Someone once said, "Zendaya is Meechee," and by God, they were right. While Gabriel Gundacker's 50-ish-second video has had a more lasting cultural legacy than the 96-minute film whose posters it lampooned, this cryptozoological kids' flick still hits when the weather grows cold. Beyond Zendaya, voice cast highlights include Channing Tatum (Migo), LeBron James (Gwangi), and Danny DeVito (Dorgle). Perfect for the winter-break haze, youths ages 5 and up are welcome to craft along while learning about acceptance between different communities - here meaning, of course, the yeti community and humans. - James Scott
Friday 27 - Sunday 29, AFS Cinema
One of the screwball greats, 1940's His Girl Friday actually began life without the titular dame. It wasn't until director Howard Hawks got involved that Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's hit play The Front Page - about newspapermen trying to break the story on a death row escapee - was reimagined with a woman playing star crime reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), and her editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) rejiggered to also be her ex-husband. Breathlessly paced, His Girl Friday is renowned for its rat-a-tat repartee and is a sterling example of the comedy of remarriage, my personal fave screwball subgenre. - Kimberley Jones
Friday 27, Yarborough Branch Library
If I have to see another social media post from a fully grown adult that bemoans how hard it is to make friends ... I probably won't do anything serious, TBH. But I might say "C'mon!" while rolling my eyes. Friend-making is a proactive pastime, which means you gotta put yourself out there to get homies. As they are apt to do vis-à-vis providing for everyone in the community, Austin Public Library hosts an adults-only social where you'll be able to drop in for "open, public dialogue on a variety of topics and add to the diversity of perspectives." That's more than X, the Everything App, could ever promise. - James Scott
Saturday 28, BookPeople
If you've got kids at home, welcome to the doldrums of winter break. Holiday celebrations are officially done, your offspring are probably already over their toys, and the whining. Oh, the whining flowing forth from those oversugared, overstimulated, overly bored chaos machines. BookPeople is here to rescue you. They're coming in clutch with an opportunity to pack up the littles and get them to a second location. The Polar Express storytime has all the comfort of a classic story, but without any creepy motion capture Tom Hanks to give everyone nightmares. Instead, the warm tones of booksellers might just lull the children into winter zen. Or maybe the free hot cocoa will do that. Either way, you're all out of the house and entertained for at least a little while. - Cat McCarrey
Saturday 28, Yarborough Branch
Listen, if I won't follow through on New Year's resolutions (I will never, ever respect a goal I set for myself), at least I can make them look pretty. Enter the Yarborough Branch Library, where gaggles of goal-setting planner people can descend on a conference room and swap marking methods and those cool little bujo stickers. The library will provide an assemblage of tracking sheets, calendars, and pens, plus some basic journals for complete newbies. Unfortunately, they won't provide the goals or calendar fodder for you, but at least you'll have like-minded souls to bounce ideas off of. Feel a little prepared for the new year with a fabulous planner in hand. - Cat McCarrey
Saturday 28 & Thursday 2, Alamo Village
Red is blood. Red is passion. But in Ingmar Bergman's oppressive and suffocating family drama, it is the color of a slow burn, as three sisters and their maid self-immolate and desiccate in their remote, isolated Swedish manor house. Bergman said that his films were essentially black-and-white, except for Cries and Whispers, as its crimson tones won Sven Nykvist an Oscar for his extraordinary and dread-drenched cinematography. A silent primal scream of lust and mistrust, it's a key influence on Robert Eggers and screens at selected Drafthouses around the country as a primer to his new version of genre-defining vampire horror Nosferatu. - Richard Whittaker
Saturday 28 - Monday 30, Alamo Village, Slaughter Lane, Lakeline & Mueller
Billy Crystal appeared on The Late Show recently, where Stephen Colbert asked him to share his favorite moment from When Harry Met Sally..., released 35 years ago this summer. Without missing a beat, the actor stood from his chair, stared down the camera, and recited his character's final declaration of love: "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." Over three decades since filming, the comedian can still pull Nora Ephron's dialogue out of thin air. There's no better sign of a perfect movie than that. - Carys Anderson
Saturday 28, University Hills Branch Library
