Santa Claus
(1959)
It's time once again for an insane entry in Christmas Special Mania! This time, it's Santa Claus, a Mexican movie from 1959. And just like Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, it is best when watched with our favorite film riffers mocking it. This movie was used in Mystery Science Theater 3000, with Mike and the Bots helping us to get through it with the help of laughter.
After watching Santa Claus again tonight, I decided to look into it a bit more. It seems like it was made as a way to introduce the people of Mexico to the idea of Santa. At the time, people in Mexico didn't really know who he was. So, Santa was introduced as a kind of superhero. A superhero who uses child labor in outer space to make his toys. And has some of the creepiest technology ever seen. The robot reindeer that pull the sleigh are especially creepy.
Anyway, Santa is getting ready to deliver toys on Christmas, when down below (and I mean really down below), Satan is getting ready to thwart him. He sends his demon Pitch (what'd you call me?) up to make children be naughty. Yep, Santa is a Satan fighting superhero. Insert that crazy moving your finger up and down over your lips making that brrblebrrblebrrble sound thing here.
If you want to watch the MST3K version, you can find the whole thing up on YouTube. If you are feeling adventurous and want to watch the movie with no riffing, it is available on Netflix.
Tonight's musical selection comes from the MST3K episode that featured this movie. It's Mike and the Bots singing Merry Christmas... If That's Okay.