A lot to learn| Feb 16, 2008
Throw Billy Bob 'Bad Santa' Thornton and Jon 'Napoleon Dynamite' Heder together and you're bound to get something funny, right. School for Scoundrels' proves that this isn't necessarily the case. (iAfrica.com)
New on DVD: Running, running everywhere Jan 18, 2008
Mr. Woodcock (**1/2, 2007, New Line, PG-13, $29; Blu-ray, $36): Billy Bob Thornton's put-down act from Bad Santa and Bad News Bears is funny, but his bile carries nearly all of this limply received comedy about a self-help author (Seann William Scott) plagued by his widowed mother's engagement to an old gym teacher nemesis. Susan Sarandon as mom belongs in this movie about as much as Queen Elizabeth would. (USA Today -- Life)
Tinseltown decorations recycled Dec 24, 2007
Special mentions also go to criminals mending their wicked ways (Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa, 2003) and genuine tear-jerkers (Joyeux Noel, 2005). That's not to mention remakes of classics such as Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and the Miracle On 34th Street (1947), long credited as the film that helped propel the fat man in the red and white suit from Coca-Cola marketing tool to cultural icon. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Critic's Corner Monday Dec 24, 2007
Those looking for an alternate, adult view of the holiday can turn to Comedy Central, which has multiple airings of Bad Santa (11 ET/PT). Watch one of the late shows, after you've put the kids to sleep. (USA Today -- Life)
Christmas Confidential Dec 21, 2007
This show also looks at the evolution of Santa Claus from stern disciplinarian to cuddly toy-delivery man, the best Christmas movies of all time (my fave is Bad Santa, starring Billy-Bob Thornton) and at folks who go overboard decorating their houses - some of the window displays would give Myer a run for its money. Quite a pleasant general-interest ramble. (The Age)
Holiday films for the family Dec 21, 2007
Bad Santa - Yes, it's raunchy, but it's funny, too. In this fun flick, Billy Bob Thorton plays a stubble-faced whiskey-drinking bad guy who takes on a job as Santa so he can rob the place at night. (AZ Central.com)
An IMPROper Christmas Dec 20, 2007
The Sydney Morning Herald: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Australia's leading newspaper. Erik JensenDecember 20, 2007. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
In brief: McGregor and Carrey to play jailbird lovers Dec 19, 2007
The film will mark the directing debut of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who penned another dark comedy, Bad Santa, in 2003. John Travolta may have left Dallas, the big screen adaptation of the hit 80s TV series, in which he was lined up to portray machiavellian oil magnate JR Ewing. (Guardian Unlimited)
Holiday movies: Our critics have made a list and checked it twice Dec 19, 2007
"BAD SANTA" (2003) Good old Billy Bob Thornton is a con man pretending to be Santa. The offenses and obscenity are piled way up high (a colleague began her review: "a Christmas movie Lenny Bruce could love"). (Boston Globe)
McGregor and Carrey to Share On-Screen Romance Dec 19, 2007
Ficarra and Requa, whose writing credits include Bad Santa, penned the script based on a book by Steve McVicker. Carrey will play Russell, while McGregor takes over the role of his lover. (Film Fodder)
Check out five modern Christmas favorites Dec 14, 2007
As the titular, potty-mouthed bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton finally found a role that utilizes his everyman sympathies while showcasing his very dark comedic talents. And when the Father Christmas finds just a teensy bit of a heart in the end, well, that s just icing on the Christmas cookie. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
The Santa Clause Nov 30, 2007
(For the super-keen, there's a sequel tomorrow and also Bad Santa. . (Sydney Morning Herald)
Could the best movie Santa be from 1947? Nov 27, 2007
Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (2003) Simply the naughtiest ... Billy Bob Thornton Bad Santa ... Bad Santa was a BAD MOVIE. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Offbeat flicks for the season Nov 26, 2007
