Bingeing with Spling : Christmas Edition
Spling hosted a #BingeingWithSpling watch party on 20 December with the classic Chirstmas comedy Elf as the main feature and dark comedy Christmas Spirit as a follow-up.
Elf stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by elves, who sets off to find his real father in New York City when he gets too big for the North Pole. Full of Christmas cheer and on a mission to reconnect with his estranged father, Buddy tries to fit in, going where no elf has gone before! The film, directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, The Jungle Book), has become a holiday favourite over the years. The stellar supporting cast includes: Zooey Deschanel, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage and a host of other recognisable faces.
Christmas Spirit is co-scripted and directed by Dominique Mabille. The multi-talented director, actress and musician studied at AFDA where this dark comedy was her 3rd year graduation film. Playing with the idea of a grinch grandfather and unexpected events that overshadow a suburban Christmas, it quickly moves from sitcom cheer to something much more sinister and hilarious.
As host, Spling presented a watch party introduction video to highlight the movies, special guests, features and get viewers excited for the holly, jolly movie night in. While November’s watch party was a hybrid taking place at the drive-in and online, Spling dialled it back to online for the Christmas Edition.
The Bingeing with Spling online movie night festival is all about community. Encouraging movie lovers to interact via the #BingeingWithSpling hashtag, official Facebook group, WhatsApp group… Spling wants to make it so much more than just a movie. The main feature is just one piece of the puzzle, which is embroidered by exclusive interviews with special guests, short films, music performances, movie trivia, movie games and special features.
As part of the Christmas Edition, Spling welcomed celebrity magician, actor and entertainer, Charles Tertiens. Discussing all things Christmas, the two did a hang out style interview to find out more about what Christmas means to Charles and get his thoughts on the movie. No ukuleles, ventriloquist dolls or fruitcakes were harmed in the making of the interview.
Canadian-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Natasha Meister opened proceedings with a special message ahead of her fun Christmas Medley featuring Laura Cavacece. Director, Dominique Mabille, joined Spling in a conversation about her film Christmas Spirit and what went into it behind-the-scenes. Then, somehow Spling managed to secure an interview with the busiest man on the planet right now… that’s right, Santa Claus!
Spling wants people to have fun, to come play and just sit back and relax. Using the Live Event Tracker, it’s as easy as clicking one link after another. Updating the page as the night progresses, attendees can simply hit refresh to see what’s next. Elf was available on Netflix but people can participate by hitting play on a DVD or Blu-ray even! There aren’t any limitations besides having an internet connection, which means that anyone from anywhere on the planet can join in the fun.
Take a listen to two interviews with Spling chatting about what to expect on CapeTalk and Mix FM…
Follow @SplingMovies or join the official ‘Bingeing with Spling’ watch party group on Facebook to stay tuned for updates.
#BingeingWithSpling and Elf winners…
Gift Vouchers
– Shannon Botha
– Leonie Mollentze
– Fazielah Williams
– Barry Ger
– Jier Faria
