Ensure your spot on the "Nice" list this holiday season by joining Aurora for "Krampus Night" with archival film host Skip Elsheimer of A/V Geeks on Saturday, December 8th at 7PM in Aurora Picture Show (2442 Bartlett Street). In addition to a screening of 16mm holiday themed films from the 1940s through the 70s, the night will also include festive treats, a holiday raffle fundraiser, and Krampus.
A mythological punisher of bad children found in European folklore, think of Krampus as the dark, beastly sidekick of Santa Claus. Instead of rewarding good children with presents, Krampus is there to scare and punish the bad ones. The anti-Claus will be in attendance at the costume ball to interact with and "punish" guests. Wear your favorite Christmas outfit to win over the Krampus and watch Christmas-themed 16mm films which may or may not have been used to warn naughty children into good behavior.
Films include "Santa Claus' Punch and Judy" from 1948 where Santa magically creates a Punch and Judy puppet show to the delight of children at a Christmas party. WARNING! Parents may wish to watch this before exposing innocent eyes to the comic brutality of a Punch and Judy puppet show from the late 1940s. Elsheimer will also screen "Bear's Christmas,", an animated Christmas cartoon from 1974 about a bear who thought it was all a sham, but who hung up his stocking just in case. The trouble with Christmas, Bear believed, was that there were too many Santas. He couldn't recognize the right one. Alone, out of a job, he goes to drown his sorrows, but back in his lonely room, for all his doubts, the Christmas spirit thrives. Additional titles include "In Search of Father Christmas" and "Santa Claus Suit," among others.
And if you have been naughty this year, then now is your chance to make amends by purchasing a holiday raffle ticket at the event. With prizes such as two SXSW Film Festival badges, gift certificates to hotels and restaurants and gift baskets from some of Houston's finest vendors, this opportunity is not to be missed. Beware, if you don't purchase a raffle ticket, you might just get stuffed in a sack and carried away to the Krampus lair for Christmas dinner.
About A/V Geeks
A/V Geeks is a collection of over 22,000 films, which travels across the nation showing ephemeral screenings in unique settings. For more than a decade, these geeks have been rescuing old 16mm school films from dumpsters and obscurity and showing them to folks like you.
Skip Elsheimer dressed as Krampus