Advertisement "Bad Santa" (2003) ... The surprising thing about a film like this is it has a plot and a climax, leading to a sort of twisted rehabilitation of "Bad Santa." It's unapologetically crude, but ultimately very entertaining. (Stamford Advocate)
The Heartbreak Kid Nov 24, 2007
The Farrellys blazed the trail for films such as Bad Santa, American Pie and Good Luck Chuck. Whether that's a good thing depends entirely on your limits as to what's funny. (Sydney Morning Herald)
Santa has a jolly long history on screen Nov 24, 2007
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- In Hollywood, Santa Claus comes in all stripes, from the childlike Edmund Gwenn in "Miracle on 34th Street" to North Pole draftee Tim Allen in "The Santa Clause" flicks to gutter-mouth Billy Bob Thornton in "Bad Santa." ... Thornton was the anti-Claus in the expletive-laden "Bad Santa" as a boozehound who uses his store Santa gigs to pull off Christmas Eve burglaries ... " 'Bad Santa' with Billy Bob Thornton," said Bridges, whose head was digitally grafted onto an... (CNN -- Showbiz)
With Christmas fast approaching, is there really such a thing as a naughty child? Nov 22, 2007
I wasn't particularly fond of Bad Santa when it came out because anyone that messes with the sweet innocence of Christmas rubs me the wrong way. I say save the obnoxious slapstick for some other topic, don't mess with Christmas. (Demotte Kankakee Valley Post News, IN)
Watch 'Hairspray' Nov 20, 2007
Nov. 20 Movies "" "" "" "" "The Santa Clause 3 - The Escape Clause" "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" "Bad Santa" "Katt Williams: The Movie". Television "C.S.I. - Season 7" "Little Britain: The Complete Collection" "Ice Road Truckers -- The Complete Season 1" "Teen Titans - The Complete Fourth Season" "Queer as Folk - The Complete Series" "Mission Impossible - Season 3 ". (SunSpot.net)
Review: Get Wrapped Up In 'Fred Claus' Nov 10, 2007
Think Tim Allen in "The Santa Clause" or potty-mouthed Billy Bob Thornton in "Bad Santa.". But "Fred Claus" takes a tired story and puts a new twist on the tale. (Click2Houston, TX)
Sweet and seasonal, 'Fred' makes naughty and nice Nov 9, 2007
This is no "Bad Santa." And it's warm without feeling ersatz. I was prepared for Giamatti, for instance, to make due with Santa duty by condescending to the part and turning the character into an unhappy clown. (Boston Globe)
'Fred Claus' fails to deliver holiday laughs Nov 9, 2007
But it might have been a better move to edge closer to the quirky comic territory of Bad Santa rather than a redux of The Santa Clause. John Michael Higgins, always so funny in Christopher Guest movies, plays a sweet elf with a crush on Santa's comely assistant (Elizabeth Banks), but his character is one-dimensional. (USA Today -- Life)
Santa: The good, the bad and the best Nov 9, 2007
-- He makes the role his own, although he is "Bad Santa." Very, very bad. He's a con man, a thief, a child-hater, a womanizer and an alcoholic with a potty mouth. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
"Fred Claus" Nov 9, 2007
A holiday movie like "Bad Santa," so filled with sex and swear words that it couldn't be anything but life-affirming, is a rare and wonderful thing. Still, every year hope springs eternal: This year's entry in the holiday-malaise sweepstakes is "Fred Claus," directed by David Dobkin, who not so long ago gave us the sufficiently cranky surprise hit In "Fred Claus," Vince Vaughn is the Fred of the title, the older sibling of the way-too-saintly St. Nick (played, with neurotic believability, by... (Salon)
Reality snowballs for jolly old St. Nick in 'Fred Claus' Nov 7, 2007
In 2003, Bad Santa confirmed every parent's suspicion that those department-store employees were possible perverts and felons. Now Fred Claus, starring Vince Vaughn as the black-sheep bro who riles up the elves and messes with the whole naughty-or-nice concept, reveals that St. Nick's relatives are prone to bitter bickering over past grievances when they pay a visit just like everyone's families. (USA Today)
Giamatti joins a list of on-screen Santas Nov 7, 2007
Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn in "Fred Claus." Over the years Santas have ranged from naughty to nice, from Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street," to Billy Bob Thornton's gutter-mouthed drunk in "Bad Santa." ... LOS ANGELES - In Hollywood, Santa Claus comes in all stripes, from the childlike Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street to North Pole draftee Tim Allen in The Santa Clause flicks to gutter-mouth Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa ... Thornton... (MSNBC -- News)
Bay Area writers back away from keyboards in strike solidarity Nov 7, 2007
"I'm striking with the Guild. There's always some kind of complication, but what can you do?" said Zwigoff, best known for "Bad Santa.". Jokingly, he said his schedule Monday morning was in "complete solidarity with the strike. I just woke up and I'm going to lunch with my friend Robert Crumb," he said, referring to the legendary cartoonist and illustrator visiting from his home in France, who was the subject of Zwigoff's documentary. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Which on-screen Santa gets you in the holiday spirit? Nov 7, 2007
Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (2003)The scrawny, foul-mouthed, fornicating alcoholic cuss who gets a job as a mall Santa so he can pull off a heist with testy elf accomplice Tony Cox still manages to reflect the spirit of the season while guzzling spirits. Santa speaks. (USA Today)
FILM:Fred Clause Nov 6, 2007
Although unintentionally so, not since "Bad Santa" has the jolly old elf been so abused. If "Fred Claus" was designed to soften Vaughn's image for a family audience, he clearly didn't get the memo, and an assortment of talented actors (among them Giamatti, Weisz, Spacey and Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Claus) look out of place and unhappy pretty much throughout. (Variety)
'Fred Claus' Has Us Counting Down Our Favorite Cinematic Santas, In Rewind Nov 6, 2007
Billy Bob Thornton in "Bad Santa" (2003) One can only imagine the catharsis this film holds for anyone who's ever had to don a Santa suit and endure the mewling queues of avaricious children crawling all over them. As the thief who, with the aid of his elf accomplice, uses Santa jobs to gain access to department stores in order to rob them, Billy Bob Thornton is gloriously profane, a drunken slice of pure id with no self-control or shame. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Half-Naked Angelina Jolie Ready To Heat Up Winter Box Office Nov 2, 2007
After successful comedies like "Bad Santa" and "Elf," the big guy at the North Pole gets another revisionist look with stars Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn as the siblings Claus, out to save Christmas from the evil clutches of Kevin Spacey. Note from the director to his stars: "Be good for goodness' sake". (VHI.com -- Music News)
'Rings' producer on 'Laundry' list Oct 31, 2007
Cast also includes Tony Cox ("Bad Santa"). "Barrie and I are looking to make non-Amerocentric, world-scale movies," Peyser said. (Variety)
Ready to laugh? Reilly, Nicholson have the films Oct 20, 2007
Buzz: Dont go to this film expecting Bad Santa; despite the presence of Vaughn and Wedding Crashers director Dobkin, this one is firmly in PG territory. Dobkin told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted to tell a very deep story of acceptance and forgiveness. (MSNBC -- Movies)
NBC Signs On Gilmore's Graham Sep 19, 2007
Her feature credits include Evan Almight, Because I Said So and Bad Santa. . (MediaWeek.com)
Zwigoff Making $40,000 Man Sep 16, 2007
September 14, 2007 - Ghost World and Bad Santa director Terry Zwigoff has been hired by New Line Cinema to helm the studio's forthcoming action-comedy spoof The $40,000 Man. Zwigoff, according to a report in today's edition of industry insider mag Variety, is directing from a script that he's rewriting with Art School Confidential and Ghost World collaborator Dan Clowes. (IGN FilmForce)
In brief: Townsend's directing debut snapped up at Toronto Sep 14, 2007
