Christmas decorations have been in big box stores since Halloween, and now it’s going to be all about Christmas at the movies, too. This weekend is the beginning of the holiday movie season, and they’re off to a “bad” start. The always jolly Chris Van Vliet sat down with the stars of “Bad Santa 2.”
Christmas movies are usually lighthearted, feel-good movies — and then “Bad Santa” came along, packing more vulgarity and curse words into a film than you thought possible.
And, of course, nothing has changed for the sequel. I flew to Los Angeles to share the holiday cheer with Bad Santa himself, Billy Bob Thornton.
Billy Bob Thornton (as Willie): “What the hell are you looking at me so funny for?”
Boy: “Sorry, Santa. I had to go.”
Billy Bob Thornton (as Willie): (staring at urine) “Oh, is that you? I thought it was me.”
“Bad Santa 2” picks up 13 years after the first one, and not much has changed. Billy Bob Thornton’s character, Willie, is still fueled by cheap booze and is as miserable as ever.
Rival Santa: “You are standing on my spot.”
Billy Bob Thornton (as Willie): “Really? That’s funny. I don’t see your name on it anywhere.”
Chris Van Vliet: “I mean, it’s one of people’s favorite Christmas movies, but there’s a lot of fans that will say the first one is so good, we don’t need a sequel. So, what do you say to them?”
Billy Bob Thornton: “Well, first of all, comedies are sort of made for sequels. Dramas, not so much. We wanted to make sure that people who loved the first one got the same essence, the same spirit of that one.”
Willie’s angry sidekick, Marcus, is back, and Thurman Merman is all grown up, but still as goofy as ever.
Tony Cox: “We go there, and you know what you’re in for when you go. This is ‘Bad Santa.’ This is no G-rated movie.”
They come up with a plan to rob a charity on Christmas Eve, but it hinges on working with Willie’s mom, played by Kathy Bates, who is even more foul-mouthed than Billy Bob’s character.
Kathy Bates (as Sunny Soke): “What’s it been, 15 years?”
Billy Bob Thornton: “Mom.” (punches her)
Kathy Bates (as Sunny Soke): “Well, you still hit like your daddy.”
Chris Van Vliet: “In the scenes where you have to be particularly profane, is there any sort of hesitation?”
Kathy Bates: No, I’m sorry to admit that. No, darling. You know, when I do a part, it’s not me. Although I do curse every now and then, but now I’m more careful about it. But you just jump in.”
Billy Bob tells Deco he’s never surprised by the range of people who love “Bad Santa.”
Billy Bob Thornton: “I get grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and kids who probably shouldn’t have seen it, all kinds of people telling me that they love this movie.”
“Bad Santa 2” opens in theaters on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
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