NYT: Tilda Swinton

The New York Times has a nice interview with Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton. Here's a sample:

“Starting to imagine or to notice how inscrutable we all are to one another, that’s where my interest in wanting to be a performer came from,” she says. Referring to the central incident in “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” and perhaps to many another contemporary horror, she continues: “People perpetrate atrocities and other people say, ‘We didn’t see it coming.’ The idea that people actually wear themselves on their faces seems to me to be less real than what life actually is, which is a series of concealments and containments.

“These surfaces and veils exist,” she continues, warming to her theme. “We take off one for one person, and several for another. But there is always a difference between what you show to others and what you show to yourself in the mirror.”

Three Christmas Movies

I recently watched the 1988 cult classic Christmas movie Scrooged. I had been wanting to see it for many years, but simply never had the chance to actually sit down and watch it fully. Everyone I spoke to told me it was one of the funniest Christmas movies and one of Bill Murray's best films. I agree on both counts. The plot is basically the same plot as A Christmas Carol with a bit of a twist. The story follows the protagonist, Frank Cross, through his past, present, and future. Bill Murray was quite funny though I felt that Carol Kane stole the show in the comedy department. Her portrayal of an abusive Ghost of Christmas Present really made the film. In the end Bill Murray continues to deliver as the lovable jerk. This one will certainly be going on my list of favorite Christmas classics.

When it comes to my generation's idea of Christmas classics, nothing compares to 1990's Home Alone. Macaulay Culkin lived out every child's dream as the rambunctious Kevin McCallister, who is left behind when his family leaves for a family Christmas vacation. Kevin gets into every sort of mischievous thing that an 8 year old boy left to his own devices could get into. Of course the plot thickens when two house robbers stake out his house as their next conquest. Leave it to Kevin McCalliser to make those guys wish they had never set foot on his doorstep. In traditional John Hughes fashion this film is both funny and heartfelt. I can't think of a better movie to watch at Christmas or on any other day of the year.

2003's Love Actually was the perfect homage to classic Christmas romances. It follows eight completely different people through their last month before Christmas in London, England. When it comes to ensemble casts, this one is perfection. There isn't s single actor that I would recast in this film. Alan Rickman gives one of his best performances as the confused husband of Emma Thompson. For Colin Firth, this was the best possible career decision as his follow up romantic comedy to Bridget Jone's Diary. No romantic comedy set in England would be complete without the illustrious Hugh Grant. Hugh did what Hugh does best and he delivered it with spectacular charm. I can't say enough good things about this movie and of course it is a film that graces my personal collection.

This post was written by Teresa Skibinski.

Review: The Family Stone

The Family Stone (2005) explores the complicated relationships of family members during a Christmas week when Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to meet his eccentric and opinionated family with the intention of proposing. Meredith, who seems confident in the opening sequence in New York, loses any semblance of self-assuredness in the presence of Everett’s family. She calls her sister Julie (Claire Danes) to help her get through the holiday.

The family is headed by Kelly (Craig T. Nelson) and Sibyl (Diane Keaton). Sibyl has promised her mother’s wedding ring to the woman Everett marries, but she disapproves of his choice and reneges on the promise. Youngest sister Amy (Rachel McAdams) also disapproves and makes no attempt to hide her antipathy for Meredith. Thad, the deaf gay son, and his partner Patrick seem willing to give the newcomer a chance, if only because of the hard time Amy had initially given Patrick. Luke Wilson plays Ben, the brother who seems to appreciate and understand Meredith in ways that elude Everett.

The characters make astute observations about each other that suggest a level of insight not usually allowed characters in ensembles in romantic comedies. Ben instantly recognizes that Everett doesn’t love Meredith. Kelly realizes that Meredith’s insecurity suggests that Everett lacks self-awareness.

There are some nice visual parallels in the movie. Ben sees Meredith at the top of the stairs and is instantly smitten; later, Everett sees Julie at the top of the (much shorter) stairs in the bus and is similarly smitten.

When The Family Stone was originally released, a number of reviews expressed the opinion that the Stones were awful people while Meredith was the only well-behaved one. Kelly makes a similar observation about Meredith’s manners in a private scene with Sibyl, who shoots back that anyone can have manners if adequately trained (the actual line is funnier... and crude).

But Meredith’s manners are far from perfect. She justifies Amy’s complaint that she talks incessantly, giving no one else a chance to speak. During a dinner conversation, she makes comments that would be considered politically incorrect under normal circumstances, but which wander into the realm of rudeness with Thad and Patrick at the table. It’s left to Ben to humanize her, and Wilson is perfect in this role. He is nowhere near the best actor in the cast, but he has the right brand of charm to make the character perfectly imperfect.

