Best Bets: Orinda free films, ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Nutcracker,’ ‘A Chanticleer Christmas’, SF Symphony screens ‘Elf’

Freebie of the week: Despite the occasional blockbuster and annual attention lavished on Hollywood as awards season takes hold, the movie business remains troubled, the result of audiences’ changing tastes and the ever-ballooning costs of making movies. (Dwayne Johnson earned a reported $50 million to play Santa Clause’s bodyguard in “Red One”; let that slide down your chimney for a minute!) The real challenge, however, is in keeping movie theaters open. The U.S. lost 2,000 movie houses during the pandemic, the Hollywood Reporter says. In the Bay Area, some two dozen chain and independent theaters reportedly have shuttered in the last five years or so. These closures affect more than the movie business and real estate values, they’re a gut punch to downtowns desperate for foot traffic and a loss to those who still relish watching a movie on a big screen in a room full of people. So when a spirited indie theater like the one in Orinda unveils a clever and appealing film series, we should pay attention. From Thursday through Dec. 26, the Orinda Theater is screening 11 holiday films for free. On Thursday, it’s  “The Polar Express” (6:30 p.m., with special guest Eddie Deezen); Friday brings “Meet Me in St. Louis” (4 p.m.), Saturday has “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1:30 p.m.), “It’s a Wonderful Life” (aka the finest Christmas movie ever made, at 4 p.m.) and “A Christmas Story” (7 p.m.); Sunday brings the 1938 version “A Christmas Carol” (2 p.m.) “Scrooged” (4 p.m.), and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (6:45 p.m.); Dec. 25 offers “Fiddler on the Roof” (1 p.m.); and Dec. 26 features “An American Tail” (4:15 p.m.) and “Joyeux Noel” (6:15 p.m.) While the films are free, the financially challenged theater is seeking an infusion of cash through a GoFundMe page. More information is at orindamovies.com. 

A glass-slipper holiday treat: The centuries-old Cinderella tale of an overlooked and demeaned girl getting the last laugh (and the handsome prince) when she is given the chance to shine has countless versions with numerous different origins found around the globe. Those commonly seen in American popular culture reflect the tale’s European 17th-century beginnings, and more often than not, a largely white cast. And there is rarely a holiday connection, except, of course, for the 2019 teen rom-com “Cinderella Story: A Christmas Wish (now boasting a 40 percent audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes). But San Francisco’s African-American Shakespeare Company counters these trends with its adaptation of “Cinderella.” The production, directed by Tavia Percia and starring Anese Jade in the titular role, has become A-A Shakes’ popular holiday staple, which often sells out. Though the story line follows the traditional tale to a point, it also celebrates African American culture and serves up a female-empowerment narrative. The show returns this weekend, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets are $45, $18 for those 21 and under. Go to african-americanshakes.org.