Friday, December 6, 2013


Since there was no real films worth reviewing that was new in the theaters this week, I chose to keep with the season and review an unexpected film that has become an holiday tradition in our family... Stalking Santa.

This past September was Salt Lake City's first Comicon. While there, my friend, writer producer and actor, Daryn Tufts told me that he was proud to say he was the only one in that room that produced a film starring William Shatner, who was signing autographs at the con.

Stalking Santa is a mocumentary that follows the scientific "research" of self-proclaimed scientist, Lloyd Darrow (Chris Clark), who claims the inevitable....the real existence of Santa Clause. Along with his trusty intern Clarence (Daryn Tufts), this comedy goes through the "evidence", both old and recent, of the signs proving the existence of the jolly old elf.

This film uses a great mix of slapstick, subtle and situational humor as well as a few emotional moments that follow the lost cause of this driven researcher. Lisa Clark, real-life wife of Chris Clark, plays the patient wife, who gave up marrying a surgeon (who ironically was the inventor of the artificial heart) to support Lloyd in his search for the real Kris Kringle, as she works at a burger joint and delivers papers while pregnant. She will occasionally show her buyers remorse in her facial expressions as she talks about her husbands "successes".

This independently produced film (by Greg Kiefer and Daryn Tufts) is structured wonderfully with the narration by William Shatner, which was a pleasant surprise along side a great unknown cast, most of whom I have worked with in one form or another.

Stalking Santa is rated PG and is highly recommended to add to your list of traditional Christmas films. It is currently available at Amazon and other retailers.

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