The festive season is fast approaching, and Cinema City really has got the Christmas spirit this year with an abundance of festive films throughout December.
They’ll be showing family favourites such as Its A Wonderful Life, The Muppets Christmas Carol and even The Polar Express + PJ Party Special. However, if you’re looking for a winter-themed date or a fun night out with friends, there will also be the seasonal classics including, Die Hard, Carol and Fanny and Alexander.
Marketing Assistant Louanne Honey says: “It’s fantastic to have such a varied range of films this year. There really is something for everyone, whether you’re in the mood for nostalgic comforts, family favourites or something a little less-in-your-face christmassy (looking at you Die Hard!). Plus, this winter we have a few festive films in our reDiscover strands, which means if you’re one of our lovely members you’ll be able to see these films for free, including Die Hard!”.
FILMS FOR THE FAMILY:
Kids’ Club (All tickets are £3. Adults only admitted with a child)
Saturday 3rd and Tuesday 20th December / 11:00
The Grinch (2018) [U]
The residents of Whoville are full of excitement about celebrating Christmas – that is, except for The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch), their cantankerous, green furred neighbour with a heart ‘two sizes too small’. When the Whos declare they’re going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realises there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas.
Saturday 10th and Wednesday 21st December / 11:00
Frozen [PG]
Once inseparable, Princess Elsa of Arendelle and her younger sister Anna grow distant when Elsa, a powerful conjurer of snow and ice, keeps herself hidden away to keep her powers at bay. When Anna meets Prince Hans at her sister’s coronation, she’s in love – but Elsa, who doesn’t approve, loses control of her powers and plunges Arendelle into an eternal winter. Now, it’s up to Anna and a team of unlikely allies –the kind but clumsy ice-harvester Kristoff, his trusty reindeer companion Sven, and a cheerful snowman Olaf– to save Elsa and the kingdom.
Saturday 24th December / 11:00
The Polar Express + PJ Party!
This screening will include a PJ Party theme! Hop aboard and get your best Pyjamas on for this special screening. On Christmas Eve, a young boy finds himself on an extraordinary journey aboard the Polar Express, a magical train en route to the North Pole that he spots outside his bedroom window. While on board, he befriends three other children who accompany him on his adventure.
Toddler Time (£3 tickets for children, free for accompanying adults. Adults only admitted with a child)
Tuesday 13th December / 10:30
The Gruffalo’s Child [U]
Some years have passed, and the Gruffalo lives in a cave surrounded by woods. His child is coming to the age where she wants to explore beyond their familiar clearing, but, concerned for her safety, her father warns her not to go into the deep, dark woods. If she does, the Big Bad Mouse will be after her.
Tuesday 20th December / 10:30
Stick Man (U)
Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three, and he’s heading on an epic adventure across the seasons. Will he get back to his family in time for Christmas?
Autism Friendly (All tickets £4, open to everyone)
Sunday 18th December / 10:30
The Muppets Christmas Carol [U]
Especially for people on the autism spectrum or with other special needs and their families, friends and carers. The Muppets reimagine Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol by adding a hilarious and heartfelt touch of Muppet magic: Ebeneezer Scrooge (Michael Caine) is a wicked, cold-hearted moneylender, angered by the Christmas spirit of his colleague Bob Cratchit (played by Kermit the Frog) and those around him. However, the arrival of the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future, teach him to embrace the warmth and good will that comes with Christmas time.
CBEEBIES PANTO 2022:
Saturday 3rd, Sunday 4th, Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th December / 11:00
Dick Whittington and His Cat [U]
CBeebies is once again taking to the stage for Christmas 2022, with a unique adaptation of Dick Whittington and His Cat. Recorded in front of a live audience at Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre, the show will be bursting with catchy songs, festive fun, and a host of CBeebies stars, making it a theatrical treat for the whole family. The audience will join our heroes as they travel to London for the Lord Mayor’s Christmas parade, only to discover a trio of cheeky rats are intent on ruining everyone’s fun. Can Dick and his cat save the parade with the help of all their CBeebies Friends? Join them to find out!
FESTIVE FAVOURITES AT CINEMA CITY:
reDiscover (£8 or FREE for Members)
Thursday 1st December / 18:00
The Nightmare Before Christmas [PG]
Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween – then one day, he stumbles into Christmas Town. Jack’s entranced by the festive celebrations, and decides to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween Town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween – but their spooky tendencies means they can’t get it quite right…
Sunday 4th December / 12:45
A Christmas Story [PG]
It’s the 1940s, and more than anything else in the world, nine-year-old Ralphie Parker wants a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun for Christmas. But Christmas Eve is just around the corner, and his mother, his father, and even Santa Claus, are going to need some convincing. Will Ralphie escape from the neighbourhood bullies (and his overbearing Aunt Clara) and talk the adults in his life into giving him the perfect present?
Sunday 11th December / 13:00
Fanny and Alexander [15]
Set in snowy Sweden at the turn of the century, Ingmar Bergman’s semi-autobiographical story tells the tale of a young sister and brother Fanny who live happily with their eccentric, theatrical parents. But after their father dies onstage, their lives drastically change direction when their mother marries a puritanical bishop.
