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Bad Santa
It ain't funny, it ain't good, it ain’t much of nothing.
2003
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox
You might get 2-4 more laughs out of it if so. For a total of 6.
THE SETUP:
High hopes dashed as former genius and God Terry Zwigoff lays a turd on us.
DISCUSSION:
First let me clear up: a) I see nothing sacrilegious about being as crude on or about Xmas, b) I am not some idiot from the plains states that only likes Bruce Almighty and suchlike, and c) I was not expecting "an uplifting holiday film." In fact, I went because I had loved the director's two previous films. No, the reason I didn't like this film is that IT SUCKED.
This movie isn't funny. It is essentially one joke repeated ad nauseum. Some people apparently find that one joke funny, and that really is the only appealing thing about this film: they're as crude as they can be about sacred Xmas traditions. They do terrible things in front of children. They say naughty words. So if you're in 4th grade—or in a 4th grade of the mind—maybe this movie is for you. Other than that there's really very little to find interesting here. It just couldn't go by fast enough.
You know those DVD commentaries that end up revealing that everything you loved and thought was well-crafted about a film was essentially just an accident and the director is about as intelligent as tree bark? In that same way, this movie made me think about Terry Zwigoff. Was Crumb just an accident? Was Ghost World just... really good source material? How could the person who made those two films deliver... THIS? Does he just want subversion for it's own sake? Like... any 4th grader? Are 4th grade dirty jokes enough to make a whole movie? This movie has scenes where you're watching open-mouthed saying: "Wasn't there ANYONE on the set? Because I know if there was, someone would have seen that this stuff is unusable."
You should still watch Crumb and Ghost World. But, unless we get something brilliant real soon, maybe it’s time we say so much for Terry Zwigoff. Too bad.
SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?
No, you should watch Ghost World.
RELATED MOVIES:
CRUMB is a documentary about cartoonist Robert crumb that provides a fascinating look at his psychology and that of his family, and truly is harrowing and great.
GHOST WORLD is, IMHO, the defining movie about the “X and Y” generations, and is also hilarious and moving.
