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Clockwise from bottom left: Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa (Miramax), Ed Asner in Elf (New Line Cinema), and Edmund Gwenn in Miracle On 34th Street (20th Century Flox)Graphic: The A.V. Club

Tis the season to talk movie Santas. With Christmas upon us, we decided to dig deep into...

Santa Claus first appeared on film all the way back in 1898, when he starred in a short film by George Albert Smith called, appropriately, "Santa Claus." In it, a silent Santa sneaks across a rooftop, climbs down a chimney, and leaves gifts for a little girl and boy who are nestled in their beds.

Ever since, holiday films have been stuffed with depictions of Father Christmas. Some are nice, and some are naughty. Some are jolly, and some are degenerate. Most are merry, but a few are murderous. Many films try to put their own spin on the Santa mythos, too, trying to make their St. Nick stand out from the pack of present-carrying holiday patriarchs. But others simply try to spread holiday joy, offering something jolly to put on while you sip hot cocoa and trim the tree.

With an eye toward giving you a little bit of everything...

Running a mere 42 minutes, James Gunn's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" has a simple premise. The alien characters Mantis (Pom Klemetieff) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) have noticed that their friend, the human Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), has been sullen of late. As aliens, they have little knowledge of Earth customs, but have put together that on Star-Lord's home planet they are about to engage in an oblique local holiday called Christmas. Mantis and Drax know that giving gifts is a central part of the holiday, and they elect to go to Earth in secret to acquire the ultimate present: Kevin Bacon (Kevin Bacon). Evidently, Star-Lord, who was kidnapped from Earth as a boy in the 1980s, has spoken at length about Bacon and his talents, and Mantis and Drax think nothing of kidnapping the actor and putting him in a box as a favor to their friend.

As the embodiment of kindness, generosity, and Yuletide beneficence, Santa Claus presents some mighty big black boots, much less a red suit, for any actor to fill. But jolly old Saint Nicholas has appeared in the movies for as long as the movies have existed, and here are some of our favorite actors who’ve steered the sleigh (not counting Billy Bob Thornton and anyone else who has played a guy who is pretending to be Santa):

Kurt Russell in “The Christmas Chronicles” (2018) and “The Christmas Chronicles 2” (2020): There’s more than a little bit of Russell’s trucker character from “Big Trouble in Little China” in his take on Father Christmas, but that blue-collar bravado and dad-bod energy make this character, in the words of critic Nathan Rabin, “a Santa who f–ks.”

Jim Broadbent, “Arthur Christmas” (2011): In this delightful animated adventure from Aardman, Broadbent plays...

Who rocks the best bowl-full-of-jelly belly in movie history? Father Christmas has shown up in enough movies that he has his own subgenre: the Santa Claus movie, a whole category of family friendly fantasy films dedicated to exploring the magic of St. Nick.

Here are some of the most memorable movie portrayals of Santa Claus.

1. Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The gold standard for cinematic Santa Clauses, Gwenn plays Kris Kringle, a department store Santa who insists he’s the real thing. Gwenn’s performance as Kringle was so convincing that he won the Oscar for Best Supporting...

There are a lot of terrible Christmas flicks for your viewing displeasure. Plenty of campy horror flicks featuring rampaging Santas and snowmen, tons of cheesy, feel-good family made-for-tv films and terrible specials full of prop-laden, cabaret performances. However, the 1964 sci-fi adventure that is Santa Conquers the Martians might be the worst of them all — or the best, depending on your intent. The film features John Call as a Santa who attempts to use his jolly demeanor to best robots, aliens and other threats. Make some popcorn, pour yourself a glass of egg nog, invite over some friends in bad sweaters and head on over to TV Mix to [ Read More ]

The post Is Santa Conquers the Martians the worst holiday movie ever? appeared first on Shockya.com.

Filed under: Columns, Cinematical

Welcome to Adventures in B-Movie Land, the monthly column where I take a look at some of the strangest, cheapest and worst films ever made ... and explore why you have to see them. Look for new entries on the second Wednesday of every month.

The Motion Picture:

'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' (1964), directed by Nicholas Webster

Also Known As...

There don't seem to be any alternate titles for this extraordinary motion picture. When your title is 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,' you don't need any stinkin' alternate titles.

Featuring the Talented...

John Call as Santa Claus, Leonard Hicks, Bill McCutcheon and Pia Zadora as the Martians he conquers and Victor Stiles and Donna Conforti as the two annoying kids along for the ride. Oh, and Gene Lindsey as the Worst. Polar Bear. Ever.

What Is It?

A science fiction family movie comprised entirely of cardboard,...

Filed under: Columns, Cinematical

Welcome to Adventures in B-Movie Land, the monthly column where I take a look at some of the strangest, cheapest and worst films ever made ... and explore why you have to see them. Look for new entries on the second Wednesday of every month.

The Motion Picture:

'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' (1964), directed by Nicholas Webster

Also Known As...

There don't seem to be any alternate titles for this extraordinary motion picture. When your title is 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,' you don't need any stinkin' alternate titles.

Featuring the Talented...

John Call as Santa Claus, Leonard Hicks, Bill McCutcheon and Pia Zadora as the Martians he conquers and Victor Stiles and Donna Conforti as the two annoying kids along for the ride. Oh, and Gene Lindsey as the Worst. Polar Bear. Ever.

What Is It?

A science fiction family movie comprised entirely of cardboard,...