The main nod to tired movie tropes in The Family Stone is Meredith’s hair, tightly wound into a bun in the beginning of the film and remaining that way until after Ben gets her to drink a few beers. Her hair is let down, and she loosens up. Perhaps it’s expected, but most of the rest of the movie seems to expect the audience to be smarter than that.

This is not a movie for young children, and even some older children may be bored by some of the scenes. Teenagers and adults who like movies about complicated relationships may find this a welcome addition to their Christmas movie traditions.

This post was written by L.R. Simon.

Lists and Awards, 2011

The end of the year marks the beginning of Year's Best Films lists and Awards Season. Roger Ebert lists what he thinks were the year's 20 best films here.

Ebert's old reviewing partner, Richard Roeper, lists his top 11 films.

Peter Travers compiles Rolling Stone's list of the 10 best films here.

David Denby's list for The New Yorker is here.

The A.V. Club's list is here.

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For a different kind of list, The Atlantic has a slide show of its own idiosyncratic categories for the year in movies. A few examples:

Best Political Film: The Muppets
Most Unnecessary Literary Adaptation: The Three Musketeers in 3D
Best Foreign Film That You Can't See Yet: A Separation

There are many other entries on this fun list, with plenty to discuss and argue about with friends.

SAG Award Nominations

The nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced today. Here is the complete list, with CoyoteMoon Films' Howard Allen's preferences listed first (and sometimes second). Do you agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!

18th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

BRAD PITT / Billy Beane - "MONEYBALL" (Columbia Pictures)

JEAN DUJARDIN / George - "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)

DEMIÁN BICHIR / Carlos Galindo - “A BETTER LIFE” (Summit Entertainment)

GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King - "THE DESCENDANTS” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. Edgar Hoover - "J. EDGAR" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

MICHELLE WILLIAMS / Marilyn Monroe - “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)

GLENN CLOSE / Albert Nobbs - "ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)

MERYL STREEP / Margaret Thatcher - “THE IRON LADY” (The Weinstein Company)

TILDA SWINTON / Eva - “WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

KENNETH BRANAGH / Sir Laurence Olivier - “MY WEEK WITH MARILYN” (The Weinstein Company)

ARMIE HAMMER / Clyde Tolson - "J. EDGAR" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

JONAH HILL / Peter Brand - "MONEYBALL" (Columbia Pictures)

NICK NOLTE / Paddy Conlon - “WARRIOR” (Lionsgate)

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal - “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

JANET McTEER / Hubert Page - "ALBERT NOBBS” (Roadside Attractions)

BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy - "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)

JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan - “BRIDESMAIDS” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote ; VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark ; BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Hilly Holbrook ; ALLISON JANNEY / Charlotte Phelan ; CHRIS LOWELL / Stuart Whitworth ; AHNA O’REILLY / Elizabeth Leefolt ; SISSY SPACEK / Missus Walters ; OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson ; MARY STEENBURGEN / Elaine Stein ; EMMA STONE / Skeeter Phelan ; CICELY TYSON / Constantine Jefferson ; MIKE VOGEL / Johnny Foote

THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)

BÉRÉNICE BEJO / Peppy : JAMES CROMWELL / Clifton ; JEAN DUJARDIN / George ; JOHN GOODMAN / Al Zimmer ; PENELOPE ANN MILLER / Doris

BRIDESMAIDS (Universal Pictures)

ROSE BYRNE / Helen ; JILL CLAYBURGH / Annie’s Mom ; ELLIE KEMPER / Becca ; MATT LUCAS / Gil ; MELISSA McCARTHY / Megan ; WENDI McLENDON-COVEY / Rita ; CHRIS O’DOWD / Rhodes ; MAYA RUDOLPH / Lillian ; KRISTEN WIIG / Annie

THE DESCENDANTS (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

BEAU BRIDGES / Cousin Hugh ; GEORGE CLOONEY / Matt King ; ROBERT FORSTER / Scott Thorson ; JUDY GREER / Julie Speer ; MATTHEW LILLARD / Brian Speer ; SHAILENE WOODLEY / Alexandra King

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Sony Pictures Classics)

KATHY BATES / Gertrude Stein ; ADRIEN BRODY / Salvador Dali ; CARLA BRUNI / Museum Guide ; MARION COTILLARD / Adriana ; RACHEL McADAMS / Inez ; MICHAEL SHEEN / Paul ; OWEN WILSON / Gil

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

JAMES WOODS / Richard Fuld - “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Thurgood Marshall - “THURGOOD” (HBO)

PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke - “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

GREG KINNEAR / Jack Kennedy - “THE KENNEDYS” (REELZ CHANNEL)

GUY PEARCE / Monty Beragon - “MILDRED PIERCE“ (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce - “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham - “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)

DIANE LANE / Pat Loud - “CINEMA VERITE” (HBO)

