Westside Messenger - December 11th, 2022

PAGE 12 - WESTSIDE MESSENGER - December 11, 2022
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In Entertainment
Santa and a sledgehammer
‘Tis the season when people all across the world
gather in front of their television sets, computer monitors,
and smartphone screens to usher in a bit of
Christmas cheer through a variety of entertainment
offerings that aim to elicit the soothing sensation of the
warm fuzzies for their audience. Although there is a
certain segment of the population who likes to watch
this type of programming throughout the year, most
only care to view the festive fare within a three-week
window as it provides a nice distraction from the
mountain of debt you are incurring from buying gifts
for those who do not deserve them or for those who can
frankly afford to purchase the items for themselves.
For those in the latter category who find a certain
kind of solace in the holiday flick, there is a new
Christmas movie that was released into the theaters
this past weekend called “Violent Night” that offers
both a heart-warming nod to the spirit of the season
and a good spot of bloody viciousness thanks to a
sledgehammer-wielding Santa who is spoiling to
smash in the faces of those who made it onto his very
naughty list.
In this acerbic home-invasion comedy thriller from
director Tommy Wirkola, “Stranger Things” star David
Harbour plays the barbaric Kris Kringle who has just
about had it with this whole delivering-present-to-children
gig. When the film opens, he is nearly slumped
over the counter of a pub in England on Christmas
Eve, bemoaning the fact that the alcoholic beverages
being served are still rendering him “upright.” During
a slurred conversation with a small Santa Claus, he
lets loose on having to serve at the whim of children
who just “want, crave, and consume.”
In this amusing scene between the holiday icons of
good cheer, the real Santa admits his duties are a
curse — a backstory scene posits that it just might be
one as a form of punishment for his past deeds — and
laments that all he wants to do is to be done with the
whole thing. Alas, he must fulfill his duties and he
goes about it begrudgingly, haphazardly tossing presents
to the ground, viciously biting the heads off of
cookies left out for him and raiding the booze cabinets
of the wealthier homes.
When he visits the Lightstone resident, where powerful
matriarch Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) hosts her
daughter Alva (Edi Patterson), son Jason (Alex
Hassell), and their immediate family members, he is in
for a violent surprise. Although the compound is heavily
fortified, a team of mercenaries led by “Mr. Scrooge”
(John Leguizamo) have broken into the estate seeking
Santa’s Mailbox
The Prairie Township Community Center is helping
local kids hand deliver their letters to Santa. A mailbox
will be at the entrance of the community center,
5955 West Broad St., from Nov. 25 through Dec. 15. To
guarantee delivery, include the child’s full name, complete
address, and postage. For more information or to
register, visit prairietownship.org.
Hall of Fame nominations sought
Mayor Andrew Ginther is asking residents to nominate
new candidates for the Columbus Hall of Fame.
For years, the Columbus Hall of Fame has honored
outstanding individuals who, through exemplary
accomplishments, have gained national recognition for
around the westside
The Reel Deal
Dedra Cordle
the $300 million that are
believed to be in a vault downstairs.
Because Santa Claus sees
the sniping Lightstone family
as greedy (they very much are,
hilariously so and most proud of
the fact) he thinks nothing of
leaving them to the whims of the violent team that all
sport cheeky holiday codenames. But when he gets a
whispered plea for help from Jason’s very good daughter
Trudy (Leah Brady), he does the two things he
swore he would never do again: get involved in real-life
situations and pick up his beloved sledgehammer and
smash his enemies to smithereens.
Despite the over-the-top violence that is found within
this film — and no, that is not an understatement as
Santa gets down and bloody with tree-toppers, string
lights, and candy canes, along with his trusty hammer
— it actually has a beating heart to it, especially with
the budding friendship between Santa and Trudy, one
of the last individuals on Earth who genuinely believe
in him and his innate goodness. Although they do not
spend too much time together on screen — Santa is
busy roughing up the bad guys while Trudy has her
own subplot where she does her best Kevin
McCallister impression — their bonding sessions come
via walkie-talkie where they open up about their lives
and their vulnerabilities. It’s such a sweet thing to witness,
even with all the bloodshed that is happening
throughout the movie, and sometimes during their oldschool
chat sessions.
Due to its premise and the violent action that takes
place within, “Violent Night” will not be looked upon
fondly by those who enjoy the more traditional holiday
flick but for those who would like to see something a
bit different this holiday season might want to take a
peek at this one. It has a certain kind of magic to it,
magic largely produced by Harbour who is having a
good time playing this version of the bearded icon, and
it manages to serve up all the hallmarks of a classic
holiday movie people love so much at this time of the
year — just with a bit more blood and gore. Grade: B
Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer and columnist.
themselves and have brought credit to this city.
Those nominating individuals for the Columbus
Hall of Fame are asked to provide as much biographical
information about the nominee as possible, including
biographies, resumes, articles and letters. Please
complete a separate nomination form for each individual
if nominating more than one person.
Nominations for the 2022 induction will be accepted
through Jan. 3, 2023. For more information, visit
columbus.gov/halloffame/nominate.
Produce giveaway at YMCA
The Hilltop YMCA hosts a fresh produce giveaway
the third Wednesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m. at
2879 Valleyite Drive in Columbus. For more information,
call the YMCA at 614-276-8224.