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Two underrated raunchy comedies starring Billy Bob Thornton have a new streaming home. Both these movies are available on the Max streaming service.

As of April 1, Bad Santa has joined the ever-expanding catalog of feature films available on HBO's Max streaming service. Its sequel, Bad Santa 2, is also available for streaming on the platform, giving fans the opportunity to binge the entire Bad Santa experience in one place.

Directed by Terry Zwigoff from a script written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, which itself was based on a story by the formally uncredited Cohen Brothers, Bad Santa starred Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T. Soke, a professional thief who works with his partner Marcus Skidmore, portrayed by Tony Cox, pulling off various small time heists.

When their attention turns towards a local shopping mall, the pair take jobs as a mall Santa and elf to gain easy access to their real target.

There’s a reason we keep coming back to the heist movie genre, again and again and again. That’s because although most movies would have you believe that committing crimes is bad, we can’t help but respect a character who does it well. Robbing a little old lady on the street is unforgivable, sure, but robbing a wealthy old lady who keeps her hoard of ill-gotten money in an impenetrable vault surrounded by lasers and mercenaries? You gotta respect the moxie of anybody who even tries. And if they succeed, well dang, good for them. It sounds like they earned every penny.

There’s no shortage of classic heist movies, but with income inequality on our minds, and billionaires actively destroying everything decent about this planet every single day, the genre seems particularly alluring in the 21st century. Maybe that’s why we’ve had so many classic...

From heartfelt dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies, there are plenty of great movies featuring the talented Gilmore Girls cast. The show is known for its witty dialogue, complex characters, and the charm of small-town life in Stars Hollow. Even now, close to 20 years after the series ended, Gilmore Girls remains a positively-reviewed, beloved show that's stood the test of time.

Beyond their roles in the show, the main Gilmore Girls cast members have each starred in movies that range from feel-good blockbusters to indie favorites, each offering a chance to showcase the actors in fresh, diverse settings. Whether a die-hard fan of Lorelai and Rory or intrigued by the show’s supporting characters, these films are a must-watch for a deeper appreciation of the cast’s wide-ranging skills.

Lauren Graham - Bad Santa (2003) Directed by Terry Zwigoff

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The unconventional holiday classic Bad Santa and its sequel have proven to be a free streaming hit this Christmas, as the movies hold the top two spots on Pluto TV in the U.S. The Billy Bob Thornton-led R-rated comedies certainly aren’t the kind of movies to sit and watch with the kids and your elderly aunt, but that hasn’t stopped it making a huge impression after joining the platform this December.

Despite its position as one of the most irreverent Christmas movies of all time, it seems that the black comedy, with its crude humor and anti-holiday vibe, is proving to be just as much of a hit as family comedy classics such as The Santa Clause, Home Alone, and Elf. Perhaps there is only so much saccharine-laden Christmas cheer that anyone can take, and there really isn’t a better alternative than Bad Santa to counter it.

Santa represents everything magical and wholesome about Christmas. Except when he's a criminal and a raging alcoholic, and that's exactly what he is in Bad Santa, the Christmas comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Gilmore Girls icon Lauren Graham – in one of the most un-Lorelai Gilmore roles you're likely to see. Nearly 20 years after its release, the darkly hilarious Christmas movie is enjoying a resurgence, climbing into the top two most-watched titles on Paramount+ this holiday season.

Sharing a meal with family and friends is all well and good as far as Christmas celebrations go, but for the film lovers among us, it's the perfect time to hibernate in front of the television with a cozy blanket and mug of hot chocolate with a watch-list of some of the greatest Christmas films ready to go. While not every cinephile finds satisfaction out of the genre, it's a time so magical that everything from horror films, '80s action, and even German Impressionism can all find a place in Christmas films.

Ranging from the corny and ridiculous to generational classics, Christmas films have introduced to us some of cinema's most memorable characters. The traditional George Baileys and multiple Santa Clauses hit us in the feels and remind us of the season's merriment, while the Christmas-adjacent Gizmos and John McClanes grant us the space to clench, laugh, and gasp with festive cheer.

Although director Sam Raimi is known for his horror prowess, dating back to his directorial debut with the classic Evil Dead, there was a long 15-year period in which Raimi focused on other genres. Now that the acclaimed Spider-Man director is setting his sights back on making horror films with his upcoming film Send Help, one of his feel-good fantasy genre films is charting in the top 10 movies on Disney+. However, it is not a surprise that the release of Wicked has brought people's attention back to The Wizard of Oz franchise.

Raimi's forgotten 2013 The Wizard of Oz prequel, Oz the Great and Powerful, starring James Franco as a circus magician lost in the land of Oz, is currently number four in the top 10 movies streaming on Disney+. The director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is getting some extra love from Disney viewers after the explosive release of Wicked,...

The raunchy R-rated comedy Bad Santa, was a sleeper hit at the 2003 Christmas box office, and even spawned a 2016 sequel, so why isn't Bad Santa 3 happening? When it hit theaters over 20 years ago, Bad Santa was a big middle finger to the sweet holiday movies that celebrated the spirit of Christmas. Whereas 2003 also saw the release of Elf, a family-friendly Christmas movie starring Will Ferrell as the wholesome, optimistic Buddy, Billy Bob Thornton's Willie T. Stokes was a foul-mouthed, hard-drinking mall Santa. It was the actor in his peak scoundrel era.

