weekend event planner

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

Well, it’s Labor Day Weekend, which means summer is just about over. Close out this freakin’ hot summer by checking out a lot of cool things this weekend.

Squeeze and Boy George will be in town to take you back to the ‘80s. Dustin Nickerson and Beth Stelling will be around to give you some laughs. Jūn and Donkeeboy will provide a day of art and pastries. A Roald Dahl classic will hit the stage. A Japanese Vocaloid artist will provide some experimental grooves. And a Francis Ford Coppola classic will play at the Alamo Drafthouse.

As Jim Morrison sang in that movie, this is the end, beautiful friend. Read on for this weekend’s best bets.

Thursday, August 29

Sawyer Yards and Sabine Street Studios presents "Dance of Gesture" artist talk
As part of the "Dance of Gesture" exhibition, Houston-based Colombian artist Loriana Espinel will host a conversation and live demonstration of her production, Caligrafitis. In her exhibition, Espinel draws inspiration from pre-Columbian pictographs from Chiribiquete National Park in Colombia, as well as Japanese and European calligraphic styles to develop a new visual system. Through Saturday, August 31. 6:30 pm.

Improv Houston presents Dustin Nickerson
Described as “a Seattle native now suffering in Southern California,” Dustin Nickerson describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings audiences into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people. In 2020, he released his debut comedy special, Overwhelmed. Nickerson also has a podcast, Don’t Make Me Come Back There, and a book, How to be Married to Melissa. 7:30 pm.

Squeeze in concert with Boy George
Prepare to take a trip to the new-wave/post-punk days of the ‘80s when UK band Squeeze comes to Houston this weekend. The band, fronted by the great songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, has released 16 albums in their career, most recently The Knowledge in 2017. So, prepare to be tempted (sorry about that!) by their classic hits. They'll be joined by former Culture Club frontperson Boy George, another veteran of the Thatcher-era new-wave scene. 7:30 pm.

Friday, August 30

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Nostalghia
Andrei Tarkovsky explained that in Russian the word nostalghia conveys “the love for your homeland and the melancholy that arises from being far away.” Andrei, a Russian intellectual doing research in Italy, becomes obsessed with the Botticelli-like beauty of his translator, as well as with the apocalyptic ramblings of a self-destructive wanderer. Newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative, this cult favorite is a mystical and mysterious collision of East and West, shot with the tactile beauty that only Tarkovsky can provide. 7 pm.

Moore Vision Entertainment presents Matilda
Moore Vision Entertainment and Broadway Bound Youth Musical Theatre will present Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical. Matilda, a brilliant little girl with a big heart and even bigger dreams, goes on a journey of self-discovery. She takes on the formidable Miss Trunchbull, champions the power of books, and inspires everyone to stand up for what they believe in. Packed with laughter, heartwarming moments, and unforgettable songs, the adaptation brings Dahl's beloved classic to life like never before. 7:30 pm (2:30 & 7:30 pm Saturday and Sunday).

Russian Cultural Center "Our Texas" presents Marianna Karpinos: "The Beginning" opening reception
Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Marianna Karpinos, a full-time Houston neurologist, quickly discovered that art was an integral part of her life after completing her medical training and obtaining board certification. She relies on her extensive professional and personal experiences to express her inner thoughts on canvas: “In a world full of rigid structure, I view the canvas as an opportunity to be free and express my innermost feelings and desires in a safe and constructive way.” On display through Monday, October 21. 7:30 pm.

Tee-Zee Productions presents Papa Où T'es?
Papa Où T'es? is a coming-of-age story set in Houston that follows four high school friends: Ahmad, Aly, Zain, and Maaria, all second-generation Americans. They grapple with identity crises and the clash between cultural and religious expectations and their personal aspirations. How does the absence of a father impact it all? 8:30 pm (11:30 am & 8:30 pm Saturday; 11:30 am & 3:30 pm).

Saturday, August 31

Running Alliance Sport presents Beneeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run
Running Alliance Sport will present the 20th annual Beneeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run, featuring a 1k kids run, 5k, and 10k. This fun run has been going on thanks to The Ben Garcia Memorial Fund, which has raised over $330,000 over the past 19 years in memory of Ben. His life was a radiant source of joy that is now the spirit of the Beneezy Purple Monkey Fun Run. All proceeds fund college scholarships for graduating Alvin ISD seniors. 7:30 am.

Donkeeboy + Friends at Jūn
Jūn will welcome Donkeeboy and friends for an art show and pastry pop up. Guests will be able to enjoy art curated by Donkeeboy featuring local artists like Donkeemom, Little Poems By Kim, Trispeace, Jatziri Barron, Vanessa Sanez, 87 Collective, and Noke, as well as handmade treats crafted by Jūn. Pastries include a pumpkin spice cupcakewith Salvadorian coffee frosting; a chorizo and egg danish with housemade chorizo and pico de gallo; a burger bao with charred onions and oaxaca cheese; and ube and taro concha with brioche and ube capricho. 11 am.

