by the Real Witch Wives of Houston at 7 and 7:30 pm. Participating merchants will be identified with balloons, including lululemon, The Moran, Seasons 52, Bowl & Barrel, Lily Rain, RA Sushi, Tecovas, and more. Bring a bucket or bag to collect the sweets.

Kids Eat Free at Cyclone Anaya's
Children under 12 who come dressed in costume to any Cycle Anaya's location on Halloween, October 31, will receive a free meal. Adults in costume get a free order of queso.

Emily Vitek

Wooster's Garden hosts FestiFall on Sunday, October 29. Come in costume and enjoy music, raffle prizes, food trucks and more.

Movie Review

Heartfelt movie The Life of Chuck adapts optimistic Stephen King story

Photo courtesy of NEON

Tom Hiddleston in The Life of Chuck.

Just like actors, once a filmmaker becomes known for a certain genre, it can be difficult to escape that pigeonholing. Writer/director Mike Flanagan has worked for 20 years in both film and television, and literally every project he’s done has been related to horror. He’s finally breaking out with The Life of Chuck, which is ironically based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King.

Told in three chapters in reverse order, the film is almost impossible to describe without giving away its magic. The first section centers on Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a teacher grappling, like everyone around him, with what seems to be the world falling apart. He’s comforted to a degree by reuniting with his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), but is also baffled by multiple ads touting the retirement of Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) after “39 great years.”

The second section consists of little more than a slightly younger Chuck happening upon Taylor (The Pocket Queen), a drummer busking on a street corner, giving Chuck and a younger woman, Janice (Annalise Basso), the inspiration to start dancing. The final section goes back to the childhood of Chuck (Benjamin Pajak), where he’s raised by his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara), discovers dance as an outlet, and wonders about various small mysteries.

Flanagan finds a way to deliver a lot of story with relatively little effort. Using a wry narrator (Nick Offerman), a limited number of locations, and a series of great small performances, he creates an intriguing premise with few straightforward answers. The structure of the film is designed to confuse the viewer until just the right moment, and the revelation forces you to reexamine everything that came before.

The biggest accomplishment by Flanagan is making what are essentially three short films and having each of them resonate equally. The film contains elements of science fiction, although the first section may hit a bit too close to home for some of those watching. All three sections, though, have a heartwarming bent to them that sells their central idea without becoming overly saccharine.

To do so, each of the characters have to connect in a short amount of time. The casting of the film is crucial, and not only does that department succeed with the main roles, but a series of small roles are filled expertly as well. Carl Lumbly as a funeral home owner, David Dastmalchian and Harvey Guillen as parents of students, Matthew Lillard as Marty’s neighbor, Q’orianka Kilcher as Chuck’s wife, and Jacob Tremblay as a teenage Chuck are just a few of the recognizable actors that do yeoman’s work in their brief time on screen.

Hiddleston is only prominently featured in the second chapter, but his performance there and in small glimpses throughout makes a big impression. Ejiofor is given the star turn in the first chapter and he absolutely kills, both in moments by himself and in scenes with Gillan, with whom he has great chemistry. Hamill, making a rare non-voiceover appearance outside of the Star Wars universe, and Sara, in her first notable role in 11 years, are also very memorable in the final chapter.

The Life of Chuck is a film that’s filled with emotion, but the full impact of the story is not felt until the final moments. It has a mysterious journey that is initially frustrating, but the performances keep the film going until it gets to its satisfying payoff.

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The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.

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