Make A Scene Presents: Gremlins at The Refuge

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Book now

Make A Scene Presents: Gremlins at The Refuge

The Refuge, City Centre
15 December 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Warner Bros
Book now

There are some turns of phrase so completely unexpected that they demand attention. At this point, we probably shouldn’t be surprised by the outsized shenanigans and bonkers concepts that self-styled big gay interactive film club, Make A Scene come up with, but the term “drag queen Gremlins” did make us sit up with a start. Over the past few years, Make A Scene have put on way-too-interactive screenings of the likes of Hairspray, The Witches and Absolutely Fabulous, but this Christmas they are upping the ante with a festive event centred around Joe Dante’s subversive classic, Gremlins at The Refuge.

You know the drill: don’t expose them to sunlight, don’t feed them after midnight and don’t get them wet. Unfortunately, teenager Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) breaks the rules governing the care of his strange new pet, Gizmo, and unwittingly unleashes a troupe of chain smokin’, lipstick wearin’ degenerate Gremlins on his neighbourhood at Christmastime. Wonderfully anarchic, Dante’s satiric tale of small town America disrupted during its most sacred season is perfect Make A Scene fare.

The Refuge and the wider Principle Hotel will, of course, be decked out for Christmas, with tasteful décor, meticulously arranged trees and cosy fireplaces. But this seasonal serenity will be interrupted, for one night only, by the chaos, slime, midnight feasts and fully interactive nature of Make a Scene and their drag queen Gremlin hosts – who, we are assured, are ready to sleigh. Refuge staff will be concocting special Christmas cocktails for the screening and guests are encouraged to don Christmas jumpers as a minimum – extra points and special drinks and prizes for those who go the extra mile and go full Gremlin garb.

Where to go near Make A Scene Presents: Gremlins at The Refuge

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Bundobust Brewery

Launched in 2021, the Bundobust Brewery makes modern beer with their vegetarian and vegan food menu in mind.

Palace Theatre Manchester
Manchester
Theatre
Palace Theatre

A Manchester landmark for almost 130 years, The Palace Theatre is reopening in early August 2021 with a few small but vital changes to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for all.

City Centre
Restaurant
Real Junk Food Project Manchester

Enjoy a gourmet lunch for whatever price you feel and help fight food waste. Real Junk Food Project Manchester has final found a permanent home, ideally located along Oxford Road, and business is booming.

Bundobust Oxford Road
Manchester
Restaurant
Bundobust Oxford Road

Bundobust Oxford Road is the latest addition to the ever-growing alt-Indian food chain. Opens spring in the St James Building on Manchester’s Oxford Road.

City Centre
Restaurant
Nudo Sushi Box

Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.

Ditto Coffee Manchester
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Ditto Coffee Manchester

Ditto Coffee is a coffee shop specialising in independent music and speciality coffee. This Manchester coffee shop is the second from the Liverpool-based Ditto Music company.

City Centre
Bar or Pub
The Temple

Originally called The Temple of Convenience owing to its former life as a public toilet block, this is a tiny bar with some of the finest bathroom graffiti in town.

Gorilla, Whitworth street Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Gorilla

Gorilla is a good choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. From a hearty full English to meaty burgers via good vegan and veggie options. It also hosts some of the

Dog Bowl bowling alley and restaurant Manchester.
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Dog Bowl

A bar and 10-pin bowling alley combined, Dog Bowl is a neon-lit venue that serves up cocktails and Tex-Mex food to go with your time on the lanes.

Society Manchester
City Centre
Society Manchester

Society Manchester is a glorious indoor and outdoor space in the very heart of the city, with five street food vendors to choose from and a range of high-quality drinks.

City Centre
Bar or Pub
Fab Cafe

A cult tv and movie themed bar set below street level on Portland Street in Manchester.

What's on: Cinema

Two young women dance in a nightclub, smiling next to each other.
CinemaManchester
The Last Days of Disco + Q&A at HOME

Director Whit Stillman presents a 35mm screenings of one of the best films of the nineties, as a group of twenty-somethings navigate The Last Days of Disco.

From £7.95
CinemaManchester
YANK at Cultplex

Thirteen movies to get to know the United States of America. Cultplex presents a season of film exploring America through its own lens.

From £7.50

Culture Guides

European Poetry Festival European Camarade
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.