Sydney Sweeney. What can you say about Sydney Sweeney? Me? Not much. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything she’s been in. “Euphoria”? Nope. Ditto “The White Lotus.” (My wife says it’s very good.)
Sydney Sweeney does have a new movie, “Americana,” that is part of the Popcorn Frights Film Festival opening this weekend. Is Sydney Sweeney this generation’s Adrienne Barbeau? Jamie Lee Curtis?
I have seen the “controversial” Sydney Sweeney jeans ad, because for a while there you could not not see it. Meh. Using a hot celebrity and a pun to make a pair of run-of-the-mill jeans popular? It’s what America does. Give me Beyoncé’s Levi’s any day.
What I do know is that because of that Sydney Sweeney ad, the algorithms love the mere mention of Sydney Sweeney, which is useful when trying to make a run-of-the-mill newspaper story popular. Thank you, Sydney Sweeney.
THURSDAY
Scary monsters, super freaks: The Popcorn Frights Film Festival kicks off on Thursday at Savor Cinema in downtown Fort Lauderdale with a schedule through Aug. 17 that includes 74 movies from 20 countries and moments of showmanship — Friday’s screening of John Carpenter classic “The Fog” will be accompanied by “fog” pumped into the theater — that you have come to expect from the horror festival’s masterminds, Igor Shteyrenberg and Marc Ferman. Along with “The Fog” (10 p.m. Friday, Savor Cinema), other weekend highlights include Toxic Trivia, hosted by iconic Troma Entertainment filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman (6 p.m. Friday, Savor Cinema) and a screening of the John Krasinski- Emily Blunt thriller “A Quiet Place,” with commentary by screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, moderated by Josh Malerman, author of “Bird Box” (3 p.m. Sunday, Cinema Paradiso Hollywood). Tickets for individual screenings cost $13+; and an all-access badge for the entire festival is $144.70+. (Note: Sydney’s Sweeney’s “Americana” will be shown on Monday at Cinema Paradiso Hollywood.) Visit PopcornFrights.com.
Popcorn Frights / Courtesy
Crime thriller “Americana,” starring Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser, will have its Florida premiere on Monday, Aug. 11, at Cinema Paradiso Hollywood. (Popcorn Frights/Courtesy)
Jeff Buckley remembered: This is opening weekend for “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” the biopic of the revered singer, who drowned in 1997 at age 30, by master documentarian Amy Berg (“Deliver Us from Evil,” “Janis: Little Girl Blue”). In his review of this “rapturous documentary,” Variety’s Owen Gleiberman says Berg is able “to bring Jeff Buckley alive as the insanely charismatic budding rock star he was, but also to color in the underpinnings of his life that lent it an almost mythological aura.” The film is set for weekend screenings at AMC Aventura 24 and AMC Sunset Place 24 in Miami starting Thursday. Ticket prices vary depending on showtimes. Visit AMCTheatres.com. “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” also will be shown at Coral Gables Art Cinema at 2:45 p.m. Friday, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, with the latter two screenings followed by 26 minutes of remastered footage from a rare solo performance by Buckley. Tickets cost $12.75 at GablesCinema.com. On Aug. 29, the film will begin a slate of screenings at Savor Cinema in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets can be purchased now for $12. Visit FLIFF.com.
Cinematic sounds: A.R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer (“Slumdog Millionaire”), singer and multi-instrumentalist, will bring The Wonderment Tour to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available, starting at $77.15, at MyHRL.com.
Thursday laughs: It’s not often that you get a female Haitian American standup comedian sharing her perspective, so listen up when Elizabeth Brunot takes the stage on Thursday at the Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach. Brunot, who was born in Haiti and moved to Miami at age 9, performs at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $40.90+. Visit ImprovFTL.com.
Free concert: One of South Florida’s most popular party bands, The Holidazed, will perform during the free Clematis by Night concert series on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. on the Great Lawn in Centennial Square on the West Palm Beach Waterfront. Admission is free. Bring your own blanket. Visit Facebook.com/EventsWPB.
FRIDAY
Horns of plenty: The Florida Freedom of Professional Bull Riders return to Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise on Friday for three days of action against other teams in the PBR Camping World Team Series league. The Freedom are led by 19-year-old John Crimber, whose short pro career already includes more than $1 million in winnings, along with a broken hand, a broken collarbone and two fractured vertebrae in his spine. That’s certainly no way to treat the LeBron James of bull riding, who PBR calls “the most exciting young bull-riding prospect” in league history. You can see Crimber and other PBR stars compete at 7:45 p.m. Friday, 6:45 p.m. Saturday and 1:45 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $34.85 for one day, $193 for a three-day pass, at SeatGeek.com. The Florida Freedom is owned by Heath Freeman, chairman of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. If you want to catch the matches on TV, turn into Fox Nation on Friday, CBS on Saturday and The CW on Saturday and Sunday. FoX Nation will kick off its “PBR Friday Night Live” coverage with a concert by country star Chris Janson outside Amerant Bank Arena at 6 p.m. For more information on the Freedom, visit PBR.com.
Weekend beers: Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park will try to flip the switch to fall on Friday with the seasonal release of cinnamon-y/marshmallow-y Sweet Potato Casserole ale in six-packs. The celebration will include sweet potato-inspired cocktails and food specials all weekend. Visit FunkyBuddha.com. … Meanwhile, Barrel of Monks Brewing in Boca Raton is hanging on to the season with the release on Saturday of Simulated Summer, a spritely 5% ABV IPA featuring Citra, Strata and Cashmere hops, if you’re into that kind of detail. More information at Facebook.com/barrelofmonks.
