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With a decorated career spanning over three decades and countless accolades to his name, like an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, Billy Bob Thornton is undeniably one of Hollywood's most exciting chameleon performers. Thornton has dominated both the big and small screen while showcasing his dazzling acting prowess, memorably appearing in a slew of cinematic knockouts, including Sling Blade, Armageddon, Bad Santa, and Monster's Ball, while also shifting his focus to the world of television with unforgettable roles in Fargo and the 2024 streaming sensation Landman.

In 2016, Thornton continued proving why he is one of the entertainment industry's most charismatic actors when he starred in the gripping legal drama Goliath,in which he portrayed a down-on-his-luck lawyer who sets out to exact revenge against a law firm he helped create and one that brutally forced him out after a case went horrifically wrong. Thornton was once again in peak form...

Landman, the Paramount+ series created by Taylor Sherican and Christian Wallace, wrapped up its first season on Jan. 12. Ever since, here hasn't been any announcements made about a Season 2 renewal, but a recent development seems to suggest that a new season is now moving forward.

Per Fort Worth Star-Telegram, extras in the Fort Worth, Texas, area are being sought for work in Season 2 of Landman. According to the report, the new season is gearing up to start filming later this month. Notably, the first season was also filmed in the Fort Worth area. Another big clue hinting at the quiet renewal for Season 2 comes with casting notices posted by the Texan agency Legacy Casting on a website used for casting background actors.

According to one of the reported casting notices, the new season is seeking a baby around six months old to serve as the on-screen son for Ariana (Paulina Chavez...

Depending on who you ask, Arizona is known as The Grand Canyon State and The Copper State. But if you ask us, it should also be called The Grand Cinema State or The Celluloid State, based on its proud filmmaking history. Given its proximity to Hollywood and stunning scenery that stretches for miles in every direction, Arizona has been the filming location for westerns, science fiction films, and pretty much every genre under the desert sun. In fact, Old Tucson Studios is known as the "Hollywood In The Desert," and was the site of movies and TV shows like "The Bells of St. Mary's, "Rio Bravo," "Gunsmoke," "Little House on the Prairie," and "Three Amigos!"

You're probably thinking, "Wait a minute, wasn't 'Three Amigos!' set in Mexico, 'Rio Bravo' in Texas, 'Bells of St. Mary's in the inner city?" Yep, you're right on all counts. From "Planet of the Apes,...

Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton is an acting institution with an outright legendary resumé to his name. The actor has starred in blockbusters like Armageddon and cult comedies like Bad Santa and Bandits, eventually earning a name for himself as a scene-stealing actor. Among his many accolades, Thornton has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes, two Critics Choice Awards, and has been nominated for two Emmys and four SAG Awards.

Taylor Sheridan doesn’t just write shows; he builds entire empires. And when he wants an actor, he gets them. Case in point: Billy Bob Thornton joining Landman. But Sheridan lured him in with a promise that screams high stakes. The Yellowstone creator’s known for pushing boundaries, but this move proves he’s taking bigger risks than ever.

Taylor Sheridan as Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

With Landman diving into the messy world of Texas oil tycoons, Thornton’s casting is just the tip of the iceberg. If Sheridan’s gamble pays off, we’re in for another hit. If not? Well, at least he’s swinging for the fences.

Taylor Sheridan bets big on one voice for Landman: Billy Bob Thornton’s Billy Bob Thornton in Landman | Credits: Paramount Network

When Taylor Sheridan penned Landman, he wrote it with one specific voice in mind: Billy Bob Thornton’s.

For five seasons, "The Bernie Mac Show" provided a hilarious and often heartwarming portrayal of fatherhood. The sitcom followed a fictionalized version of Mac, who still works as a stand-up comedian, but is thrust into fatherhood when he has to assume the parental duties over his two nieces and nephew. The premise is loosely based on real life, as Mac actually did have to look over his sister's kid for a little bit. But in reality, Mac was a proud father to one daughter.

