Holiday Time is TV Time

Remote Viewing: What to watch during the holiday break

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s time to power up the TV. Christmas break is upon us, and free time is about to increase exponentially. So what’s the key to getting through the abundance of family time on the horizon? A fully stocked queue of Hulu and Netflix (and a couple of well-timed trips to the multiplex, of course).

But in case you’re not quite sure what to dial up, we’ve got some suggestions to keep you entertained this holiday season.

Netflix

Drinking Buddies

Watch it with: your beer-loving brother-in-law

Olivia Wilde stars with New Girl’s Jake Johnson in this tale of a pair of microbrewery employees who mix work and play more often than not. Consider the flick improved with a nice seasonal ale.

Frances Ha

Watch it with: your high school BFF

The always spot-on Greta Gerwig is Frances, a sometimes out of work modern dancer, who’s both seriously un-dateable and entirely relatable. She’ll make you feel like your life isn’t such a mess after all.

The Iron Lady

Watch it with: your grandmother

She’ll eat this biopic of Margaret Thatcher right up.

Blackfish

Watch it with: the non-squeamish

This documentary of Orca whale Tilikum examines the deaths of several trainers while he was in captivity, questioning the safety and humaneness of the Orca (also know as killer whale) community. Don’t expect Free Willy fare.

30 for 30

Watch it with: your dad

Pops will surely appreciate this docu-series which highlights sports, sex, drug use and warfare. Choose an episode at random; pretty much every story is sure to please his nonfiction-appreciating heart.

Firefly

Watch it with: your tween nieces and nephews

Before Joss Whedon was the guy behind The Avengers, he was a sci-fi television master. This short-lived series (featuring Whedon fave Nathan Fillian) makes for easy watch that should take you and your pop culture-loving tweens no time at all to get though.

Lilyhammer

Watch it with: your Sopranos-loving uncle

Sopranos favorite Steven Van Zandt stars as Frank “The Fixer” Tagliano, in this tale of a mafia boss who leaves the Big Apple for the Fjords of Norway after being put into witness protection. Season 2 was just released, so you have more than enough of this Netflix Original to keep you busy.

HBO GO

Stoker

Watch it with: your siblings

Mia Wasikowska is a young girl changed by the death of her father and prompt arrival of her mysterious new Uncle Charlie who moves in with the family. The trio soon go down a dark, twisted path in this 2013 psychological drama.

Girls

Watch it with: your cousins

Season 3 of this critically-acclaimed dramedy returns January 12, so catch up on last season’s action while you can.

Broken City

Watch it with: the whole family

Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe star in this revenge tale of ex-cop Billy Taggart, seeking redemption after being double-crossed and framed by New York City Mayor Nicholas Hostetler.

Hulu Plus

Misfits

Watch it with: tweens, teens, and sisters-in-law

Five unruly teenagers forced to do community service face a whole new slew of problems after an electrical storm hits their town and turns them into superheroes. Each possesses a new power they didn’t want, one that explores their deepest, darkest insecurities.

Moone Boy

Watch it with: yourself

Set in 1980s Ireland, this truly hilarious comedy follows 12-year-old Martin Moone as he navigates the intricacies of his eccentric childhood with the help of his bearded — and very sarcastic — imaginary friend Sean (played by Bridesmaids’ Chris O’Dowd).

In Theaters

Saving Mr. Banks

See it with: your mom, aunt and grandmother

Tom Hanks stars in this tale inspired by the untold story of how Disney’s Mary Poppins made it to the screen. Emma Thompson stars as P.L. Travers, the curmudgeonly writer not eager to see her story bastardized.

American Hustle

Go see it with: the whole family

Director David O. Russell scores again with this fictional story of notorious con man Irving Rosenfeld (a barely recognizable Christian Bale) and his partner, portrayed by Amy Adams. The duo is forced to change things up after being discovered by the FBI, but the antics don’t die down a bit.

Her

Go see it with: your significant other

Joaquin Phoenix stars as a withdrawn writer who falls in love with his computer’s highly advanced operating system in this comedy from director Spike Jonze.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Go see it with: Anyone looking for a laugh

Ron Burgundy and his band of bros are back, and they’re taking the 24-hour news world by storm. Expect tons of cameos, a fair amount of scotch, and a lot of antics that make it difficult to stay classy.

There you have it, folks. With this arsenal of appropriate programming, you’ll have more than enough to do before we all trek back to work in 2014.

Tune in (and tune your family drama out) by watching Moone Boy.

Courtesy photo

Tune in (and tune your family drama out) by watching Moone Boy.

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A New Light

Wildflower Center's Luminations light show debuts new features in 2024

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations

Photo by Theresa DiMenno

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is bringing back Luminations with some new elements.

A South Austin holiday tradition is sprouting a little differently this year at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Luminations, an immersive light installation, is bringing new art and adding access to a separate installation to keep things growing fresh year after year.

The 2024 show runs from November 22, 2024, to January 5, 2025. The family-friendly exhibition will show off work by local designers alongside food truck vendors and three full-service bars.

Austinites who haven't been to Luminations may still recognize it from social media photos. The glowing O-shaped swings are hands-down the most popular exhibit to photograph since they are interactive, but other popular ones include an array of color-changing discs to step on and a herd of rainbow, origami-like deer.

A few elements are new this year.

A new location
No sane event organizer would leave the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; actually, the installation is now even closer, taking place in the main gardens. According to a release, this was to make the path more walkable, which in turn allows guests to feel more immersed. It already was a walking exhibit last year, but it was spread out across nearly two miles. Neither the website nor the release offer an updated distance estimate, but the website does show a map.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations map Here's where Luminations is held now.wildflower.org

New art
The release promises "interactive opportunities and never-before-seen light installations." Of course, it doesn't give it all away before people get to see it. But potential visitors can get an idea by of what's in store by checking out other work by the six designers who contributed this year: APM Designs, ASA Designs, Cicada Designs, Dada Labs, Holiday Lighting Designs and Ion Art Designs.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Luminations These swings are always a big hit, and they appear to be on the map again this year.Photo by Ann Alva Wieding

“We work closely with local Austin designers to make our light show special, and there’s something surprising and different every year,” said the Wildflower Center's director of hospitality, Erika Tucker, in the release.

A trip to Fortlandia
Another one of the Wildflower Center's interactive projects, Fortlandia, is now right next to Luminations. For Fortlandia, local designers — including one that crosses over with Luminations, Ion Art — designed children's playscapes that push traditional playground boundaries. These modern forts aren't just beautiful to look at, but extra fun to play in thanks to the novelty.

This fun fort is part of Fortlandia.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center/Instagram

Since it will be dark out during the light show, Fortlandia will also have its own lighting. Additionally, keeping kids entertained at Fortlandia might give parents a bit more time to appreciate the art in Luminations.

The goal is the same
Although some aspects of Luminations are new this year, it fills the darker days of winter, gets people to visit the Wildflower Center in the off-season, and it benefits the center's conservation work.

Throughout the year, the center conducts research on protecting native ecosystems, cultivates rare plants, maintains a seed bank, educates Texans on how to foster native plant life, and even helps plan eco-friendly projects for outside clients using its own findings.

Last month, the center announced planned updates to its 284 acres of gardens.

Tickets to Luminations ( $28 for adults, $18 for youth) are required for entry. Reserved parking is available at an additional cost. The entrance to the exhibit is located at 4801 LaCrosse Ave.

nature immersive visual art kids families