Get Your Christmas Flicks Fix On Local Screens
By Joel Wicklund in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 18, 2014 4:00PM
"It's a Wonderful Life"
Assuming your holiday movie plans weren't spoiled by the withdrawal of The Interview from its planned Christmas Day opening, you may have more traditional seasonal viewing in mind. If so, a few Chicago area theaters have something on their schedules to make you merry.
The Logan Theater has had holiday movies running since the beginning of the month, but it's not too late to catch a few classic and contemporary offerings. Upcoming films include Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Dec. 19-22), Ron Howard's feature-length treatment of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dec. 20 & 21), Billy Bob Thornton in the pitch-black comedy Bad Santa (Dec. 23-25), Frank Capra's timeless It's a Wonderful Life (Dec. 23-26), the much-loved A Christmas Story (Dec. 26-29), and Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (Dec. 27 & 28). Their holiday movie schedule is available here.
The Music Box began showings of its annual Christmas two-fer of It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas last Friday, but they continue through Christmas Eve. You can purchase tickets for one movie or both (the double-feature is the better bargain), and the tradition of Christmas carol sing-alongs during the intermission continues. For those wanting slightly less sentimental entertainment, on Monday, Dec. 22 the theater has an encore of its Alternative Christmas Double Feature of Die Hard and Home Alone (mentioned here Monday).
Those looking for less tried-and-true Christmas viewing may want to check out Jingle Bell Rocks!, an entertaining and surprisingly personal documentary about Christmas record collecting. It's playing Friday, Dec. 19 through Christmas Eve at the Brew & View at The Vic Theatre. Read our review of Jingle Bell Rocks! here.
And if you're looking for some family entertainment in the northern 'burbs, the Wilmette Theatre has noon matinees this Saturday (Polar Express) and Monday (Elf).
One question as I look at all these Christmas screenings around town: Why is no one is showing the 1951 version of A Christmas Carol (originally released as Scrooge), with Alastair Sim as the definitive Ebenezer Scrooge? True, it's in the public domain and pops up on TV all the time, but I bet a decent print of it would still draw festive folks to the box office. Maybe next year?