On the first day of Christmas . . .

Merry Christmas from Gollancz!

It’s Christmas day, so eat, drink and be merry. And what a day for SF its is. Once the presents are opened, the food is eaten and the Queen has spoken, the Gods of TV Scheduling have been kind. For Channel 4 are showing Big, the absolute Tom Hanks classic about a boy whose wish to be a grown-up suddenly comes true. This is the film that won Tom Hanks his first Oscar nomination, has the spookiest wish machine ever, and features a brilliant double-act on a giant piano.

. . . and that’s not all! We’re positively spoilt today. Follow Big with the Doctor Who Christmas special (we can’t wait!), and then take your pick between SF blockbusters-with-explosions Armageddon (Bruce Willis and his team save the day by blowing stuff up in space!) and Independence Day (Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman save the day by blowing stuff up in space! . . . wait a minute . . . 🙂 ). And if explosions aren’t your thing? Well then, the Gods of TV Scheduling have laid on a fantasy treat instead, with back-to-back episodes of the superb Game of Thrones . . . before you wrap up your day with the haunting and marvellous film Watchmen. What a way to finish Christmas Day!

But what’s that you say? . . . What to do during the advert breaks? We have an answer for that. There are so many movies and so little time, so here are a few classics you can check out (honest!) in 15 minutes. Follow the links, and enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

2012 in 15_minutes
King Arthur in 15_minutes
Twilight in 15_minutes