Arts and Entertainment

Shops poppin’ up in Houston

Pop-up shops seem to be everywhere in Houston in recent years. These temporary installations do everything from highlight local vendors to showcase businesses from out of town. You might have noticed more pop-ups in recent years, as the trend of these temporary shops continues to rise. Everything from food to clothes to art can be explored in the pop-up world. Here are some of the upcoming stores in Houston that are sure to be “poppin’.”

Seasonal food to try this autumn

November is in full swing, armed with the ten-minute release of “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and our fall playlist in your ears, there’s only one thing missing: the perfect fall-themed food. Look no further for a comprehensive list of where to find the best autumnal bites to fall back on.

Must-watch Indigenous cinema: Films to check out this November

Hollywood has a lengthy history of subjecting Indigenous people to negative portrayals and one-dimensional stereotypes. Fortunately, over the last few decades, Indigenous creators have been able to make their own voices heard by showcasing the unique and diverse complexities of their culture through film. Nov. 1 marked the beginning of Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the unique culture of Indigenous people and the perfect time to explore Indigenous cinema, a thriving film genre and a great way to support Indigenous artists. 

Review: ‘Something for Thee Hotties’ is an ode to Megan Thee Stallion’s fans

Megan Thee Stallion has had an eventful last couple of years. From her skyrocketing fame to the loss of both her mother and grandmother in the same month in 2019 to being shot by Tory Lanez and releasing her debut album in 2020, her rapid rise to stardom has not been spared from tragedy. She’s always used her music as a means to address these highs and lows and has a loyal fanbase, the “Hotties,” to support her through them all. It’s fitting, then, that her first major body of work released in 2021 is an ode to these fans, a mixtape of freestyles and unreleased tracks aptly titled “Something For Thee Hotties.” The collection serves as a testament to her immense talent and rapid rise to fame, a project that encapsulates everything that has led her to this point in her career while thanking her fans every step of the way. 

Review: Marvel swings and misses with ‘Eternals’

With a cast full of stars or soon-to-be stars and a director coming off of multiple Oscar wins (Chloé Zhao), “Eternals” was a movie brimming with promise. Unfortunately, audiences were delivered a congested and dissonant epic which struggles under the weight of its ambitions. “Eternals” is not without its strong moments, but this is a movie that got away from Zhao and Marvel. 

Review: ‘Spencer’ reimagines the Princess Diana biopic

It is hard for me to view “Spencer” as anything other than a pinnacle of Kristen Stewart’s acting abilities. Playing Princess Diana Spencer, one of the most famous, most photographed people in the entire world, is a daunting task — and not one that I ever expected to be taken on by Stewart. Considering all of the jokes over the years, whether they be about her stint in the “Twilight” series or her awkward, nervous demeanor in interviews, it was hard for me to imagine the actress taking on such an iconic biopic, especially one that has been done to both great laud and great mocking before. However, it is her performance precisely that makes “Spencer” shine.

Review: ‘Voyage’ is a satisfying finale to ABBA’s decades long career

Mamma mia — here they go again! Forty years after their eighth studio album, Swedish pop band ABBA has reunited for one final hurrah. After the band’s divorce-induced split back in 1982, the world thought they had heard the last of their new music, but ABBA has joined once more for a ten song, “trend-blind” album that chronicles friendship and heartbreak through angelic vocals and classic ’70s disco style. While some fans expressed worries that the band would stray too far from their original sound and it has already received mixed reviews from critics, I think this album is nothing short of a triumph that proves that ABBA has still got it. 

Fall into these films this autumn

November is finally here, and that means the majority of the Rice community can be spotted walking to class in jeans and sweatshirts despite the 75 degree weather. While we sadly aren't able to force it into being fall in Houston, these autumn-themed films will definitely make it feel like you can. Whether you’re already planning for the upcoming holiday season or still recovering from your crazy Halloweekend, this list of movies is perfect for curling up with a mug of hot apple cider and wishing the weather would consistently stay below 80 as you patiently await Thanksgiving recess. 

Review: 5411 Empanadas brings outstanding food on opening day

On a restaurant’s opening day, some might worry that they’ll be met with a myriad of problems from low-quality customer service to absurdly long wait times. However, this wasn’t the case for 5411 Empanadas, which opened on Nov. 6. Located in Midtown about a 10 minute Uber ride from Rice campus, you’ll find a welcoming, modern ambiance, quick and friendly staff and, of course, delectably warm, made-from-scratch empanadas.  

