weekend event planner

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

We’re a week away from Halloween and people are already gearing up for some costume-filled celebrations this weekend. The Savoy, ‘93 Til, M-K-T, and Keith Jacobs’ If It Don’t Feel Like 90s RnB party will be having some early Halloween throwdowns.

But this weekend also brings us a lot of music, whether it’s the country of Cody Johnson, the R&B of TInashe, or the hip-hop of DJ Jazzy Jeff. And, if that’s not enough, Drake is giving away hot chicken sandwiches!

Thursday, October 24

Drake’s Birthday featuring Dave’s Hot Chicken
For those of you who are still down with Toronto rap prince-turned-new Texas resident Drake, Dave’s Hot Chicken has a deal for all the fans out there. In celebration of his birthday on Thursday, Drake is hooking everyone up with a Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider. The free slider is for anyone who comes by their local Dave’s and scans the reward in the Dave’s Hot Chicken app. It’s only available when visiting the restaurant, not via online ordering or through third-party delivery services. 11 am.

The Savoy presents “Sail To The Savoy” Week-Long Anniversary & Halloween Bash
Third Ward bar The Savoy is setting sail on a week-long, pirate-themed Halloween and Anniversary Bash. Festivities will be jam-packed with activities to get everyone in the spooky spirit, including daily costume contests with a whopping $5,000 in cash and prizes and daily giveaways up for grabs. Guests can take part in "Shot O’Clock" – a signature Savoy tradition – which will be extra special for those in costume, with Branson Sneaky Link Shots handed out to the lucky ones. Through Thursday, October 31. 4 pm (11 am Friday-Sunday).

Tinashe in concert
Pop/R&B star Tinashe is currently on her Match My Freak World Tour, in support of her new album, Quantum Baby – which will make a stop in Houston this weekend. But she made big news this week when it was announced she has partnered with Urban Outfitters and will drop a dance-inspired collection sometime next year. 8 pm.

Friday, October 25

Burger Bodega presents Free Venom: The Last Dance Milkshakes
To those planning to see Venom: The Last Dance this weekend, you might want to make a stop at Burger Bodega first. On Friday, the smash burger spot will be serving a Venom-themed milkshake, with the first 50 being free for all guests. Each milkshake comes with a free bag of Venom: The Last Dance promo items. 11 am.

Wings Over Houston Airshow
Returning in its 40th year, the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow, headlined by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, will offer guests hours of aerial performances, displays of vintage aviation, interactive areas for children and adults, opportunities for guests to give back to the community, and more. Other special elements of this year's airshow include the Legends & Heroes tent and a drive-in style show viewing on Friday. 3 pm (10:30 am Saturday and Sunday).

Cody Johnson in concert
If you’re a fan of Sebastopol-born, Huntsville-bred Cody Johnson, then you’re a fan of manly country singers who don’t mind showing their softer, romantic side. Johnson continues to make the cowgirls swoon, dropping tunes like his new single “I’m Gonna Love You,” where he duets with Carrie Underwood. This weekend, he’ll be at The Woodlands (for two nights!) in support of his 2023 album, Leather. 7 pm.

If It Don’t Feel Like 90s RnB Halloween House Party Edition
If you haven’t been to If It Don’t Feel Like 90s RnB, the monthly celebration of Clinton-era soul music hosted by Houston R&B vocalist Keith Jacobs, then you’ve been missing out on hearing some live throwback jams performed by Jacobs and house band The Ken Chatham Project.

This month, they’re throwing a Halloween House Party Edition, which sounds like they’re encouraging attendees to show up as your favorite ‘90s R&B star. So, it’s very likely you’ll see folks dress up as Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, Jodeci, and so on. 9 pm.

Saturday, October 26

M-K-T Hike, Bike & Fright Fest
M-K-T's 5th Annual Hike, Bike & Fright Fest will be filled with Halloween fun for all ages. Visitors can adventure through 30-plus stops on a Trick-Or-Treat Trail throughout M-K-T, and shop 50-plus artisan vendors at a sitewide HallowGreen Houston Plant Market. There will be photo ops, live performers, a haunted garden pumpkin patch, and hands-on activities. Costumes are encouraged at the event, which takes place until 6 pm. Noon.

Rice Cinema presents Psycho
If you’re gonna watch a scary movie this Halloween, you can’t go wrong with the original slasher flick. Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic, black-and-white thriller from 1960 offers a vision of Hollywood, of human beings, and ultimately the universe unlike any other. Anthony Perkins gives a career-defining performance as Norman Bates, a man trapped in his own life. Also starring Janet Leigh as the doomed Marion Crane, Vera Miles as Marion’s sister Lila, and an iconic score by Bernard Herrmann. 7 pm.

Houston Symphony presents Rocky Horror Picture Show
Even though we already mentioned a Rocky Horror Picture Show screening in last week’s planner, we have to shout-out this upcoming screening for a couple of reasons. First off, it’s being hosted by the Houston Symphony (but the Symphony won’t be there). Secondly, you’ll get not only a shadow cast, but also a special appearance from Patricia Quinn, who originated the role of Magenta. The audience is encouraged to stay late for an afterparty featuring audience participation and a costume contest. 7:30 pm.

Bar 5015 presents DJ Jazzy Jeff
Bar 5015 is getting together with I LUV PVU and the UH Black Alumni Association for an official homecoming celebration this weekend. They also will be bringing in the magnificent DJ Jazzy Jeff to serve as the party’s DJ. Get ready to groove to his unbeatable mixes and dance the night away in style. There’s no doubt he’ll play tracks from his DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince years. But he might throw in some R&B/hip-hop classics from artists who’ve recorded at his A Touch of Jazz Studios in his Philadelphia hometown. 10 pm.

Sunday, October 27

Aiko presents Sunday Funday
Aiko is hosting its Sunday Funday series –– a new monthly dining experience for people to enjoy from now through the end of the year. The menu will feature $2 Prince Edward Island oysters, $7 martinis, half-priced wine bottles, and two new crowd-pleasers: the Mimosa Flight and the Aiko Bloody Mary. Customers will have the opportunity to win prizes via door games, snap memories at the photo wall, and enjoy specials before starting their week.There will be an extra surprise for those who wear the color yellow. A live DJ will also spin old-school vinyl. 11 am.

93' Til Block Party
93’ Til will be having a spooky good time with its block party this weekend. Attendees are encouraged to come in costumes and enjoy the festivities, which include a live DJ, vendors, and special bites prepared by 93’ Til and guest chef Joseph Manglicmot. DJs spinning throughout the day include Kay Illah, Splxxsh, Demo, Losty Los, and Dayta. Several vendors will be on-site, including Jerky & Pate, Cookie Bakery, and others. Noon.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents "Living with the Gods: Art, Beliefs, and Peoples" opening day
As a capstone for the Museum’s centennial year, British art historian/former museum director Neil MacGregor was invited to revisit his 2017 BBC radio series and book of the same title, bringing that vision to the MFAH collections, along with many exceptional loans from museums and private collections. Displayed in dialogue across a suite of 11 galleries, masterpieces in the installation explore elemental themes: the cosmos, light, water, fire; the mysteries of life and death; the divine word; and pilgrimage. Through Saturday, January 25. 12:30 pm.

Cody Johnson Facebook

Cody Johnson is playing in The Woodlands on two nights.

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Movie Review

Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

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Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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