"The Bernie Mac Show" has an almost timeless quality to it, whether it's the humor or the lessons learned. It was unlike any other sitcom at the time, or even today really, which makes sense when considering creator Larry Wilmore drew inspiration from French New Wave films like "The 400 Blows" when crafting the style. The show also featured Mac breaking the fourth wall to address the audience,...

Quick Links What is Something's Gotta Give About? Diane Keaton Helps Jack Nicholson Shine Comedically Something's Gotta Give Deserved Better

When people discuss the best movie performers of all time, there are a select few names that are typically thrown out for the Mount Rushmore of actors. For the Academy Award-loving crowd, the easiest answers are Meryl Streep, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, Marlon Brando, and Katherine and Audrey Hepburn, among others. The blockbuster lovers of the world will throw out equally valid names like Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Sigourney Weaver, and Harrison Ford. While these names are the ones most commonly thrown out by the general populace, genre movie lovers have their own subset of legends that they look up to and admire.

The most stacked and competitive genre to curate a Mount Rushmore for might be comedy. The options are seemingly limitless, with a good portion of...

Billy Bob Thornton has had a longtime love in his life.

The 69-year-old Landman actor has had some high profile romances in his time, but he’s been with his wife Connie Angland for over 20 years.

Fans might be curious to know more about the superstar actor’s personal life.

Keep reading to find out more…

Connie, 60, also worked in the film industry, but aas a puppeteer and makeup and special effects artist.

Her first credit was for animatronic engineer in the 1990′s Arachnophobia, and she’s worked on Men In Black, Planet of the Apes and, most recently, 2002′s Men In Black II.

The two met on the set of Bad Santa shortly after his divorce from his fifth wife, Angelina Jolie, in May 2003. She became pregnant in April 2004 and the two welcomed their daughter Bella on September 22, 2004 – Billy‘s fourth child and Connie‘s first and only.

He...

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...

1000-lb Sisters stars Tammy Slaton and Amanda Halterman have been fighting all season long, and it has started to negatively affect the rest of the Slaton family. The Slatons are a hot-headed bunch, so getting into fights is nothing new. They're used to getting into major blow-outs, then hanging out together like nothing happened. The most recent fight between 38-year-old Tammy and 43-year-old Amanda has been more explosive than most Slaton fights and has seemed to last longer. Tammy and Amanda didn't talk for a long time, and it put a damper on their holiday celebration.

Though Tammy and Amanda were able to be in the same room by the end of 1000-lb Sisters season 6, their fight had long-term consequences for them and the rest of the family. The conflict between the two sisters forced Tammy to move to a new house. It may cause trouble between her and her 44-year-old brother,...

Billy Bob Thornton is best known for roles in Love Actually, Bad Santa, Fargo, and Landman; aside from a cameo in the animated Harley Quinn, the actor has avoided comic book fare but recently confirmed that he was offered the chance to suit up as one of Marvel's most iconic villains.

Talking on The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, the actor reflected on turning down two major villain roles: the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Owen Davian in J.J. Abrams' Mission: Impossible III.

"I don’t have much interest in those kinds of roles," Thornton explained. "With the Green Goblin, I didn’t feel like getting up at 4 a.m. for five or six hours of makeup. And with 'Mission: Impossible III,' I didn’t want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise."

"If you’re the bad guy in a big movie like that,...

Alan Ritchson may be the current actor who portrays Jack Reacher in Amazon's hit TV series, but Tom Cruise previously brought the character to life in a pair of feature films. Eight years after its release, the second film starring Cruise has found new life on streaming amid the continued wait for Season 3 of Reacher.

Per FlixPatrol, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back cracked the Paramount+ Top 10 list for movies streaming in the United States, landing at No. 9. The film at the top of the list was the brand new holiday comedy Dear Santa, which debuted on the streaming platform on Nov. 25 and continued to draw high viewership during the holiday season. The horror sequel Smile 2 is in the No. 2 spot followings its success in theaters, while Billy Bob Thornton's dark comedy Bad Santa is ranked at No. 3. Above Jack Reacher: Never Go Back are also the movies Gladiator,...