Kids these days have a much better array of options when it comes to jamming down the D-pad. However, microtransactions threaten to ruin all the fun, especially with games like Fortnite that also encourage isolating your interactions online only. Start the new year sans headset and pricey online multiplayer setup by joining IRL friends at your local library. With gaming systems provided and pre-prepped, as well as free snacks to keep y'all fuelled up, this teens-only space promises no gamer-rage moments - only gamer joy! - James Scott
Saturday 28, Monday 30 & Tuesday 31, AFS Cinema
Hello: You may remember me from last week, where I wrote about this movie when it screened at Alamo Drafthouse. Well, I'm back and once again asking you to give famous director Stanley Kubrick a chance. Often mischaracterized as an entirely dour filmmaker due to film bro culture overemphasizing his works' serious subject matter, the true soul of Kubrick is humor. He's funny, guys! Nowhere do you see this satirical wit more than in this Tom Cruise vehicle, where the ultra-star's asexual magnetism is dismantled to hilarious effect. Cruise's Dr. Bill Harford literally flashes his medical license around like a cop's badge - echoing the false authority certain celebrities try to flaunt. Come for the Christmas cheer; stay because Tàr director Todd Field plays a piano man. - James Scott
Saturday 28, Milwood Branch Library
Created in 2017, Austin Japan Community née Austin Shakaijin Kai works year-round to support the entire Japanese community in ATX as well as foster knowledge in those who simply enjoy Japanese culture. Though focused primarily on children's entertainment, this Saturday's storytime provides fun for all ages - while also teaching about Japan's new year's cultural celebrations. Enjoy seasonal children's songs, reading from picture books, and a paper puppet show in the tradition of Kamishibai, aka Japanese picture theatre. But don't think you'll leave engaged but empty-handed: AJC also offers make-and-take crafts such as a kawaii (cute!) origami snake and a new year's wreath, as well as refreshments to enjoy after storytime. - James Scott
Saturday 28 - Monday 30, Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, Mueller, Slaughter Lane
Remember that blissful time when South Park was still funny, and not just libertarian bro smugness? Relive the heady days of 1999, when a TV show getting a movie spinoff was still a big deal, the potty-mouthed antics of Kenny, Kyle, Cartman and Stan still felt fresh, and everyone knew the lyrics to "Shut Yo Face (Uncle Fucka)." So what would Brian Boitano do? He'd go see this movie that spoofs itself from frame one (and then pretend the last 25 years of the show never happened). - Richard Whittaker
Sunday 29, the Volstead Lounge
What a 2024 we've all had: brat summer, Wicked, beautiful Italian men with a weakness for hash browns, etc. Who better to capture this crazy year than Best of Austin winners the Vixens of Volstead? This Eastside drag show has been bringing the hotness for ages, and they plan to send off the year with the expected aplomb. May Magdalene, Mars, and Veronica Valentine host, with a special appearance by Monica Monáe Davenport to keep everyone on their toes. DJ Boyfriend provides this year's top tunes, so come out, have a Bloody Mary, and say goodbye to 2024's trends the way they deserve. - James Scott
Sunday 29 - Tuesday 31, Alamo South Lamar, Slaughter Lane, Mueller, Lakeline & Village
I love Jack Lemmon. He hits the sweet spot of non-queer actors who play queer well, although perhaps Pauline Kael, in a recently resurfaced quote, better describes his allure. She spoke about his continued casting as Jewish despite being a goy, stating "He's cast as a Jew for the same reason Montgomery Clift was after the accident that disfigured him - because the look in his face passes for pain." Lemmon in this Billy Wilder classic embodies the quiet suffering of a man suppressed: by his bosses who use his titular flat without ever providing him upward mobility; by his neighbors who believe him a sex addict despite his never being the culprit; and by his own simmering desires for Shirley MacLaine's magnetic elevator operator. Together their sadness spins a perfect end-of-the-year watch, capturing a welcome melancholy as 2024 draws to a close. - James Scott
Through January 26, Wally Workman Gallery
For well over a decade Ellen Heck has explored portraiture, still life, figures, and more. In this most recent exhibition, she gets a bit closer to her subjects. "Prints" finds the artist focusing on faces, in these cases the faces of children being painted. The expressions range from serenity to curiosity as the subjects transform into superheroes, clowns, and other fantastical folk. Heck's usual subdued color palette is punctuated with bright designs grabbing the eye and taking it from the ordinary to the extraordinary. We're definitely up for the trip. - James Renovitch