What’s On – December

As you may have noticed, it’s Christmas time, so, as is customary, we welcome the usual assortment of fantastical festive films old and new to our cinema screens this month.

We’ve also got the latest genre film releases listed too, as well as The Lord Of The Rings films back-to-back, and a new year’s eve horror all-nighter in Whitechapel for your perusal.

Robert Rankin is signing, there’s talks including: ‘The Star Of Bethlehem: A Journey Through Science And Art'(!), and, of-course, the wonderful RI Christmas Lectures.

We hope you find something to your liking! Happy holidays everyone!

See anything we’ve missed? Something new to add for next month? Want to wish us a very merry Christmas?! Send us an e-mail to: tom@sci-fi-london.com.

Cinema Releases:

The Box
Friday, 4th December – General Release
The Descent: Part 2
Friday, 4th December – General Release
Planet 51
Friday, 4th December – General Release
Carriers
Friday, 11th December – General Release
The Stepfather
Friday, 11th December – General Release
Where The Wild Things Are
Friday, 11th December – General Release
Avatar (3D & IMAX)
Thursday, 17th December – General Release
The Queen Of Spades (1949)
Saturday, 26th December – Limited Release
Sherlock Holmes
Saturday, 26th December – General Release

Screenings:

The Polar Express (IMAX 3D)
Saturday, 28th November – Wednesday, 30th December – BFI IMAX – SE1 8XR
The Lodger (Electric Sheep Film Club)
Wednesday, 2nd December – Prince Charles Cinema – WC2H 7BY
The Man Who Changed His Mind (+ Seniors’ Free Matinee)
Thusrday, 3rd December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Jaws
Friday, 4th December – Prince Charles Cinema – WC2H 7BY
Lady Vengance / Thrist (Chan-wook Park Double Bill)
Friday, 4th December, Saturday, 5th December – Riverside Studios – W6 9RL
Branded To Kill
Saturday, 5th December, Tuesday, 8th December, Saturday, 19th December – ICA – SW1Y 5AH
The Haunting (1963)
Saturday, 5th December, Sunday, 13th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Saturday, 5th December, Tuesday, 8th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Peter Pan (Kids’ Screening)
Saturday, 5th December – Barbican Centre – EC2Y 8DS
Where The Wild Things Are (Preview + Spike Jonze Q&A)
Saturday, 5th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
The Phantom Carriage (With Live Piano Accompaniment)
Sunday, 6th December – Barbican Centre – EC2Y 8DS
The Wonderful World Of Smallfilms
Sunday, 6th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Brazil / The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (Terry Gilliam Double Bill)
Friday, 11th December, Saturday, 12th December – Riverside Studios – W6 9RL
The Room
Saturday, 12th December, Saturday, 19th December – Prince Charles Cinema – WC2H 7BY
The Wizard Of Oz
Saturday, 12th December, Tuesday, 15th December, Thursday, 17th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Film Funday TV Preview: Ingenious + Q&A
Sunday, 13th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
Sunday, 13th December – Riverside Studios – W6 9RL
Pan’s Labyrinth (Electric Sheep Subterranea)
Sunday, 13th December – Cinephilia West – W11 2RS
Wings Of Desire
Sunday, 13th December, Saturday, 19th December – ICA – SW1Y 5AH
Die Hard 2 + Bad Film Club Quiz
Tuesday, 15th December – Barbican Centre – EC2Y 8DS
The Children Of Green Knowe
Thursday, 17th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
The Black Cat / Cat People (1942) (Double Bill)
Sunday, 20th December, Monday, 21st December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Mon Oncle
Sunday, 20th December – Barbican Centre – EC2Y 8DS
The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D
Sunday, 20th December, Monday, 28th December, Tuesday, 29th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
Gremlins / Die Hard (Christmas Double Bill)
Tuesday, 22nd December – Prince Charles Cinema – WC2H 7BY
The Road (Special Preview)
Sunday, 27th December – Curzon Soho – W1D 5DY
Gash New Year’s Eve Horror All-Nighter
Thursday, 31st December – Friday, 1st January, 2010 – Genesis Cinema – E1 4UJ

Signings:

Rich Fulcher – Tiny Acts Of Rebellion: 97 Almost-Legal Ways To Stick It To The Man
Thusrday, 3rd December – Waterstones Gower Street – WC1E 6EQ
Kate Mosse – The Winter Ghosts
Thusrday, 3rd December – Waterstones Gower Street – WC1E 6EQ
Alan Martin & Rufus Dayglo – Tank Girl Skidmarks
Saturday, 5th December – Forbidden Planet London Megastore – WC2H 8JR
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince – Tom Felton, Mathew Lewis, Jessie Cave And Evanna Lynch
Sunday, 6th December – HMV Oxford St – W1D 1DJ
Liam Sharp – Gears Of War
Thusrday, 10th December – Forbidden Planet London Megastore – WC2H 8JR
Robert Rankin – Retromancer
Saturday, 12th December – Forbidden Planet London Megastore – WC2H 8JR
Joao Ruas
Thusrday, 17th December – Orbital Comics – WC2H 7JA

Talks:

