Bad Santa

One of the drawbacks of this project is I can't control the timing if I want to keep moving forward in order. So tonight I'm watching Bad Santa, perhaps the most offensive Christmas movie ever made.

Wait, no.

I was 9 years old when I remember seeing trailers for a film called Silent Night, Deadly Night a slasher film in which the killer dressed as Santa. Oh, the uproar. That film eventually got pulled from theaters. We were a bunch of uptight assholes in the 1980s.

Still, that's probably the most offensive, puerile Christmas film ever made. At least Bad Santa is funny and gives the main character a real shot at redemption.

Plus, the kid's name is Thurman Merman. How is that not funny?

What's more, you get John Ritter's last live action performance. I grew up watching reruns of "Three's Company" in the afternoons after school. Mom would take naps on the couch, so I'd have to watch TV quietly. Ever try to laugh quietly? Not happening. I woke her up a lot.

Bernie Mac is here too. He deserves kudos for the negotiation scene alone. "Half."

I don't connect to this film in the same way I connect with Christmas Vacation, which for us is a family tradition on Christmas Eve. However, Bad Santa makes us laugh consistently (even if we feel like we shouldn't be laughing). Plus we get to see John Ritter again each time — always a good thing. This is a great film for right around December 7 — something to watch as the tree goes up.

People wait for the right time of year for a lot of things. Watching a holiday film in the "offseason" isn't a bad thing. Now I actually have some money in the bank and I'm not stressed out and pissed off. I don't want to punch other customers in the store. I can find stuff I want. There's parking everywhere.

Life's pretty great when it's not Christmas. People forget that.