Mercury Chamber Orchestra presents "Vivaldi and Telemann"
Mercury Chamber Orchestra presents "Vivaldi and Telemann," which will include Baroque gems by Vivaldi, Telemann, and Handel in a concert featuring recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer. This performance will showcase the recorder in a unique audience experience, unveiling sonic beauty and musical fireworks. Additionally, the concert will include Baroque compositions by Telemann, Haydn, and Purcell, all performed on historical instruments, recreating the composers’ intended sounds. 8 pm.

Rockefellers presents Beth Stelling
Beth Stelling is a comedian, writer, and actress based in Los Angeles. She has two stand-up specials; her latest, If You Didn’t Want Me Then, premiered on Netflix last year. Before that, she was an on-set writer on the Universal movie Good Boys, and wrote for seasons 1 and 2 of Crashing for HBO, Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity, and Sarah Silverman’s Hulu show I Love You, America. Beth’s half-hour special currently streams in The Standups series for Netflix. 8 & 10 pm.

Sunday, September 1

Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra presents Alamo Time Capsule 1979: Apocalypse Now
At the height of the Vietnam War, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent on a dangerous mission that officially "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate – and eliminate – mysterious Green Beret Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory. Recently restored to Francis Ford Coppola's "perfect vision" (and different from the 2001 Redux edition), see Apocalypse Now the way it was meant to be seen, in all of its grandiose splendor. 1:15 pm.

Chicano Boulevard presents “Funkysoulistic Sunday” with Joey Quinones of Thee Sinseers
Chicano Boulevard presents this free family-friendly “Funkysoulistic Sunday” event that includes deejay tunes, live music from Joey Quinones of Thee Sinseers, and lowriders celebrating Chicano culture, inside and outside of Rabbits Got the Gun. And Hou Got Eatz will be providing the grub. So get your firme outfits pressed up & shine up those ranflas, because it’s going down once again on Hogan St. Early arrival strongly suggested. 5 pm.

Home Run Dugout presents Kikuo
Globally acclaimed Japanese Vocaloid artist Kikuo will be coming through Houston as a part of his highly anticipated world tour. Known for his boundary-breaking approach, Kikuo has been captivating audiences with his innovative use of Vocaloid technology and experimental music since he began sharing his original works online in 2003. Internationally, he’s one of the most listened-to names in this style, with his song “Aishite Aishite Aishite” being the first Vocaloid track to ever surpass 100 million streams on Spotify. 8 pm.

Photo by Danny Clifford

Squeeze perform with Boy George on Thursday.

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Movie Review

28 Years Later revives zombie franchise for new generation

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later.

The 2000s brought two of the best zombie movies ever made in 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Both films, despite being made by different filmmakers, featured intense action with fast-moving zombies, harrowing sequences, and real emotional connections with their main characters. Now the original director and writer — Danny Boyle and Alex Garland — have returned with the first of a possible three sequels, 28 Years Later.

The rage virus from the first two films that turns humans into insatiable monsters has successfully been contained to the United Kingdom, and one group of survivors has managed to band together on a small island off the coast of England. We’re introduced to the group through Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), his wife, Isla (Jodie Comer), and his son, Spike (Alfie Williams).

Isla is sick with an unknown illness, while Jamie is set to take the 12-year-old Spike on his first trip to the mainland to hunt zombies. That trip not only gives Spike an education as to the different types of feral zombies that now populate England, but also a clue that other people have survived there. When he discovers that one of them may be a doctor, he makes plans to take his mother there in hopes of finding a cure for whatever ails her.

While the first two films were notable for their brisk pace that kept the potency of the stories high, Boyle and Garland almost go in the opposite direction for much of this film. The first 90 minutes are relatively slow, with only a couple of sequences that raise the blood pressure. The final half hour or so go a long way toward filling that void, so it’s clear that the filmmakers were biding their time for the story to come in the sequel. A bit more balance in this film would have served them well, though.

What they do show involves some weird, wild stuff that is objectively upsetting, even for fans of the genre. The zombies have evolved in strange ways, giving them a variety of body shapes and abilities to suit the environment in which they live. These storytelling choices may thrill some and have others scratching their heads. Another human character living on his own (played by Ralph Fiennes), appears to have gone the way of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, with a revelation that is bone-chilling.

Boyle, who’s directed everything from Trainspotting to Slumdog Millionaire, doesn’t have a signature style, and he makes some choices in this film that test your patience. He occasionally employs an odd technique in which the film stutters, for a lack of better term. It’s a bit jarring, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve the storytelling. He also inserts scenes from older films involving medieval warfare that emulate the bow-and-arrow weaponry used by characters in this film, but the exact connection he’s trying to make is unclear.

The young Williams has a lot put on his shoulders in the film, and he proves to be up to the task of carrying the story. He isn’t precocious or annoying, instead reacting almost exactly like you’d expect a boy of his age to do when faced with extreme situations. Taylor-Johnson and Comer are good complements for him, drawing him out with their polar opposite characters. Fiennes makes a huge impression in the final act of the film, while Jack O’Connell makes a very brief appearance, teasing a bigger role to come.

It’s difficult to fully judge 28 Years Later because it’s designed to only give you part of the story; part 2, The Bone Temple, is due in 2026, while a third film will follow if the first two do well. This film has its moments and winds up on the positive side of the ledger, but it’s also a frustrating experience that could have used a more stand-alone story.

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28 Years Later is now playing in theaters.

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