By Kristy Locklin
If the typical holiday festivities don’t fill you with yuletide cheer, head to The Glitterbox Theater this Friday the 13th for some devilish fun!
Jump Cut Theater is hosting Cookies With Krampus at the Melwood Avenue site. In Central European folklore, the half-goat, half-demon with a Gene Simmons-sized tongue punishes and eats children who misbehave during the Christmas season.
Guests will enjoy sweet treats and cocktails, participate in silent auctions, take photos with the cloven-hoof beast and indulge in a special screening of “Santa Claus vs. The Devil.” The 1959 checks every box on the awesomely bad movie list: horrible dubbing, child labor, a mechanical reindeer and a TSA-on-steroids St. Nick who takes spying to the next level.
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the flick starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Seating is limited (there’s room for about 45 Krampus fans). Tickets and information are available at www.jumpcuttheater.org.
The event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the neighborhood theater experience in Pittsburgh. It started as Friends of the Hollywood Theater, which operated the historic Dormont-based cinema from 2011 until the building was sold in February 2018.
The group has gone rogue, holding screenings and activities at venues throughout Pittsburgh, including The Parkway Theater & Film Lounge, The Andrew Carnegie Free Library, and Music Hall, Carnegie Stage and The Glitterbox Theater.
Susan Mazur, president, and treasurer of Jump Cut’s board of directors says money generated will go toward operating costs and, eventually, finding a permanent home for the organization. Purchasing a ticket gives people a rare opportunity to see the bizarre screen gem.
“It’s a sight to behold,” she says with a laugh. “Seeing it with a crowd makes it even better.”
If you’re more of a traditionalist when it comes to holiday movies, Jump Cut – filmmaking lingo for an abrupt transition from one scene to another – is screening “White Christmas” on Dec. 21. Not only do you get to watch the Bing Crosby classic at The Parkway Theater & Film Lounge, you get to eat brunch there, too! Doors open at 10 a.m. for the meal and the movie starts at 11 a.m. The bar – Yep. The Parkway boasts a bar and a brewery! – will be serving mid-morning cocktails. Tickets are $20 if you order food or just $5 for the cinematic experience. Order by Dec. 19.
The “White Christmas” gathering was a long-running tradition for Friends of the Hollywood Theater and Mazur is happy to keep it going and hopes to host it at Jump Cut’s own location someday.
“We’re always keeping our eyes open for a space,” she says. “We were so saddened by the closing of the Regent Square Theater. The indie film scene in Pittsburgh is shrinking and we feel committed to helping it grow.”