CAMH’s ‘The Dirty South’ celebrates Black contemporary art and the place that made it

The “Dirty South,” an art exhibit on view at Houston’s Contemporary Arts Museum from Nov. 5 to Feb. 6, 2022, claims a nickname with roots as murky as the bayous. By the time Goodie Mob christened their home the “dirty south,” the term had been claimed for farmers, crooks and the poor. Perhaps the term “dirty south” reclaimed Northern snootiness or perhaps the distorted 808 kicks sounded like “dirty” grunge guitars. However, when “Dirty South” curator Valerie Cassel Oliver notes that the walls of the first section of the exhibit are colored the same as the clay-heavy soil of the south, it clicks for me: “dirty” is literal. This is the story of dirt.

Rice Cinema reopens, welcoming viewers to Sewall Hall

The Rice Cinema, or the Rice Media Center, reopened in Sewall Hall 301 on Oct. 1 after shutting its doors in June. Demolition of the Media Center began on June 28 to make room for the new Sarofim Visual and Dramatic Arts Building, which is projected to be finished between Aug. 2023 and Jan. 2024. 

Weekly Scenes and Screens, Nov. 3

Jasmine Hearn brings their experiences to the Moody Center through dance

Jasmine Hearn, an artist who incorporates dance, sound and costume into their performances, will be performing at the Moody Center for the Arts on Nov. 5 with three improvisational solo performances at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. with free admission. Hearn was commissioned as part of Moody Center’s Dimensions Variable series, which brings performance art to Moody in conversation with its current exhibitions. They will be performing dance, featuring sound and song, in conversation with Kapwani Kiwanga’s current exhibition at the Moody Center and is a part of their “Nile: A Wondering River” series. Due to its improvisational nature, they do not exactly what their performance will look like. 

Spring into art this course registration

​​As spring course registration approaches, why not take advantage of all that Rice has to offer and venture into the arts? Whether someone is fitting the course between general chemistry and computer science or looking to add yet another art class to their schedule, everyone needs a change of pace, and these courses may offer just that. With everything from watching modernist auteur cinema to movement training for actors, Rice offers courses for a variety of interests. Not only do several of these courses fill distribution group one requirements, they also offer a new way to engage with the material, often with plenty of hands-on and performance-based work. So, before you completely fill up your schedule, try springing into these fine arts-based courses. 

Review: ‘The French Dispatch’ is a solid but not stellar addition to Wes Anderson’s portfolio

Wes Anderson’s movies exist between disagreement and divisiveness. He’s a filmmaker so distinct and unwavering in his style that you either love him or hate him, but his films aren’t likely to lead to spirited debate. Anderson clicks for some people, and for others he doesn’t. “The French Dispatch” is no different. As a solid but not stellar entry from Anderson, this movie should be enjoyable for fans of his work but an easy skip for his detractors. 

Gerardo Rosales unveils first Moody Project Wall

The Moody Project Wall, a new initiative that sets aside a large interior wall in the Moody Center for the Arts for muralists, recently welcomed its first tenant: Houston artist Gerardo Rosales’s “¡Displaced Mundo!,” an original mural meant to call attention to the struggle of Venezuelans displaced by the nation’s current economic crisis. 

‘We can make it': Tomás Morín releases new poetry collection

Tomás Morín, a poet and assistant professor of creative writing at Rice, released his new book “Machete” on Oct. 12. “Machete” is Morín’s third published book, a poetry collection that he calls his most personal yet. Morín and other writers will come together for a reading on Rice campus on Nov. 16.

Halloween Scenes and Screens

Review: ‘Dune’ sets up a promising franchise but feels empty

On paper, “Dune” should be one of the best films of the year. It features an all-star cast, has a critically acclaimed director behind the camera and features some of the best visuals I have ever seen in a film. However, it struggles to create a fulfilling story because of its focus on building the film’s world — and it is a huge world — that will be explored in subsequent films. Because of this, “Dune” lacks the three act crescendo to climax structure that is so critical to conflict storytelling, and the movie at times feels like endless rising action.

Magic in Houston: Shop local witchcraft & spiritual supply stores

Last week, the Thresher asked our readers to shop at local businesses. With large department stores selling crystals and sage bundles (don’t buy white sage, not even from local shops, though — it is cultural appropriation and is not being harvested sustainably), it is important to respond to the increasing interest in witchcraft by supporting local shops. Whether you’re looking for a new deck of tarot cards, supplies for a spell or are just curious, here are nine local witchcraft and metaphysical supply stores in Houston for you to explore.