It turns out that Thornton's sleazy Santa was the perfect gift for audiences, and Bad Santa went on to gross over $76 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). This led to a sequel, and though it took 13 years, 2016 saw the release of Bad Santa 2. In this installment, Thornton's Willie reteams with his partner in crime,...

As the holiday season quickly approaches, it's time for movie fans to start breaking out the classics of Christmas' past. The 2003 dark-comedy Bad Santa is a hit that still makes it onto audiences' must-watch list this time of year, even two decades after its release. Starring the Academy-Award winning actor, writer, and director Billy Bob Thornton, best known for the film adaption of Sling Blade, the movie follows the hysterical antics of a drunken, department-store Santa named Willie who gets his jollies by swearing at children, hooking up in dressing rooms, and robbing retailers every Christmas Eve.

The film's lead recently appeared on the BBC program The One Show to promote his new series Landman, exclusively streaming on Paramount Plus. During his interview, despite Bad Santa's box-office success, he admitted that he initially thought the movie would end his career. A naughty Father of Christmas who takes his misery...

Quick Links Oz the Great and Powerful Is Better Than Fans Gave It Credit For Oz the Great and Powerful Is Still the Best Wizard of Oz Spinoff Film

Wicked is bringing audiences back to the magical land of Oz for another adventure detailing the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. However, the 2024 musical epic is far from the first prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Ever since the iconic 1939 film's release, different studios have brought their unique touch to the franchise, expanding the world through various spinoffs, sequels, prequels, and other new content. While some of these projects are still fondly remembered to this day, others have faded away over the years until they are only remembered by a few core fans. Among the latter group is a 2013 project detailing the origins of the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 prequel to The Wizard of Oz,...

Sam Raimi's Wizard of Oz prequel is getting a new streaming home just as the IP is revived with Wicked. The 2013 fantasy feature explored the tale of amateur magician and con artist Oscar Diggs (James Franco), who is transported to the land of Oz and tasked with vanquishing a powerful witch. Also starring Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and Mila Kunis, Raimi's movie struggled with critics, but was a commercial success with a total box office takings of $493.3 million.

Disney+ has revealed that Oz the Great and Powerful will arrive on the streaming service on November 29, the weekend after Wicked debuts in theaters. The movie is not only a well-made reimagining of the Wizard's arrival in Oz, but it also explores the origins of the three witches while retaining many of Raimi's signature filmmaking techniques. With plenty of nods to wider Oz lore, Oz the Great and Powerful is...

Today, the Nantucket Film Festival, which featured conversations with Ken Burns and many others, announced winners for this year’s 29th edition of the fest. In addition to Audience Award winners, they have also released winners for Best of Fest, the Tony Cox Screenplay Competition, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Award, and many others.

“It is a privilege to honor this cohort of both established and emerging screenwriters and storytellers, who represent the heart of our industry, at the 2024 edition of the festival,” said Mystelle Brabbée, Executive Director of the Nantucket Film Festival, and Anita Raswant, Lead Programmer of the Nantucket Film Festival. “Thank you to all of our attending filmmakers and writers for sharing their powerful stories with us and our passionate audiences who continue to turn out to the theaters and support our mission. We would like to take a moment to recognize our jurors, sponsors, staff, and volunteers,...

Peter Dinklage was originally considered for a role in Bad Santa before starring in Elf. Terry Zwigoff, the director, felt that Dinklage's delivery of the lines in his audition for Bad Santa were "truthful", but not funny. Tony Cox was ultimately cast as Marcus in Bad Santa, one of the roles that opened doors for little person actors to play more well-rounded characters.

Though already one of his earliest breakout American roles, Peter Dinklage was originally eyed for Bad Santa before going on to star in Elf. Both released in 2003, the former centered on an alcoholic thief and his criminal partner posing as a mall Santa and elf in order to conduct a heist at the end of the holiday season, while the latter starred Will Smith as a human who learns he's not actually an elf after being raised in the North Pole by Santa and goes to find his birth father.

Ho Ho Ho motherf*ckers! Yup, it’s that time of year again…the giving season. As families everywhere come together to celebrate the holidays, bundle up by the fire, and indulge in a parade of sappy Christmas movies, the real adults in the room are going to need something with a bit more kick. Think about it, the all-time best Christmas movies – It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, you name it – all revolve around sentimental family-friendly stories for children and adults to enjoy equally. But f*ck all that, Jack, this year we’re all about honoring a bona fide Christmas classic expressly aimed at adult audiences. While Die Hard and Violent Night are worthy action-packed contenders, it’s time to dish out the edible cookies and spiked eggnog for Bad Santa – easily the most politically incorrect and controversially transgressive Christmas comedy on record.

Clockwork from bottom left: Gremlins (Screenshot: Warners Bros.), Silent Night (Screenshot: Lionsgate), Krampus (Screenshot: Universal Pictures), Bad Santa (Screenshot: Columbia Pictures), A Bad Moms Christmas (Screenshot: STX Entertainment)Graphic: The A.V. Club

It’s Christmas time again, which means more marathons of the same old sappy, feel-good movies. But what...

