9 of the Top Christmas Season Releases at Local Theatres

Local residents enjoy the chance to relax at the movie theatres during the Christmas season and watch some of the latest Hollywood offerings. There are some high-profile films being released just in time for the December holiday including Frozen II and the latest in the Luke Skywalker Star Wars series.  

In addition, there are some upcoming releases that promise a filmgoing experience that’s as exciting as an Intertops mobile casino gaming adventure.  

The All Americans

The All Americans was just released and it is already bringing in serious notice. The film focuses on two East Las Angeles football teams and the upcoming homecoming event that always draws thousands of fans from both sides. The Classic, a century-long tradition, isn’t just about football but about the individual stories and aspirations of the participants, coaches, families and friends and the observers. 

All Americans isn’t really meant to be a sports drama.  The stories revolve around the individuals and their stories. But the issues on which the movie focuses are real and relevant and will strike a chord with audiences around the world. 

Klaus

Klaus is one for the kids. The cute story focuses on a postman who meets Santa when he’s transferred to the North Pole after a less-than-inspiring stint at the Postal Service’s Academy. Jesper contends with feuding locals and it’s only a local teacher who helps him keep his sanity.  When Jesper discovers a local carpenter who lives alone in a cabin full of handmade toys, he realizes that he’s found Klaus and together, the three friends succeed in transforming the town into a community of happy, generous people.

16 Bars

Rap music varies widely from one artist to the next but one thing that all rap music has in common is that it’s comprised of 16 bars.  This is the focus of the movie 16 Bars which offers a glimpse at the songs and human stories that come out of rappers in our nation’s prisons. 

In the movie, which takes place in a Virginia jail’s makeshift recording studio, four rappers collaborate on an album with Todd “Speech” Thomas, from the hip hop group Arrested Development. 

Currently, the United States locks up more of its citizens per capita than any other nation in the world.  The movie 16 Bars testifies to the incredible waste that the criminal justice system perpetuates, especially to men of color. 

Bluebird

The Bluebird Cafe is an iconic Nashville site where country music stars such as Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Kathy Mattea, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Kim Richey, Dierks Bentley were discovered and launched their music careers. 

The Bluebird is a documentary that traces the origins of the club and, despite the large number of famous people who have career starts there, the unsung heroes of the locale. The movie is a documentary that includes never-before-told stories of those who have played there, worked there, been discovered there and are still waiting for their big moment at the tiny, legendary club. 

Charlie’s Angels

Some franchises just get better over time and Charlie’s Angels is one.  The popular TV show of the 70s has turned into film hits of the 21st century that continue to highlight the deduction and crime-stopping skills of the latest generation of fearless angels.  

The mysterious Charlie Townsend still sends his lady investigators on missions for his investigative and security agency. Now however, the agency operates around the world.  In addition to his original faithful assistant Bosley, Charlie now has offices in many different countries and there are multiple teams ready to take on tough jobs in the name of law and order. 

Ford vs. Ferrari

The fact-based celebration of industry and individualism is set in the 1960s after Ford’s prospective buy-out of Ferrari fell through. Visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby teams up with British-born driver Ken Miles to build a revolutionary sports car for the Ford Motor Company that defies the laws of physics and corporate interference. The car then takes on the dominating Enzo Ferrari race cars at France’s 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Fred Rogers was an American television personality, puppeteer, writer, producer and musician who brought his view of how to educate children in a calm and friendly manner to the air waves from 1951 to 2001.  Generations grew up with Mr. Rogers who combined wisdom patience and information to educate America’s youngsters. Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood tells that story through the eyes of a skeptical, hard bitten journalist who slowly learns to see the world, and his chilly father, in a more loving and accepting way. 

Frozen 2

The runaway hit of 2013 now has a sequel and millions of parents throughout the world are breathing a sigh of relief as their children can find out what happened to Elsa and her friends. In the sequel to Frozen, Frozen 2, Elsa the Snow Queen and her sister Anna set out on an adventure that takes them far away from the kingdom of Arendelle to discover the source of Elsa’s powers and save their home.  Don’t worry — friends Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven join the adventure.

Star Wars: The Rise of Luke Skywalker

In the final chapter of the Skywalker series of Star Wars movies, the surviving Resistance faces the First Order in one final duel to the death. Emperor Palpetine appears as the battle between the light and dark sides of The Force continue.