From humble beginnings, raised without electricity in rural Arkansas, Billy Bob Thornton eventually found his way to the bright lights of Hollywood. A chance encounter and encouragement from director Billy Wilder set Thornton down a screenwriting path. This led to him co-writing what Gene Siskel called "his favorite movie of the year," the gritty drama One False Move in 1992. The same year, Thornton booked a reoccurring role on the sitcom Hearts Afire alongside the late John Ritter, whom he reunited with for several movies until Ritter's untimely death after they collaborated in Bad Santa.

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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Don’t stress out trying to find your favorites – we’ve got them all right here!

Streaming is hard sometimes, especially when it comes to finding all those feel-good holiday movies you want to binge for the rest of the week. You won’t really find one streamer that has all of the big Christmas movies in one place; rather, they are quite spread out across the board.

We’ve scoured through endless lists of Christmas content to find all of the best streamers where you’ll find all of your favorite flicks. From “Home Alone” to “Elf” and everything in between. Here’s where you can stream the best Christmas movies in 2024.

Where to stream the best Christmas movies

Disney+: Chock-full of Christmas content this year, with greats like “Home Alone”, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Santa Clause” series.

Hulu: A great option for Christmas movies this year,...

It is almost Christmas time and everyone is getting ready for the holiday night, but for Dwayne Johnson, it seems like he does not have the luxury of watching his own Christmas movie as his kids wanted something else.

Credits: Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Chris Evans and Lucy Liu in Red One / Amazon Studios

One of the most profitable stars in Hollywood, Johnson is also a dedicated father who frequently shares fun and heartwarming stories with his three children on social media. This yuletide season, he is giving way for them to watch their favorite Christmas movie even if it means skipping Johnson’s own film.

Dwayne Johnson’s kids love to watch Home Alone over any other Christmas movies

Dwayne Johnson stars in Amazon’s Red One, a Christmas action film helmed by Jake Kasdan. The former wrestler-turned-actor has been a staple when it comes to comedy action movies,...

’Twas the weekend before Christmas… With the holiday season upon us, many of us are starting to revisit some of our of Christmas favourites. I actually went to see a 4K re-release of the original Black Christmas last night here in Montreal. There’s something comforting upon returning to our old favourites every year, whether they be traditional Christmas classics, or perhaps something a little more modern, like Die Hard, which, despite many claiming otherwise, has totally established itself as a Christmas classic over the years.

Whatever the case, there are certainly Loads of Christmas movies, with everything from old-time classics like It’s A Wonderful Life or some of the many versions of A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version is the best Imo), or something like Love Actually, which is virtually inescapable at this time of the year.

With that in mind, we’d love to figure out just...

Because sometimes, Christmas movies are better with a little adult fun.

Everyone loves a wholesome Christmas movie… but if you’re looking for something that goes a little harder (like the rum in your eggnog), there are plenty of adult comedy Christmas movies to check out. I’m talking f-bomb dropping, alcohol drinking, and club-dancing adult fun. So, what’s the best streamer for that kind of holiday? The answer is two-fold. The best free streamer for adult comedy holiday movies is definitely Tubi, while my paid streamer pick is Paramount+, both with different offerings. Here’s what you need to know to have an adult laugh this holiday season.

Everything you need to know about the best streamers for adult comedy Christmas movies:

What popular adult comedy Christmas movies can you watch on Tubi?

What holiday adult comedy movies does Paramount+ offer?

What other adult comedy Christmas movies are out there?...

Billy Bob Thornton explains why he didn't take villainous roles in Spider-Man and Mission Impossible 3, saying "audiences remember it forever." Since the late 1990s, the actor has been known for portraying complex, often flawed, and gritty characters in films and TV shows, ranging from intense dramas like Sling Blade to dark comedies like Bad Santa. However, there are some massive movies that he turned down. Thornton currently stars in Taylor Sheridan's new Paramount+ series Landman as Tommy Norris, the titular landman at an oil company.