Terry Zwigoff, who thrilled the geek demographic with his 2001 adaptation of the graphic novel Ghost World and revealed his raunchier side in 2003's Bad Santa, is preparing the comedy The $40,000 Man. The story centres on an injured astronaut who is rebuilt on a shoestring budget. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
Mr. Woodcock Sep 14, 2007
Thornton does basically the same thing he did in Bad Santa and Bad News Bears - he lowers his voice and speaks in a mocking register that manages to be funny no matter how times we've heard it before. Scott goes him one further, finding notes of complexity inside the barely written part of John - a well-meaning guy who nonetheless has some serious Oedipal issues to work out. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Terry Zwigoff to direct '$40,000' Sep 14, 2007
Zwigoff's helming credits include "Bad Santa," "Crumb" and "Ghost World." Benderspink is in production on "Major Movie Star" with Nu Image/Millenium and "Insanitarium" at Screen Gems and in post-production on "Kill Theory" for Lionsgate. Date in print: Fri. (Variety)
Billy Bob Thornton as grumpy guy: What else is new? Sep 14, 2007
After Bad Santa and Bad News Bears, Mr. Woodcock is the third comedy in five years where Billy Bob Thornton throws on a porcupine toupee and grumbles and snaps at kids for 90-some minutes. Thornton plays an evil grade-school gym teacher in his new film. (Globe and Mail)
The Unseen Movie Review: Mr. Woodcock Sep 13, 2007
A few years ago Billy surprised me when he showed up in Bad Santa ... I saw Bad Santa in the theaters twice, thats how funny I thought it was ... Billy got a Golden Globe nomination for Bad Santa and I think some of that success (and probably fun he had with the role) went to his head because recently all hes been doing is trying to repeat the exact same character. (Monsters and Critics.com)
Jodie Foster Hopes Box Office Is Home Of 'The Brave,' In Projection Booth Sep 13, 2007
The flick comes on the heels of similar characters in "Bad Santa," "Bad News Bears" and "School for Scoundrels." Then again, few actors do it better. The comedy co-stars the artist formerly known as Stifler, Seann William Scott. (VHI.com -- Music News)
The Comedic Mean-Streak of Billy Bob Thorton Aug 22, 2007
Bad Santa The antithesis to Miracle on 34th Street's Santa, Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie T. Stokes, an embittered, cursing mall Santa who loots the mall safe every Christmas eve--only to squander the money on booze ... Like Bad Santa, Thornton lives for booze and picking up women--all the while coaching a children's baseball league on the side. (IGN FilmForce)
Total duffer stuck in the rough in "Who's Your Caddy?" Jul 29, 2007
There's a murder-for-hire plot involving little people, including Tony Cox from "Bad Santa," cameos by Bruce Bruce and the crazy-eyed Terry Crews and an Al Sharpton-Jesse Jackson riff by Garrett Morris. But "Who's Your Caddy?" makes you wish these people had better things to do than tag along after some bore who wants to integrate a country club. (Seattle Times)
Uniontown native stars in ‘Caddy’ Jul 28, 2007
UNIONTOWN Tony Cox is one of the most noticeable comedic actors in Hollywood, drawing big laughs against megastars like Jim Carrey in Me, Myself and Irene and Billy Bob Thorton in Bad Santa ... Bad Santa and working with Jim Carrey in Me, Myself and Irene were some of the most enjoyable films I have worked on, Cox said. (Demopolis Times, AL)
Jim Carrey agrees with 'Yes Man' Jul 25, 2007
Also on his slate is the dark indie comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris," to be directed by "Bad Santa" writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and Paramount's "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" with Tim Burton attached to direct. "Ripley's," which was shelved last year and then revived, seems too logistically complex to fit in before June. (Variety)
Jim Carrey set for 'Christmas Carol' Jul 7, 2007
Carrey is also set to play a gay prison escapee in "I Love You Phillip Morris," the Andrew Lazar-produced dark independent comedy written and directed by the "Bad Santa" team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Carrey's also going to play a reluctant nursemaid to his ailing wife and her family in the Fox comedy "Me Time," scripted by Ian Roberts and Jay Martel. (Variety)
