Movie Watch: Your Amarillo film options through Nov. 15, with 'Grinch,' Lisbeth Salander, 'Beautiful Boy,' more

chip chandler

• Published on November 7, 2018 • Last modified on February 13, 2020

"Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" opens Nov. 9.
Courtesy Universal Pictures

In Amarillo theaters this weekend, choose between a curmudgeon with a too-small heart, Nazi zombies, a brilliant hacker or an emotionally fraught addiction drama.

New in theaters

Beautiful Boy: Timothée Chalamet and Steve Carell star in this well-received addiction drama about a father and son. I found it affecting and loved Chalamet's performance (and Carell's only a little less), though the film plays a little too safe. (R for drug content throughout, language, and brief sexual material; click here for showtimes at Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch: Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) lends his dulcet tones to this computer-animated adapation of the popular holiday book. Reviews are just now trickling out, but wonder anew why the 1966 TV special wasn't enough. (PG for brief rude humor; click here for showtimes at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd.; Cinergy Amarillo, 9201 Cinergy Square; and Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
The Girl in the Spider's Web: Claire Foy (The Crown) takes over in this new adventure of Lisbeth Salander. Reviews aren't terrific, praising Foy somewhat but lamenting the plot's excesses. (R for violence, language and some sexual content/nudity; click here for showtimes at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd.; Cinergy Amarillo, 9201 Cinergy Square; and Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)
Overlord: American soldiers battle Nazi zombies in this new supernatural war thriller. The B-movie is garnering some solid reviews so far. (R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content; click here for showtimes at United Artists Amarillo Star 14, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd., Cinergy Amarillo, 9201 Cinergy Square; and Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive)

Special engagements

Nov. 8: A performance captured live from the Festspielhaus in the Bavarian Alps, Hymn: Sarah Brightman in Concert will screen at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at Hollywood 16.
Nov. 10 and 14: The Met: Live in HD series continues with composer Nico Muhly's new opera Marnie, starring Isabel Leonard and Christopher Maltman in a reimagining of the Winston Graham novel and Alfred Hitchcock film. It'll screen live at 11:55 a.m. Nov. 10 and encore at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at Hollywood 16.
Nov. 11 and 14: The TCM Big Screen Classics series continues with a 30th anniversary screening of iconic action film Die Hard at 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 11 and 14 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 12: The animated favorite Batman: Mask of the Phantasm will screen in a 25th anniversary presentation at 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 13: Get a sneak preview of new Harry Potter franchise installment Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Hollywood 16.
Nov. 13: Cirque du Soleil's stage show Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities will screen at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at Hollywood 16.
Nov. 13: Faith-based documentary Restoring Tomorrow will screen at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 15 and 19: A filmed-on-stage version of Broadway musical Bandstand, about a group of World War II vets who work through their post-war trauma by forming a swing band, will encore at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 and 19 at Hollywood 16.