In an episode of The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, Billy Bob Thornton talked about why he turned down villainous roles as Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and as Owen Davian in Mission Impossible 3. For Spider-Man, he simply didn't want to get up early and go through "five or six hours of makeup." For Mission Impossible, he "didn’t want to be the...

The versatile and beloved Bad Santa star has played Karl Childers in Sling Blade, a high school football coach in Saturday Night Live, and a charmingly unhinged barber in The Man Who Wasn’t There, but Billy Bob Thornton refuses to play the bad guy in big-budget action and superhero movies. A wildcard in Hollywood, he’s delighted audiences with his goofy performances and recently, Thornton opened up about turning down two iconic "bad guy" roles in Spider-Man and Mission: Impossible III.

On the Bingeworthy podcast, Thornton recalled the opportunities that were presented to him, such as playing Green Goblin in the very first Spider-Man movie starring Tobey Maguire. Thornton was also offered the role of Owen Davian, an arms dealer looking for a mysterious biological hazard in Mission: Impossible III. He shared:

“I don’t have much interest in those kinds of roles. With the Green Goblin, I didn...

Billy Bob Thornton is opening up about some of the iconic movie roles that he has turned down in the past.

The 69-year-old actor is best known for starring in movies like Bad Santa, Monster’s Ball, and Sling Blade, for which he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing the film.

Billy, who is now leading the Paramount+ series Landman, is opening up about some of the movies he actually turned down.

Keep reading to find out more…

While appearing on The Playlist’s “Bingeworthy” podcast, he revealed he rejected offers to play Green Goblin in the original Spider-Man movie and arms dealer Owen Davian in Mission: Impossible III.

Why?

“I don’t have much interest in those kinds of roles,” he said. “With the Green Goblin, I didn’t feel like getting up at 4 a.m. for five or six hours of makeup.”

He continued, “And with Mission: Impossible III,...

Before he became the "Yellowstone" universe impresario he is today, Taylor Sheridan was a struggling actor who, after a recurring role on "Sons of Anarchy," decided to turn his attention to writing. It's a good thing he did, too, because he has since built nothing short of an empire for himself with "Yellowstone" and its ever expanding universe, home to a bewildering amount of series which will now include the recently confirmed Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser spin-off.

But since he left acting behind, Sheridan hasn't just managed to take over the small screen. Even before "Yellowstone" launched in 2019, the man was churning out an impressive run of crime drama/thrillers which included such well-respected fare as the Denis Villeneuve-directed "Sicario" and snowy shocking thriller "Wind River." Both films comprised part of what Sheridan called his "American Frontier Trilogy," and there's another film that also belongs to that group: 2016's "Hell or High Water.

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.

Can you believe it’s been nearly 30 years since the release of “Sling Blade,” the film that put writer, director, and star Billy Bob Thornton on the map? Since then, we’ve seen Thornton appear in a number of high profile films, such as “Armageddon,” “Bad Santa,” and “Friday Night Lights.” But there are a couple of massive films Thornton actually turned down.

Continue reading Billy Bob Thornton Talks Turning Down Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’ & ‘Mission: Impossible III’ at The Playlist.

In 2003, Billy Bob Thornton starred as the title character in Bad Santa, a gritty, crime-filled, adult-oriented Christmas comedy. Fans of that movie, though, will be thrilled to learn that two years later, Thornton played one of the leads in The Ice Harvest, a gritty, crime-filled, adult-oriented Christmas comedy. Sound familiar? Despite their surface-level similarities, however, The Ice Harvest is a very different kind of film from Bad Santa, and an arguably better one. This 2005 feature co-starred John Cusack and was directed by Harold Ramis, whose previous work includes Groundhog Day. The coming together of three experienced contributors to the movie industry for a gangster Christmas movie works extraordinarily well.

Set firmly in the underworld of Kansas, The Ice Harvest follows Charlie Arglist (Cusack), a mob lawyer planning to run away with $2 million he’s embezzled from his strip-club-owner employer, Bill Guerrard (a nasty Randy Quaid). Thornton plays Charlie’s accomplice,...

