The Classic Movies Returning To Theaters This Year, And Some That Don’t Hold Up

The first few months of the year are often rough for cinephiles looking forward to seeing new movies in theaters. The end of the year has all of the award season movies, and the summer is where you get all your blockbuster movies and crowd-pleasing family films. However, that awkward period between January and April generally produces a lot of generic romantic comedies, horror flicks, sci-fi junk and everything else that’s been neglected. Do you honestly want to pay $12 to see the Winnie the Pooh horror movie Pooh: Blood and Honey or the disappointing remake of House Party?

But while there’s a dearth of options in terms of new releases, these next few months provide a good chance to check off some classics from your watchlist. There’s more opportunity than ever before to find older movies thanks to streaming services and video-on-demand libraries, but it can feel a little underwhelming to watch The Wizard Of Oz on your laptop. Film fans in Dallas are in luck, because there are many classic films that are returning to theaters over the course of the year.

As we all know, not every classic movie meets modern standards. Some of those older animated classics on Disney+ no longer hold up because of racist caricatures, and there’s quite a few comedies with discriminatory jokes and epithets that certainly wouldn’t fly today. It can be cringe to sit down with your family and fire up Peter Pan with all its offensive stereotypes about indigenous people.

We sorted through the options that are headed back to theaters this year and managed to distinguish the legitimate classics from the movies that don’t merit watching. These films were meant to be enjoyed in the theaters, and it’s an opportunity you can’t pass up if you make the right choice.

Titanic
Showtimes vary by location, Feb. 13,14, 15 and 16
Angelika, Cinemark and AMC theaters
Why is it a classic? Titanic was a worldwide sensation that at the time was the highest-grossing film ever and tied for the all-time Academy Awards record with 11 wins, matching Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Does it hold up? Laugh at the cheesiness all you want, but Titanic definitely holds up. It’s even better on a big screen where you can experience the deafening surround sound and see the hormones popping off a young Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
4:15 p.m. and 7 p.m.Thursday, Feb. 14
Angelika Film Center Dallas and Plano
Why is it a classic? The adaptation of Truman Capote’s novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s became a template for romantic comedies, and it’s often cited as Audrey Hepburn’s signature role.
Does it hold up? Mickey Rooney’s role as Mr. I.Y. Yunioshi, a Japanese man, is an egregiously offensive example of yellow face, but for the most part the gender politics have held up fairly well for a film from 1961.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Showtimes TBD, Friday, Feb. 17
Angelika Film Center Dallas, Texas Theatre
Why is it a classic? Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became the highest-grossing international language film in the U.S., and re-energized the martial arts genre thanks to Ang Lee’s luminous visuals.
Does it hold up? Yes! The action hasn’t aged a day, and if you loved Everything Everywhere All At Once, you need to see Michelle Yeoh’s star-making performance.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
7:05 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24
Alamo Drafthouse Richardson
Why is it a classic? Although it initially received blowback from fans of the series for not wrapping up the ending cliffhanger, David Lynch’s prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me has come to be appreciated as a standalone horror masterpiece that proved to be essential in the 2017 continuation Twin Peaks: The Return.
Does it hold up? Fire Walk With Me has some of the most disturbing sequences of violence and assault ever captured on screen. It’s a diligent deconstruction of victimization, but it has never been and never will be easy to watch.

Bring It On
Noon, Saturday, Feb. 26
Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands and Las Colinas
Why is it a classic? Bring It On is one of the quintessential teen films of the 1990s, proving that Kirsten Dunst was our next heartthrob idol.
Does it hold up? Bring It On is one of the rare ‘90s romcoms that actually shows nuanced female friendships and addresses body shaming. Sadly, some of the commentary about racial politics is a bit dated, as are the homosexual slurs. It has aged better than some other films of that era, though; have you tried watching She’s All That lately?

Possession
7:25 p.m. Wednesday, March 1
Alamo Drafthouse Denton
Why is it a classic? This psychological arthouse horror film wasn’t commercially successful upon its initial release but has steadily grown a cult audience over time.
Does it hold up? Possession is really, really weird. It’s both utterly terrifying and completely campy, with a nuanced portrayal of marital breakdown that audiences probably missed upon its initial release. This one only gets better with age, if you’re a horror fan.

Clueless
Showtimes TBA, Monday, March 6
Angelika Film Center Dallas
Why is it a classic? Clueless is responsible for introducing the world to Alicia Silverstone (unless you knew her first as the star of a trilogy of Aerosmith music videos) and prompting a generation of teenage girls to read Jane Austen’s Emma, which served as loose inspiration.
Does it hold up? Clueless is still one of the funniest high school movies ever made, and it offered great commentary on classism and consumerism. And Silverstone’s performance as Cher is beloved for a reason. If you just pretend that Paul Rudd’s character is a couple of years younger, there’s not anything brazenly offensive in the movie.

Casablanca
1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 5
7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8
Cinemark Theaters
Why is it a classic? It’s Casablanca. Need we say more? The Bogie-Bergman romance is often cited as one of the greatest films ever made, with the American Film Institute ranking it No. 2 on its all-time list behind Citizen Kane.
Does it hold up? True love and standing up against the Nazis never grows old. Casablanca was released at a time when graphic content was mostly left out of mainstream American movies, so you should be all good to show this to audiences of all ages.

Grease
4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, March 14
7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17
Cinemark Theaters
Why is it a classic? It’s one of the most successful movie musicals ever, and it’s become celebrated once more given the recent passing of Olivia Newton-John.
Does it hold up? The musical has been pulled from some schools because of some of its homophobic and sexist themes, and has sparked a heated debate over whether or not it was intended to be satire. There’s also a line where a group of teenage boys ask a friend if a girl “put up a fight,” while he tried to fool around, which remains in the film despite being changed for some musical performances.

Army of Darkness
6 p.m. Sunday, April 30
Texas Theatre
Why is it a classic? The conclusion of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy takes the franchise in a bizarrely comic direction when Ash is transported back in time to fight demons in the medieval era.
Does it hold up? Army of Darkness is just as hilarious and bonkers as it always was, and the scares are more ridiculous than offensive. Plus, this screening is hosted by Bruce Campbell himself, so you have no excuse to skip it.

National Lampoon’s Vacation
4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, July 16
7 p.m. Wednesday, July 19
Cinemark Theaters
Why is it a classic? While National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has become a beloved holiday favorite, this is the original film that started it all.
Does it hold up? Vacation was cheerfully offensive in 1983 with its outrageous stereotypes and caricatures, and that hasn’t aged it all. The jokes were made with intent, and nothing in John Hughes’ script is deliberately mean-spirited.