EMILY WATSON / Janet Leach - “APPROPRIATE ADULT” (Sundance Channel)

BETTY WHITE / Caroline Thomas - “HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson - “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan - “DEXTER” (Showtime)

PATRICK J. ADAMS / Mike Ross - “SUITS” (USA)

KYLE CHANDLER / Eric Taylor - “FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS” (DirecTV)

BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White - “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

JESSICA LANGE / Constance - “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)

JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick - “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)

KATHY BATES / Harriet Korn - “HARRY’S LAW” (NBC)

GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes - “DAMAGES” (DirecTV)

KYRA SEDGWICK / Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson - “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott - “THE OFFICE” (NBC)

JON CRYER / Alan Harper - “TWO AND A HALF MEN” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton - “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)

BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky - “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)

STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson ; DOMINIC CHIANESE / Leander Cephas Whitlock ; ROBERT CLOHESSY / Ward Boss Jim Neary ; DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner ; CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater ; JOSIE & LUCY GALLINA / Emily Schroeder ; STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone ; JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow ; ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler ; HEATHER LIND / Katy ; KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder ; RORY & DECLAN McTIGUE / Teddy Schroeder ; GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody ; BRADY & CONNOR NOON/ Tommy Darmody ; KEVIN O’ROURKE / Mayor Edward Bader ; ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody ; JACQUELINE PENNEWILL / Lilian ; VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano ; MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody ; MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden ; PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle ; MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein ; PETER VAN WAGNER / Isaac “Icky” Ginsburg ; SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson ; MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Chalky White ; ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

BREAKING BAD (AMC)

JONATHAN BANKS / Mike ; BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader ; RAY CAMPBELL / Tyrus Kitt ; BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White ; GIANCARLO ESPOSITO / Gus Fring ; ANNA GUNN / Skyler White ; RJ MITTE / Walter White, Jr. ; DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader ; BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman ; AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman

DEXTER (Showtime)

BILLY BROWN / Chicago Mike ; JENNIFER CARPENTER / Debra Morgan ; JOSH COOKE / Louis ; AIMEE GARCIA / Jamie Batista ; MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan ; COLIN HANKS / Travis Marshall ; DESMOND HARRINGTON / Joey Quinn ; RYA KIHLSTEDT / Michelle ; C.S. LEE / Vince Masuka ; EDWARD JAMES OLMOS / Professor Gellar ; JAMES REMAR / Harry Morgan ; LAUREN VELEZ / Lt. Maria LaGuerta ; DAVID ZAYAS / Sgt. Angel Batista

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

AMRITA ACHARIA / Irri ; MARK ADDY / King Robert Baratheon ; ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy ; JOSEF ALTIN / Pypar ; SEAN BEAN / Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark ; SUSAN BROWN / Septa Mordane ; EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen ; NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Ser Jaime Lannister ; PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister ; RON DONACHIE / Ser Rodrik Cassel ; MICHELLE FAIRLEY / Lady Catelyn Stark ; JEROME FLYNN / Bronn ; ELYES GABEL / Rakharo ; AIDAN GILLEN / “Littlefinger” Petyr Baelish ; JACK GLEESON / Joffrey Baratheon ; IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont ; JULIAN GLOVER / Grand Maester Pycelle ; KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow ; LENA HEADEY / Queen Cersei Lannister ; ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark ; CONLETH HILL / Lord Varys ; RICHARD MADDEN / Robb Stark ; JASON MOMOA / Khal Drogo ; RORY McCANN / Sandor Clegane ; IAN McELHINNEY / Barristan Selmy ; LUKE McEWAN / Rast ; ROXANNE McKEE / Doreah ; DAR SALIM / Qotho ; MARK STANLEY / Grenn ; DONALD SUMPTER / Maester Luwin ; SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark ; MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

CHRISTINE BARANSKI / Diane Lockhart ; JOSH CHARLES / Will Gardner ; ALAN CUMMING / Eli Gold ; MATT CZUCHRY / Cary Agos ; JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick ; CHRIS NOTH / Peter Florrick ; ARCHIE PANJABI / Kalinda Sharma ; GRAHAM PHILLIPS / Zach Florrick ; MAKENZIE VEGA / Grace Florrick

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily ; JULIE BOWEN / Claire ; TY BURRELL / Phil ; JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell ; NOLAN GOULD / Luke ; SARAH HYLAND / Haley ; ED O’NEILL / Jay ; RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny ; ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron ; SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria ; ARIEL WINTER / Alex

30 ROCK (NBC)

SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger ; ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy ; KATRINA BOWDEN / Cerie ; KEVIN BROWN / Dotcom ; GRIZZ CHAPMAN / Grizz ; TINA FEY / Liz Lemon ; JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano ; JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney ; JOHN LUTZ / Lutz ; JACK MCBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell ; TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan ; MAULIK PANCHOLY / Jonathan ; KEITH POWELL / Toofer

