Scrooged [M]

Greedy, driven, and all around grumpy bastard, Frank Cross, is the big man of a television agency screening a live version of Scrooge for Christmas Eve. At the end of a particularly nasty day, Frank is visited by the ghost of his old boss and warned that, if he does not change his ways, a rather grim afterlife waits for him. So, to save his soul, Frank is visited by three spirits: a maniacal cab driver, a sugary sweet fairy with a mean punch, and a headless spectre from the future, and it proves to be a night that will push even the sturdiest person over the edge. 

I remember watching this as child and really loving it. I remember it being really funny. But now, a good thirteen or so years later, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I remember. I would even go as far to say that, nup, this film just doesn’t do it. Sorry. Wrong number. My night’s ruined. I’m disappointed and a bit peeved. 

Greedy, driven, and all around grumpy bastard, Frank Cross, is the big man of a television agency screening a live version of Scrooge for Christmas Eve. At the end of a particularly nasty day, Frank is visited by the ghost of his old boss and warned that, if he does not change his ways, a rather grim afterlife waits for him. So, to save his soul, Frank is visited by three spirits: a maniacal cab driver, a sugary sweet fairy with the mean punch, and a headless spectre from the future, and it proves to be a night that will push even the sturdiest person over the edge. 

Essentially, just a macabre and modern version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooged I found a little tasteless and tacky to be brutally honest. All Bill Murray did was scream or say a load of sadistic and sarcastic lines that harboured nothing to throw me into frenzies of comedy delight. This modern-day version was a mutated cross between Heart and Souls and Beetlejuice, if you can imagine such a thing, and I really don’t think I can say much more on the subject. 

Fair play to the people who were responsible for the makeup and special effects, some kudos is due there. Well done everyone involved in that. And, um, yeah, no further comment. 

Starring Billy Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, John Glover, Bobcat Goldthwait, David Johansen, Carol Kane, and Robert Mitchum, Scrooged was a bizarre and tasteless Christmas comedy that very nearly murdered a masterpiece. Filled with ghosts, booze, screaming, the homeless, and weird, weird supernatural characters and sets, I think that I’ve seen it more than enough for one lifetime thank you very much.