Upcoming

Nov. 15: Advance tickets are on sale now for Harry Potter franchise Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald at Amarillo Star 14, Cinergy Amarillo and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 15: Advance tickets are on sale now for adoption comedy Instant Family and crime thriller Widows at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. Others may follow.
Nov. 16: Family drama We the Animals, based on the Justin Torres novel, will open at Premiere Cinemas Westgate Mall 6, 7701 W. Interstate 40.
Nov. 18 to 20: The Studio Ghibli Fest 2018 continues with the classic Castle in the Sky at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. An English-dubbed version will screen at 12:55 p.m. Nov. 18 and 7 p.m. Nov. 20, with a subtitled version screening at 7 p.m. Nov. 19.
Nov. 19: Advance tickets are on sale now for the latest revamp of Robin Hood at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. Others may follow.
Nov. 20: Advance tickets are on sale now for sports drama sequel Creed II and and animated sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16. Others may follow.
Nov. 21: Period comedy/drama Green Book is scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Nov. 24 to Dec. 1: The new Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us will screen at 12:55 p.m. Nov. 24, 7 p.m. Nov. 26 and 28, and 12:55 p.m. Dec. 1 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 25 and 27, Dec. 3: A 40th anniversary screening of Superman with Christopher Reeve will play at 3 p.m. Nov. 25 at Amarillo Star 14, 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 25 at Hollywood 16, 3 and 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at Amarillo Star 14, 2 and 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at Hollywood 16, and 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at Amarillo Star 14.
Nov. 29: Get insight into Santa Fe's beguilingly bizarre art installation in Meow Wolf: Origin Story at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Nov. 29 to Dec. 8: Time-traveling anime film Mirai (a potential Oscar nominee, based on the tea leaves I'm reading) will screen at 7 and 8 p.m. Nov. 29, 7 p.m. Dec. 5 (subtitled) and 12:55 p.m. Dec. 8 (English-dubbed) at Hollywood 16.
Nov. 30: Horror film The Possession of Hannah Grace is scheduled to open nationally, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Nov. 30: Literary biopic Colette, starring Keira Knightley as the French author, will open at Premiere Cinemas Westgate Mall 6, 7701 W. Interstate 40.
Dec. 1: Director Julie Taymor's (The Lion King on Broadway) reimagining of the classic Mozart fable The Magic Flute will get a special encore for The Met: Live in HD season at 12:55 p.m. Dec. 1 at Hollywood 16.
Dec. 2 and 5: Get swept up again in the romance of Sleepless in Seattle in special screenings for its 25th anniversary, scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 2 and 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 4: In Allegiance to Broadway, go behind the scenes to see how the musical about actor George Takei's family's imprisonment in World War II-era internment camps made it to the Great White Way. The musical itself will screen Dec. 11. The documentary will screen at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 6: Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo star in Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra, filmed live on stage from England's National Theatre. It'll sceen at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 at Amarillo Star 14.
Dec. 6: Last year's holiday comedy A Bad Moms Christmas will get an encore screening at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Hollywood 16.
Dec. 8: Screen legends Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury star in the holiday musical Buttons, screening at 12:55 p.m. Dec. 8 at Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 9 and 12: The TCM Big Screen Classics series continues with a holiday screening of the beloved White Christmas at 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 12 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 10: Spend the holidays with the Fraggles and Emmet Otter with screenings of Jim Henson's Holiday Special at 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 1 and 4 p.m. Dec. 16 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 11: The musical Allegiance, based on George Takei and family's time in World War II-era internment camps for Japanese-Americans, will screen at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 12: This year's Deadpool 2 gets a PG-13 re-release as Once Upon a Deadpool. Advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Dec. 13 and 18: An animation master's life and career is celebrated in the documentary Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, screening at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 and 18 at both Amarillo Star 14 and Hollywood 16.
Dec. 14: Action-adventure film Mortal Engines, Clint Eastwood crime drama The Mule and animated adventure Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are scheduled to open, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Dec. 14: Family drama Wildlife, the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, will open at Premiere Cinemas Westgate Mall 6, 7701 W. Interstate 40.
Dec. 15 and 19: The Met: Live in HD series continues with Verdi's La Traviata, starring soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Juan Diego Flórez. It'll screen live at 11:55 a.m. Dec. 15 and encore at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at Hollywood 16.
Dec. 19: Family musical Mary Poppins Returns is scheduled to open, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Dec. 21: Superhero film Aquaman, Transformers prequel Bumblebee, romantic comedy Second Act and fanciful drama Welcome to Marwen are scheduled to open, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.
Dec. 25: Comedy-adventure Holmes & Watson and Dick Cheney biopic Vice are scheduled to open, but advance tickets are not yet on sale.

Listings at a glance

Click on titles for my reviews and on theaters for showtimes. (AS-14 = Amarillo Star 14; CA = Cinergy Amarillo; H-16 = Hollywood 16, WM-6 = Westgate Mall 6)

Bad Times at the El Royale (WM-6)
Beautiful Boy (H-16)
Bohemian Rhapsody (AS-14, CA, H-16)
Crazy Rich Asians (WM-6)
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (AS-14, CA, H-16)
The Girl in the Spider's Web (AS-14, CA, H-16)
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (AS-14,H-16)
Halloween (AS-14, CA, H-16)
The Hate U Give (AS-14, H-16)
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (WM-6)
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (WM-6)
Hunter Killer (H-16)
The Meg (WM-6)
Night School (H-16)
Nobody's Fool (AS-14, CA, H-16)
The Nun (WM-6)
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (AS-14, CA, H-16)
Overlord (AS-14, CA, H-16)
A Simple Favor (WM-6)
Smallfoot (H-16)
A Star Is Born (AS-14, CA, H-16)
Suspiria (H-16)
Venom (AS-14, CA, H-16)

Chip Chandler is a producer for Panhandle PBS and a member of GALECA. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.