Carrey Sobers Up Jul 1, 2007
Catch Me If You Can meets Brokeback Mountain meets Bad Santa. House husband comedy. (IGN FilmForce)
Jim Carrey to star in 'Sober' Jun 29, 2007
The candidates: the title character in the Tim Burton-directed "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" at Paramount; a gay prison escapee in the dark indie comedy "I Love You Phillip Morris," written and directed by the "Bad Santa" team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa; and a reluctant nursemaid to his ailing wife and her family in the Fox comedy "Me Time," scripted by Ian Roberts and Jay Martel. Date in print: Fri. (Variety)
Carrey sees more money in a soft cell Jun 7, 2007
The showbiz newspaper Variety reports Carrey will star in I Love You Phillip Morris, to be directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the writers behind Bad Santa. Based on a book by Steve McVicker, a crime reporter from the Houston Chronicle, the fact-based film casts Carrey as Steven Russell, a married father whose exploits land him in a Texas prison. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Carrey Loves Phillip Morris Jun 5, 2007
The movie is described as Catch Me If You Can meets Brokeback Mountain with the dark edge of Bad Santa. I Love You Phillip Morris will mark the feature directing debut of Bad Santa writing team Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. (IGN FilmForce)
Actor set to play con man in movie based on book by reporter Jun 5, 2007
The script was written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who wrote the extremely dark Billy Bob Thornton comedy Bad Santa. So far, McVicker is happy with the script. (Houston Chronicle)
Carrey lights up 'Phillip Morris' Jun 4, 2007
Jim Carrey will star in "I Love You Phillip Morris," a dark comedy that was written and will mark the directing debut of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, the writing team behind "Bad Santa." ... Script has some of the dark edges of "Bad Santa" but is grounded by the affable and lovesick character of Russell. (Variety)
Big 12 notebook: Huskers, Red Raiders, Jayhawks have QB battles Apr 25, 2007
" Leach said that Morris' nickname fits for other reasons as well. "They need to make a movie about him, kind of like 'Bad Santa,' except it would be called 'Bad Elf,' because he's not a warm, cuddly, fuzzy-feeling elf. He's kind of evil and sinister. (ESPN -- College Football)
Kids put creativity on display Apr 15, 2007
The North Pole-themed skit involved elaborate elf and robot costumes and a bunch of enthusiastic actors, including Ritapa Neogi, who played the Head Elf, and Rea Kapur, who played an elf secretary, a monkey, and Bad Santa ... The scene between Bad Santa and the Head Elf was particularly riveting, involving loud clanging sticks instead of swords, and Bad Santa s defeat was clearly keenly felt as she lay thrashing on the ground. (Albany Democrat-Herald, OR)
Fame-o-Phobia: What Scares the Stars? Mar 14, 2007
The Bad Santa star refuses to stay in a room with furniture built before 1950. "I get creeped out and I can't breathe and I can't eat around it," Billy Bob admitted to Sky News. (Fox News -- Views)
Locals in the spotlight on television, the big screen Mar 2, 2007
The former Highland resident, who appeared in "Punk'd" and "Quintuplets" on television and in movies "Spy Kids 3-D" and "Bad Santa," has the lead in New Line Cinema's "Full of It" with Teri Polo, Craig Kilborn and Carmen Electra, which premieres (red carpet and all) at Columbia mall's AMC Theatres on Saturday, March 3. The 19-year-old, who has been living in Studio City, Calif. (Howard County Times, MD)
Kicking and charming his way to stardom Mar 2, 2007
After Punk'd, Pinkston landed roles in Fox's Quintuplets, MGM'S Bad Santa (he played the video-game shoplifter) and his personal favorite, Spy Kids 3-D. His acting dreams had come true, but Pinkston worried he was missing out on high school. "My parents always told me I could stop and go back to school, but the only thing I really cared about was going to prom and graduation," Pinkston says. (SunSpot.net)