It’s not the longest list of Christmas titles, but there’s enough to hold you over until Christmas dinner is served.

When compared to other streamers like Hulu or Netflix, if you are looking to sign up for a new streaming service specifically to watch Christmas movies, then Paramount+ probably won’t be your best option in 2024. However, if you happen to already be signed up for the streamer thanks to its popular originals like “Landman,” “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” and “Evil,” its next-day streams of CBS shows, or its wide array of live sports, then you will have a number of holiday films to keep you occupied throughout all 12 days of Christmas.

I wouldn’t recommend signing up for Paramount+ exclusively in order to get access to its relatively short list of Christmas titles, but the platform does have some otherwise hard-to-find much-loved classics like “Scrooged,” “Bad Santa,” 1984’s “A Christmas Carol,...

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Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time to see brilliant classic movies, but if you are not in the mood to see Home Alone or Jingle All the Way for a millionth and want to see some adult movies. We at CinemaBlind have prepared a list of 11 best R-rated Christmas movies you can check out.

Violent Night (Starz & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures

Violent Night is a Christmas action comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola from a screenplay co-written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The 2022 film follows Santa Claus as he comes across a wealthy family’s compound, where an elite team of mercenaries has kidnapped the family on Christmas Eve. Violent Night stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, and Beverly D’Angelo.

Die Hard Credit – 20th Century Fox

Die Hard...

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.

Not every holiday movie is filled with warm and fuzzy feelings, and sometimes, that's exactly what people are looking for. Enter Bad Santa 2. Sometimes Christmas isn't merry and bright, sometimes it's fueled with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, and maybe some old-fashioned burglary while we're at it. Starring Landman's Billy Bob Thornton as the foul-mouthed, hard-drinking Willie Soke, the movie is the sequel to the original holiday smash Bad Santa, with Thornton reprising the role that made him one of the best, and worst, Santa's in the history of cinema. Doesn't it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside when you see Santa throwing up?...

The collection is stuffed with TV episodes and movies that will help put you in the spirit of the season.

Almost every streaming service has at least a small selection of holiday titles to watch, but as Christmas approaches many are putting their best, most festive feet forward. Paramount+ has rolled out its new “Tis the Season for Streaming” collection now, allowing subscribers to watch a specially curated lineup of TV shows and movies with Christmas and holiday themes.

Key Details: “Tis the Season for Streaming” is stuffed tighter than a stocking with hundreds of titles. Fans will find the new original movie “Dear Santa” within the collection. The collection offers a total of 20 specially selected content rows. 7-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month paramountplus.com

“Tis the Season for Streaming” is live now, and available in the “Collections” tab of Paramount+. Subscribers to both the ad-supported Essential tier for $8 per month,...

Pluto TV is bringing the Christmas cheer early with a sleigh full of holiday streaming.

If you’re looking to stream some holiday goodness, Pluto TV might be your answer. The ad-supported service is 100% free (so you can save your money on Christmas presents) and offers a slew of holiday favorites with the Pluto TV Christmas channel, plenty of Hallmark holiday rom-coms, and a sack full of other holiday favorites for the entire family. There’s no shortage of things to watch at Pluto, and you won’t even have to take out your wallet to start streaming.

In addition to the Christmas movies and specials, there is also a full slate of holiday episodes from your favorite TV shows streaming all month long, with classics from “Cheers,” “Just Shoot Me,” “Married with Children,” “MacGyver,” and many others airing throughout December.

Pluto TV’s content doesn’t end with the holidays either.

Billy Bob Thornton’s dark Christmas comedy franchise is making the holidays a little more twisted, as it climbs up the streaming charts. The multi-talented performer broke through in 1996 with the disturbing drama Sling Blade, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and winning the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Thornton in 1998 picked up another nomination for playing a tortured character in a decidedly dark movie, getting a Best Supporting Actor nod for Sam Raimi’s thriller A Simple Plan.