Ticket alert: The Cirque du Soleil troupe is scheduled to bring its first holiday show, “‘Twas the Night Before…,” to the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach on Nov. 20-30. Tickets for these performances go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at Kravis.org and at noon Friday at the box office and by calling 561-832-7469. For more about the show, visit CirqueDuSoleil.com.
Their generation, baby: The city of Boca Raton continues its support of young musicians and songwriters with the fifth annual Battle of the Bands at Mizner Park Amphitheater on Friday at 7 p.m. The competition will be in two age categories: Finalists among acts younger than 20 are Jinx, Shy Blossom, Nothing Wrong with Wet Socks and The Strangers. Finalists older than 20 are Blood Moon Mafia, Jupiter Rock Farm, Leave it to Us and The Marina Effect. Winners in each category receive a $2,500 cash prize, and the audience will vote for the People’s Choice Award. The event also will include the Young Entrepreneurs Market, featuring goods and services by creatives age 13 to 20. Admission is free. Gates open at 6 p.m. Visit MiznerAmp.com.
Looking up: The Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach will lower the curtain on another season of laser music nights in the planetarium with three shows on Friday. Laser Beatles (6 p.m.) will be followed by Laser Michael Jackson (7 p.m.), then the grand finale at 8 p.m., Laser Pink Floyd, dedicated to the majestic album “Dark Side of the Moon.” Tickets for each show cost $15 at CoxScienceCenter.org/laser-shows.
Turn out the lights: One of the best ways for families to enjoy a summer evening, the free Starlight Musicals will close out its season under the lights at downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park with the country-pop of the Shane Duncan Band on Friday. The concert, from 7 to 10 p.m., is BYO blanket, chairs, tent, picnic basket and lawn toys, and there will be food and drink vendors on site. While you’re at it, think about bringing nonperishable food donations for The Pantry of Broward and LifeNet4Families, as well as pet food donations to benefit Abandoned Pet Rescue. Visit Parks.fortlauderdale.gov/starlight.
Florida blues: Florida-bred blues guitarist Sean Chambers — currently nominated for two 2025 Blues Blast Music Awards (voting open until Aug. 31 at BluesBlastMagazine.com) — returns to The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton for a performance with the Savoy Brown Rhythm Section on Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets start at $39.24 for general-admission standing room, with reserved seats starting at $44.40+. Doors open at 8 p.m. Visit FunkyBiscuit.com.
Take the kids: A free screening of animated classic “The Lion King” is the centerpiece of the free Screen on the Green movie series hosted by the city of West Palm Beach on the downtown waterfront on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. Bring a blanket and lawn chair, and try to get there before 6:30 p.m. to get a prime spot. Visit WPB.org/events.
SATURDAY
Wham-glam: Kesha and Scissor Sisters are bringing their exuberant tour to iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, so if your local makeup counter is out of glittery lip gloss, now you know why. Finally freed from a decade-long legal fight with her old producer, Kesha is back with a new album, “. (period),” which drips with party-girl sass and romantic ennui. In case you forgot, she’s had many singalong hits, including “TikTok,” “Blow” and “We R Who We R.” Tickets start at $43.50 for general-admission lawn access at Ticketmaster.com.
Beer buddies: One of my favorite Broward breweries, Yeasty Brews in Lauderhill, will set up at Garden District Taproom in West Palm Beach on Saturday at 6 p.m. for a second edition of their Garden Party collaboration. The tap takeover will include Garden Party Vol. 2, a fresh version of Yeasty’s blonde ale spiked with marshmallow and fruit that was served at GDT’s grand opening. The evening will include live music, games, food and adoptable pups from South Florida Mutt Rescue. Visit Instagram.com/yeastybrews.
Saturday tribute bands: Rock en Español tribute band The 5 Locos will cover hits by Juanes, Soda Stereo, Enanitos Verdes, Hombres G, Mana and more at The Blue Dog in Boca Raton on Saturday at 9 p.m. Tickets cost $12.51. Visit Facebook.com/the5locos or see the concert’s Eventbrite.com page. … Majesty of Rock will bring the music of Journey and Styx to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. General-admission tickets cost $10, with table reservations also available. Visit Galuppis.com. … Nirvanna, Linkin Park Tribute and Arms Wide Open (Creed) will perform at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $19.25 as part of a four-pack at Ticketmaster.com.
Jerry world: South Florida-spawned band Unlimited Devotion isn’t so much a Grateful Dead tribute as a vehicle for shared improvisational inspiration, which they’ll share at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Saturday, the 30th anniversary of the death of Jerry Garcia. UD will celebrate Garcia with two sets performed between 8:30 p.m. and midnight. Tickets (including both sets) start at $19.10 for general-admission standing room. Table seats also are available. Visit UnlimitedDevotion.com.
Claws célèbres: Exactly as it sounds, Cat Video Fest 2025 is a 74-minute collection of engaging cat videos from all over that will get three weekend screenings at Stonzek Theatre in the Lake Worth Playhouse. Showtimes will be at 3 and 5 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, the latter followed by a post-film discussion. Because, of course. Tickets cost $9+ at LakeWorthPlayhouse.org.
SUNDAY
Summer sounds: California reggae rockers Rebelution bring their Grammy-nominated grooves to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Sunday at 8 p.m. Of local interest will be the opening act, Delray Beach alt-rock band Artikal Sound System, led by the feisty Logan Rex and armed with music from their infectious new album “Are You Smiling Yet?”, released in February. Tickets start at $47 at MyHRL.com.
Global movement: The International Ballet Festival of Miami will bring guest companies from England, France, Colombia and the United States to the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. The eclectic program titled “Contemporary Performance” will include a fusion of modern music and dance styles. Tickets cost $41.30 at BrowardCenter.org.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.