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PFS Staff Share Their Favorite Nontraditional Holiday Films!

December 23, 2022 by Kait Calabrò

We all like to believe we are individualists when it comes to our film selections and there is only so many times we can recommend watching HOME ALONE, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and ELF…

So this holiday season the PFS staff is sharing our favorite nontraditional holiday watches!

Be filled with atypical holiday joy with our list below…


Michael Lerman, Artistic Director & Senior Director of Programming
KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005)
After being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.


Susan Smart, Director of Development
ABOUT A BOY (2002)
A cynical, immature young man is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy.


Craig Bolton, Membership Manager
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001)
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.


Annette Monnier, Institutional Giving Manager
JURASSIC PARK (1993)
A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park’s cloned dinosaurs to run loose.


Madeline Charne, Director of Education
CAROL (2015)
An aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman in 1950s New York.


Kyrie Fisher, Community Engagement Manager
THE HOLIDAY (2006)
Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other’s countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.


Kait Calabrò, Director of Communications & Digital Media
GREMLINS (1984)
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.


Mark Elson, Director of Theater Operations
BAD SANTA (2003)
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.


Thomas Jeffrey, General Manager, PFS East Theater
YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998)
Book superstore magnate, Joe Fox and independent book shop owner, Kathleen Kelly fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet both blissfully unaware that he’s trying to put her out of business.


Benjamin Marks, General Manager, PFS Bourse Theater
KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005)
After being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.


Trey Shields, Programming Manager & Senior Festival Programmer
FANNY AND ALEXANDER (1982)
Two young Swedish children in the 1900s experience the many comedies and tragedies of their lively and affectionate theatrical family, the Ekdahls.


Happy Holidays from everyone at the Philadelphia Film Society!

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