Badmovies.org Forum

Even though I haven't see BAD SANTA, I have read some reviews of it and the film seems be semi well-recieved. Of course, the whole film is not intended for children as it features that crazy man Billy Bob Thornton as a drunken, swearing, anal-sex loving man who dresses up as a store Santa Claus and robs the places he works at during Chirstmas Eve. By how the plot summary goes, this is a far cary from IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE and MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, but I plan on seeing it as BAD SANTA is supposed to be a demented black comedy, as well as having John Ritter's final film performance.

However, not all understand BAD SANTA's concepts. Public radio commentatior Matt Drudge apparently considers the film unsuitable for children and in poor taste. I don't know what is worse: a man who claims that every element of cinema should not be different, or a man who doesn't have a broad concept of what is acceptable or not. It might be Drudge's opinion, and that is fine if he hated the movie, but he acts as if he is the all-knowing on what is moral or not and acts as if the film is "aimed" towards children. Well Drudge, the last time I checked the film was 'R' rated, and that shows that is NOT SUITABLE for younger viewers.

Anyway, anybody hear of Matt Drudge's concern for BAD SANTA?

No, but I've heard it's ticked off other people in the same way.

I thought it was just another gross-out comedy that looked funny, but then I saw it was directed by Terry Zwigoff [CRUMB, GHOST WORLD...]  Is this a selling out or is this a great movie?  I'll probably end up seeing it just to find out.  

Drudge is a dork anyway...his 15 minutes expired a long time ago.   And I enjoy a lot of these talk radio programs...Drudge is dull.

it seems like a few "serious" directors are cranking out comedies this season after more serious projects.

Jon Favreau followed up his mafia flick MADE with ELF

Richard Linklater did SCHOOL OF ROCK after his flick WAKING LIFE

and now Zwigoff



Post Edited (11-28-03 14:59)

I thought the whole point was that it wasn't a children's movie.  It's not called "good santa"

It's the same kind of uproar that they had with SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT....

Man I want to see Bad Santa and I got it covered, because my mom wants to see it also, so I don't have to sneak into the theater or lie about my age. BOO YEAH!

"Elf" and "School of Rock" both turned out good, too. Maybe "Bad Santa" will continue the trend.

I dunno...all the previews from "Elf" made me think "there's a potentially  funny 15 minute skit in there if it's done right, but a full length movie?"

>I thought the whole point was that it wasn't a children's movie. It's not
>called "good santa"

But... it's about Santa so it *MUST* be a children's movie!!! Just like all cartoons are for children... :-/

I didn't really like WAKING LIFE, but it seemed like the first movie Linklater had done in a while that wasn't just Hollywood crap.  It seems like all the indie directors of the 90s are making lame forumla comedies and kids movies now...Rodriguez with those SPY KIDS movies, Linklater with SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE NEWTON BOYS, and whatever else, and now I'm wondering about Zwigoff and BAD SANTA....but the movie does look funny and twisted, so I'm going to check it out.

As far as Linklater and the others go...when they first made movies I wonder if these were the kinds of movies they hoped to make when they were first starting out....I doubt it.

I have no interest in seeing this because it looks a lot like 90-120 minutes of "Ha ha, isn't that funny - a guy dressed like Santa is p**sing in an alley and checking out girls' asses...  Oh, and the midget is saying curse words.  Ha ha."

That said, Santa's fair game for an attempt at raunchy adult humor the same as he's fair game for slasher movies about psychos in red suits.  Who cares what Matt Drudge says anyway?  Still, I could do without the obnoxious freaking commercial.  Little kids watch TV and the people who put together clips for commercials should think about that...

(yeah, yeah I know: "Well if parents were responsible and paid attention to what their children were watching, blah blah blah."  Anyone who thinks a parent can monitor every second of his child's television intake - or any other behavior - obviously doesn't have any kids and is in for a serious dose of reality if he should ever have any).

Little kids watch TV and the people who put together clips for commercials should think about that...

(yeah, yeah I know: "Well if parents were responsible and paid attention to what their children were watching, blah blah blah." Anyone who thinks a parent can monitor every second of his child's television intake - or any other behavior - obviously doesn't have any kids and is in for a serious dose of reality if he should ever have any).

Yeah, it drives me nuts that I can be watching something fairly content innocent like a baseball game or Sunday football game with my kids, but I have to keep my hand on the remote for the commercials because some many of them are so raunchy, especially fox