CHRISTMAS EVIL + Christmas Confessional

• Director: Lewis Jackson
• Cast: Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn, Dianne Hull 
• 1980 | Film: 94mins | USA | Subtitles | Event: 6:30pm – 9pm (doors 6pm) [18+]

When his beloved Christmas traditions get trashed, a deranged toy factory worker dresses in Santa drag and goes on a killing spree…

“THIS CHRISTMAS… YOU BETTER BELIEVE IN SANTA… OR HE’LL SLAY YOU.”

Cult film night BAR TRASH pops up at Beer Merchants Tap in Hackney Wick with deranged Santa slasher CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980), part of BANNED!, an uncensored season of the Video Nasties.

“Forget White Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life, and all the other hackneyed trash. Go for the best seasonal film of all-time, Christmas Evil.”

JOHN WATERS

Lewis Jackson’s CHRISTMAS EVIL aka You Better Watch Out aka Terror In Toyland (1980) is a festive fever dream that’s got something powerful to say about family, rejection and yearning. Brandon Maggart (aka Fiona Apple’s dad and member of the original cast of SESAME STREET) gives Robert De Niro vibes in his descent into madness, and Jackson’s film looks stunning as it veers from TAXI DRIVER alienation to full-blown Universal monster movie in the final reel.

HAVE YOU BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE? Cult film fanatic Token Homo invites you to take part in his annual ‘Christmas Confessional’ as part of our show. Let the audience be your judge as you spill your (jelly)beans in the interval. Prizes for the most outrageous/wondrous confessions!

A proportion of proceeds from this screening will be donated to LGBT Switchboard to help provide services to tackle LGBTQIA+ loneliness and isolation throughout the festive period and beyond. 

Polite notice: CHRISTMAS EVIL “contains strong violence”(BBFC) and was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the Video Nasties moral panic in the 1980s. We are showing CHRISTMAS EVIL with subtitles from the best available digital source.

/// BAR TRASH is a celebration of cult and curious cinema, hosted by queer film fanatic, Token Homo. Films are served with themed drinks, introductions, intermissions, prize giveaways, and subtitles/captions where possible. Tickets from £3. Strictly adults 18+ only. Follow @tokenhomo on Instagram for news and updates. //