Feast your eyes on these Christmas classics, many with Ohio ties, along with new films
Christmas #Christmas
Sometimes it seems as though Christmas is Hollywood’s favorite time of year.
The movie industry has long churned out dramas and comedies alike set during the holiday season.
This year, a number of classic seasonal favorites — including “A Christmas Story,” “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” and “White Christmas” — will return to area movie theaters.
Many have local ties: “A Christmas Story” was filmed in large part in Cleveland, while “Christmas Vacation” co-star Beverly D’Angelo is a native of Upper Arlington. Both female co-stars of “White Christmas” are from Ohio: Rosemary Clooney was born in Kentucky but spent some of her youth in Cincinnati, and Vera-Ellen is from Norwood.
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The listings that follow make note of when and where you can see these films. For those who prefer to watch the movies in the company of a warm blanket, we’ve also noted the major streaming services that show each of the films.
We’ve also included the major new releases slated for November and December. Some are holiday-oriented, many are not, but all promise to make this Christmas season a memorable one at the movies.
‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’ turns 35
In 1987, John Hughes wrote and directed “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” and 35 years later, the comedy-drama is considered a holiday staple. The film — starring Steve Martin as a businessman making every effort to have Thanksgiving at home and John Candy as his unwelcome travel companion — will be back in several area theaters for the anniversary.
Playing in theaters: Nov. 6-7, Crosswoods Cinema, 200 Hutchinson Ave.; Pickerington Cinema, 1776 Hill Road North, Pickerington. For showtimes and tickets, go to www.marcustheatres.com.
Available on streaming: Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Vudu and YouTube.
Free screening of ‘The Santa Clause’
Over the years, the 1994 movie “The Santa Clause,” starring Tim Allen as an ordinary fellow destined to inherit the role of Santa Clause, has become as much of a classic Christmas comedy as “A Christmas Story” or “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Playing in theaters: 7 p.m. Nov. 22, McCoy Center for the Arts, 100 E. Dublin-Granville Road, New Albany. Free; cash or nonperishable food items are requested for the 2022 Thanks For Giving 4-Miler charity run. For more information, visit www.mccoycenter.org.
Available on streaming: Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney+, Vudu and YouTube.
Two area independent movie theaters will show classic holiday movies and offer beer tastings the same day. Studio 35 Cinema and Drafthouse, 3055 Indianola Ave., will present “Elf” at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 and 2 p.m. Dec 3. and “A Christmas Story” at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 and 2 p.m. Dec. 4 ($40).
Grandview Theater and Drafthouse, 1247 Grandview Ave., will show “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” at 7 p.m. Dec. 9, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 1 p.m. Dec. 11 ($45).
For more information: www.grandviewtheater.com or www.studio35.com.
Available on streaming: “Elf” can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu, HBO Max and YouTube; “A Christmas Story,” Amazon Prime, Apple TV, HBO Max, Vudu and YouTube; and “Christmas Vacation,” Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu and YouTube.
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More Christmas classics at Crosswoods and Pickerington
Crosswoods Cinema, 200 Hutchinson Ave., and Pickerington Cinema, 1776 Hill Road North, Pickerington, will be showing several other classic holiday movies.
From Dec. 2-8: “A Christmas Story” (1983), “Love Actually” (2003) and “Elf” (2003)
From Dec. 2-9: “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018)
From Dec. 9-15: “White Christmas” (1954), “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989), “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000) and “The Polar Express” (2004).
For showtimes and tickets: www.marcustheatres.com
Family film and book festival at the Wex
The Zoom Family Film and Book Festival will feature both film and literary events at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St. The festival takes place Dec. 9-10 and includes a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s classic comedy “Modern Times” (1936) and a conversation with artist Keturah A. Bobo. (www.wexarts.org)
BLOCKBUSTERS COMING THIS SEASON 
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” will be given a tuneful spin in “Spirited,” a musical version of the 1843 novella starring Ryan Reynolds as the Scrooge-like antihero, Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Sunita Mani as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Opens in theaters: Nov. 11
Available on streaming: Nov. 18, AppleTV+
Peter Billingsley, who turned 51 this year, picks up the part that made him famous: In “A Christmas Story Christmas,” Billingsley plays an adult version of the Red Ryder BB gun-obsessed Ralphie. Other now-grown stars from the original movie will also return, including Ian Petrella as Ralphie’s brother, Randy; Scott Schwartz as Flick; and R.D. Robb as Schwartz.
Available on streaming: Nov. 17, HBO Max
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Little Nemo goes to the movies
Central Ohioans who have visited the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum might be familiar with Winsor McCay’s iconic comic strip “Little Nemo in Slumberland,” which appeared in newspapers from 1905 to 1927. Now, nearly a century after its run ended, McCay’s strip is getting the cinematic treatment: Netflix’s “Slumberland” stars Jason Momoa, Marlow Barkley and Kyle Chandler as characters from the comic.
Available on streaming: Nov. 18, Netflix
Calling all ‘Knives Out’ fans
Benoit Blanc to the rescue: The detective so memorably played by Daniel Craig in the 2019 movie “Knives Out” is set to make a return appearance in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” a sequel written and directed by “Knives Out” creator Rian Johnson. Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Kate Hudson are among the supporting players in the movie.
Opens in theaters: Nov. 23
Available on streaming: Dec. 23, Netflix
Acclaimed novel ‘White Noise’ reaches big screen
Don DeLillo’s widely admired satirical novel “White Noise” has been turned into a new movie by acclaimed filmmaker Noah Baumbach. Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig and Don Cheadle lead a cast of characters who, in a college town in the 1980s, contend with assorted calamities, including a toxic spill.
Opens in theaters: Nov. 25
Available on streaming: Dec. 30, Netflix
More ‘Marlowe’
Liam Neeson will walk in the footsteps once trod by Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum: In the new thriller “Marlowe,” Neeson plays Detective Philip Marlowe, the iconic character created by Raymond Chandler. Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje co-star in the movie directed by Neil Jordan.
Opens in theaters: Dec. 2
Del Toro’s take on ‘Pinocchio’
Director Robert Zemeckis offered his take on “Pinocchio” in a Disney adaptation in September, and now director Guillermo del Toro, working with co-director Mark Gustafson, will give us his own re-imagination of the classic tale. Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” uses stop-motion animation and includes the vocal talent of Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley and Christoph Waltz.
Opens in theaters: November
Available on streaming: Dec. 9, Netflix
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‘Avatar,’ at last
Has it really been 13 years since James Cameron gave us the original “Avatar” movie? Finally, the first in what is said to be a series of sequels — “Avatar: The Way of Water” — is set for release. The movie stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver — and, presumably, more special effects than you can shake a stick at.
Opens in theaters: Dec. 16
Whitney Houston biopic set for release
Naomi Ackie will play pop legend Whitney Houston, who died in 2012, in the biopic “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders and Tamara Tunie round out the cast of the movie.
Opens in theaters: Dec. 21
Hollywood drama ‘Babylon’ coming
In the historical drama “Babylon,” “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle takes a look at Hollywood during the 1920s with an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Tobey Maguire.
Opens in theaters: Dec. 23
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Feast your eyes on these Christmas classics, many with Ohio ties, along with new films