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    your holly, jolly Christmas day

    10 festive events for a merry Christmas Day in Houston

    Craig Lindsey
    Dec 21, 2018 | 2:37 pm
    Houston, Axelrad, April 2016, patio
    Stop by Axelrad for some holiday movie screenings.
    Photo by Jamaal Vince Photography

    Christmas Day is a time to spend hanging out by the tree, unwrapping presents, and generally lounging. But if you and yours get a little cabin fever, we've rounded up 10 fun events to get you out and about, once the wrapping paper and packages have been thrown away — and A Christmas Story is in its second showing.

    Axelrad
    Enjoy a screening of not one, but two cinematic adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: the 1951 movie Scrooge and the 1988 Bill Murray comedy Scrooged. (We're partial to The Muppet Christmas Carol, where Dickens is played by Gonzo. But we still approve of this double feature.) 7:30-11 pm.

    Bungalow Heights
    Grab a small gift and head to this holiday party, featuring $1 draught beers, an open kitchen and a White Elephant gift exchange (bring a gift, get a gift!). If you're hungry, may we suggest the Bungalow Bird, a roasted half-chicken seasoned with fresh herbs, garlic and oil, served with veggies. 7 pm-2 am.

    Cadillac Bar Houston
    Celebrate the day with a Christmas brunch, complete with 60 items to choose from — including popular, Cadillac signature items. This spot mostly traffics in authentic Mexican food — enchiladas, fajitas, and more. And their margaritas are all that. 10 am-3 pm.

    Conservatory
    Drink up this "Break Even Bottle Event," where 1.25oz. pours of high-end, limited-release whiskey bottles will be offered as a gift (per person, that is). Among the selections: Booker's Bourbon, Elijah Craig 23 Year, E.H. Taylor Single Barrel, and High West Yippee Ki-Yay. 11 am-midnight.

    The Continental Club
    Head downtown for a free live show featuring '80s cover band Molly & the Ringwalds. So, you just know you're gonna hear Wham's "Last Christmas" from them at some point. There will also be free nachos and karaoke. 9-11:30 pm.

    The Flat
    It's a special Christmas tribute to James Brown, where DJ Sun will no doubt spin some holiday classics performed by the Godfather of Soul. This event is a must for anyone who's a fan of Brown's iconic holiday album, James Brown's Funky Christmas. Remember, Christmas is love. 9 pm.

    Fitzgerald's
    Sara Fitzgerald's beloved Heights venue give people its 24th and final Christmas party before it shuts down for good. Bands 30footFALL and Bickley are the headliners. Also on the bill: The Cops, A Taste of Garlic and — we kid you not — Skeleton Dick. Yeah, it's gonna be that kind of a night. 7 pm-midnight.

    Funplex
    Kiddos and families are invited to show up for its third-annual, kids' Christmas party. There will be crafting stations, Christmas bingo and karaoke for the kids. And, of course, Santa will be around to take photos. Admission is free and tasty treats and holiday drinks will be available for purchase. 5:30-10 pm.

    Govinda's Vegetarian Cuisine
    Look for a full menu of vegan dishes for people not down with turkey and giblets, along with complimentary apple cider. What do they have, you ask? There's seitan roast, stir-fry veggie and pasta, acorn squash with maple syrup, spinach fritters with chutney, and much more. 11 am-8 pm.

    The Rustic
    Pat Green's jammin' downtown spot celebrates Christmas with "Drink the Tree," an event with a special holiday menu, live music from The Powell Brothers and $3 Firemans beers. Word is, they'll stack 'em up all up like a Christmas tree and everyone can drink them until that beer tree is all gone. 5 pm-midnight.

    holidays
    news/entertainment
    series/holiday-happenings-houston-2018

    Movie Review

    How to Train Your Dragon remake puts a fresh twist on the original

    Alex Bentley
    Jun 12, 2025 | 4:14 pm
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon
    Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
    Toothless and Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon.

    Let’s get it out of the way right at the top: The new live-action How to Train Your Dragon, coming a mere 15 years after the original animated film, serves no real purpose other than to make more money for Universal Pictures and Dreamworks Pictures. However, unlike Disney’s approach toward remaking their animated movies, this attempt manages to succeed on its own merits instead of being a half-baked vessel for nostalgia.

    As fans will remember, Hiccup (Mason Thames) lives in Berk, a town on a remote island populated by Vikings who constantly have to defend themselves against rampaging dragons. Hiccup’s dad, Stoick (Gerard Butler), is the community’s vaunted leader, with a legacy that seems impossible for Hiccup to measure up to, especially since he’s stuck in the armory alongside Gobber (Nick Frost).

    But Hiccup has a knack for inventions, and his use of one new weapon during a dragon attack takes down a feared Night Fury. Finding the wounded dragon deep in the forest, Hiccup decides against killing it, leading to an unexpected bond between the two of them. Most of the film shows Hiccup trying to prove himself to his townspeople, including the fierce Astrid (Nico Parker), while also nursing the dragon he dubs Toothless back to health with the help of another one of his ingenious creations.

    Written and directed by Dean DeBlois (who’s had the same roles on all four HTTYD films), the film is most notable for how engaging it is despite it retelling a story many already know and love. The biggest reason for this is a pivot away from telling a story mainly for kids toward one that feels like an extremely light version of Game of Thrones. Almost right away, there are real stakes for the people in the film, and the way DeBlois and his team stage the scenes, the danger can be felt by the audience.

    This sense of “realness” comes through especially well in the scenes between Hiccup and Toothless. The design of Toothless is faithful to the original, but the CGI makes the dragon feel amazingly believable. And when they start flying, the film literally and metaphorically takes off. At multiple points, the camera seems to have trouble keeping them in frame, a smart move toward verisimilitude when the filmmakers clearly could have made it an overly smooth watching experience.

    Even though it’s more serious than the original, the film still has plenty of fun to offer. Characters like Gobber (who replaces his two missing limbs with odd contraptions) and the ragtag group of teenagers who come to be in awe of Hiccup’s skills at taming dragons provide more than a few laughs. Hiccup isn’t quite as goofy as he was when voiced by Jay Baruchel, which turns out to be a good thing as his sense of purpose amps up the drama of the story.

    Thames’ performance gets better and better as the film goes along, as Hiccup goes from town whipping boy toward hero. He really shines in the last act when he’s given a few scenes that show off his acting range. Parker is equally good, demonstrating the girl power needed for the role, but also the softness of a potential love interest. Butler, the only actor reprising their voice role, is a great presence who sells the outsized personality of Stoick.

    Against the odds, this new version of How to Train Your Dragon is equal to the success of the first film, accomplishing the goal of making it feel like you’re watching the story for the first time. If live-action remakes are going to continue to come out, future filmmakers should study this film for how to respect both the history of the franchise and the audience paying good money to be entertained.

    ---

    How to Train Your Dragon opens in theaters on June 13.

    moviesfilm
    news/entertainment
    series/holiday-happenings-houston-2018

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