Cinematic ghosts of holidays past

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian and Aero theaters with the Movies With Holiday Spirit festival.

Dancing into the Egyptian tonight and Saturday at the Aero is the 1971 classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” One of the best romantic comedies set during the holidays, 1940’s “The Shop Around the Corner,” directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, visits the Egyptian on Friday. Saturday afternoon, the theater presents a free showing of the 1970 musical “Scrooge,” based on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and starring Albert Finney. Later that evening, the theater will show the 1942 comedy “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” with Monty Woolley and Bette Davis, and 1949’s “Holiday Affair,” with Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum. On tap for Sunday is the 1954 Irving Berlin musical “White Christmas,” which also screens tonight at the Aero.

Also scheduled for the Aero is the 1993 cult classic “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” set for Friday evening, and 1946’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” unspools Sunday night. www.americancinematheque.com.

Have a Boll

The Uwe Boll Film Festival at the Downtown Independent Theater continues today with “Bloodrayne” and “Bloodrayne 2,” along with the premiere of his latest, “1968 Tunnel Rats.” Boll will take part in a Q&A.; www.downtownindependent.com.

Ver-ho-ho-hoeven

The New Beverly Cinema is looking through a glass darkly at the holidays with its double bill of Paul Verhoeven’s action thrillers “Total Recall” and “Starship Troopers,” screening Sunday through Tuesday. www.newbevcinema.com.

Classic freebie

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art offers a free Tuesday matinee of David Lean’s 1965 masterpiece, “Doctor Zhivago.” www.lacma.org.

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susan.king@latimes.com