Ahh Christmas, ’tis the season for witchcraft, sacrifices, bondage and sex cults. That is if you celebrate the alternative way, which is exactly what London-based film curator and programmer Rebel Reel Cine Club thrives on. Returning with in time for the festive season, Rebel Reel gives traditional Christmas viewing a twisted spin with A Most Unholy Christmas, a special event taking place at Rio Cinema headlined by a screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s esoteric 193 masterpiece, The Unholy Mountain, alongside shorts from Kenneth Anger’s Magick Lantern Cycle series. A screening and party, the night continues with a performance from magician (and FKA Twigs collaborator) Charles Jimenez alongside DJ sets from Pam Hogg, Gary The Tall, Jemma Bolt, Pips Taylor and Vadim Kosmos, while images curated by Pavelanuska are projected will be projected through the room. Setting the scene, we asked everyone involved with the event to select their alternative Christmas films. If you prefer your festive activities to be dark and freaky, you’ve stumbled across the right place.

The Holy Mountain, 1973, dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
Picked by Chris McGill, Founder, Rebel Reel Cine Club
“Little Santas appear in one scene of The Holy Mountain and that’s one of the most normal moments from this extraordinary film which piles on image after image that burn into your eyes hotter than ignited brandy on a Christmas Pudding. Sparce and sometimes deliberate hilarious dialogue satirises the world in 1973, but ultimately the characters seem even more relevant now than then.
It’s totally uplifting in the end and perfect to send you out in the world feeling merry and bright.”

Edward Scissorhands, 1991, dir. Tim Burton
Picked by DJ Jemma Bolt
“Edward Scissorhands may not be your archetypal Christmas movie, a story about a man clad in BDSM leather whose fingers are made up of multiple blades, but given the sheer amount of paper and other material scissor-sourced-snow and it’s bleak midwinter Christmassy falling snow finale, I’m going with it. Tim Burton does gothic so well – it’s his shtick. With Jonny Depp and Winona Ryder in the leading roles, plus a subtle tale of loneliness and outsider status (Christmas can be the loneliest of times for those on their own), what could be more alternatively festive than this?

JB personally rated: 4 (Hard-to-eat-with-Scissorhands) Mega Bucket Popcorn Film.”

La Grande Vadrouille, 1966, dir. Gérard Oury
Picked by DJ Vadim Kosmos
“Starring Terry Thomas and Louis De Funes, it’s not set at Xmas, but it’s tradition in France to watch this during the holiday season, as we in the UK watch Wizard of OZ or It’s a Wonderful Life. It was, in France, the highest-grossing box office film of all time for decades, until the release of Titanic in 1997. Think Allo, ‘Allo the movie – and it’s viewable on Amazon Prime!”

Eyes Wide Shut, 1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick
Picked by Agne Qami
“Eyes Wide Shut is my favourite alternative Christmas film because it delves into themes of desire, secrecy, and human connection against a holiday backdrop that’s both surreal and erotically eerie. The film’s dreamlike, almost noir-like atmosphere stands in stark contrast to the typical warmth and cheer of Christmas movies, offering a dark, psychological exploration of personal and societal masks. Its meditation on desire, identity, and human complexity during the holiday season makes it a haunting yet captivating alternative to the usual festive fare – perfect for those who crave a deeper, sexier more unconventional holiday experience.”

(Chris McGill: “And watch for the super creepy bit at the end with the two old men who appear in the background of the party at the foot of the stairs, and re-appear in FAO Schwartz to seemingly disappear with Tom and Nicole’s daughter around the corner of the shelves of teddy bears…”)

Stille Nacht I: Dramolet, 1988, dir. The Brothers Quay
Picked by Charles Jimenez
“Nothing emphasises the wintery soul of Christmas like the melancholic air of silent nights. As was the case of Robert Walser (1878-1956) who froze to death on Christmas day in a nearby field. Who better to highlight the pervasive coldness of this atmosphere than the iconic hermit twin animators Timothy and Stephen Quay, who created the infinitely memorable Stille Nacht (1988-2001) series – a collection of commissioned music videos and commercials.

Their first instalment Stille Nacht I: Dramolet, a reference to Walser’s ‘dramolet’ pieces, was commissioned by MTV who were looking for fragmented shorts to include as blips for their programme. The Quay Brothers used this as an opportunity to create a beautifully haunted impressionistic vision of claustrophobic interiors bathed in self-animating iron filings and spoons extruding from the walls. All seen from the paralysed gaze of a scared doll who watches these mysterious activities animate. Despite its minute-long runtime, Stille Nacht I: Dramolet remains infinitely memorable for its eerie atmosphere and strangely comforting otherness, which reminds one of the liminal magic of winter.”

The Shining, 1980, dir. Stanley Kubrick
Picked by Pam Hogg, words by Chris McGill
“Kubrick again, every interview suggests he was really a black-bearded Father Christmas-style figure for everyone who worked with him, whose elves had to do 38 takes. The Shining, like all his films, gets better the more you watch it, from the tracking scene at the beginning to the awkward family moments in the holiday season… “Here’s Santa.” There’s snow, drinks and partying with relatives (dead and alive) and the colour of Santa’s coat is everywhere, all over the walls, in the elevator. Now, where can I get little Danny a tricycle for this Christmas?”

Christmas Evil, 1980, dir. Louis Jackson
Picked by Chris McGill
“‘John Waters’ favourite post-Thanksgiving film’, this is the description that Google gives you. A toymaker who revels in the Christmas spirit suffers a mental break when his work is met with hypocrisy and cynicism and goes on a yuletide killing spree. But it’s so much more than that. There are some brilliant satirical moments poking fun at the fake bonhomie of Christmas, a flashback scene that exposes motive, and yes, there is an uplifting moment. Seek it out, it’s one of the best presents you’ll give yourself this Christmas.”

An Unholy Christmas takes place at the Rio Cinema on 17th December. Buy tickets here.