Thornton’s most noteworthy early roles indeed placed him on a darkly dramatic path. The star soon veered into the comedy realm, however, with roles that showed his inherently edgy and brooding qualities being adapted to funny material. Thornton went for offbeat chuckles in the black comedy Pushing Tin, the dramedy Bandits and the Coen Brothers’ romantic farce Intolerable Cruelty. He also went for somewhat more broadly-appealing guffaws in the...

It’s time to cozy up and immerse yourself in the beloved melodies from classic holiday films – including from “Home Alone,” “Elf, “and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – with “Cinemagic’s Holiday Movie Soundtracks” special. Listen to a festive mix of music and cherished film moments on the Xtra channel Cinemagic on the SiriusXM app.

Cinemagic SpecialClassic Holiday Movie SoundtracksListen on the App

Listen on the App

Related: Check Out 25 Christmas Specials on SiriusXM

Plus, check out 25 Christmas movie soundtracks below. Note: the Cinemagic special and the list below include some different music).

25 Christmas Movie Soundtracks 25. The Polar Express (2004)

Composer: Alan Silvestri

This visually stunning film is accompanied by a soundtrack full of soaring orchestral music and seasonal classics. Alan Silvestri’s score, paired with the unforgettable vocals of Tom Hanks (who voices several characters in the film), creates an atmosphere of wonder and awe, making it a holiday favorite.

24. Love Actually...

Paramount’s free streaming service, Pluto TV, has revealed its December highlights. The Pluto TV December 2024 lineup includes the “Season’s Greetings” category, which features festive TV and movies all month long on channels like Pluto TV Christmas, Hallmark Movies and More Holiday Favorites.

Special programming, like a Hanukah Menorah and Kwanzaa Kinara on the service’s Crackling Fireplace channel, will also be available. Be sure to check out new channels such as Dinos 24/7 and The Twilight Zone as well.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

The Most Streamable Time Of The Year

This December, Pluto TV is serving up a sleigh-load of Christmas classics, holiday episodes, movies and more. Don’t miss their “Season’s Greetings” category,...

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.

The holiday-packed end of the year means, for many, ample time spent in the company of family. Invariably, football scores will be checked, weird cousins will be avoided, conversations will turn to old stories told repeatedly as though for the first time, and, of course, movies will be watched. For those who've already got Christmas on the brain (reasonably acceptable as early as Thanksgiving), classics such as Gremlins, Bad Santa, and all the others will serve as white noise behind familial chatter, wrapping themselves like boughs of holly to memories old and new. Sensing unrelenting sameyness, Netflix threw a new flavor into the rotation with Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Premiering publicly in the UK on Christmas Day on BBC One and on January 3 on Netflix, the new crumpet-crunching claymation wonder is sure to become a new end-of-year staple.

That being said, Vengeance Most Fowl is not actually tied to Christmas.

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for Landman episode 3.Long before he played Tommy Norris in Landman, Billy Bob Thornton portrayed another character with the same hilariously crass sense of humor. Billy Bob Thornton is one of the best working actors in Hollywood, and he's dominated both movies and TV shows for decades. From drama to romance to Westerns like Tombstone, Thornton has essentially done it all. His most recent role, as Tommy in Landman, has highlighted his comedy skills, but Taylor Sheridan's series is far from the first time Thornton has played a hilarious and unrefined character.

In recent years, Billy Bob Thornton has mostly been known for his dramatic roles. His long-running role on the show Goliath and in the film The Gray Man both put him in rather serious positions, and he played them exceptionally well. Viewers who are less familiar with Thornton's early work may have...

Plot: When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays.

Review: The Farrelly Brothers were a bastion of bad taste and crass humor when I was a kid. Basically, they were the funniest filmmakers in Hollywood. From Kingpin and Dumb & Dumber to There’s Something About Mary and Me, Myself, & Irene, Peter and Bobby Farrelly turned out movie after gut-busting movie. The Farrellys matured a bit as they got older, with Peter directing his Oscar-winning Best Picture Green Book and the Apple Original The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Bobby tried his hand at Champions with Woody Harrelson. Both directors returned to their broader comedy roots, with Peter directing Ricky Stanicky earlier this year, and now Bobby has Dear Santa. Co-written by Peter, Dear Santa reunites the Farrellys with their Shallow Hal star,...

