VILLAGE CINEMAS

Black Christmas (M) A solid enough horror movie, Black Christmas has been softened around the edges to appeal to a wider audience than usual. Should you be expecting a moderately intelligent scary movie as opposed to a witless hack-’em-up, you will be more than content with what transpires. The setting is a frosty Hawthorne College, a standard-format prestige educational facility that has been largely vacated due to the Christmas break. Within the walls of an all-female sorority house, the residents gradually notice their slender numbers are being further reduced by an unknown menace. (Hobart)

Last Christmas (PG) The November arrival of Last Christmas is great news for anyone who wished there were more happysad British rom-coms about lovelorn Londoners riding emotional roller-coasters all the way through December. Everyone else should immediately grab what they need for the next few months, and start running until someone sends word this movie’s season has ended. (Hobart)

Star War: The Rise of Skywalker (M) See review above. (Eastlands, Glenorchy, Hobart, Launceston)

Playing with Fire (PG) Playing With Fire, at best, is a stridently so-so family comedy. Four overly burly, semi-surly smokejumpers. Three overly rambunctious, semi-adorable children. An unforeseen period during which the quartet of blokes must provide food, lodging and care to the trifecta of tykes. There will be stuff getting broken. Stuff set alight. Adults falling over. Hard. Adults suffering clonks to the head, upper body, and tender areas adjacent to the groin. Very hard. Poop. A lot of it. In one scene, very liquefied. Kids causing mayhem. Very mischievously. Often, very annoyingly. (Eastlands, Glenorchy, Hobart, Launceston)