"Bad Santa" review. Steamer!!!

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

So my wife wanted to see a comedy last night.  She decided that we would go see Bad Santa.  Ouch.  That's $14 we'll never see again.  The movie is so depressing that the occasional gag can't lift you up out of the sadness and dispair of it's characters.  I've heard the term "Dark Comedy," but this film should supply a couple tabs of Zoloft with every ticket!  I almost didn't know whether I was supposed to laugh or cry.  Weird.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed it.  Why?  Six weeks ago I picked "Once Upon a Time in Mexico."  It was a steaming pile of doggie doo.  The wife hasn't let me forget that steamer was my pick, so Bad Santa was at least great revenge! ;D

[spyderchick]

Go see Elf, yes it's sappy, but a good kind of sappy. :D

[Nate R]

Yes, Elf was actually pretty funny, and not too sappy.  :D

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

We'll probably hold out now until the new Lord of the Rings film releases on December 17.  At this point, I think another Christmas movie might be a hard sell...
Anyone who hasn't been following "Rings" is missing out on one of the all-time events in movie history.  Do yourself a favor and at least see the last one on the big screen.  Pure eye candy.  I've read the (1055 page!!!) Ring Trilogy, so I know what's coming.  Oh boy!

[MadXX]

I couldn't get through all three of the rings books (tried twice but couldnt keep awake when reading them) but I agree with K3 on the movies.  They are some of the best films my wife and I have seen.  
I would add that if you haven't seen the extended versions (on DVD) you are missing out.  They fill in the missing parts of the storyline so well you can barley tell what they added and what was in the original cut.
We only go out to 2-3 movies a year and for this year and the last 2 the ring movies have been one of them.

[Eric Kelcher]

Well I guess I am on the other side of the fence on bad Santa My gut hurt so bad afterwards from laughing.

Don't know about the rings movies read the books and loved them don't want to mess with the mental story ya' know.

[MadXX]

Eric,

everyone I know who did like the books thought the movies were good as well.  From what I read they do follow the books quite closely.  They just show in a 5 second scene the eventless journey through the scenic mountains that took tolkin 3 pages to describe.  :)

[MadXX]

To address bad santa, I have to say its one the wife and I have no interest in seeing. (and we are big time movie buffs)

Of course we dont like billy bob too much so that is part of it.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Don't know about the rings movies read the books and loved them don't want to mess with the mental story ya' know.

For me it went the opposite way.  I was inspired to read the books because I was so blown away by the movies.  I'd always meant to read those books, but at 1055 pages for all three, it seemed too big a task to start.  
I'm an avid reader, and almost every book I've loved that got turned into a movie was brutally raped in the process.  The one great exception was Steven King's "Christine."  Having visuals to enhance the story I'd loved made it better.
Eric, the Lord of the Rings movies have been wonderfully true to the books.  Even the vast majority of the dialouge is lifted straight from the pages.  I totally understand what you mean by not wanting to spoil your memory of the books, but trust me on this.  You'll LOVE the movies, and kick yourself for having not seen the first two on the big screen.

[TrackBrat]

I totally agree with Chris.  I never got to read the books but when the first movie came out my boy demanded that we go see it.  Most of the time when I hit the theater I have to sneak out and get me a smoke but not with these movies!  Since, I have read
all but the last one (halfway through).  

[TiffineyIngram]

As always, I have to say that Eric is wrong.  Oddly enough, we were at the same movie, but I hated Bad Santa and he loved it.  Small parts were funny...well, the beginning monologue was funny and that's about it.  I thought it was funny on an "artsy" level--celeb types would appreciate the "work" put into that kind of comedy, but I think normal people are sitting there saying "Why the heck did I pay for this???"

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

Well...  I did think that the bartender who became his girlfriend was pretty cute. ;D  Not reason enough to see it though!