So, did you hear the one about the people who want to do a sequel to “It’s A Wonderful Life” getting an internet sized hobnailed boot thrown at them for even deigning to think of such an outrage? Neither did I, as that could be disaster flick was only just announced. That’s one reason why Bad Santa and A Christmas Story have long since replaced that well-known and beloved classic as my favorite holiday movies.

Yeah, yeah, there’s also been a sequel announced for the former (but nothing has appeared to date)while the latter has become a “must-see” holiday show for tourists coming here to New York City, but Terry Zwigoff’s mean-spirited, outrageously funny masterpiece grabs your Yuletide wishes by the short hairs, yanks hard and starts punching everywhere so hard that you may find yourself crawling around looking for your eyeballs under the table they rolled under after they pop out a few too many times…

Granted, this R-rated black comedy won’t be for all tastes, but if you’re one of those folks who hates the holidays for their over-commercialization, the plastered on smiles you see everywhere as shoppers stomp and slap each other for bargains and a few other seasonal elements that seem to bring both the best and worst out of people, this one’s for you. Willie Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) and his dwarf partner Marcus (Tony Cox) are a pair of rather unique thieves that have been running a racket where they get jobs at a mall as Santa and his elf helper while they case certain shops with intent to rob them blind after hours. Willie is an unrepentant hedonist with a penchant for booze, drugs and women, all of which he overindulges in to the point of being a hindrance to Marcus’ plans for not making waves amongst the mall security and managers. This time out, the pair need to deal with mall security chief Gin Slagel (Bernie Mac) and manager Bob Chipeska (John Ritter), both of whom find Willie’s antics a wee bit much to take.

In all this chaos, Willie manages to hook up with a bartender named Sue (Lauren Graham) who has a Santa fetish and shortly afterwards, he meets an overweight and very strange young boy named Thurman (Brett Kelley) who thinks Willie is the real Santa Claus (despite Willie’s obviously NON-Santa antics). After taking the boy home and meeting his oblivious grandmother (Cloris Leachman), Willie initially steals the family car before ending up using the house as a hideout/base of operations while he and Marcus plan their thieving spree. Of course, things go from bad to worse as the film progresses and Willie’s habits get out of control, threatening even more the chances of the team’s success. Zwigoff’s direction is excellent throughout and the film, while hysterically funny, goes down a few dark holes you might not expect. There’s a suicide attempt, a pretty nasty hand injury, plenty of lewd moments and yes, so much creative swearing that you may be taking notes for that moment when you want to blow up at someone who deserves a mighty yelling at.

Willie gets a new lease on life thanks to Thurman and the film shifts into its next act with some lessons for both and a few other people about to take place thanks to Willie’s new outlook. He’s still a bad man, mind you – he just has a purpose and intends to (maybe) turn over some kind of leaf once all is said and done. When the time comes for the robbery to take place, the film shows Willie and Marcus getting it done in a fun sequence set to some great music. That said, everyone in the film is twisted in one way or another, something that adds a nice touch to what could have been a pretty pedestrian plot. Seeing Gin getting a manicure/pedicure in one scene is hilarious as is the scene where Chipeska is trying to talk to Willie to find out if he was the one having loud sex with a customer in a fitting room. Given that both Ritter (this was his final feature film) and Mac are no longer with us, this one’s a fine memorial to both actors that make them missed a little bit more.

Sure, the anti-Claus antics here will shock anyone who has yet to see this one, but if your sense of humor needs a VERY hard kick to the pants, Bad Santa will do just that and more before it’s all said and done. As for that sequel? Well, no news is good news, I say – this one can stand on its own two drunken, womanizing feet and fall over to vomit in the bushes once it has its way with your funny bone.