Black Christmas at Manchester Central Library

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas (1974) at Manchester Central Library, Manchester 11 December 2017 Tickets from £6.00

Mancunian horror specialists Grimm Up North present a screening of Bob Clark’s iconic festive frightener, Black Christmas, this December.

A fairy-lit, snow-topped, sorority house provides the setting for a Christmastime massacre-mystery in a film that’ll act as a stiff antidote for those of you fed up with the excess good cheer lining the pages of those December telly guides. Supposedly based upon an urban legend, Clark’s vulgar, tense 1974 film prefigures John Carpenter’s Halloween in its depiction of teenage holiday-themed horror. Black Christmas remains a key part of the slasher canon, owing to both its influential plotting and striking formal choices, including plenty of prowling point-of-view camerawork – operator Bert Dunk strapped the camera to his head whilst crawling around the set after the performers – which add to an atmosphere that’s thick and scuzzy.

For their screening at Central Library, Grimm promise mulled wine, complimentary mince pies, competitions and the chance to purchase Christmas presents for that horror-obsessed special someone in your life.

Black Christmas (1974) at Manchester Central Library, Manchester 11 December 2017 Tickets from £6.00

Where to go near Black Christmas at Manchester Central Library

St Peters Square Manchester
City Centre
St Peter’s Square

St Peter’s Square is a public space in Manchester – home to the city’s iconic library, town hall, Pankhurst statue, art gallery and famous Midland Hotel.

Manchester Art Gallery. Photo by Andrew Brooks
City Centre
Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery

The Charles Barry-designed, Grade I-listed Manchester Art Gallery is one of the city’s leading galleries and is back open for visitors once more.

Chinatown
Hotel
The Alan

This high-end city-centre restaurant has an excellent afternoon tea option that more than matches up to the superb main menu.

Chinatown
Restaurant
1847

1847 Manchester is an excellent vegetarian restaurant in the centre of town.

Salut Wines
Chinatown
Bar or Pub
Salut Wines

Salut wines pride themselves in offering “wider horizons beyond the safe choices.” With 42 wines by the glass and a regularly changing selection of bottles in their Enomatic wine preservation machines (or  “wine jukebox,” as they’re colloquially known), this is one of be best bars in Manchester for exploring new vintages.

City Centre
Event venue
3Space Manchester

The building consists of five floors of 10,000sqft in an L shape configuration – three of which are open-plan and the other two floors are divided into studio size spaces.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Chinatown
Restaurant
Manchester Art Gallery Cafe

Summery bakes, seasonal salads and fresh light meals at Manchester Art Gallery’s in-house café, courtesy of highly-regarded Head Chef Matthew Taylor.

City Centre
Tourist Attraction
Manchester Town Hall

Re-opening in 2024, Manchester Town Hall is a monument to Victorian Manchester’s ambition, and one of the city’s most-loved landmarks.

City Centre
Tourist Attraction
Albert Square

A public square in the heart of Manchester which plays hosts to festivals and major events. Home to the Albert Memorial and statues of Bishop James Fraser, John Bright, Oliver Heywood and William Ewart Gladstone.

What's on: Cinema

CinemaManchester
It’s A Wonderful Life at HOME

This ultimate feel-good, festive favourite, from Oscar-winning director Frank Capra, stars James Stewart as despairing businessmen George Bailey. HOME present their annual screenings.

from £9.15
CinemaLiverpool
Charade at Showroom Cinema

Over in Sheffield this December, Stanley Donen’s Charade is an early Christmas treat scheduled as part of Showroom’s Spotlight series.

from £10.30

Culture Guides

Music in Manchester and the North

Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.