Santa's Slay (2005)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Turns out Santa was actually the son of Satan who lost a bet to an angel that forced him to be "good" for a thousand years. Time is up so Santa (Bill Goldberg) goes back to being bad by killing as many people as he can but it's up to a loser (Douglas Smith), his girlfriend (Emile de Ravin) and his wacky grandfather (Robert Culp) to try and save the day. If you're looking for high art then you're not going to find it here but if you're looking for a black comedy that isn't afraid to offend then this one here is just for you. When you see Bill Goldberg on a cover dressed as Santa then you're probably expecting something very stupid and bad but it turned out that this is a rather clever little movie that works well if you know what you're getting into. This movie isn't trying to be anything ground breaking but instead it just wants to make you laugh. The film opens up with a hilarious spoof of happy families as James Caan and Fran Drescher play the parents to some ungrateful kids (Chris Kattan, Rebecca Gayheart) and Santa soon shows up to teach them a lesson. Other victims including a cussing old lady, a Jewish store owner and we even get some Amish folks who show up. When people think of killer Santa movies they usually think of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Those who found that movie to be too mean spirited will find the complete opposite here because the movie pokes fun at a lot of people and subjects but it's done in good fun. One of the best moments happen when a preacher asks his people for dollar bills and then after the service he goes to a strip club where of course Santa shows up. I was really surprised to see how many known faces are on hand here in small roles. It was fun seeing Caan and Drescher in the opening bit and Robert Culp is always entertaining. Saul Rubinek and Dave Thomas are on hand as well. de Raven is very good in her role as the girlfriend and helps keep the film moving. Goldberg gets to show some of his famous wrestling moves and he handles the part quite nicely. He's certainly not worthy of an Oscar but he looks just right for a crazy Santa. There's some pretty good gore scattered throughout as well. SANTA'S SLAY isn't the greatest movie ever made but it's a pretty good little gem that manages to make you laugh and it's certainly something different from your typical Christmas flick.