Two Short Film Reviews | The Source Weekly - Bend

Two Short Film Reviews

Ebenezer Scrooge meet fake beard and Art, skateboarding and activism

If we take the entirely creepy 1934 carol "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," at its word, the man in red sees us when we're sleeping and knows when we're awake, and thus, he knows if we've been bad or good. What the song fails to inform, is the state of Santa's personal behavior. Has the lone resident of the North Pole been naughty or nice this year? According to the filthy Billy Bob Thornton Christmas flick, Bad Santa, he's been very, VERY naughty.

Smash your car windshield with a booze bottle naughty. Beat up middle-school kids naughty. Rob SantaLand naughty.

The film follows an alcoholic, sex-addict, small-time scam artist who takes a gig as Santa annually in order to steal money from department stores. He befriends a troubled and bullied youngster, first planning to take advantage, but eventually comes to care about him. This grotesque, crass and ultimately kind of heart-warming film has become a highly offensive holiday favorite.

Volcanic Theatre Pub is showing the film following performances of David Sedaris' highly offensive Christmas-themed one-man-show, "SantaLand Diaries," performed by the pub's owner, Derek Sitter.

Bad Santa

Thursday Dec. 19-Satuday Dec. 21 9 pm.

Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr.

$15 for "SantaLand" and Bad Santa

Push Tunisia is a film about bringing people through art and skateboarding in the immediate aftermath of Tunisia's jasmine revolution. Local artist and grassroots organizer Jesse Roberts of Rise Up International was an art ambassador for the innovative documentary released in 2012.

The screening is a benefit for "What Rhymes with Egypt," a Kickstarter campaign that hopes to fund several of Bend's foremost creatives, including MoWo, Kaycee Anseth, Kristina Cyr, Euijin, Nathan Gray and others, on a trip to Egypt. The trip will be followed by a multimedia three-book series chronicling their cultural experiences. Admission includes the showing of Push Tunisia, the short film Symmetry by Mohammed Zakaria, founder of the first Arab skateboard company based in Amman, Jordan, and an acoustic performance from MoWo.

Thursday Dec. 19

6 pm. Tin Pan Theater, 869 NW Tin Pan Alley. $6.