Not every Ghoulies movie is a cinematic masterpiece, but the franchise has a cult following due to its charmingly bizarre and campy elements. Ghoulies IV was the only sequel that returned to the original premise, but it failed to capture the essence of the original film and cheapened the iconic Ghoulies design. Ghoulies II is considered the best film in the franchise, as it successfully combines scares and silly fun while giving the Ghoulies a more prominent role.

Not every Ghoulies movie claims the title of top-tier cinema; some are notably better than others. These pint-sized creatures, with their campy and at times outright absurd antics, occupy a distinctive niche in pop culture, particularly enjoyed by enthusiasts of the charmingly bizarre world of '80s horror. The franchise's enduring appeal and cult status stand unrivaled, despite not all the films being cinematic masterpieces. While certain films adeptly embraced the campy elements,...

Christmas movies hold a special place in many people's hearts. These films might be predictable or cheesy, but they also transport audiences to a magical place. Christmas movies can be hilarious comedies, sweet romantic stories, or even heartbreaking dramas. Even films like the classic Die Hard can be considered a Christmas movie, with its Christmas party and clever use of Christmas music throughout the film.

What makes the best Christmas movies stand out from the rest, is a mixture of heart, originality, and a talented cast. Most Christmas films are fun for the whole family, while others are catered to an older audience. And whether it's the Holiday season or not, viewers can enjoy some of the best Christmas movies out there any time of the year.

Related: 10 Best Classic Christmas Movies

Bad Santa

Bad Santa currently holds a 78% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The black comedy Christmas film stars Billy Bob Thornton as Willie T.

One of the most frustratingly mangled Hollywood success stories pertains to the supposed post-production salvation of "Bad Santa." Written by the then up-and-coming duo of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (based on a pitch from Joel and Ethan Coen), and directed by Terry Zwigoff (hot off the Academy Award-nominated "Ghost World"), the legend holds that Zwigoff's cut of the film was so relentlessly mean-spirited as to be unreleasable. This was backed up 13 years after the film's successful theatrical release by a selectively edited New York Times oral history, which privileges Bob Weinstein's version of the story.

You can't argue with the results. "Bad Santa" was the surprise, coal-in-the-stocking Christmas hit of 2003. Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of an alcoholic mall Santa, who lazily participates in seasonal, criminal shenanigans with his elf helper, Marcus (Tony Cox), hit anti-consumerist notes with shocking brio. It reveled in the profane freedom of its...

Terry Zwigoff's 2003 film "Bad Santa" was more or less destined for cult classic status. Starring an Academy Award-winning actor, "Bad Santa" was deliberately crass and misanthropic, an antidote to the treacly sentimentality that ordinarily infuses films explicitly about Christmas.

In "Bad Santa," Billy Bob Thornton plays an itinerant mall Santa named Willie who uses his seasonal job to plan last-minute mall heists with his partner Marcus (Tony Cox), who poses as one of Santa's Elves. The heists typically go well, but just barely, as Willie is a wrathful, cruel alcoholic who has a great deal of trouble controlling his constant base impulses toward cussing and lechery. The late Bernie Mac played Gin, a mall manager who caught wise to Marcus' and Willie's plan, and Lauren Graham played Sue, a woman with a Santa Claus fetish that Willie was happy to indulge. Nine-year-old Brett Kelly played an unobservant boy named...

The holiday season is in full swing! To help you get into the festive spirit, Et Canada has rounded up a list of holiday films, from beloved classics to new releases, available to stream in Canada.

“Falling for Christmas” (2022)

In this recently released holiday film, Lindsay Lohan returns to the screen as “a newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress” who gets into a skiing accident and suffers from total amnesia. She “finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.” Stream “Falling for Christmas” on Netflix.

“The Noel Diary” (2022)

This upcoming festive rom-com stars Justin Hartley as a best-selling author who returns home at Christmas “to settle his estranged mother’s estate.” While there, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his past as well as that of “an intriguing young woman on a mission of her own,...

With the holiday season fast approaching, it's that time of year when movie journalists and film critics start wheeling out their lists of alternative and anti-Christmas classics. If ever there was a film tailor-made for such picks, it is "Bad Santa."

In the true spirit of seasonal generosity, screenwriters Glenn Ficarra and John Requa created a script gleefully intended to offer offense to all comers, and everyone involved looks like they're having plenty of fun working their way onto Santa's naughty list. Yet the key to the film's longevity is that it remains firmly on the side of clever-offensive; if it was simply another bland gross-out comedy, it probably wouldn't have become an instant cult classic that, despite its potty mouth and all-round vulgarity, still warms our cockles after repeat viewings.

As the instantly forgettable sequel proved, you can be crass, foul-mouthed, and gross, but to pull it off and...

Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics:

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New York, NY -- December 8, 2020 -- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, the '80s sci-fi classic TV series and 1979 theatrical feature starring Gil Gerard, is now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Buck Rogers: The Complete Collection, available on Blu-ray includes both seasons of the TV series plus the 1979 Theatrical Feature. The Theatrical Feature is also available individually on Blu-ray.

