Let me just start off by saying, I actually really like Vince Vaughn. But for some reason, the airbrushed, "kinder and gentler" Vaughn in the four new posters for the comedy Fred Claus is just creeping me out. The story centers on Vaughn as the no-goodnik brother of the Santa Claus, who tries to mend some familial rifts by helping out with the family business. Paul Giamatti plays the big guy in red, with Vaughn (obviously) as the black sheep in the family. The cast also includes Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson, and Kevin Spacey. Claus was directed by The Wedding Crashers', David Dobkin from a script by Dan Fogelman, and this is Dobkin's third film with Vaughn; their working relationship began back in 1998 with the black comedy Clay Pigeons, so they seem to enjoy working with each other.

Claus is set for release on November 9th, sandwiched between a couple of other high-profile family films -- Jerry Seinfield's Bee Movie, and Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium starring Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman. Last November, Erik had given us news of the teaser for Claus, and I will admit, it looked like it had the potential to be pretty funny. There were no actual scenes from the film mind you, but the deadpan shtick that Vaughn and Giamatti provided seemed like it might be an antidote to the toothless comedy of most holiday movies. Combined with the solid cast, and Vaughn and Dobkin's track record, I'm thinking maybe this won't be another lame holiday offering. Unfortunately, the elf/ninja joke showcased in one poster also has me thinking otherwise.

Whether you are a fan of the Shrek franchise or not, you can't deny that the fairy tale satires are some of the more successful animated films in recent history (I've always enjoyed a good fairy tale subversion, so I've been a fan of the series in spite of their flaws). That success might have sealed the deal for Shrek writer Joe Stillman's latest script. Variety reports that Handmade Films International and Madrid's Ilion Animation Studios are on board to finance Stillman's Planet One, a CGI sci-fi comedy.

The film is the story of an alien world whose idyllic 50's-style civilization (right down to interstellar drive-ins and malt shops) is thrown into upheaval with the arrival of a human astronaut who crash-lands on their planet. Directed by Jorge Blanco (lead artist for the Commandos video game series), the production is set to start this May and they are already eying the family-friendly release dates of either Christmas 2008 or Easter 2009. Also on board to produce is former Nickelodeon head of TV and film production Albie Hecht and already there are plans for a video game and a promotion for mobile phone networks as tie-ins for the film. Shrek The Third opens this May, so until they see the box office receipts; Handmade is going to have to go on faith that Stillman's script is worth Planet One's $50 million price tag.

If you are the kind of person who gets a little sick of all the good cheer at this time of year, then you just might be in the mood for a little more "coal in your stocking." That is when the downer Christmas movie gets its chance to shine. Most holiday flicks are all about making you feel good about family and Christmas and all that good stuff, but some films decide to go the other route and make you feel so damn awful about what you're watching that suddenly a burnt turkey and a family fight at the dinner table don't seem so bad.

Here are some of what I think are the most depressing holiday movies. If nothing else, at least they remind us it could always get worse. ...

One Magic Christmas (1985)
This movie is all about the guilt. In a long line of films that are meant to make you feel guilty about all of the overspending and extravagance of the holidays, One Magic Christmas stands out. It follows a poor family with no hope of a Christmas in sight, as the mom (Mary Steenburgen) works too hard and has lost her joy in the season. Sure enough, a Christmas angel (in the creepy form of Harry Dean Stanton) shows her the error of her ways. Throw in the extra plot lines of a kidnapping, a shooting and a drowning, and you have yourself one heck of a depressing Christmas flick.

Pharmaceutical juggernaut Roche is using the upcoming CGI film Happy Feet as a vehicle to tell people to get flu shots. According to a press release from Roche, "Happy Feet presents a wholesome storyline in a wintery backdrop that serves as an ideal platform for communicating to consumers, especially moms, about the flu."

Roche will be tying in with the film through TV, print, and online spots, meaning it'll be hard to avoid this sucker. I'm still having trouble deciding if this is a great idea, or a potentially bad idea. I know it's a good thing to be informing the public about flu shots, especially for the young and the elderly, but what comes next? Will we see Mickey and Minnie touting the latest children's cough medicine? Shrek showing everyone the benefits of dental hygiene and a new mouthwash? Statler and Waldorf plugging for adult incontinence products?

It's one thing to use a good opportunity to inform the public, but it's a bit different when you're using it to help your bottom line. Roche manufactures a flu shot, so of course they'd be interested in having more people line up to get them. It's not the first time a studio has used their characters to sell products, but as far as I can remember it's the first time a pharmaceutical company has gotten involved in the process.

It might seem far fetched now, but imagine your child's favorite character talking to them about some new wonderpill, and it's a bit scary.