The Thin Man
Monday 23 – Wednesday 25, AFS Cinema
This lulling time frame, where we’re waiting for the year to die, is perfect for luxuriating with a good movie. Austin Film Society definitely thinks so, as their “Home for the Holidays” series features favorite flicks throughout the years. And little is as comforting as the crackling chemistry of Nick and Nora Charles, the crime-solving duo in The Thin Man. In this first outing, the couple solve a murder with a Christmas-y New York City in the background. Their devilishly quick dialogue and clever comedy makes for a sexy and sparkling good time. – Cat McCarrey
Carol
Monday 23, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
Flung out of space: That’s how the titular Carol describes Therese – pronounced Terez, never Thireese, and sometimes but not entirely comfortably Terry – after their initial lunch date. The ways this description manifests over the film’s runtime differs only slightly from its source material, Patricia Highsmith’s romantic drama The Price of Salt. Therese’s passion for theatrical set design is swapped for photography and the pace quickens, losing scenes of more mundane but compelling life lived by Therese. But the story’s spirit remains quite intact: A shopgirl falls for an older woman who buys a doll from her counter, revealing to each other how similar the star-stuff is they’re made of. If this all sounds too dreamy a description, consider that this writer is currently rereading the book and so is entitled to wax a little poetic, as a Christmas gift. – James Scott
Eyes Wide Shut
Monday 23 & Wednesday 25, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Slaughter Lane & Lakeline
Oh what a wonderful season to be merry and join a sex cult! Oh, sorry: Is that not on your holiday 2024 bingo card? More’s the pity, as you’ll never enjoy the roller coaster ride Tom Cruise’s character takes in Stanley Kubrick’s final film. Although, to be honest, it’d be hard to ever get into that guy’s headspace – EWS’s Dr. Bill Harford, not Cruise, who is very normal he promises – because this whole movie turns on him not wanting to have sex with his wife, played by Nineties Nicole Kidman. Yeah, I know! That’s when she had curly hair, too! Attendance to these screenings isn’t mandatory for all good girls and boys, but for the freaks among us? Put your masquerade finery on, girl. Fidelio! – James Scott
Terrifier 3 Christmas Event
Tuesday 24, Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, Lakeline
Did you miss the Terrifier 3 premiere in September? Good news – it’s back, and it’s even more seasonally appropriate. From the first moment I saw Art the Clown’s evil grin, I thought, “Step aside, Pennywise; there’s a new nightmare in town.” And Art’s over-the-top gore is definitely nightmarish. In this third installment, set five years after the first movie’s Halloween massacre, Art brings his creative killing style to Christmas, making for some decidedly horrific holiday viewing. I’ll never again look at a Christmas tree in the same way. – Cat McCarrey
A Holiday Feast
Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25, Carpenter Hotel
Austin at Christmastime is a lovely place to be – and I’m being serious here! Half this city’s population siphons out to other states due to familial obligation and whoever’s left gets to experience a peaceful city at last. In that seasonal spirit of staying right here, Bunkhouse’s Carpenter Hotel offers a sumptuous repast, family-style, on both the eve and day of Christmas. Sit for lunch at 11am or dinner at 5pm: Either way, you’re in for a treat. – James Scott
Mazel Ball
Tuesday 24, Kitty Cohen’s
The stars have aligned this year to where the first night of Chanukah hits right on Christmas Day – and we all know which holiday’s gonna be a bit brighter, right? Eight nights of light get a turbo-charged kickoff from Shalom Austin’s young adult division (YAD) on Chanukah Eve. Home to the famous – at least in these pages – latke punch, Kitty Cohen’s plays host to YAD’s Mazel Ball where over 200 Jewish Austinites are invited to enjoy a live DJ, treats, complimentary drinks, and a prize drawing. While YAD 3Sixty Club members get in sans cover charge, non-members pay a small price to enjoy this festival of lights. – James Scott
Community Chanukah Celebration
Wednesday 25, Chabad of Austin
We’re not gonna lie: The poster for this celebration of the first day of Chanukah makes it look like a pretty bitchin’ rave. There’s a massive menorah flanked by lights and a crowd of people with their hands in the air, possibly raising the roof. There’s also the promise of an LED robot on the premises. (Is that a tradition we’re not remembering?) To cap it off, the poster features the words “Mega Gelt Drop” above a ladder-topped fire truck. If that doesn’t mean it’s raining chocolate coins, we will be very disappointed. – James Renovitch
Want to see all of our listings broken down by day? Go to austinchronicle.com/calendar and see what’s happening now or in the coming week.
This article appears in December 20 • 2024.