The Complete Collection comes packed with bonus features including the Pilot Episode (Awakening), 32 Episodes and Theatrical Version (First Time in HD), New Audio Commentaries for 11 Selected Episodes by Film/TV Historian Patrick Jankiewicz, Author of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion, New Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson (Theatrical Feature), New Interview with Co-Star Erin Gray, New Interview with...

Exclusive: Karen McDermott, whose drama Lullabies of la Jaula earned her a Nicholl Fellowship for Screenwriting from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year, has signed with Apa.

An attorney-turned-English professor and poet, McDermott’s background as an advocate for abused women and children and her study of literature play an intricate role in her humanistic and literary writing style, the agency said. Her Nicholl-winning drama Lullabies of la Jaula exposes the cruelty of U.S. Immigration’s Family Separation Policy by tracing the journey of a vulnerable Mexican girl. Separated from her family during a desperate border crossing and held in a cage for migrant children, 14-year-old Dalia is determined to reunite with her mother. Throughout her ordeal, she finds inspiration in her only possession: a book of poetry by the imprisoned Spanish revolutionary Miguel Hernandez.

Lullabies of la Jaula also was a semifinalist in the 2019 Showtime/Tony Cox Screenwriting Competition,...

Billy Bob Thornton took his method acting to the next level while making 2003's Bad Santa. The actor admits he got nearly blackout drunk for one particular scene. It seems that Thornton was drinking a lot at that time and admits he wasn't the easiest guy to deal with while making the now-classic Christmas movie. Co-star Tony Cox once asked Thornton if he was high while they were working. "Every day," replied the actor and Cox still doesn't know to this day if he was kidding.

In a new interview, Billy Bob Thornton admits, "I do have a method actor aspect to myself," before launching into his Bad Santa story. In the movie, Thornton plays department store Santa Claus Willie Soke, who just so happened to be an alcoholic. In one particular scene, Willie goes on a drunken rampage, which was apparently very real. Thornton explains.

"I drank about three...

Billy Bob Thornton took a method style approach to his 2003 holiday classic Bad Santa.

The actor, 64, opened up about the making of the film during a sit-down interview on Entertainment Weekly‘s Couch Surfing. Thornton played Willie T. Stokes who reunites with his friend every year for a holiday con.

Posing as a Santa Claus at a mall, Stokes arrives drunk during a photocall with children looking to tell Santa about their Christmas lists. Thornton admitted he “was drunk” during the scene as a way to get into character.

“It’s so obvious. I drank about three glasses of red wine for breakfast.

Nantucket, Mass. — Adventure drama “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and Syria documentary “For Sama” emerged as the top winners at the 24th annual Nantucket Film Festival.

The festival, which concludes today, as ever put the emphasis on screenwriters and emerging talents. Director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s Sundance hit “Brittany Runs a Marathon” had a number of well-received screenings, as did Gavin Hood’s “Official Secrets.” Documentaries that played at the island getaway off the coast of Massachusetts included “It Started As a Joke,” “David Crosby: Remember My Name” and “We Are the Radical Monarchs.”

The festival’s annual screenwriter tributes went to female forces in the comedy realm. Leslie Dixon, the seasoned scribe behind “Mrs. Doubtfire” and the musical rendition of “Hairspray,” was recognized, as were five former and current women from the “Saturday Night Live” orbit: Jane Curtin, writer Anne Beatts, Heidi Gardner, Sudi Green and Sarah Schneider.

The...

John Lennon and Yoko Ono had some serious swag back in the day, and now a piece of their stylish relationship can be yours ... if you've got an eye for 5-figure tracksuits.  John's tracksuit, worn during a 1970 trip to Denmark with Yoko, is going up for sale through the memorabilia company, Moments in Time -- and they're hawking this vintage getup for a cool $35,000. John's tracksuit actually has a pretty interesting story ... it comes from the collection of Yoko's ex-husband,...

On the morning of January 27th, 1970, John Lennon glimpsed his future. He and Yoko Ono had just returned from a nearly month-long trip to Denmark, where Ono was visiting her daughter with her second husband, Tony Cox, and his new wife, Melinda Kendall. During one of many conversations there, the idea of “karma” was brought up and dissected, and Lennon still had those thoughts in his head when he awoke that January day in his Tittenhurst Park home.

Not long after waking up, he sat down at a piano and,...

Welcome to this Christmas edition of Major League Wrestling, right here on Nerdly. I’m Nathan Favel and we have Court Bauer’s answer to Santa Claus when he asked if Court had been a good boy this year. Do you think Santa smacked him in the head when he just showed an hour episode of Mlw instead of answering the question? What if he asked Bad Santa? Does Tony Cox come with him? Screw it. Here comes The Monkees…Major League Wrestling. Santa didn’t bring me a delete button, so The Monkees get to stay…especially Peter Tork.

Match #1: Pco vs. Brody King – No Disqualification Match

My Take: 3.5 out of 5 – As a sound match this was no masterpiece, but as a great spectacle, this was a wild opener. Both of these guys are on their way to Ring of Honor for 2019, but they went out with a...

