This is probably the raunchiest title on our 12 Days of Christmas Movies list. Bad Santa stars Billy Bob Thornton (who has already been on this list with The Ice Harvest) as Willie T. Stokes, a small time crook who with his partner Marcus (Tony Cox) play mall Santa and elf, all so that they can disable the alarm on Christmas Eve and rob the mall blind.  This is complicated by the fact that Willie is a sex-craved alcoholic with a penchant for going on benders of both.

One year Willie is hired to play Santa at a mall in Phoenix, Arizona, where his vulgar behaviour draws the attention of head of mall security, Gin Slagel (played by the always hilarious Bernie Mac). Gin learns of Willie and Marcus’ con and he wants half the score. Meanwhile, during one of his many visits to the bar, Willie meats bartender Sue (played by Lauren Graham) who is just the right level of crazy to actually have a connection with Willie. Then there is Thurman, a young boy who lives with his senile grandmother and who believes that Willie actually is Santa Clause. Taking advantage of Thurman’s grandmothers senility, Willie manages to con Thurman into letting him stay at their rather affluent house. All in all, the film benefits from some very strong side characters that help you enjoy a film about a really REALLY terrible man.

Bad Santa is directed Terry Zwigoff, one of the great indie directors of the 2000s. His credits include Ghost World and Art School Confidential. Sadly Zwigoff hasn’t directed anything since 2006 but this summer he was attached to another dark comedy set to star Nicolas Cage called Lost Melody. That is an exciting prospect as the dark comedy motif is perfectly suited to Zwigoff’s bizarre sense of humour.

Bad Santa has become a cult classic of a Christmas movie and it is with great reason. Bad Santa is a movie about horrible people doing hillariously horrible things and really, isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

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On the first day of Christmas, my true love made me see: The Ice Harvest

On the second day of Christmas, my true love made me see:Scrooged

On the third day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love made me see:Batman Returns

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Rare Exports

On the sixth day of Chirstmas, my true love made me see: Eyes Wide Shut

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Gremlins

On the eight day of Christmas, my true love made me see: Bad Santa