The Super Bowl of retail — Black Friday. It’s the one day a year when holiday cheer takes a backseat to consumer chaos.

What began in the 1950s as a clever post-Thanksgiving sales boost has morphed into a high-stakes shopping spectacle, complete with long lines, doorbuster deals, and a hearty dose of madness.

Back in the day, shoppers braved freezing temps to snag the hottest items — Playstations, TVs, or even $2 kids’ pajamas — while packed parking lots and marathon lines turned malls into battlefields.

(Fox/Screenshots)

I still remember digging through stacks of $5 DVD box sets while others swept entire shelves into their carts without a second glance.

From store to store, we raced, chasing deals until exhaustion kicked in. Was it worth it? Maybe. Was it fun? Absolutely.

In recent years, online shopping and Black Friday “week” sales have shifted the action to scrolling screens, but the stress, frenzy, and absurdity live on.

Dear Santa is here, and I remember when a Farrelly Brothers comedy used to be a big event. From Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and Kingpin. These guys made some of the best comedies the world has ever seen. Yet, the latter two films had to find an audience with small but steady box office receipts or achieve home video glory to secure their place in history.

Their later comedies were underwhelming, with several misfires. In particular, the team now reunites with Jack Black, who starred in their film Shallow Hal—a movie with a good message but shorter on laughs than expected. Their latest attempt, Dear Santa, aims for a family-friendly version of Bad Santa, but it replaces the dark edge with loads of overdone bathroom humor.

Jack Black stars in the new Bobby Farrelly holiday comedy Dear Santa (2024) | Image via Paramount+ Related My Old Ass Review...

The Farrelly brothers have had a long career both collaborating and helming projects individually. They’re coming together again for the holidays with the new Paramount+ film “Dear Santa,” a naughty but sweet Christmas confection starring Jack Black as Satan, who is accidentally summoned by a boy named Liam (Robert Timothy Smith) who can’t spell when writing a letter to Kris Kringle.

Peter and Bobby Farrelly spoke with Variety about their favorite Christmas movies, the power of underdog stories, and which of their movies would be worth revisiting.

Where did the idea for “Dear Santa” come from?

Peter: Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett, who we work with a lot, brought us the idea and they said, “A kid’s writing a letter to Santa, but he misspells it and instead writes it to Satan.” We’re like, “We’ll buy that. Ok, let’s do it.” It was like...

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...

A Keanu Reeves crime thriller has become a streaming success six years later. Reeves is a divisive actor who achieved success after his breakthrough role in the 1989 time travel comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and became a superstar after leading the Wachowskis' 1999 sci-fi blockbuster The Matrix. His performance style has been divisive, as he has earned nine Razzie award nominations, followed by a Razzie Redeemer Award nomination and a spot at No. 4 on the New York Times' list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

While he is best known for his action roles in titles such as Speed, the Matrix franchise, and the John Wick franchise, Keanu Reeves movies have taken on a huge variety of genres. This includes starring opposite his Speed co-star Sandra Bullock in the time travel romance The Lake House, playing Jonathan Harker in the Francis Ford Coppola horror movie Bram Stoker's Dracula,...

The Paramount+ Holiday Collection ‘Tis The Season for Streaming returns to the service today with hundreds of seasonal movies and beloved specials for the whole household to enjoy, including the debut of the streaming service’s first original holiday film, Dear Santa.

The Farrelly Brothers holiday comedy Dear Santa stars Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Hayes MacArthur, and Post Malone in a story of a young boy who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, resulting in a devilish Jack Black’s arrival to wreak havoc on the holidays. The film premieres on November 25 exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and the following day in the UK and Australia.

Dear Santa

This year’s Paramount+ Holiday Collection will also include the debut of SpongeBob SquarePants – “SpongeBob & Sandy’s Country Christmas,” an all-new half-hour special where one of Sandy’s experiments...