21Cf Global Inclusion, which nurtures diverse voices and stories in front of and behind the camera, announced today that Tesia Walker has been selected as this year’s Fox Writers Lab Fellow. Out of the seventh annual group of Fox Writers Lab writers, she has landed a script development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company.

Originally from New York, Walker graduated from Columbia University’s Film M.F.A. program, where she won Best Teleplay Pilot for her drama script, The Border and received the Jesse Thompkins III Writing Fellowship. Her short film, Search Party, was awarded an HBO Production Grant, and also was a semi-finalist in NBC Universal’s 2016 Shorts Fest. Her pilot, The Line, was a recipient of the 2017 Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competition for Best One-Hour Teleplay.

The Fox Writers Lab (Fwl) program includes a four-month curriculum which writers re-write an original comedy or drama pilot script and...

Billy Bob Thornton has returned to TV with the premiere of the second season of “Goliath,” the Amazon Studio’s legal series, for which Thornton won the Golden Globe as Best TV Drama Actor. As Billy McBride, a dishonored lawyer who has a grudge against his old law firm and gets his vengeance against them in Season 1, he now seeks exoneration for the son of a friend (Lou Diamond Phillips) who is being set up on a murder charge.

Although Thornton’s television work has been limited, he is no stranger to TV awards, having won another Golden Globe for his work in FX’s limited series “Fargo,” as well as an Emmy nom and a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.

Still, his great fame has been his work in films, having won an Academy Award for his screenplay for 1996’s “Sling Blade,” as well as Oscar nominations for...

The “Star Wars” films are full of secret cameos, soon-to-be-famous actors in small bit parts, and well-known faces behind alien masks and makeups. Here are 23 big names hidden throughout the franchise you might not have known about.

For more features and deep dives into the world of “Star Wars” and the culture surrounding it, be sure to check out IMDb’s “Star Wars” hub.

Daniel Craig (“The Force Awakens”)

It was something of a news item at the time, but James Bond slipped in a secret cameo in the first “Star Wars” film in a decade — as a stormtrooper. He’s the guard that Rei manages to Jedi mind trick into releasing her.

Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz (“The Force Awakens”)

You’d think the last thing a droid like Bb-8 would require is a voice, given that he’s a robot and speaks in bleeps and bloops. But to get the sound and personality just right, director J.J. Abrams enlisted comedians Bill Hader (formerly of “SNL”) and Ben Schwartz (well-known for playing Jean-Ralphio on “Parks and Rec”).

Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“The Force Awakens”)

“Game of Thrones” might have noticed a familiar First Order officer during shots of the bridge of the Starkiller Base. It was Jojen Reed, Bran Stark’s loyal friend, who also plays Newt in the “Maze Runner” franchise..

Rose Byrne (“Attack of the Clones”)

Before she was a mainstay of the “Insidious” movies alongside Patrick Wilson or had joined the “X-Men” franchise as CIA Agent Moira MacTaggert, Rose Byrne was one of the handmaidens serving Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) in the “Star Wars” prequels. Specifically, she was Dormé, who accompanied Padmé to Coruscant to do government things.

Keira Knightley (“The Phantom Menace”)

Knightley wasn’t just any handmaiden in “The Phantom Menace” — she was the handmaiden. Serving as the decoy for the real queen, Knightley was the actress people thought was Amidala for half the movie, before Natalie Portman’s Padmé revealed her true identity.

Sofia Coppola (“The Phantom Menace”)

There really were a mess of these handmaidens. Before she was a full-time director, Sofia Coppola picked up a few small acting gigs, including the handmaiden Saché in “The Phantom Menace.” Just a few years after the 1999 movie, in 2003, Coppola would pick up a Best Director Academy Award nomination for “Lost in Translation.”

Joel Edgerton (“Attack of the Clones,” “Revenge of the Sith”)

Luke’s moisture-farming, humorless uncle Owen Lars was young once, but he was never not a guy who stood around a crappy homestead on Tatooine. In the prequel movies, the role was picked up by Joel Edgerton of “Loving” and “The Great Gatsby.”

Billie Lourd (“The Force Awakens”)

Billie Lourd sneaked into Lucasfilm’s revival of “Star Wars” as Lt. Connix, one of the Resistance fighters running tactical machinery in the base of General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). Known for her hilarious turn as Chanel No. 3 on the horror-comedy series “Scream Queens,” she’s also Fisher’s daughter.

John Ratzenberger (“The Empire Strikes Back”)

Ratzenberger is best remembered as know-it-all postman Cliff Clavin from “Cheers,” or maybe his numerous voice roles in Pixar movies. In “The Empire Strikes Back,” Ratzenberger is one of the Rebel officers hanging around Echo Base on Hoth with Princess Leia and C-3Po (Anthony Daniels).

Tony Cox (“Return of the Jedi”)

In an Ewok suit, you’d never know Tony Cox appeared in “Return of the Jedi.” He wouldn’t really show off his acting chops until comedies like “Bad Santa,” where he was Billy Bob Thornton’s much-smarter mall-robbing accomplice and Christmas elf, and “Me, Myself and Irene.”

