Scrooged

Rating:
Summary: Funny Christmas Carol Remake
Review: This extremely funny 1988 remake of A Christmas Carol is sure to have you laughing. Watch mean spirited television executive Frank Cross (Bill Murray) learn the true spirit of Christmas through delightful encounters with three hysterical ghosts. Excellent cameos by major stars such as Robert Mitchum, who plays the very wealthy, old money Preston Rhinelander, the Chairman of the TV network (Franks Boss), who suggests that cats watch TV to Cross. All in all a must have on DVD for any Christmas Movie Junkie, or any fan of Murray. Buy It!

Rating:
Summary: SO CLOSE!
Review: Bill Murray had already scored a perfect 5 stars in a movie about a louse who gets a magical opportunity for reform in 1983's hilarious and touching "Groundhog Day". Aparently drawn by this theme, he gets close in this re-spin of Dickens' classic featuring Frank Cross (a nasty network-TV executive) as Scrooge's cognate -- but only just so close. The list of supporting characters is replete with cowering minions and big-name cameos -- Robert Mitchum, Karen Allen, Carol Kane, David "Buster Poindexter" Johansson, Bobcat Goldthwaite and Buddy Hackett among others. The ghostly visits are entertwined with the plot device of a live TV production of "A Christmas Carol" of which Frank is in charge. Pacing, witty script, truly memorable and funny characters, interesting effects and Murray's own sly comic sourness build up as the Three Ghosts create a comic/dramatic crescendo that should, by all rights, climax in a brilliantly Transformed Frank Cross. Unfortunately, it is at this point that the film sputters to a barely believeable crawl as Murray breaks into a camera-hogging, unconvincing monologue on how good Christmas feels. Not even Al Green and Annie Lennox's brilliant duet of "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" over the credits can rescue the overall weak denoument. Still, the rest of the film is so good I am inclined at every viewing to overlook the slightly [weak] ending. Certainly a cut above many efforts to modernize Scrooge, this is in no way a disappointing movie and could easily become a family standard, especially for Murray fans. But for the real thing from start to finish (along with substantially more belly-laughs) I would recommend "Groundhog Day" as the seasonal balance to this bit of Christmas decor.

Rating:
Summary: Not very funny and not for the holidays.
Review: Most mainstream Hollywood movies do not seem to honor or pay any kind of respect to the holidays. This movie was among them, even though Bill Murray's performance as a modern Scrooge, is not nearly as nasty as other parts he has done in the past, it still comes off as being not very funny and not really honest. The movie also sadly shows how commericalized the holidays have become. Skip this picture.

Rating:
Summary: Bill Murray Gives Dickens A New Twist!
Review: In 1988 Director Richard Donner (Leathal Weapon, Timeline, Superman) to audiences into the world of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol by brining it into the 80's.

Bill Murray (Osmosis Jones, Lost In Translation, Charlie's Angles) plays TV Executive Frank Cross the meanest, cruelest, most viscious person in the Entertainment industry in New York (Actually patterning himself after real TV Executives of the time.

He happens to be producing his Diabolical version of A Christmas Carol, with Violence, Sex and Amzing non-traditional Christmas Themes. This makes a series of events happens.

Because of this he is forced to see his life, Past, Present and Possible Future! On the way his old Exec Business Partner played by John Forsyth (Charlie's Angles, Dynasty) warns him he will be visited by three ghosts.

Past is played Brilliantly by David Johanson (Oz, Freejack) and takes the form of a New York Cabbie.
Present is played Hysterically by Carol Kane (My Blue HEaven, Joe Vs The Volcano) as the fairy with an incredible attitude.
The future is played by some use of Special Effects.

Other great casting is the amazing Alfrie Woodard (Star Trek First Contact, Radio, K-PAX) as the mother of a muted child that learns a valuable lesson.

