When I was planning to attend the new David Harbour-fronted film "Violent Night," out in theaters, a relative decided not to come. "I don't want to see Sheriff Hopper as Santa being mean and hurting kids," they said.
Rest a little easier, "Stranger Things" and Harbour fans. Santa is not that bad in "Violent Night." It's true, he starts the film at a bar, drinking heavily and spends much of the film with blood running into his mustache and beard (which are more sandy blond than white, indicating perhaps this is Santa in his dad bod, mid-life period). But in the long history of Christmas figures who are more wicked than winking, there are far worse Santas.
