Bad Santa

hmmm....Blogger has changed the toolbar somewhat, but the "italicize" doesnt seem to work.  Nor does the "Font" change-y thing....
 
Anyway - Friday night at the movies.
We went to see Bad Santa.  It's a Coen Brothers movie, so it's about as twisted as you'd expect of them.  I thought it sounded like a bit of a laugh, and the boy came along without knowing what to expect.  This movie is the funniest, darkest story this year.  In fact, it's almost funnier than Zoolander (not really a fair comparison, since Zoolander isn't dark at all).  The boy was slapping his thighs and laughing his head off.  He doesn't do that at any old comedy.
 
Billy Bob Thornton plays an alcoholic Santa whose partner-in-crime is a dwarf; they're a Santa-and-elf team.  At the end of each Christmas season, they break into the department store where they've been working, and Santa cracks the safe while the elf runs around collecting luxury items specified by his girlfriend.  Santa is mostly drunken, violent, foul-mouthed and impatient with the children who come to sit on his knee and tell him what they want for Christmas. 
 
I won't tell you what happens because I want you to go and see it.  It is pretty dark, and there are many scenes which will make you cringe and blanch (as well as laught), but there is a happy ending that won't make you feel all cynical.