Manchester's festive film: Wishing you a very (Bill) Murray Christmas

Emma Nuttall

Posted 4 December 2015

‘Tis the season for a festive film – don’t miss Will Ferrell screaming “Santaaa”, a bunch of Muppets and a ghostly double bill.

Baby, it’s getting cold outside – and despite a bunch of festive events happening in December, it’s becoming all to easy to surrender to the great indoors. So how to get the best of both worlds? Festive films, of course.

HOME has lined up a festive season and titled it Do you believe in Santa? Hard not to when he appears in Miracle on 34th Street (23 Dec), Elf (19 & 20 December) and in a rather more disreputable fashion in Bad Santa (18 Dec). Also on show as part of the season are It’s a Wonderful Life (because obviously, 15-18 Dec), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (19 Dec), Gremlins (21 Dec) and Panto (22 Dec).

Manchester Cathedral has organised back to back Christmas Movie Nights showing family favourites including holiday staple The Muppet Christmas Carol (the Muppets, in our opinion, take the Christmas advert crown – or giant crumpet) and Elf (both 4 Dec), with Will Farrell starring as Buddy, a ridiculous human being who has spent his whole life believing himself to be an elf. The films continue over the weekend: get your tissues at the ready for The Snowman followed by the epic modern Disney classic, Frozen.

HOME has lined up a festive season and titled it Do you believe in Santa?

Bill Murray is at the heart of in Grimm Up North’s ghostly double-bill featuring Scrooged and Ghostbusters. Screened in the creepy Ordsall Hall on 10 December, you’ll be getting what, arguably, are two of the greatest Murray movies in one sitting.

It’s also worth making a trip over to Liverpool, where FACT also has a smattering of festive films throughout December. White Christmas (13 & 16 Dec) follows the dreams of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as they team up to become a hit song-and-dance act, while Home Alone (19 & 20 Dec) is the beloved 90’s classic about a young boy named Kevin who is accidentally left behind when his family takes off for a vacation in France over the holiday season.

For something a little more grown-up, indulge yourself with Film and Festive Afternoon Tea ticket at The Liverpool Philharmonic on Christmas Eve. Traditional afternoon tea is served in the form of sandwiches and savoury goodies alongside a showing of It’s A Wonderful Life – the ultimate feel-good piece of cinematic history!