Sunday 18th December / 19:15
MEMBERS CHOICE: Die Hard [15]
Hoping to spend Christmas reconciling with his estranged wife, police detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) arrives in Los Angeles at the tower block where she works. However, during the office’s holiday party, a group of thieves posing as terrorists seize control of the building and turn the partygoers into hostages – except for McClane. Armed with little more than his wits, his police training, and a department-issue pistol, McClane does his best to stay alive, pick off the thieves, and save his wife.
Friday 23rd December / 17:30
It’s a Wonderful Life [U]
In the small town of Bedford Falls, banker George Bailey (James Stewart) is the townspeoples’ biggest defender, keeping a wicked tycoon at bay at the cost of his ambitions and dreams. But when, one Christmas Eve, George finds himself at the end of his rope, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence – who then shows George how his town would have looked if it hadn’t been for all his good deeds over the years.
Friday 30th December / 13:00
The Queen of Spades (4K Restoration)
Based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, this creepy drama tells the tale of Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans), an elderly woman who sold her soul to the devil in order to always win at cards. Captain Herman Suvorin (Anton Walbrook), an embittered Russian soldier, becomes obsessed with discovering her secret and also finds himself smitten by her beautiful young companion, Lizaveta Ivanova (Yvonne Mitchell). As Suvorin gets closer to the truth, his quest takes an unforgettably eerie turn.
Culture Shock (£7.90 or £4.90 for Members)
Monday 12th December / 20.30
Edward Scissorhands [12A]
When a suburban Avon lady attempts one last stop to sell her products, she wanders up to a mansion on top of a hill. There, she finds Edward: completely alone, sweetly bizarre, and with a pair of scissors for hands. Peg takes pity on the gentle boy, and decides to bring him back to stay with her family – where his surprising skillset soon takes him from an outcast to a local celebrity.
Monday 19th December / 20:30
Gremlins [12A]
In search of the perfect Christmas present for his son, Billy’s dad picks up a ‘Mogwai’ from a mysterious vender. But this sweet furry pet comes with a warning: should its owner break the three golden rules, all hell will break loose. When Billy’s adorable new friend Gizmo spawns some terrifying offspring, his suburban town of Kingston Falls falls under siege. Can he save Christmas from the Gremlins?
Friday 23rd December / 20:30
Elf [PG]
One Christmas Eve, a small baby at an orphanage crawls into Santa’s bag of toys and is accidentally carried back to Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. There he’s raised to be an elf, but as he grows to be three times bigger than everyone else it becomes clear that Buddy (Ferrell) will never truly fit into the elf world.
OUT AT THE MOVIES:
Wednesday 14th December / 20:15
Carol [12A]
It’s Christmas in New York, 1952. Treading water working at a department store in Manhattan, Therese (Rooney Mara) crosses paths with Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett), an elegant, enigmatic woman trapped in a loveless marriage. An immediate connection sparks between them – but as their relationship deepens, Carol’s domineering husband (Kyle Chandler) attempts to come between them by manipulating Carol’s love for her daughter.
PREVIEWS:
Sunday 18th December / 16:30
Corsage [cert TBC]
As her 40th birthday approaches, beautiful Empress Elisabeth of Austria is thrown into turmoil as she anticipates being considered an old woman.
Sunday 1st January / 16:00
Broker [cert TBC]
Sang-hyun (Parasite‘s Song Kang-ho) runs a small launderette in Busan. He’s proud of his work, but – saddled with debt and leaned on by local gangsters – gradually resorts to another, less publicly acceptable activity in collaboration with his right-hand man, Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) involving ‘baby boxes’, safe places set up in Korean churches for new mothers to leave unwanted infants. One night they make a decision that brings young mother So-young (Lee Ji-eun) into their orbit. Meanwhile, police detectives Su-jin (Bae Doona) and Lee (Lee Ji-eun) are on their tail…
SCREEN ARTS:
Sunday 27th November / 13:00
Thursday 1st December / 20:00
A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story [PG]
Filmed live for cinemas at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre, this production of Charles Dickens’ classic winter ghost story is filled with spine-tingling special effects and exceptional performances. It’s a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Nicholas Farrell) has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Mark Gatiss). Bound in chains as punishment for a lifetime of greed, the unearthly figure explains it isn’t too late for Scrooge to change his miserly ways in order to escape the same fate, but first he’ll have to face three more eerie encounters…
Thursday 8th December / 19:15
Monday 12th December / 12:30
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE: The Nutcracker [12A]
Join Clara at a delightful Christmas Eve party that becomes a magical adventure once everyone else is tucked up in bed. Marvel at the brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s score, as Clara and her enchanted Nutcracker fight the Mouse King and visit the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince in the glittering Kingdom of Sweets. Peter Wright’s much-loved production for The Royal Ballet, with gorgeous period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman, keeps true to the spirit of this festive ballet classic, combining the thrill of the fairy tale with spectacular classical dancing.
EXTRA SCREENINGS (SCREENINGS £8 or £5 for Members):
Die Hard / Thursday 22nd December, 20:30
The Muppets Christmas Carol / Wednesday 21st December, 18:00
The Holiday / Saturday 17th December, 20:30
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE SEASON (Tickets Full Price)
It’s a Wonderful Life [U]
Friday 9th December, 20.15
Tuesday 13th December, 17:30
Tuesday 20th December, 20:30
Saturday 24th December, 18:00
