Thank God it’s (almost) Christmas. Finally, the time of year has come to get comfortable in your fluffy Christmas jumper and watch Christmas films with a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows. This year, you don’t even have to spend half the evening scrolling through the Netflix menu, as the Lighthouse Cinema is showing a great selection of both “Naughty and Nice” Christmas films this December.
To kick off this season, what better Christmas present is there than an evening filled with Alan Rickman’s magical voice? Die Hard is one of the few Christmas action films. Bruce Willis visits his wife to celebrate a quiet Christmas with her but suddenly the ever-so-scary Hans Gruber, played by Rickman with a convincing German accent, takes the entire skyscraper hostage and Willis unwillingly becomes the heroic rescuer. Die Hard will be screened on December 6th, 10th and 14th.
Enjoy some of the Christmas classics, such as Home Alone, Polar Express and The Muppets Christmas Carol. And what is a Christmas without Billy Mac’s “I feel it in my fingers” and Hugh Grant’s wonderful dancing skills? Apparently the Lighthouse Cinema couldn’t get enough of Rowan Atkinson’s gift wrapping skills as Love Actually is to be screened on December 7th, 11th, 20th and 22nd. An unexpected addition is the screening of About a Boy. Apparently any film starring Grant and someone wearing a beanie counts as a Christmas film. I can’t complain. This screening is combined with a book club where you can discuss the differences between Nick Hornby’s novel and the screen adaptation.
There are also plenty of iconic black-and-white films to see at the Lighthouse Cinema. On December 10th and 21st watch Santa Claus: The Movie to see how a toy maker travels to the North Pole and becomes Santa, instantly having to protect Christmas from an evil toy tycoon. In It’s a Wonderful Life, a frustrated businessman gets to experience what the world would be like if he had never lived. Another must-see is Miracle on 34th Street in which Santa Claus’s existence is questioned. Luckily, a lawyer and a young Natalie Wood do everything in their power to defend him. As a New Year’s Eve treat, The Apartment will be screened, with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine back on the big screen.
After seeing all these IMDB-approved, well-respected classics, it’s time for the other joy of Christmas, the naughty, guilty pleasure films. Enjoy hilarious comedies such as Bad Santa, Jingle All the Way and Batman Returns. The indispensable Christmas film, Elf, is even combined with an Elfeoke, with the Lighthouse Cinema encouraging attendees to dress up for the occasion. Whether you go for a fancy dress, a green elf costume or a cat suit, the choice is yours. On top of all this Christmas goodness, there will be a pop-up shop, selling the perfect gifts for your film-loving friends and family.
Whether you have been naughty or nice, the Lighthouse Cinema will give the best present imaginable for the Christmas film fanatics. A month of the best screenings, parties and a karaoke with Home-Alone-Kevin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Mac and many others. What more could you ask for this Christmas?