Science Not Stamp Collecting – The Importance Of Botany From 1759 To 2059
Tuesday, 1st December – The Royal Society – SW1Y 5AG
What Makes Manga ‘Manga’?
Wednesday, 2nd December – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
At The Water’s Edge
Thursday, 3rd December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
Exchanges At The Frontier – SETI
Thursday, 3rd December – Wellcome Collection – NW1 2BE
Packed Lunch – Dr Rachel Armstrong
Friday, 4th December – Wellcome Collection – NW1 2BE
Traveling To The Moon
Friday, 4th December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
RI Christmas Lectures: Plant Wars – Live Feed
Saturday, 5th December – The Royal Institution – W1S 4BS
Meteorites: The Change Makers
Sunday, 6th December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
Admiral Smyth And Astronomy In Bedford
Tuesday, 8th December – The Royal Society – SW1Y 5AG
RI Christmas Lectures: The Animals Strike Back – Live Feed
Tuesday, 8th December – The Royal Institution – W1S 4BS
Professor Bruce Hood: “Supernatural Belief: Me Or Memes?”
Tuesday, 8th December – Goldsmiths – SE14 6NW
Looking For Our Cosmic Origins
Wednesday, 9th December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
Eureka Live
Thursday, 10th December – Wellcome Collection – NW1 2BE
RI Christmas Lectures: Talking Trees – Live Feed
Thusrday, 10th December – The Royal Institution – W1S 4BS
The Royal Observatory Christmas Lecture: The Planets, An Inspiration At Christmas
Thursday, 10th December – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
The Star Of Bethlehem: A Journey Through Science And Art
Thursday, 10th December – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
RI Christmas Lectures: Dangerous To Delicious? – Live Feed
Saturday, 12th December – The Royal Institution – W1S 4BS
Study Day: Halley’s Comet
Saturday, 12th December – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
Predicting The Next Super Eruption
Tuesday, 15th December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
RI Christmas Lectures: Weapons Of The Future – Live Feed
Wednesday, 16th December – The Royal Institution – W1S 4BS
How And Why Manga Work: A Comic Strip Artist’s Perspective
Friday, 18th December – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
The Plants That Bite Back (Families)
Tuesday, 29th December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD
Hunting For Meteorites On Ice (Families)
Thursday, 31st December – Natural History Museum – SW7 5BD

Events:

Plasticity – 100 Years Of Making Plastics Exhibition
Tuesday, 22nd May, 2007 – Sunday, 31st January, 2010 – Science Museum – SW7 2DD
Furture Foods Exhibition
Wednesday, 17th December, 2008 – Friday, 29th January, 2010 – Science Museum – SW7 2DD
Sci-Fi Surgery: Medical Robots
Tuesday, 8th September – Wednesday, 23rd December – The Hunterian Museum – WC2A 3PE
Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2009
Thusrday, 10th September – Sunday, 10th January, 2010 – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
Prove It! Exhibition
Wednesday, 21st October – Sunday, 31st January, 2010 – Science Museum – SW7 2DD
Manga: Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure
Thursday, 5th November – Sunday , 3rd January, 2010 – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
Nation – by Terry Pratchett adapted by Mark Ravenhill
Wednesday, 11th November – Sunday, 21st February, 2010 – National Theatre: Olivier – SE1 9PX
Caped Crusaid Exhibition
Tuesday, 1st December – Sunday, 13th December – Orbital Comics – WC2H 7JA
December London SF Meeting
Thursday, 3rd December – The Melton Mowbray – EC1N 2LE
Earth: Art Of A Changing World
Thusrday, 3rd December – Sunday, 31st January, 2010 – Royal Academy Of Arts – W1J 0BD
BFS Open Night
Friday, 4th December – The George – WC2R 1AP
Cosmic Christmas Activities
Saturday, 5th December – Wednesday, 23rd December – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
Star Gazing: Admiral Smyth’s Celestial Observations
Saturday, 5th December – Sunday, 31st January 2010 – The Royal Society – SW1Y 5AG
Decode: Digital Design Sensations
Tuesday, 8th December – Sunday, 11th April 2010 – The V&A – SW7 2RL
Mathias Malzieu – The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart
Tuesday, 8th December, Wednesday, 9th December – Southbank Centre – SE1 8XX
The Royal Observatory’s Christmas Sky Watch
Friday, 11th December – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
The Way Of Tea
Friday, 11th December – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
Manga Create A Comic Workshop
Saturday, 12th December – The British Museum – WC1B 3DG
Film Funday Dragons And Magic Workshop
Sunday, 13th December – BFI Southbank – SE1 8XT
It’s Quizmas!
Monday, 14th December – ICA – SW1Y 5AH
Brett Ewins Exhibition
Tuesday, 15th December – Friday, 15th January, 2010 – Orbital Comics – WC2H 7JA
How To Use A Telescope
Tuesday, 15th December, Friday, 5th February 2010 – Royal Observatory – SE10 8XJ
Christmas London SF Meeting
Tuesday, 17th December – The Melton Mowbray – EC1N 2LE
Science Fiction Reading Group
Tuesday, 17th December – CLR James Library – E8 3AZ
Capturing The Imagination: British Fairy-Tale Illustrations 1860-1940
Wednesday, 18th December – Saturday, 12th June 2010 – The V&A – SW7 2RL