Bigger and better opportunities now for little people Feb 27, 2007
Tony Cox, mostly limited to traditional short-guy roles over a three-decade career, hoped his breakout turn as Billy Bob Thornton's foul-mouthed sidekick in 2003's Bad Santa would open doors ... Says Bad Santa director Terry Zwigoff: "If (Hollywood) was as demeaning with any sex or race, it would be considered a disaster. There are lots of talented people of short stature who don't get a chance to show what they can do.". (USA Today -- Life)
Astronaut Farmer Feb 25, 2007
Perhaps the writer should be congratulated for seeking a fresh subject, but as I sat there viewing an implausible plot, headed by the most unlikable lead character since Bad Santa, I began to contemplate a recurring nightmare maybe all the best films have been made. The theme is an admirable one, to dream the impossible dream. (Gospelcom.net)
From 'Bad Santa' to good 'Astronaut' Feb 25, 2007
From 'Bad Santa' to good 'Astronaut ... To most Americans, he is, in descending order of recognition, the ex-husband of Angelina Jolie and the guy in "Bad Santa" and "Bad News Bears." For the art house crowd, he is the serious talent who wrote, directed , and starred in "Sling Blade" and did fine turns in "A Simple Plan," "The Man Who Wasn't There , " and "Monster's Ball." ... I'd done the Coen brothers, comedies, 'Bad Santa,' played Davy Crockett. (Boston Globe -- Living)
'Farmer' is otherworldly Feb 23, 2007
His acting choices of late seem light-years away from his quirky roles in Slingblade or Bad Santa. Astronaut's unappealing self-promoter is closer in spirit to the lame-brained con man in School for Scoundrels. (USA Today -- Life)
Billy Bob Thornton Interview, The Astronaut Farmer Feb 22, 2007
In 2003, he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role in the hit "Bad Santa, and, in 2004, received critical praise for his portrayal of legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett in "The Alamo ... Billy Bob: Yeah, the fact of the matter is that Id done two or three of those comedies in a row since Bad Santa and it was fun and I enjoyed it but I think thats plenty ... Q: On the internet I read that you had said that you might do another Bad... (MoviesOnline)
Billy Bob's final frontier Feb 22, 2007
This is coming from the same iconoclast whose title character in Bad Santa created a vision of Saint Nick so dark and nasty it made the Grinch look like a sucker for Christmas. Thornton thinks Bad Santa got a bad rap ... "Bad Santa was so funny to me that I didn't feel dark doing it. I thought it was hilarious. And also, Bad Santa at the end of the day had heart to it, because the guy realizes at the end what Christmas is and he relates to the kids ...". (Toronto Star)
Billy Bob Thornton Says He Turned Down Spidey; Won't Wear Funny Hats Feb 22, 2007
Billy Bob Thornton is a long way from "Bad Santa" territory in his latest film, the feel-good inspirational drama "The Astronaut Farmer." ... I'm more known for things like "Monster's Ball" and "Sling Blade," but "Bad Santa" kind of became iconic quickly ... If they see something succeed, they want to do it again, so after "Bad Santa" they called me up wanting me to do that some more, and I did a couple of them. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Billy Bob: Cranky dude to rocket man Feb 21, 2007
Bad Santa, School for Scoundrels and Mr. Woodcock, due out this fall -- Billy Bob Thornton has "the Billy Bob Thornton boxed DVD set all figured out." ... "After Bad Santa (2003), their vision of me narrowed even more. They see you do one thing that's successful, and that's what they want you to do. Again. "Maybe when I get to be in my 70s, they'll be casting me as a cranky man in a nursing home with a Southern accent. (Orlando Sentinel)
Exclusive: Good Vibes for Bad Santa 2 Feb 14, 2007
February 13, 2007 - Bad Santa, perhaps the most off-beat comedy of Billy Bob Thornton's career, might have enough punch for a sequel ... Connections for Bad Santa 2 ... Details for Bad Santa 2. (IGN FilmForce)
