Disc Reviews

Scrooged Review

91G2QO97dPL._SL1500_Well Christmas time must be on the horizon and Paramount continue to celebrate 100 years of making movies with this re-release of the Richard Donner directed fantasy-comedy Scrooged starring Bill Murray in one of his stand-out performances in the “Scrooge” role.

Yes Charles Dickens gets hauled into the modern era and we find Frances Cross (Murray) as a high level TV executive – running his station as ruthlessly as possible from way on up high in the company skyscraper, sparing no-one along the way as we discover as the film opens when he fires kind hearted studio exec Elliot (A terrific Bobcat Goldthwaite).  He may be winning awards, but he’s leaving them in the backs of taxis. Taxi’s that he steals from people who have been waiting forever for one to turn up. He is also giving out company towels as Christmas gifts to those he has not a care in the world for (including his own secretary – an also terrific Alfre Woodard), and VHS players to those he feels the need to suck up to. In short: Frances Cross is not a nice person.

But after one very disturbing day – where he has perhaps gone way out of control, programming horrific adverts for the Christmas season on television and generally sitting in his office with an evil grin on his face – he gets a visit from his old boss (Jamie Farr). This surprises Frank as his boss has been dead for some time.

This rotted corpse of a messenger foretells the incoming visit from three spirits who will guide Frank through Past, present and future of his life and the effect it has had on others. Anyone familiar with the tale of Scrooge will know where this goes.

Murray makes for a terrifically evil lead who is suddenly thrust into a world of realisation including heart melting visits to his past courtesy of The Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen), a kick to the nuts from the Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane on fine devilish form, despite being dressed as a petite fairly) and even horrific encounters in restaurants. With the glimmer of hope ahead perhaps in the face of his long lost love Claire (Karen Allen). There may be hope for frank yet. That is of course until the dark shadow of what may yet be looms its ugly head.

Scrooged stays true to the spirit of Dicken’s story, but more so to the spirit of Christmas itself as a time for sharing and caring about others. The film was even brave enough to go out on a song that to this day still pays off.  And this is in no small part to director Donner who keeps everything balanced, but mainly to Murray for channelling Frank Cross pitch perfectly from his greedy start to his honest and open ending which he projects with sheer joy. This is an easy Christmas buy for anyone’s stocking.

Steven Hurst

Scrooged,

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

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