[Stack]

Originally posted by A. B. Normal I think you're all in cahoots. It never existed. Like Alex.

Hee! And another hee for using the word cahoots. That's a fun word. I don't use that nearly enough as I should in real life. I need to start incorporating that into my daily vocabulary.

Thanks for the av comment, and thanks for the DVD info!

Glad you enjoyed the movie, gossipcom!

[-Kelly-]

Australian review

Opens on 25th nov.

Bad Santa

This holiday season the traditional Christmas tale will never be the same with the cleverly twisted, merrily irreverent story of a Santa so bad he's wickedly funny. Terry Zwigoff's "Bad Santa" stars Billy Bob Thornton as one of the most crooked, corrupted and downright hysterical Kris Kringles ever to grace the screen. This is a Christmas comedy unlike any other.

Stars Billy Bob Thornton, Lauren Graham.

What we say

First and foremost please understand that Bad Santa is NOT a film for children!!! As cute and cuddly as Billy Bob Thornton in a Santa suit might sound, to say this film has "coarse language, adult themes and sexual references" is an understatement of mammoth proportions.

With that parental guidance warning in place, this pitch black comedy produced by Joel and Ethan Coen and directed by Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World) is very funny, if slightly brittle, on the outside with a soft, sticky centre oozing with sentiment.

Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) is a very, very bad Santa. He drinks, swears and fornicates with buxom women in department store change rooms. Willie is filled with the kind of destructive self-loathing that is only bearable from the bottom of a bottle. He is gross, disgusting and almost totally unlovable; he spends Christmas working as a department store Santa with his diminutive sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox) as his trusty helper.

Their real relationship is somewhat different. Willie is an expert safe cracker but Marcus is the brain of the operation. The two grifters scam shopping centres by playing the Santa act all December, then stealing the Christmas Eve takings after hours. They have been at it for several years and have never been caught.

As they settle in for another season in another town - this time Phoenix, Arizona - Willie forms a relationship (of sorts) with Sue (Lauren Graham), a local barmaid with a yen for guys in Santa suits. He also meets a strange, motherless little boy (Brett Kelly), whose father is 'away in the mountains' (he's actually doing three to six for embezzlement). The kid is strangely attracted to Willie (again, it's the Santa suit) and keeps asking him unnerving questions like "Why do you need a car?" and "Where are your reindeer?"

Like any good holiday film Willie learns the true meaning of Christmas through sacrifice, hard work and the power of love. "Bad Santa" is like no holiday film you have ever seen.

Zwigoff and Thornton have created an extraordinary character in Willie. He is truly awful, yet like all human beings, he seeks redemption. He discovers his own potential through the eyes of a child... Yes, it's that soppy!! It's like a Krispy Kreme donut that has been sprinkled with salt instead of sugar: all rough and hard and prickly on the outside but with an inside so soft and sweet, it may leave some people with indigestion.

Kelly's performance as 'The Kid' is amazing. I thought for a while that the character had Asperger's Syndrome but as the film unfolded and I learned more of his story, his behaviour became more and more understandable, and my sympathy for this strange little man matched that of Willie.

"Bad Santa" was John Ritter's last film (it is dedicated to him). Ritter plays Bob Chipeska, the mall manager. His character has some wonderful moments early in the film, and then just disappears. Although slightly off-putting it does not detract from the film.

My favourite cameo is from actress Cloris Leachman (a veteran of early Mel Brooks films) as the kid's Alzheimer-y grandmother with the sandwich obsession.

"Bad Santa" is not a film for those that are easily offended by coarse language. It is subversive in its humour and its intent. It is a soft, mushy tale about connection and relationship heavily disguised as a crude, gross out comedy full of fabrication, fornication and fermentation.

It might just make a few hardhearted cynics feel a warm fuzzy for the holidays.

6/10

Dani Haski

[crazymike4]

Originally posted by A. B. Normal Well, hello stranger! All you newbies, this kid's gotten farther with Lauren than any of us. They hugged...or so he claims. We have yet to see proof...2 years running.

Hey dude! I've got the picture. I will scan it. I need to stop being lazy about it.. If it weren't for the transcript and Stacy being there, ya'll would've thought I had made it up But alas it's true.

[~Kitty]

Mmm hmm, Mike.. you better not be fooling me this time. I've waited so long for that picture! While you are waiting for the turkey on Thanksgiving.. scan the picture!

And when is L-G.com coming back up?

[Lookin for Luke]

Hi Mike I don't think I've had the chance of meeting you before. I can't believe you met Lauren. That is so cool.

I'm still trying to find someone to see Bad Santa with. It's not a film my friends would normally see so I'm just hoping I find someone to go with before it finishes it's run.

[crazymike4]

Originally posted by ~Kitty Mmm hmm, Mike.. you better not be fooling me this time. I've waited so long for that picture! While you are waiting for the turkey on Thanksgiving.. scan the picture! And when is L-G.com coming back up?

Good idea Kitty!

Good News!! L-G.com and L-G.net are merging together to make one big Lauren site. The information, media, and interaction will be on L-G.com and the image gallery will be on L-G.net. The layout is really cool so I look forward to having it up and running again.

[crazymike4]

Originally posted by Lookin for Luke Hi Mike I don't think I've had the chance of meeting you before. I can't believe you met Lauren. That is so cool.

Hey! Nice to meet you!

The whole meeting Lauren was such a surreal experience. I find myself, at times, doubting it happened.

[A. B. Normal]

Originally posted by crazymike4 Good News!! L-G.com and L-G.net are merging together to make one big Lauren site. The information, media, and interaction will be on L-G.com and the image gallery will be on L-G.net. The layout is really cool so I look forward to having it up and running again.

That.freaking.rocks. Hope it's up soon!

[Imzadi]

great that those two sites are merching btw hi mike .. i´m Suz

hmm i havent watched BS until now .. i´ll watch it in 2 weeks... well 1,5 weeks ...

[Nadine]

Awesome news about LG-com and LG-net merging

If we get any dodgy info here in Oz about GG, BS or LG does the site want it?

[crazymike4]

Originally posted by gossipcom If we get any dodgy info here in Oz about GG, BS or LG does the site want it?

That'd be great! Thanks!

[Nadine]

What I'll most likely do is post it on my LJ or my sites forum - so if you want you can just poach it from there (credit me along the way)

Also if sites want to link up to the merged site - which link should they use?

[crazymike4]

Originally posted by gossipcom What I'll most likely do is post it on my LJ or my sites forum - so if you want you can just poach it from there (credit me along the way) Also if sites want to link up to the merged site - which link should they use?

Will definitely credit you for anything used. Thanks so much!

For right now, I'd say Lauren-Graham.com but Erin and I will probably be working on getting a general domain for the site as time goes on. I'll keep you guys posted.

Originally posted by Lorelai Obsessed great that those two sites are merching btw hi mike .. i´m Suz

Hey Suz! Nice to meet ya'!

[Nadine]

lol it seems like just the other day I provided One True Thing and SAG caps to your site - but heck that was like 3 years ago now <g>

It's amazing how time flies when you have fun

I'll put a link to lg.com on my site now in the Affiliates section.

To make this on topic.

If anyone's in Australia and has pay-tv - if you watch Movie One at around 8.20pm (Hot Box Office) they may show a scene from BS.

[-Kelly-]

Originally posted by gossipcom If anyone's in Australia and has pay-tv - if you watch Movie One at around 8.20pm (Hot Box Office) they may show a scene from BS.

I've seen it on free air tv but thanks