Billy Bob Thornton is reuniting with Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan for his new drama, Landman. Thornton is also a three-time Oscar nominee and one-time winner, best known for everything from his acclaimed turns in Sling Blade and Monster's Ball to the fan-favorite sports drama Friday Night Lights and the cult favorite Christmas dark comedy Bad Santa. The star has also brought his talent to the small screen for a variety of projects, one including that of Sheridan's first Yellowstone prequel, 1883, making a guest appearance as Marshal Jim Courtright.

Thornton stars in Landman as Tommy Norris, a crisis executive for an oil rig company who finds himself in the midst of multiple troublesome situations. A drug transporting plane is destroyed by an oil truck after landing in the middle of a highway, Tommy's son is beginning the dangerous work of an oil crewman, and a rig is destroyed in an accident,...

Taylor Sheridan’s super successful “Yellowstone” has been compared to “Dallas,” the grandaddy of primetime soap operas, often enough. So why wouldn’t Sheridan take a stab at his own Texas-set, oil industry melodrama?

“Landman” is that. And what’s pleasantly surprising about this Permian Basin blend of big business brinkmanship, family conflict and horrific on-the-job accidents is that it’s so damn funny.

Most of the laughs are intentional, too. A rich deposit of them should be credited to star Billy Bob Thornton, who can deliver astute lessons in petrochemical economics one minute then tell a bartender “I quit drinkin’, I’ll stick with beer” the next. The “Goliath” and “Bad Santa” star maintains exasperation in his drawl throughout and doesn’t waste a second resetting tone from heartfelt to pissed off to sarcastic, reliably punctuating all of it with redolent cusswords.

Tommy Norris is a perfect conveyor belt...

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland is a surprising Christmas mash-up that invites viewers to see what would happen if Santa Claus came across Lewis Carrolls Queen of Hearts. The Hulu animated film is based on a 2019 book of the same name by childrens author Carys Bexington and stays true to that books art style in its telling of the story. It stars Emilia Clarke as the Queen of Hearts, Simone Ashley as Alice, and Gerard Butler as Saint Nicholas.

The animated Christmas movie marks a return by Butler to the world of musicals after a 20-year absence. Butler starred in a film adaptation of Phantom of the Opera that was released in 2004, and the spotlight hasnt been on his singing ability since. The Plane stars singing has been featured in the trailer for the movie, as has music by the movies songwriters Guy Chambers and Amy Wadge.

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The 110-year-old Ojai Playhouse, a movie theater darkened for the past decade, has been revived by music industry impresario David Berger. He bought the historic property, which debuted in the silent era, after selling his VIP concert ticketing company to WME in 2018 and moving to industry-favored Ojai. Berger has since invested more than $10 million into turning the theater into a state-of-the-art venue.

Other high-profile Hollywood figures with homes in the area — including Universal Studios head Donna Langley and Eric Goode, the Tiger King and Chimp Crazy documentarian who’s developing the boutique El Roblar Hotel across the street — had also looked into purchasing the Playhouse. “I grew up as a ticket-taker and usher and concessionaire and, later, a projectionist at theaters just outside of Boston,” he says. “So, for me, this was meant to be.”

Berger’s iteration of the 200-seat Playhouse will blend first-run studio films, art house offerings,...

The Oscar-winning actor, writer, director, musician and star of Bad Santa, Armageddon and The Man Who Wasn’t There is ready to answer your questions

What is Billy Bob Thornton’s most iconic role? Some may say the taciturn barber in the Coen brothers’ The Man Who Wasn’t There, others might contend it’s the learning disabled killer in his early film Sling Blade. But we all know the truth: it’s the sex-addicted alcoholic Father Christmas in Bad Santa who is obsessed with the “three Bs”.

Be that as it may, Thornton has had a stellar Hollywood career since emerging in the mid-90s. Sling Blade, the independent 1996 film he wrote, directed and starred, won him a best adapted screenplay Oscar – though his directing career went into hibernation after a difficult time adapting Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses a few years later. However, he became a...