Robert Mitchem (James Dean Story, Tombstone, North and South) plays Bill's boss with the sneaking incentive of replacing him with a new California TV Exec obnoxiously (in a good way) played by John Glover (Smallville, Tricks, Batman & Robin).He does have his love interest played by Karen Allen (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, The Perfect Storm, Malcom X) who teaches him the real meaning of love, life and Christmas. There is a character string played by Bobcat Goldthwait (Hercules, Little Vegas) who learns several valuabale lessons himself.

The film ends with a great sing-a-long inwhich Bill actually talks to you, the audience. Its fun and funny.

The DVD is in Widescreenand contains the trailer but it would have been great to include commentaries and making of's. Maybe it's 20 year anniversary! (12-11-03)

Rating:
Summary: "Have you tried staples?" Bill Murray does Scrooge!
Review: Christmas movies are fun. I like Christmas movies because they're generally nice, lightweight, enjoyable pieces of fluff with important moralistic messages ("It's a Wonderful Life," "Scrooge") or sometimes they're just fun to watch ("Gremlins," "Home Alone").

"Scrooged" isn't lightweight, cheery, or happy. It's dark, brooding, sort of evil, and it's the only Christmas movie I can think of that seems as if Tim Burton directed it.

Am I insulting the film? Heavens, no. I love it. In fact, I'm complimenting it. Instead of repeating old traditions, it's trying something new, and the secret to the film is the way it actually pulls it all off.

The plot: Frank Cross is the youngest television station president in recorded history because he knows the people. At least he thinks he does. In reality, he's just a greedy tycoon who gives people bath towels for Christmas -- including his own brother.

Cross is a modern day Scrooge, and the movie "Scrooged" is a modern reworking of the classic Charles Dickens story. Frank Cross is played by Bill Murray absolutely perfectly. He's cynical, dry, and sarcastic, and doesn't give a darn about anyone else other than himself.

So the night before Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by an old business partner -- who has been dead for seven years. ("I wouldn't have guessed more than three, tops," says Frank in his usual sarcastic tone.) His old associate warns Frank to change his ways or he'll end up like himself -- angry, bitter...and dead.

Frank doesn't pay any attention to his "hallucination," and continues being his usual self during the festive Christmas holiday -- by ripping off old ladies' cabs and firing Elliot (Bobcat Goldthwait) on Christmas Eve. (Elliot is sort of today's version of Bob Cratchitt.)

Frank is putting on a Christmas Eve production of Charles Dickens' immortal classic "Scrooge" (what happened to "A Christmas Carol," I wonder?), and in the film's funniest scene, introduces his ad for the program. (It later scares an old woman to death and Frank takes it as a wonderful sign -- controversy is as good as advertising!)

The three ghosts do indeed come and haunt Frank. Except Frank is more cynical than Ebenezer Scrooge ever was, and convincing him that Christmas is a season of giving will be hard. (Frank: "I get it, you're here to show me my past and I'm supposed to get all dully eyed and mushy. Well forget it pal, you got the wrong guy.")

Frank is revisited by an old flame (Karen Allen) and his heart starts to beat once again after years of silence. Frank slowly but surely starts to learn to appreciate Christmas once again, following all of Scrooge's examples. His intern's son, who witnessed his father's murder and hasn't spoken since, is a sort of Tiny Tim, and "Scrooged" does indeed follow all of the elements of Charles Dickens' classic. Only it updates the tale, throws in a bunch of cameos, and great acting on Murray's behalf.

Frank revisits scenes from his childhood and adulthood first hand with the wacky ghosts as companions. They can't see or hear Frank -- his cab driver ghost tells him that he's in the middle of a rerun.

Frank remembers how his father brought him meat for Christmas, how he broke up with his girlfriend over a matter of greed vs. happiness, and how his life was a complete waste. (Ghost: "Let's face it, Frank, garden slugs got more out of life than you." Frank: "Yeah? Name one!")

It was a matter of time before "A Christmas Carol," or "Scrooge," got a modernized treatment. And it comes out fresh and ingenious, dark and hilarious. The movie owes its entire success to the casting of Bill Murray, whose cynical ways shone through in such early films as "Stripes" and "Ghostbusters," and here compliment the film the way no other actor's talent could.

