Bristol Bad Film Club presents: Dial Code Santa Claus

Bristol Bad Film Club are bringing Dial Code Santa Claus to Watershed on Saturday 19 December, with an introduction from the club's Ti Singh. It's a subtitled screening of the French holiday slasher, and it's rated 18.

If the title sounds familiar, it's because the film goes by a few names: 3615 Code Père Noël in France and Deadly Games elsewhere. It came out in 1989, a year before Home Alone, and it shares a similar setup: Thomas is a typical 80s kid who, along with his dog and his grandfather, is left home alone on Christmas Eve while his mother is away. The difference is that instead of two bumbling burglars, he's being hunted by a disgruntled, bloodthirsty Santa Claus. It's a home-invasion movie with a festive twist, and it's far more blood-spattered than its Hollywood cousin. There are plenty of Rambo references along the way, and it's earned a cult following for being more stylish and mean-spirited than the family-friendly version we all know.

For a long time, it was only available via VHS bootlegs, so seeing it on a big screen is a bit of a treat. The screening is presented by Bristol Bad Film Club, and Ti Singh will introduce the film before it starts. It's a subtitled screening, so you'll be watching the original French version with English subtitles.

The screening is at 20:00 in the Waterside Events Spaces at Watershed, in the heart of Bristol. It's a Saturday night in mid-December, so it fits right into the Christmas season. Tickets are available through Watershed.