“Well made, yes, but also a bit tough to watch and, at times, a tad slow.”
by Martin Hafer
Peeling away the mystique…though this may NOT be what we really want.
Executive producer Morgan Spurlock (famous for Supersize Me, The Greatest Story Ever Sold and other documentaries), along with the longest list of producers and associate producers I’ve ever seen, have brought us a film about guys who portray Santa.
- Directed by
Tommy Avallone - Cast
Mick Foley, Russell Spice, Jim Stevenson - Release Date
4 November 2014 - Martin’s Grade: C+
The film crew spent an entire year following four men who have dedicated their lives to becoming Santa Claus and one who has recently decided to become Santa.
So, while these guys get paid to portray the fat man, only a small portion of the year, they eat, drink, sleep and think Santa all year-long. All this and much more is seen in this non-narrated film that simply lets these men talk about their craft as well as do mostly normal everyday things–such as going shopping, house hunting and spending time with friends.
I love documentaries, so when I saw this brand new film about men who dress up as Santa, I was eager to see it. However, in some ways I really wish I hadn’t.
While there was some really interesting content (such as a cool version of Deck the Halls by Twisted Sister and seeing pro wrestler Nick Foley becoming Santa), some of the film featured too much information and I felt like a bit like a voyeur or a guy who accidentally walked in and found grandpa naked!
After all, as a kid or even an adult, you don’t want to think about Santa’s sex life or see Santa getting drunk and becoming a bit profane! But here, it’s a warts and all look at five Santa’s! As for me, I just didn’t want to think of one Santa as a swinger or another attending a Bear and Cub convention. It reminded me of my old students who were so fond of saying…’T.M.I.’! Well made, yes, but also a bit tough to watch and, at times, a tad slow.