Dominic West (“The Phantom Menace”)

The prequel trilogy was filled with actors who would go on to do great things, but who were mostly filling small or background roles in the “Star Wars” universe. Dominic West‘s character in “The Phantom Menace” was an otherwise nondescript member of Queen Amidala’s palace guard — nothing so interesting as his later turn as Jimmy McNulty on HBO’s “The Wire.”

Julian Glover (“The Empire Strikes Back”)

Julian Glover‘s General Veers is probably the most competent officer available to Darth Vader as wanders the galaxy looking for the Rebels and Luke Skywalker. He’d be decidedly less competent as Grand Maester Pycelle on “Game of Thrones,” but decidedly more evil as Nazi collaborator Walter Donovan in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”

Richard Armitage (“The Phantom Menace”)

Blink and you’d miss Richard Armitage‘s small background role among the guards on Naboo. Although, it’s tough to recognize him without the lustrous locks Armitage sported in “The Hobbit” as Thorin Oakenshield, or the creepy teeth from his turn as killer Francis Dolarhyde in “Hannibal” Season 3 on NBC.

Deep Roy (“Return of the Jedi”)

It’s easiest to remember Deep Roy in the Johnny Depp-starring “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” since Roy played every orange oompa-loompa in that movie. In “Return of the Jedi,” he was both an Ewok and the puffy alien band member Droopy McCool in Jabba’s Palace. Deep Roy also worked on “The Empire Strikes Back,” acting as a stand-in for the muppet Yoda.

Simon Pegg (“The Force Awakens”)

Another secret cameo, Simon Pegg is covered in alien costume work as the junk dealer Unkar Plutt on Jakku. He’s the guy who gives Rei less than what her salvage is probably worth.

Bai Ling (“Revenge of the Sith”)

Bai Ling actually doesn’t appear in “Revenge of the Sith,” but she was supposed to. Her scene as Senator Bana Breemu was cut from the film. But there are things you definitely have seen her in, including “Crank: High Voltage,” “The Crow” and “Entourage.”

Peter Serafinowicz (“The Phantom Menace”)

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will recognize Peter Seafinowicz for his turn as untrusting Nova Corps officer Garthan Saal in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” He didn’t appear in “The Phantom Menace,” but provided the gravely, frightening voice of Darth Maul (the rest of whom was played by Ray Park), as well as for a gungan warrior and a battle droid.

Harriet Walter (“The Force Awakens”)

Playing a Resistance medic who helps out Chewbacca, “Downton Abbey” alumna Harriet Walter gets a short but sweet cameo in “The Force Awakens.” She actually has one of the movie’s funnier moments as she talks to Chewie about how scary his ordeal must have been.

Treat Williams (“The Empire Strikes Back”)

When you’re Treat Williams, you can wander onto the set of “The Empire Strikes Back” and find yourself in the movie. Williams reportedly dropped by England’s Elstree Studios set, where the movie was being filmed, to visit Carrie Fisher. Apparently one thing led to another, and now Williams plays one of the Rebel troops running around Echo Base on Hoth.

Sally Hawkins (“The Phantom Menace”)

Before she was an Academy Award-nominated actress for her role in “Blue Jasmine,” Sally Hawkins was an extra in the giant celebration scene in “The Phantom Menace.” She admitted in an interview with Conan O’Brien that she’d never actually seen the movie, despite being in it.

Martin Csokas (“Attack of the Clones”)

The “Star Wars” movies have slipped a few notable actors into the voice roles of aliens. Martin Csokas is one — he provided the voice of the Geonosian alien Poggle the Lesser in “Attack of the Clones.” Fantasy fans probably know him better as the elf Celeborn, husband to Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel in “The Lord of the Rings.”

Keisha Castle-Hughes (“Revenge of the Sith”)

Sometime after Padmé’s term as queen had ended by “Revenge of the Sith,” the wise people of Naboo apparently elected another teenager queen: Queen Apailana, played by Keisha Castle-Hughes. Apailana is seen at Padmé’s funeral, and Castle-Hughes is known for “The Whale Rider” and appearing on “The Walking Dead.”

For more features and deep dives into the world of “Star Wars” and the culture surrounding it, be sure to check out IMDb’s “Star Wars” hub.

Read original story 24 Actors You Probably Didn’t Know Were in ‘Star Wars’ Movies (Photos) At TheWrap...

And so, once again, that time of year is quickly creeping up on us. Christmas is only just around the corner and it will soon be time to dust off our Xmas movie DVDs and Blu-rays. This year, why not add another to your list as we have 3 copies of Bad Santa 2 to giveaway on Blu-ray.

Bad Santa is back to put the XXX into Xmas as Billy Bob Thornton returns as anti-festive hero Willie Soke. Far from bringing joy this Santa is fuelled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred and this Christmas Willie teams up again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.

Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity. However things get complicated when the gang are joined by...

Ladies, how would you react if a man – let alone an employer – asked you if you had bathed that day? You probably wouldn’t take too kindly to it, and may even assume this man was having some odd thoughts about you. This is what Kristen Wiig's Monica is going through in this exclusive clip for The Heyday Of Insensitive Bastards, which shows Wiig as a maid-for-hire in one of seven vignettes, and has been asked the question by Tony Cox's Mr. Chubbs.... Read More...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Lineup Announcements

– The Human Rights Watch Film Festival will be presented June 9 – 18, with 21 topical and provocative feature documentaries and panel discussions that showcase courageous resilience in challenging times. In an era of global advances by far-right forces into the political mainstream, assaults on the free press, and the rise of “citizen journalism,” festival organizers hope that the films in this year’s program can serve as inspiration and motivation for the audience, from seasoned activists to those searching for a role in local and global movements.

