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'Breathtaking' Houston candlelit concert celebrates 100 years of Warner Bros.' most iconic film scores and TV tunes

Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros. concert

'Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.' showcases Warner Bros. most memorable tunes in Houston.

Photo via Fever Entertainment

Quick — name some favorite movies. Chances are, many of them were produced by the iconic Warner Bros. Studios, which turns 100 this year. As expected with one of the biggest and most influential film studios in cinematic history, this year will see myriad anniversary celebrations, including one here in Houston.

“Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” toasts the studio's century in cinema with a concert of greatest hits from some of its most influential, groundbreaking, and popular films and TV shows.

The showcase of scores including The Lord of The Rings, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Harry Potter, Batman, and even Friends will be performed by Listeso String Quartet on Saturday, April 28 (7 pm and 9:15 pm) at the Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave) in what producers promise will be a "breathtaking" candlelit setting.

Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased here.

Houston was one of the first-announced 25 cities worldwide taking part in the commemorative international concert series, including New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Milan, São Paulo, and Mexico City. More cities have since been added for a total of 100 worldwide.

Instantly recognizable venues across the globe were chosen for their "historic nature or unique character, from iconic cathedrals, theaters, museums and gardens, with breathtaking candlelit settings," per Warner Bros. press materials. Production partner Fever Entertainment transforms each destination into a candlelit concert.

“The “Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” concert series is a true celebration of storytelling, music, and creativity,” said Peter van Roden, SVP, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, in a statement. “From the musicals that we know and love to the iconic films and television series that have shaped generations, Warner Bros. has long been a leader in entertainment, and we are thrilled to bring this unforgettable event to our fans and music lovers from around the world to honor this momentous occasion.”

By the numbers, Warner Bros. boasts one of the most prestigious and valuable content catalogs in the world. Its more than 145,000 hours of programming includes 12,500 feature films and 2,400 television programs comprised of more than 150,000 individual episodes.

Warner Bros. is also home to some of pop culture and entertainment's most recognizable franchises, such as Looney Tunes, Wizarding World, DC, Friends, Game of Thrones, Hanna-Barbera, and more.

As for the concert, expect a soaring night of familiar soundtracks, theme songs, and classic tunes, sure to conjure up some of the most memorable scenes in the movies. Think Willy Wonka strolling through his chocolate factory with "Pure Imagination," the chilling theme song from The Exorcist, the singlong charm of A Star is Born, and for some Texas vibes, Selena singing "Dreaming of You."

Here is the full concert lineup, with movie and theme song/score/suite.

The Wizard of Oz - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1939)

Casablanca - As Time Goes By (1942)

Singin’ in the Rain - Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

A Star is Born - The Man That Got Away (1954)

Scooby Doo - Theme Song (1969)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Pure Imagination (1971)

The Exorcist - Theme Song (Tubular Bells) (1973)

Purple Rain - Purple Rain (1984)

Batman - Main Theme (1989)

Friends - I’ll Be There for You (1995)

Selena - Dreaming of You (1997)

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Suite (2001)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Hogwarts’ Anthem (2005)

Inception - Time (2010)

Man of Steel - Flight (2013)

Wonder Woman Suite (2017)

A Star is Born - Shallow (2018)

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“Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” will be performed by Listeso String Quartet at 7 pm and 9:15 pm Saturday, April 28 at the Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave). Tickets and more can be found here. $45.

Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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'Breathtaking' Houston candlelit concert celebrates 100 years of Warner Bros.' most iconic film scores and TV tunes

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