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)

MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler ; KALEY CUOCO / Penny ; JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter ; SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz ; KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali ; JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper ; MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski

GLEE (FOX)

DIANNA AGRON / Quinn Fabray ; CHRIS COLFER / Kurt Hummel ; DARREN CRISS / Blaine Anderson ; ASHLEY FINK / Lauren Zizes ; DOT MARIE JONES / Coach Beiste ; JANE LYNCH / Sue Sylvester ; JAYMA MAYS / Emma Pillsbury ; KEVIN McHALE / Artie Abrams ; LEA MICHELE / Rachel Berry ; CORY MONTEITH / Finn Hudson ; HEATHER MORRIS / Brittany Pierce ; MATTHEW MORRISON / Will Schuester ; MIKE O’MALLEY / Burt Hummel ; CHORD OVERSTREET / Sam Evans ; LAUREN POTTER / Becky Johnson ; AMBER RILEY / Mercedes Jones ; NAYA RIVERA / Santana Lopez ; MARK SALLING / Noah ‘Puck’ Puckerman ; HARRY SHUM, JR. / Mike Chang ; IQBAL THEBA / Principal Figgins ; JENNA USHKOWITZ / Tina Cohen-Chang

THE OFFICE (NBC)

LESLIE DAVID BAKER / Stanley Hudson ; BRIAN BAUMGARTNER / Kevin Malone ; CREED BRATTON / Creed Bratton ; STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott ; JENNA FISCHER / Pam Beesly Halpert ; KATE FLANNERY / Meredith Palmer ; ED HELMS / Andy Bernard ; MINDY KALING / Kelly Kapoor ; ELLIE KEMPER / Erin Hannon ; ANGELA KINSEY / Angela Martin ; JOHN KRASINSKI / Jim Halpert ; PAUL LIEBERSTEIN / Toby Flenderson ; B.J. NOVAK / Ryan Howard ; OSCAR NUÑEZ / Oscar Martinez ; CRAIG ROBINSON / Daryll Philbin ; JAMES SPADER / Robert California ; PHYLLIS SMITH / Phyllis Lapin-Vance ; RAINN WILSON / Dwight Schrute ; ZACH WOODS / Gabe Lewis

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

COWBOYS & ALIENS (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON (PARAMOUNT PICTURES)

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (20TH CENTURY FOX)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

DEXTER (SHOWTIME)

SOUTHLAND (TNT)

SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA (STARZ)

TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award

MARY TYLER MOORE

Review: Bad Santa

NOTE: This post is a review of the “Badder Santa” version of Bad Santa available on DVD.

We’re in the midst of the Christmas special season on television. For weeks now, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty, Virginia, and others have been spreading cheer designed for small children. If you’re an adult looking for a different kind of cheer, Bad Santa may have enough bitter and sour to balance the sweet that’s currently permeating the airwaves.

Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie, a professional safecracker and unprofessional mall Santa who swears, drinks, swears, has sex with any woman who’s willing, swears, drinks, and swears. He’s a wreck. His partner in crime, Marcus (Tony Cox), is the brains behind the operation. After the job that opens the movie, Willie thinks he’s got enough money to retire to Miami. Marcus predicts that Willie will drink his share and need to do another job next year. Obviously Marcus is correct, or there wouldn’t be a movie.

At the next job, Willie encounters a shy 8-year-old boy (Brett Kelly) who’s the object of bullying. The scenes with the kid avoid the saccharine sweetness and unearned redemption that might be expected from lesser films depicting this kind of relationship. Willie’s too far gone to be redeemed completely, and “Bad Santa” leaves the audience somewhat concerned for the kid’s future with Willie as an important influence in his life.

Bad Santa features John Ritter and Bernie Mac in pivotal supporting roles. Despite the underwritten dialogue, the prickly relationship between Ritter’s prudish mall executive and Mac’s corrupt security chief provide both actors with ample opportunities to squeeze laughs out of lines that easily could have fallen flat. Ritter, in one of his last roles, steals nearly every scene he’s in.

The characters that populate Bad Santa don’t find the joy of Christmas that saved Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. They find a different kind of joy, and they elicit laughs by engaging in behaviors not usually associated with the holiday season. If the usual Christmas movie is a mug of hot cocoa, Bad Santa is a fifth of gin.

This review was written by L.R. Simon

Announcement

December 18

Society of Southwestern Authors Forum
The Tucson Sheraton Four Points on Speedway and Campbell in the conference center (south of the hotel). Program begins at 10 am.

Howard Allen will do his Presentation on the Storytelling Secrets of the Christmas Classic: It's A Wonderful Life