Take, for example, the way he can remain unmoved but, at the same time, flippant and sarcastic, towards his boss when he tells Frank that cats and dogs are starting to watch television, and that he thinks Frank should target some advertising at the canine and feline demographic. Frank just stares at his boss as if he's crazy and whispers, "Call the cops."

The movie was directed by Richard Donner ("Lethal Weapon"), and is one of the films I watch as an annual tradition around Christmas. It's dark and often quite disturbing, and its eerie music adds to the mix. But it helps the film because it makes us see through Frank's eyes. And the outcome is, quite frankly, an instant Christmas classic. This is a film I'll be watching for years, and so far, it's only been getting better every time.

Rating:
Summary: A cult classic.
Review: I usually bring my sister wherever in the world I am at Christmas time. She knows I have a copy of Scrooged, but she brings one of her own anyway...full redundancy.

This movie is hilarious on every level. It's chock full of obvious simple humor, but you can "dive deep" for humor at almost any point in time and find some unique absurdity that must have had the writer laughing his a@# off at the time of writing.

I've you've never seen...well, don't wait for Christmas, get at once.

Enjoy...

Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC COMEDY
Review: And a marvelous update of the Charles Dickens classic story "A Christmas Carol". Bill Murray is perfectly cast as the arrogant and narcissistic TV exec Frank Cross (apt name). No one could have played this role better than Murray. His version of the "SCROOGE" promo that is shown at the beggining of the movie is one of the funniest scenes ever put in a movie. Director Richard Donner (of the Lethal Weapon movies) keeps the film moving quickly as Cross is visited by the mean-spirited ghosts that take the form of a Mad Taxi driver, a sado-masochist fairy and of course...the death-like cloaked figure (that I found scary when I was a kid). The scene where Cross tells the mouse wrangler to staple antlers to it's head is typical of the humour of this ace movie.

The DVD is in Dolby 5.1 and is undermatted in it's anamorphic and letterbox format at 1.78:1 instead of the theatrical 1.85:1.

Rating:
Summary: Do you really NEED to read a review?
Review: Since the first time I ever saw this movie, I have watched it a few times a year, never tiring of the modern take on the Dickens classic. Bill Murray is excellently cast as cold hearted TV exec Frank Cross and with each scene, the movie draws you ever-closer to the Christmas feeling.

I watch this EVERY Christmas Eve and no matter how bad a year you've had, by the time this movie finishes and it's time to go to bed before Father Christmas comes, you'll be in the true Spirit of the Season.

I've yet to meet someone who doesn't lean towards this as their movie of choice for the festive period. And now... I finally get to see it on DVD!

Rating:
Summary: TWO WORDS TO WATCH THIS FILM: BILL MURRAY.
Review: Bill Murray is a great actor. He can play funny guys, nasty guys, wacky guys, lovable guys, etc. In "Scrooged" he plays all those guys in only one character (Frank Cross).

"Scrooged" is a movie set in Christmas, so the best time to enjoy it is definitely in december. Perhaps if the role of Frank Cross, the modern Scrooge, would have been portrayed by other actor, the movie wouldn't have been so entertaining, and that is the sign of a good actor. Every actor that can make better a movie with his/her performance deserves to be called a great actor. I call Bill Murray A GREAT ACTOR.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious
Review: ...

I guess I'm biased because in my mind Bill Murray can do no wrong - I am that big of a fan.

I found Scrooged to be hilarious and a refreshing change of pace from the sugary Christmas Carol originals. Sure they are great movies, but a change of pace that also offers good sentiment at the end is also refreshing.

The ghosts of Christmas past in Scrooged are hilarious, especially Carol Kane the "sweet, angelic" ghost who kicks Bill's butt more than once.

Some tender moments are when you realize, as the credits run, that Bill's brother in the movie is really played by his real brother, and Bill couldn't have summmed it up any better when he states, at the end of the movie, that Christmas is the one time of year when we all spend a few hours being the kind of people we should be all year long. It's a reminder of all we can and should be.

I really enjoyed this movie and plan on buying it on DVD ...