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FATMAN Review: Mel Gibson Serves The Fans With A Badass Santa With Neo-Western Thrills And Notable Satire

Imagining Santa Claus as anything more than a lighthearted, kid-friendly figurative Christmas fixture in movies goes quite the route from the latest work of directors Ian and Eshom Nelms. For this, it’s not every season that a film like Fatman comes around what with all the potboiler Holiday movies and the occassional reminder of Tim Allen in a fatsuit for that one film franchise that’s probably airing on some channel on TV or something or another. Alas, it’s 2020 and in the post-Deadpool era, while Fatman doesn’t go the full monty with its action and violence, it certainly spills enough of it to balance out the reverence in its message and overall fun throughout its execution. It’s a film that takes the Cris Cringle you and your parents know (depending on how old you are, of course) and refurbishes him as a hefty, salt and pepper-bearded, steely-eyed version of Santa […]

FATMAN: Mel Gibson’s Santa Has A Not-So-Special Present For His Enemies In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Santa Claus has had it with everyone’s shit this year, and he’s letting off some steam in Fatman, the new action comedy from Small Town Crime duo Ian and Eshom Nelms. To save his declining business, Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson), also known as Santa Claus, is forced into a partnership with the U.S. military. Making matters worse, Chris gets locked into a deadly battle of wits against a highly skilled assassin (Walton Goggins), hired by a precocious 12-year-old after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. ‘Tis the season for Fatman to get even, in the action-comedy that keeps on giving. Saban Films is out and about with the official trailer making reindeer tracks with its YouTube views as we speak as the film heads to a select theatrical release on November 13 before hitting digital on November 17. Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Chance Hurstfield also star.

Dark Comedy FATMAN Shoots Next Year Starring Mel Gibson

Lee B. Golden III

If you’ve been keeping score with all things Cannes, you’ve likely come across news about Mel Gibson’s new dark action comedy, Fatman, which shoots early next year following the release of his next thriller, Boss Level, featuring Frank Grillo. Gibson is attached to play a rowdy, unorthodox Santa Claus fighting his business decline, now targeted by a 12 year-old seeking retribution after receiving a lump of coal in his stocking. Small Town Crime helmers Ian and Eshom Nels will direct from their own script. Brandon James of Rough House, Nadine de Barros (JT Leroy) of Fortitude and Lisa Wolofsky (White Crow) of Skywolf are producing with James’ Rough House Partners, David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Jody Hill exec producing. Casting is still underway by Chelsea Bloch, C.S.A. (A Dog’s Way Home, The Mummy) and Marisol Roncali, C.S.A. (Deadpool 2, After) of Atomic Honey. “I am Excited to be working […]

Terrorist Thriller, CAPTURE, Sets Up At Thunder Road With ‘Small Town Crime’ Directors

Lee B. Golden III

Writing/directing sibling duo Ian and Eshom Nelms (Small Town Crime) are officially gearing up for Thunder Road Pictures’s latest, Capture. Mia Galuppo’s exclusive at The Hollywood Reporter broke the story which notes plot details that center on an ex-cop in a race against time to prove his innocence and put a stop to a looming wave of devastating terrorist attacks aimed at San Francisco. Albert Torres wrote the screenplay which was developed with Fermion Films. Thunder Road is producing the film with 3 Arts, and with Riverstone Entertainment financing the pic. The film hails as the fifth feature length outing for the Nelms brothers since debuting together on Squirrel Trap in 2004, and earning several festival nominations and wins on later films, including Lost On Purpose (2013) and Waffle Street (2015).

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Trailer: Nelms Bros.’ SMALL TOWN CRIME Wakes Up With Big Time Murder Mystery And Dark Comedy

Lee B. Golden III

The respective directing careers of Ian and Eshom Nelms bring in their wake a several notable wins and nominations over the past decade. Their latest pairing, Small Town Crime, is signature of this in its recent appeal to critics during its festival runs at Halifax and Calagary, and earlier on at last year’s SXSW in March upon its acquisition by Saban Films and DirecTV, as well as Canadian distributor Mongrel. SMALL TOWN CRIME centers around “Mike Kendall”, an alcoholic ex-cop who finds the body of a young woman and, through an act of self-redemption, becomes hellbent on finding the killer but unwittingly puts his family in danger and gets caught up with several dark characters along the way. Select theatrical releases in the U.S. and Canada are still in tow for January 19. The film is available on-demand as of last month depending on where you look but at least […]