Bad Santa [DVD] [2005]

Bad Santa is the cinematic equivalent of finding a cigarette butt in your eggnog—and realizing it actually improves the flavor. ​Billy Bob Thornton delivers a masterpiece of "functional" alcoholism, playing a safe-cracking mall Santa who treats the holiday spirit like a contagious disease. It’s foul-mouthed, deeply cynical, and surprisingly hilarious, mostly because it refuses to pivot into the usual saccharine Christmas fluff. ​The Vibe: Less "Ho-Ho-Ho," more "No-No-No." ​Best enjoyed with: A stiff drink and a total lack of supervision.

great movie glad to ad this to the UMD COLLECTION

A Xmas movie seen it loads but still fun to watch

For those of us who can't quite get into the Christmas spirit, "Bad Santa" is a massive preemptive strike against all of the insufferable sentimentality we're going to be subjected to a few months from now. This movie is every bit as entertaining and funny as "School Of Rock," but where "School Of Rock" succeeded through the overwhelming weight of its good intentions, "Bad Santa" (its moderately heartwarming ending notwithstanding) is all about bad intentions. This movie, especially in its powerhouse first half, displays such a commitment to mean-spiritedness that you can't help but love it. Billy Bob Thornton's safe-cracking department-store Santa Willie is the epitome of ugliness, all the more so because he commits much of his mayhem in his work outfit. Early on we see him getting drunk and throwing up in an alley, and from there he remains in the gutter for much of the movie. He chain smokes, he wets himself in his chair, he fornicates in a dressing room, and above all, he swears. I don't find profanity inherently funny, but Thornton's acid tongue manages to turn four-letter words into weapons of unimaginable destructive power. More than anything I've seen since the "South Park" movie, "Bad Santa" manages to elevate nasty language into an art form. Even in its moments of humanity, the movie doesn't aim too high. Willie does have a love interest, but not quite in the conventional sense: intead, it's a young bar waitress with a Santa fetish who demands that Willie wear his stocking cap during coupling. Willie also finds some meaning in his life by striking up an offbeat friendship with a fat, bullied kid named Thurman, a bond that manifests itself in one unforgettable scene when Willie beats the living hell out of the teen skateboarder who gave Thurman a black eye. Even though it's Thornton's show, "Bad Santa" also benefits from a top-notch supporting cast. In his last film role, the late John Ritter is the picture of ineffectualism as the mall manager; Bernie Mac is admirably slimy as the self-interested security chief; and the three-foot-tall Tony Cox belies his small size with a scene-stealing performance as Willie's "elf" and partner in crime. "Bad Santa" doesn't have an enormous level of plot development, but then it doesn't really need much. What's really important is the way the movie's cynicism slices and dices the sugary "cheer" (which is often cynical itself) that typically accompanies the holiday season. Christmas isn't all about irritating songs and people rioting in department stores over cheap presents, and we all owe a debt to "Bad Santa" for dumping a little snow on the parade.

A classic Christmas film, if your a little weird. I can watch this over and over!

Very very funny

This is a very funny film and if you are sick of anodyne, sugary Christmas fare, you can do no better for this as a handover cure. Billy Bob Thornton excels as the eponymous Bad Santa who is bad, bad, Bad. With his short-in-stature counterpart, he drunkenly takes advantage of shops during Christmas by using the Santa job to facilitate inside job robberies. Falling in with a barmaid with a thing for Bad Santas, he ends up being responsible for an overweight kid who believes he really is Santa. The film is coarse, uncouth and extremely funny. The language is very earthy and the humour is fast and base, but clever. Whether Bad Santa can ultimately be redeemed by the woman who loves him and the child who looks up to him is something we are left to guess at for the whole film. Whether it can have its cake and successfully eat it is something you will determine if you watch it and I wholeheartedly recommend you do. I saw this on TV two years running and panicked this year when I didn't think it was on and bought it (new for under a fiver from Amazon - bargain). It was on anyway but I don't care as this is now an annual treat. I read that Billy Bob Thornton admitted he really was drunk during filming, which only adds to the fun. Highly recommended.

