It's tailgating time in Houston, so naturally CultureMap and SportsMap are here to celebrate. We're bringing back The Tailgate, our all-out party devoted to your favorite sporty pastime, and it's coming up quick.
It all goes down on Wednesday, October 25, at Silver Street Studios, and tickets are already on sale.
But just like you show up before dawn with all the tailgating essentials on game day, you're going to want to go for the extra point and arrive as a VIP.
The VIP treatment incudes:
Meet and greet with former Houston Texans player Johnathan Joseph during the VIP hour. Joseph was a first-round draft pick in 2006 and played cornerback for the Texans from 2011-2019.
Early admission at 6 pm for first-access bites by participating restaurants — snacks from Rockhouse Southern Kitchen, Maple Leaf Pub, Aiko, and more are on the menu.
A dedicated VIP bar serving cocktails like the QB Crusher and Sideline Rita, along with Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey.
We’re also inviting readers to vote for Houston’s best sports bar in our Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown. The winner will be announced live during the event.
Our panel of editors and local experts have compiled a roster of 16 favorites with an array of different strengths. So don't be shy — vote now and let us know which ones you love.
As an extra bonus, from now until October 13 you can score $10 off your VIP ticket to The Tailgate by ordering at this link. That makes it only $65 for all the perks and a night you won't want to miss. We'll see all you MVPs there.
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wickmovies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.
A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).
A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.
The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.
After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.
Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.
You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.
