Ho Ho Ho Kiddies!!! You know, for most people Christmas is the favorite holiday of the year. All the presents, family get-togethers, dinner tables overflowing with food, holiday movies and specials. Speaking of holiday movies, gave us the makings of a brand new one destined to become a holiday tradition in our household. Well, at least once you kiddies have gone to bed. (Of course, keep in mind that our other new Christmas holiday movie is "Shaun of the Dead" which we've watched for two years running…) In a decidedly different take from the classic “Twilight Zone” episode where a drunken department store Santa is given a shot at redemption, “Bad Santa” not only has a bit of a drinking problem, certain tendencies towards grand larceny, but even relishes a somewhat overzealous sexual addiction. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Willie T. Stokes, who along with his elfish partner in crime Marcus (Tony Cox), moves from town to town, robbing the malls they work for as they go.

When they hit a new mall in Phoenix however, things turn out decidedly different. This time around they must deal with a pesky store manager (John Ritter), a savvy mall detective (Bernie Mac), and an 8-year old misfit (Brett Kelly). Throw in a Santa-loving siren (Lauren Graham) and you have the ingredients for a holiday classic sure to bring cheer to Mommy and Daddy while traumatizing the kids.

Make no mistake; “Bad Santa” is NOT a movie for the kids. I saw the trailers when it was out in theatres, and I don’t know how anyone could think bringing their kids to see it was a good idea. Nevertheless, according to many of my friends who did in fact see it in the theatre, parents were taking their children in droves. Of course, I really don’t see why I’m so surprised, what with illiteracy being rampant in this country and all. So, for those of you who can read, let me reiterate… “Bad Santa”… is… not…for…kids. Put them to bed or leave them with the sitter before you watch it.

That said, “Bad Santa” is a hysterically offensive, politically incorrect, profoundly foul movie. It is about as dark a comedy as it is possible to be. And I loved every second of it. It’s a sure-fire bet that it’s going to tick some people off. It completely trashes the Christmas holiday along with its commercial connotations. I can see the picket lines forming to the right as we speak. For me and my friends however, we HAVE a sense of humor and can laugh at the sharp jokes, blush at the naughty bits and get a general all around good feeling about ourselves for being that way.

I can’t really say who will or won’t like this movie. For me personally, I love it because it doesn’t attack what is sacred about Christmas, but more the rampant commercialism we have come to identify it with. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas for what it ultimately stands for, which is a celebration of the birth of Christ. But what we have turned it into is more a time of crass marketing and sanctimonious preaching. “Bad Santa” doesn’t lash out at this aspect of Christmas directly, but lash out it does.

Aside from its offensive nature, the film boasts some terrific performances from its stars, most notably Thornton. No stranger to playing drunken lowlifes, Thornton is note perfect as Stokes. You can honestly believe this guy exists, even though he sinks just about as low as a human being can go. And as for the late John Ritter, he once again shows what a great talent he was. As the wimpy ultra conservative Bob Chipeska, his reactions to Stokes’ lifestyle are priceless. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lauren Graham as Sue. She has an inclination towards sleeping with Santas, and let me tell you it is a role far removed from Lorelai Gilmore on “Gilmore Girls.”

When the film was originally released on DVD, there were two versions available. One was the theatrical version, which came with an ‘R’ rating, while the other was ‘Unrated’ and included about seven minutes worth of additional material. Interestingly enough, it is getting an all-new DVD release this month, this time touted as a "Director's Cut." Having only seen the Unrated version before, I can only say that the differences are huge. The original version I saw offered a longer story and more character development, which is important if you care about such things. However, this new 'Director's Cut' gives viewers a highly edited version which tightens up the film's overall pacing. It's really like watching an altogether different film.

Honestly, I'm not really sure who I would recommend this version to other than really big fans of the film. It's not a better version of the movie per se, but it's just different enough to warrant a viewing. I still think the Unrated version is the best, but I realize tastes vary. This new DVD for the film contains some of the same featurettes from the original release, including a short behind the scenes piece and eight deleted scenes. What has been added this time around is a commentary by director Terry Zwigoff and editor Robert Hoffman. This is probably the high point of the release as the two have quite a bit of interesting banter going back and forth. Zwigoff's humor is kind of dry and may not appeal to some listeners, but I found him to be quite interesting.

Any version of “Bad Santa” is going to be disgusting and vile, while at other times sweet and sentimental. Wait a minute, strike that. It never really gets sweet or sentimental, but if you have a cast-iron stomach for obscene humor, you can look past it to find those moments that come close.

Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, John Ritter, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly
Extras: Audio Commentary with Director Terry Zwigoff and Editor Robert Hoffman, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, Behind the Scenes Special, Outtakes, Badder Santa Gag Reel
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1) Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Dimension
Release Date: 10/10/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
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We'll give Bad Santa: Director's Cut a B-.