I do understand that not everyone will enjoy this film, but I've got to say that both myself and my husband found it absolutely hilarious - a refreshing change from the sugar-coated twee around at this time of year. An excellant performance by Billy Bob Thornton could almost have you believing he IS Bad Santa. I think it really reflects the fact that Christmas isn't for everyone, not every child or every adult have a great time at Christmas, and in fact it's a really sad time of year for loads of folk. This film highlights the darker side of humanity, whilst still managing to tug on those heart strings and give you a really good belly-laugh at the same time. Awesome. PS - I have also bought this for my step-dad but my mum is not allowed to watch it. She can't handle the extreme swearing.

I don't like Xmas and this movie makes me feel better during the holidays. BillyBob Thornton nails the role of a down on his luck loser who hates everyone and being downright rude and crude seems to come naturally. And, I mean really, REALLY RUDE. I have to cover my mouth to silence my laughter so I can hear the next line. I should count the number of times the 'F' bomb is dropped just for the fun of it. John Ritter is also hilarious in has last role as a conservative store manager who is shocked and offended by BillyBob's behavior. (BillyBob is a mall Santa). Bernie Mac is also extremely amusing in his role (also last?) as a private detective hired by John Ritter to find something on BillyBob so that he can fire him from his Santa position. Then there's the 'kid' who is so pathetic you can't help but feel sorry for him but at the same time he's so annoying you can't blame BillyBob for losing his patience with him. Are you ****ing with me????!!!!!!! Sooooooo HILARIOUS! The female bartender who has a thing for Santa and subsequently has the hots for BillyBob is just adorable. And, BillyBob's sidekick who plays an elf is a riot as he continually tells BillyBob off and tells him what a loser he is. Fantastic movie and I highly recommend it if you need a good laugh and are not easily offended by profanity .... and have no children around.

Good film

Bonne petite comédie ☺️

This sleeper of a Christmas movie is as entertaining as it is unique. The Billy Bob Thornton-led cast is excellent, with real star turns put in by Tony Cox, Bernie Mack, John Ritter, Cloris Leachman...and Brett Edward Kelly as Thurman Merman. OK, maybe it's not the first Xmas movie you want to watch to kick off the season, but it's definitely the one you want to watch when you've just about had it with the season. Be ready for some pretty raunchy humor, with the foul language getting more screen time than the "normal" dialogue. Also, be ready to hear words coming out of the mouth of the late John Ritter that may surprise you! Definitely NOT a Xmas movie you're going to see anytime soon on the major networks, or the Hallmark or Lifetime networks, for that matter. I did catch an airing of this movie on a non-HBO type channel once, and they proceeded to bleep out all the swearing and off-color language, all of which language is quite necessary if the film is to have its intended effect. BTW - this "Unrated Director's Cut" contains two versions of the movie, with the UDC being - surprisingly - tamer than the theatrical release. Both versions are worth watching, though I prefer the straight theatrical release myself. Highly recommended!

I do recommend this movie as a whole, however, I would suggest NOT the "director's cut" because lack of one of the funniest scenes about teaching the kid techniques for boxing. It'll make Scrooge go ho, ho, ho! The movie is about a tormented man who has fallen from grace and into the jaws of crime, aided by a midget cohort who is guided even further by his merchandise hungry girlfriend of normal size. This bad santa, however, has met an innocent angel of a young obese boy who manages to shine a light in his dark world, and it's that care that is the base of the movie. Not dipped in sappiness, it clings to the realities of life on how the most unexpected people can make a big difference to another miserable life. This movie dares to present itself so unlike the classic holday features or even the overblown comedies of recent years. It's one of a kind that can by funny, thought provoking, and even moving, but bear in mind it shows no shame in doing so. Very well done.