Bad Santa (2003)

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Kox, Brett Kelly, Lauren "Hubba Hubba" Graham, Bernie Mac, John Ritter

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: He's very naughty . . . and not very nice.

Plot: 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, and the security boss discovers the plot.





My Rating: 9/10 (Yes, it's that damn funny)

Would I watch it Again? Does the Pope wear a funny hat? Hell, yeah.

I love, love, love this movie. I've probably seen it a half dozen times since I first caught it in the theater all those 4 years ago. It's funny as hell and it's got heart without beating you over the head with it. It's vulgar, offensive, disgusting, revolting, and in such bad taste I can't recommend this enough. If you haven't seen this then it's your duty as a lover of fine film to seek this out and let its richness engulf your senses with pure, unadulterated, raunchy goodness that only comes once a year.







The cast is amazing. I have no doubt there will ever be anyone who will play Santa better than Thornton. Tony Cox is right on target as the pissed off elf. The Kid (Kelly) is terrific. Lauren Graham...I just want to eat her up - with or without chopsticks. Bernie Mac is amazing. John Ritter, as the pussy-fied mall manager, is a riot. EVERYONE pulls out great performances.

Now, it's not a continuous laugh riot like you might think. The laughs are all over the place and there's some gut busters, sure, but there's also some slight tender moments that will catch you off guard. Thornton is pathetic and he knows it and he's content with it. He only slightly comes around but in his way that sets this apart from what other filmmakers would have done with it. Christopher "HOME ALONE" Columbus' BAD SANTA this ain't.

I could go on at length about this. I won't but I will say this. There are two scenes that stand out for me that I have to point out. The first is when Ritter goes to Mac to see if he can do anything about getting ride of Thornton & Cox. There's a verbal dance that transpires back and forth, and very quickly, that is pitch perfect in its comic timing as if it were the castanets and Spanish guitar in a Flamenco tune. I don't dare laugh until it's over for fear of missing a beat.



Then there's the scene with Mac telling Thornton & Cox that he's onto them and wants half of their cut. Not 30%, 33, 33 and a third, 35, 40, 45, 48, or 49 but half. Funny stuff. The editing in all of this is outstanding and plays a large part in the success of these scenes.



Seriously, check this out if you haven't already. It's certainly different and more original than just about everything out there and it certainly doesn't go where you think it's going to. And with me that's pretty much at the top of my list.



Oh, and while you're at it, check out Terry Zwigoff's other work including GHOST WORLD and the excellent CRUMB. CRUMB, especially, will leave you a different person than you were before you watched it. That may or may not be a good thing.