Photo for Headline Surfer / There is plenty of family fun with two free holiday movie showings sponsored by Port Orange Family Days at the amphitheather at the city center.PORT ORANGE -- The Port Orange Family Days gets the holiday season in full swing Dec. 7 and 14 with "free" showings of the modern classics Home Alone and Beethoven's Christmas Adventure in the Kenneth W. Parker Amphitheater at Port Orange City Center, 1999 City Center Circle.
These are the final 2012 showings in the Movies Under the Stars series made possible by Port Orange Family Days and the Family Days Spring Fair. Pre-movie activities for children get underway at 6 p.m. on the two Saturdays and the shows start as soon as it is dark enough for the big screen to glow brightly. A concession stand at the nearby Lakeside Community Center offers popcorn, drinks and snacks at reasonable cost.
Home Alone, which marked the start of McCauley Culkin's now troubled career as he played the 8-year-old accidently left behind when his family flew to France for Christmas.
His encounters with a pair of comically inept burglars have grown in popularity since the film debuted in 1990. And it has become not only a classic, but a cult film. Legend has it that a still-living Elvis made a cameo appearance.
Trivia quizzes have been built around a scene where Daniel Stern was filmed with a tarantula on his face. He had to mime screaming because the noise would have scared the usually docile spider. Another centers on Joe Pesci actually having bit Macaulay Culkin, leaving a scar on his finger.
Beethoven's Christmas Adventure, entertains children of all ages who never tire of finding what happens when Santa's magic toy bag is stolen from the workshop and everybody's favorite Saint Bernard gets involved in the rescue.
This film marked the first in the series of Beethoven chronicles in which the canny canine actually speaks. With Henry the Elf (Kyle Massey of TV's That's So Raven), Beethoven (voiced by the versatile Tom Arnold) and his teen-aged pal Mason (Munro Chambers, TV's Degrassi: The Next Generation) manages to save Christmas for children everywhere. The film has been a favorite with all the family.
Visit the Family Days website at www.familydays.com for complete event information.