Already finding ourselves more than two-thirds of the way through the year, it seems it won’t be long until we’re beginning to prepare for Christmas and the winter months that lie just around the corner.
With summer now well and truly at an end and the seasons changing rapidly, watch out for local screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life to begin to pop up around the country. You can’t go wrong with a hot mug of mulled wine and two hours with James Stewart’s George Bailey, or the late, great Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber for that matter, but if you’re preparing to programme for your audiences during the festive season then here are a few ideas that might give your events a little bit more personality and character.
Alternative Family Films
The greatest Christmas films don’t have to be themed around Christmas. It’s only the final chapter of It’s a Wonderful Life that takes place at Christmas and the same can be said of family favourite Edward Scissorhands. Taking this into consideration, there are lots of other films that take place around or feature Christmas but aren’t directly “Christmas movies”.
Although one never needs an excuse to watch a Coen Brothers’ movie, Christmas is an ideal time to introduce audiences to their lesser-known gem, The Hudsucker Proxy. Similarly to the Frank Capra classic, this film opens and closes with the protagonist’s contemplation of suicide during the Christmas period.
Alternatively, you could look to films that have at least one memorable scene set at Christmas. Perhaps one of many movie adaptations of Louise May Alcott’s Little Women could be screened and marketed as a mother and daughters event. There are also wonderful classics such as The Apartment, which features not only Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon but also a pivotal Christmas office party encounter.
Why not jump on the success of La La Land by bringing audiences a romantic screening of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg starring Catherine Deneuve, which includes its own Christmas-eve reunion. It’s important to remember that great Christmas movies are as much about feeling “Christmassy” as they are about focusing on Christmas itself.
Have Yourself a Very Scary Christmas
With Halloween leading us nicely into Christmas, November and December could be the ideal time to keep the spooky atmosphere afloat in your venue. The horror classics should of course be kept for late October but that doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities to programme great scary movie events around Christmas.
For fans of the 1970’s American independent horror scene, there is the terribly underrated Black Christmas – a horror movie set around the holidays but featuring as much slashing and murderous tension as the likes of John Carpenter’s Halloween or Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Meanwhile, there are modern creepy Christmas themed films such as Krampus and Rare Exports which both put a sinister spin on the traditional British interpretations of Santa Claus by taking inspiration from European folklore. Such films are not only different in their haunting portrayal of the Festive season but also draw from historic traditions that can be found throughout other parts of Europe – making for engaging but delightfully scary viewing – ideal for cinematic thrill-seekers, young and old.
Finally, why not introduce children to a darker side of the season with The Nightmare Before Christmas – bringing horror, the musical and captivating animation together in one event. Horror screenings make for a wonderful contrast to the merriment of Christmas and therefore are as suitable to programme in winter as well as autumn.
Silent Night
Steeped in history and tradition, Christmas provides an opportunity to explore such things so why not simultaneously embark on a journey through cinematic history.
If you’re on a strict budget and can’t afford the licensing fees for programming feature-length films then one can always turn to the array of free films that are available – many of which are legally obtainable free of charge due to the expiration of their rights. For example, Santa Claus from 1898 is believed to be the oldest surviving Christmas film and is available to watch in its entirety on YouTube. With a little bit of research, one can begin to uncover a world of silent cinema suitable for the Christmas period, suitable for all the family and ideal to combine into an engaging short film programme.
Along with historic silent cinema we should also not forget the cultural value and importance of archive film. To create an entirely original event, why not build relationships with local film archives and curate a programme of local history as told through Christmas and through archive film. Such programming may also bring you new audiences due to the heritage and local specificity of your event. What a wonderful time of year to bring audiences old and new together to celebrate not only Christmas but also the history and traditions of your local community.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, the films and suggestions above demonstrate that it’s not just the magic and genius of Frank Capra, an abandoned Kevin McCallister or a cynical John McClane that can entertain your loyal cinema audiences during December.
The Christmas season is all about coming together with family and loved ones. It’s not a time to be alone and cinemas are the least lonely of places – whether you’re bringing young children to be entertained, attending with a large group of friends or simply coming alone and wanting to get lost in the lives and characters on screen.
Christmas is about indulgence, love, comfort and community – all of which one can find on the big screen. It’s all there in It’s a Wonderful Life but also waiting to be discovered in silent films from the last two centuries, captivating shorts, archive film, independent horror movies and family favourites waiting to be found and loved as much as Love Actually or Miracle on 34th Street.