Now in its 28th edition, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival is co-presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. All screenings will be followed by in-depth discussions with filmmakers, film subjects, Human Rights Watch researchers, and special guests.

When I reviewed Bad Santa 2 here at We Are Movie Geeks, I wrote: “Thornton’s Willy is still an amusing, deadpan movie character with the power to shock, the perfect antidote to the usual saccharine Christmas confection. Whether he’s swigging booze, cussing at the children he has no patience with, or having rough sex in an alley (or bathroom), Willy epitomizes everything a street corner Santa shouldn’t be. Matching Thornton in terms of coarseness is Kathy Bates, but there is surprising depth to the relationship between mother and son, and much of their back and forth is side-splitting….” read the rest of my review Here

Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox and Brett Kelly reunite in Bad Santa 2 , the funniest, raunchiest and most inappropriate film of the year, releaseed on Est on February 14 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and VOD February 21. Fueled by cheap whiskey and greed,...

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical Nocturnal Animals (Tom Ford-directed drama; Jake Gyllenhaal, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson; rated R) Hacksaw Ridge (Mel Gibson-directed war drama; Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn; rated R) Manchester by the Sea (Oscar-begging drama; Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler; rated R) Bad Santa 2 (comedy; Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Tony Cox; rated R) Moonlight (Oscar-begging romantic...

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Fueled by cheap whiskey and greed, Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton), teams up once again with his angry sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity run by curvaceous Diane (Christina Hendricks). As vulgar as this ensemble can get, the Blu-ray and 4K iterations, hitting shelves on February 21st, will boast unrated versions including deleted scenes not in the film! You can check out an... Read More...

As we head into the holiday season, Wamg brings you our list of the Best Non-Traditional Christmas Movies to watch after the Holiday ham, pretty presents, and multiple viewings of White Christmas, Home Alone and Miracle On 34th Street are a thing of Christmas Past.

Our choices are filled snarky mistletoe carnage and crafty comedy – Geek style. Santa Claus is coming to town in these “More Naughty Than Nice”. films.

We’ve made a list and checked it twice with our lineup of not just the 20 Best holiday films but the Top 21 Non-Traditional Christmas Movies. After the success of Krampus, we just had to add it!

We kick off our list with our Honorable Mention –

Jingle All The Way

Christmas; It’s the most magical time of the year. High powered businessman Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is hard at work taking last-minute orders from customers to whom he just can...

Heading into this holiday weekend, it was expected that last weekend's winner, the Harry Potter spin-off, would not repeat at the box office, going up against four high-profile new releases. The box office hit went up against four new titles that all opened in wide release on Wednesday, Disney's Moana, Paramount's Allied, Broad Green Pictures' Bad Santa 2 and 20th Century Fox's Rules Don't Apply. As expected, Moana easily took the top spot with a three-day weekend tally of $55.5 million, and a five-day total of $81.1 million.

Box Office Mojo reports that Moana opened in 3,875 theaters this weekend, with an impressive $14,329 per-screen average. No budget figures were released for this animated adventure, which came in quite lower than Disney's hit animated movies such as Frozen ($67.3 million) and Zootopia ($75 million). Both of those films ended up earning over $1 billion worldwide during their full theatrical runs, but it remains to be seen whether...

Undoubtably the dirtiest mainstream comedy of the year, Bad Santa 2 is lacking the critical elements of surprise and heart the first film had underneath its nihilist exterior. Billy Bob Thorton’s Willie Soke returns, as hung-over and down-and-out as ever, stuck in a dead-end job as a 50-something stock boy living in a crappy motel. He’s not good at anything; he can’t even get his own suicide right as he sticks his head into his oven only to discover its electric. In the middle of his botched suicide attempt, the slow-witted kid from the first film, Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), shows up, grown up and now working as a “sandwich artisan” at a sub chain. He still means well, even if he’s unable to read any signs of human behavior in a joke that falls quite flat.

Even though they should have left a good thing alone,...

Billy Bob Thornton returns in a belated sequel that wrings occasional snickers from a patchy script

Related: Never mind the baubles: why the best Christmas films are darker than December

This tardy-to-needless sequel to 2003’s unusually scabrous studio comedy plays the same dirty tricks with only negligible variations: rather than shopping malls, incorrigible wash-up Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton) and his diminutive sidekick (Tony Cox) are reteamed to rip off a Chicago homeless charity. If confronting Willie with mother-from-hell Kathy Bates was one smart creative decision, nothing else – not the jokes about Cox’s size, not charity supervisor Christina Hendricks’ susceptibility to Willie’s dubious charms, nor the ensuing alleyway pumping – catches us by surprise this time. Likable Mean Girls pro Mark Waters wrings occasional snickers from a patchy script, but the whole feels tamely conventional: misanthropy passed through the usual Hollywood motions.

