weekend event planner

Legally Blonde, a pita party, a brai beer bash, and more lead things to do in Houston this weekend

Think pink like Elle at Rooftop Cinema Club.

Legally Blonde Official/Facebook

This weekend offers a chance to pay tribute to Barbie and really think pink at our rooftop movie hot spot: think Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and more "pink power" flicks.

Foodies can chow down at a South African chicken and beer bash courtesy of Nando's, while Craft Pita cooks up a delicious event.

Art openings and comedy awaits, as does a Hot Wheels showcase that's rolling into town. Enjoy; here are your best bets for the weekend.

Thursday, July 6

Midsummer Sip and Shop with Reagan Bregman and Julia Morales at Georgia James

Astros fan favorites Reagan Bregman and Julia Morales are hosting a Midsummer Sip and Shop at Underbelly Hospitality’s Georgia James this weekend. Come to the rooftop pop-up shop for bites and cocktails and peruse the plethora of predominantly women-owned businesses. All ticket holders will be entered in a raffle for a chance to win some truly enviable prizes. All proceeds from ticket sales and a portion of proceeds from vendors will go towards Bregman Cares and Houston Pets Alive. Noon.

Heat and Hops Party at 8th Wonder Brewery

The countdown is on for the opening of Nando’s Post Oak location, and what better way to celebrate than with the heat of Nando’s wings and the crisp taste of a PERi Pilsner from 8th Wonder Brewery. Join Nando's for their Heat and Hops event, where guests are invited to try a taste of South Africa featuring free food from Nando’s (while supplies last), complimentary beer (while supplies last), a commemorative pint glass, DJ, and surprises throughout the night. 5 pm.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown presents Pink Power

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown kicks off its July programming with the Pink Power series in honor of Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated Barbie release, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. They will be celebrating women’s empowerment with a series of beloved movies featuring strong, female leads, including Legally Blonde this weekend, Clueless on Thursday, July 13, and Bridemaids on Thursday, July 20. Dressing to theme is highly encouraged, so make sure to wear pink. 7:30 pm.

Friday, July 7

Texas Restaurant Show 2023

Part trade show and part conference, the Texas Restaurant Show motivates and inspires everyone – from first time restaurateurs to industry veterans. Engaging seminars and interactive panels are offered by industry thought leaders on trending topics and an array of specialty pavilions offer an exciting, diverse and valuable glimpse into the latest products and services that the market has to offer. This is the place to do business and become a better restaurateur. 1 pm (8 am Saturday; 9:30 am Sunday).

Creative Movement Practices presents The Secret in the Wings

When her parents ignore her pleadings, a young girl is left at home to be watched over by an amorous ogre. The monster offers her six fairy tales, each one deadlier than the last, and each a part of a greater mystery. Will the girl be swept away by the darkness, or live to tell her own tale? Audiences will (re)discover long forgotten or seldom-told lore through an enchanting carousel of stories woven by dreams, dry wit, and magic. Through Saturday, July 22. 8 pm (3 pm Sunday).

The Secret Group presents James Austin Johnson

James Austin Johnson is an American comedian and actor originally from Nashville, Tennessee. He has garnered attention for his impression of former President Donald Trump, sometimes being referred to as "the best Trump impersonator." He is currently a cast member of Saturday Night Live, where he impersonates both Trump and Joe Biden. He can also do a surprisingly dead-on Michael McDonald. 8 pm.

Miller Outdoor Theatre presents An Evening with Booker T. Jones

As leader of the legendary Booker T and the MGs, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recipient/pillar of soul music Booker T. Jones has collaborated with Otis Redding, Albert King, and more during his tenure at Stax Records. Booker has lent his trademark keyboard chops to such songs as Willie Nelson’s multi-platinum hit “Stardust,” and produced classic albums like Bill Withers’ Just As I Am, featuring the hit song “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Most recently, Booker released his memoir, Time is Tight, and an accompanying album, Note by Note. 8:30 pm.

Saturday, July 8

Hot Wheels Legends Tour

The 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour rolls into the Houston area with a contest that offers custom car builders the unique opportunity to have their passion projects turned into the next Hot Wheels die-cast toy car. The event will feature a unique mix of vehicles from across the state, Hot Wheels Garage of Legends life-size cars, and an array of onsite experiences and collectables that are only available on the tour. 8 am.

Craft Pita Cookout

Craft Pita, the popular Mediterranean restaurant, is hosting their first annual Craft Pita Cookout this weekend. As the summer season heats up, Craft Pita owner/chef Rafael Nasr is teaming up with local culinary stars Abbas Dhanani (Burger Bodega), Josh Deleon (Underground Creamery), and Christina Au (Blacksmith) for a cookout collaboration. Nasr and the guest chefs will bring the Houston community a range of exclusive, limited-time menu items showcasing their innovative twists on Mediterranean cuisine. 11 am.

The Waffle Bus Walk-Up Coffee Window Grand Opening

The Waffle Bus is celebrating the grand opening of their walk-up coffee window with a weekend-long bash. The team will be serving up delicious coffee drinks to accompany their mouth-watering brunch bites at their Montrose brick and mortar, near The Menil Collection. The two-day grand opening will treat the first 50 guests to a free coffee drink and will be offering 50-percent off all coffee drinks throughout the weekend. The walk-up bar is perfect for city dwellers seeking a delicious caffeine fix. 11 am.

Sawyer Yards presents April DeConick: "Flow Meets Fiber" opening reception

This solo exhibition of textile works by artist April DeConick is about remediation. It provides a space for us to enter, reflect, and remember the Flow, our connection to nature and each other. Modernity – the author of technology, consumerism, and urbanization – has an underbelly which has left many of us overly stressed, depressed, and anxious, living lives detached from our ancestors and in conflict with our neighbors. Through Saturday, July 29. 3 pm.

Sunday, July 9

Alamo Drafthouse Houston presents World of Animation: When Marnie Was There (Subtitled)

When shy, artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and the mysterious young girl, Marnie, who lives there. The two girls instantly form a unique connection and friendship that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. Based on the young adult novel by Joan G. Robinson, this 2014 drama has been described as “Ghibli Gothic,” with its moonlit seascapes, glowing orchestral score, and powerful portrayals that build to a stormy climax. 11 am.

The Menil Collection presents “Art of the Cameroon Grassfields, A Living Heritage in Houston” closing day

Sunday is the final day for this exhibition, which celebrates the enduring artistic traditions from Cameroon and its diaspora. The show will present more than 20 historical works from Houston-based collections, including the Menil; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and local private collections. In a separate gallery space, the museum will display recent artworks by Douala-based artist Hervé Youmbi. 11 am.

Houston Museum of African American Culture presents Beats on Screen: Wild Style

This summer, the Houston Museum of African American Culture and Emancipation Park Conservancy are celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a film series featuring classic films significant to the culture. These films will also be preceded by musical sets led by well-known Houston DJs. Join them for a screening of the classic film that started it all. It will be preceded by a DJ battle between DJ Aggravated and Def Jam Blaster, where they will take us through a sonic history of hip-hop. 7:30 pm.

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.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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