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The holiday season in 2020 already looks different than years prior, so whether you're struggling to get into the holiday spirit or already decorating your home with candy canes before Halloween, a good, old-fashioned holiday movie might be just what the doctor ordered.
The following titles can be viewed at a socially distanced movie festival, local theater or even from your couch. No matter the venue, holiday cheer is in store.
Elf
This 2003 feel-good film follows Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell), a human who grew up working as one of Santa's elves, as he travels through New York City to try and reconnect with his dad. The Ferrell classic will kick off the Paramount Theatre's, Holiday Film Series this year, playing on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $11 and the downtown theater is operating at 25% capacity for maximum safety. Don't be a cotton-headed ninny muggins—you know you want to watch it on the big screen again.
"Elf" is also playing at Alamo Drafthouse and Blue Starlite Drive-in.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
When was the last time you watched a "Peanuts" movie? Whatever the answer is, it's time for another showing. After an announcement that the "Peanuts" movies would only be available on Apple TV Plus, national outcry and a petition with over 260,000 signatures, Charlie Brown's films will play this season on PBS. Snoopy and the crew's Christmas special will air on Dec. 13.
A Christmas Story
Next up on the Paramount Theatre's list, "A Christmas Story" may not fill you with cheer, but it will definitely fill you with nostalgia. The 1983 classic has been playing every Christmas since its release. Striking fear into the hearts of children everywhere, this movie is responsible for some renowned one-liners that can't be missed. Catch the movie at the Paramount Theatre on Monday, Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
"A Christmas Story" is also playing at Alamo Drafthouse and Blue Starlite Drive-in.
Die Hard
Does "Die Hard" count as a Christmas movie? Either way, the movie takes place on Christmas Eve. You won't get your warm, happy cheer while watching this one but you will get your daily dose of thrills. Pick up your action-loving crew and watch the Bruce Willis classic at the Blue Starlite Drive-in on Friday, Dec. 4 at 10:15 p.m.
Home Alone
8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) gets every kid's dream, and nightmare, when he is left home alone over the winter holidays when his family goes on a vacation to France. From there chaos ensues, making it a very untraditional holiday. The movie will leave you glad to be surrounded by family, despite staying home for the holidays. "Home Alone" is playing several slots at the Blue Starlite Drive-in, starting Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7:15 p.m.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
No Christmas is complete without Chevy Chase—everyone knows that. Following the dysfunctional Griswold family, this move includes everyone's favorite Christmas traditions, from unannounced guests to electrocutions to SWAT raids. If you're looking to feel just a bit better about you and yours this year, catch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m..
The movie is also playing several showings at the Blue Starlite Drive-in.
The Polar Express
The ultimate feel-good Christmas movie, "The Polar Express" will bring you back to your childhood or let you view it from your kids' perspective. In a musical journey to meet Santa Claus, the movie charts an adventure for the ages, filled to the brim with thrills, cheer and Christmas spirit. "The Polar Express" is playing at the Paramount Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.
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Historic preservationists, for their part, overwhelmingly support historic zoning, which would preserve the buildings in perpetuity. The Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to initiate historic zoning in July, citing architectural significance, landscape features and association to historic figures. City staffers recommend historic zoning, calling both structures one-of-a-kind examples of vernacular architecture.
Tarrytown neighbors have also banded together to stop the demolition. Many have written letters, and a few spoke at the meeting. “How could anyone buy this property with the intent of destroying it?” Ila Falvey said. “I think it’s an architectural treasure.”
Michael Whellan, an attorney representing the property owner, said that the claims made by preservationists are shaky. The buildings are run down, he said, and have had substantial renovations. A structural engineer hired by the owner said any attempt at preservation would involve tearing down and rebuilding – an undertaking Whellan said would likely cost millions.
Whellan also argued that any historical significance derived from the property’s association with Delisle and longtime owner C.H. Slator is dubious. “These men are not noted for any civic, philanthropic or historic impact,” he said.
What’s more, according to Whellan, Slator likely participated in segregation as the owner of the Tavern on North Lamar Boulevard between 1953 and 1960.
A city staffer, however, said she found no evidence to support the claim. “We would never landmark a property where a segregationist lived, or there was a racist person,” Kimberly Collins with the Historic Preservation Office said.
Commissioner Awais Azhar couldn’t support historic zoning in part due to lingering uncertainty about Slator. “Focusing on that factor is not here to disparage an individual or family. It is not about playing the race card. This is an important assertion for us to consider as Planning commissioners,” Azhar said.
Commissioner Carmen Llanes Pulido said that allegations of racism should come as no surprise. “We’re talking about white male property owners in the 1950s, in Austin, on the west side – and of course they were racist,” she said. But she argued that allowing the house to be demolished based on these grounds does nothing to help people of color who have been harmed by racism and segregation.
The question of tax breaks was also controversial. Michael Gaudini, representing the property owner, said that the tax breaks associated with historic zoning would exacerbate inequality by shifting property tax burdens to less affluent communities. City staffers estimate that the property, appraised at $3.5 million, would get either a $8,500 or $16,107 property tax break annually, depending on whether a homestead exemption is applied.
Commissioner Grayson Cox preferred the commission focus not on tax breaks but on whether the structures merit preservation. “To me, nothing in the historic preservation criteria lists, is this person deserving of a tax break or not?”
Azhar, on the other hand, said he plans to propose a code amendment getting rid of city property tax breaks for historic properties.
The commission fell one vote short of recommending historic zoning, with six commissioners in support and three opposed. Azhar and commissioners Claire Hempel and Greg Anderson voted against.
The odds of City Council zoning over an owner’s wishes are slim. Nine out of 11 members must vote in favor, and there have only been a handful of such cases over the past several decades.