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MaryAnn’s quick take… Hard to believe it took 13 years to get a sequel to our screens and still have it show not a hint of Bad Santa’s inspiration or subversion. I’m “biast” (pro): loved the first film

I’m “biast” (con): didn’t see the need for a sequel

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Hard to believe that the notorious anti-Christmas classic Bad Santa is 13 years old. Even harder to believe that this sequel — the unimaginatively titled Bad Santa 2 — took so long to get to our screens and yet show not a lick of the first movie’s inspiration or subversion. It took more than a decade to come up with what is little more than a pale imitation of an original that had wrapped itself up very satisfyingly? Why bother if there isn’t something new to add?

There’s an effortless lightness,...

A lot can happen in 13 years: You can watch two wars start and finish; you can see social media platforms sprout up and change the public conversation; you can elect a country's first black president and its first orange one. What you apparently can't do, however, is teach an old dog like Willie Soke, the profane petty crook and several-leagues-less-than-jolly St. Nick for hire of Bad Santa, new tricks – or worse, make his old tricks somehow still seem appealing by default. For those of us who love Terry Zwigoff's...

To celebrate the release of Bad Santa 2 in Irish cinemas on November 23rd, we’re giving you the chance to win an awesome merchandise prize bundle including; Bad Santa 2 hoodie, Santa hat, door sign, hip flask and Christmas baubles. To win, simply enter your details below and we'll pick some winners next week Bad Santa 2 (cert 16) returns Academy Award-winner Billy Bob Thornton to the screen as everyone’s favourite anti-hero, Willie Soke. Fuelled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity. Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Kathy Bates, as Willie...

Billy Bob Thornton returns, in a middling comedy sequel that's willing to break a few rules. It's Bad Santa 2...

I am all for anything that represents Christmas as the hellish festival of torment that it is, but there’s a line at which misanthropy stops being loveable shtick and starts meaning you don’t get invited to parties anymore. Bad Santa 2 doesn’t necessarily cross that line, but it is way too preoccupied with trying to.

Anti-heroes work better in TV than in film, I think: there’s more time to let you grow to root for and even like them. In film you have to set them up, show them being a total bastard, then set them on a path to some sort of redemption within a couple of hours. Bad Santa 2, to its credit, is brave enough not to shoot for actual redemption, instead aiming...

Comedy sequels are notoriously tough to pull off. Nobody will be satisfied by merely repeating jokes and gags from the original, but if you change the formula too much you risk alienating fans. Though it’s an inferior sequel, Bad Santa 2 balances that dilemma just enough to recommend. Director Terry Zwigoff’s original Bad Santa from way back in 2003, was an uproarious all-out assault on political correctness. Billy Bob Thornton played Willie Soke, a crass, vulgar drunken crook who, with his midget sidekick Marcus (Tony Cox), spent each Christmas working as a department store Santa with the aim of robbing their place of employment. Bad Santa was a misanthropic opposite to the season’s traditional batch of sugary sweet holiday stories. Now 13 years later comes the sequel. Zwigoff (who hasn’t made a film since 2006’s Art School Confidential) is out, replaced by Mark Waters, best known for Mean Girls,...

This holiday season, why not distract yourself from all the seething hate around you with more hate on screen? Admittedly, Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa is a raucous Christmas comedy that jingles my bells – but Bad Santa 2 is downright despicable. Mean-spirited, perverse and emptier than an alcoholic’s three-day-old vodka bottle. Zwigoff’s original film works a tight ensemble comedy angle, but Mark Waters’ second coming is worse than any family’s most inebriated member (even sicker than Brian Posehn’s Uncle Nick).

Imagine your drunk Uncle. Now imagine him puking on the dinner table, putting out his cigarette in the bile and then proceeding to fuck whatever cooked bird was served – in front of everyone, while laughing. Bad Santa 2 is the equivalent of that unstable mess, never living up to the sinful sentiments of 2003’s first mall-Santa heist.

Billy Bob Thorton is back once again as Willie Soke,...

After over a decade, Billy Bob Thornton has returned to play Willie Soke – raging alcoholic, womanizer and all-round low-life – in Bad Santa 2, which will raise a glass, or three, in theatres when it opens tomorrow.

Excessive drinking is but one character trait that defines Willie Soke, and in Bad Santa 2, Thornton’s despicable trickster will be up to his old ways, striking up a new partnership with literal partner-in-crime Marcus (Tony Cox) that involves Sunny Soke, the butch, borderline-abusive mother hen played with glee by American Horror Story alum, Kathy Bates.

Toss in a raging nymphomaniac in Christina Hendricks’ newcomer Diane and you have a festive sequel for only select portions of the family. When the plot involves robbing a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve, coupled with the crude nature of the cult 2003 original, you almost know what you’re in for right off the bat.

During the...

Plot: It’s been more than ten years since we’ve seen Willie (Billy Bob Thornton), but he’s as drunk and pathetic as ever, with only the now adult Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) keeping him company as he enters middle age. Broke and on the verge of ending it all, he’s lured to Chicago by his old partner Marcus (Tony Cox) with the promise of an easy score involving his... Read More...