Put some scare in your stocking this Christmas with horror film screenings courtesy of Grimm up North

By Jen Lau

Not looking forward to the 127^th repeat of Elf? For all those who like their movies a little darker – even at Christmas – there’s help on the way...

Manchester’s premier horror devotees, Grimm Up North, are hosting screenings of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale and Saint this festive season - you’ll never see Santa in the same way again.

Grimm’s double bill of movies both take on a dark comic perspective of the traditional figure of Santa Claus.

He is no longer the jolly man dressed in red that we all know and love, but he is instead presented as a much more sinister and menacing figure.

Event Director Simeon Halligan describes Saint as tongue-in-cheek schlock horror mischief, while menace and dark humour pervades in the film, Rare Exports.

“This movie double bill could be the perfect antithesis to the usual deluge of syrupy Christmas fodder,” Simeon added.

Rare Exports, set in Christmassy northern Finland, sees an archaeological dig unearth the real Santa Claus when local children suddenly start to mysteriously disappear.

The story follows a young boy and his father’s attempts to capture and sell Santa to a multinational corporation, but Santa’s elves stop at nothing to free their fearless leader from captivity.

“If you’re a bah-humbug type looking for an alternative to Santa Claus: The Movie or Miracle On 34th Street, this could be a holiday perennial,” said Kim Newman from Empire magazine.

However, Christmas time in the film Saint sees residents in shock after a series of brutal murders and mysterious disappearances occur.

The number of killings escalates as an ex-cop unearths a dark secret behind the famous legend of Saint Nicholas.

Phil Wheat from Blogomatic 3000 describes Saint as a: “Fantastic seasonal slasher, sits head and shoulders above its festive counterparts thanks to its overwhelming charm and deep-seated sense of fun.”

SCREAM horror magazine is one of the sponsors of the Christmas screenings and Editor Richard Cooper explained that he was happy to be involved.

“Organiser Simeon Halligan is a talented filmmaker and director himself and to us any event that promotes horror in the UK is worth supporting.

“Horror films lend themselves to being seen on the big screen and not just at home on DVD," said Richard.

The screenings of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale and Saint are on Friday 16 December at 7:15pm, at the Anthony Burgess Institute (behind Oxford Road).

Tickets cost £6.50 and will be available on the door or you can book advance tickets online here: http://grimmfest.com/grimmupnorth/category/events/

Plus the first 20 tickets sold will receive a free goodie bag packed with movie memorabilia.