In 1988, Director Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon, Superman) brought forth a new version of the classic story "A Christmas Carol" with Scrooged, a modern-day (at the time) imagining about a self-absorbed man who is shown the true meaning of Christmas.
Bill Murray (Ghostbusters) plays Frank Cross, a shrewd New York City television executive who cares more about ratings over the well-being of his viewers and employees. But while in the midst of producing his own broadcast of the classic Scrooge story, Frank is given the spirited ghostly treatment for real behind-the-scenes.
Scrooged - A Dark Comedy With A Heartfelt Spirit Starring Bill Murray
For over twenty years, Scrooged has worked hard to cement itself as a cult classic Christmas staple after coming up short with audiences and critics in its initial release. It's not perfect in execution, but there's no question it's humorous, filled with some brilliant lines and holiday charm. The movie also packs a Halloween-esque design, providing some imagery which could be deemed boderline horrific (a servant is engulfed in flames, eyeballs pop up in drinks, someone is frozen to death, and Frank even experiences being burned alive).
It's dark, but Donner keeps it upbeat and heartfelt enough so that it doesn't go too extreme. The most hilarious sequence is when Carol Kane (License To Drive) appears as the ghost of Christmas present and proceeds to kick the crap out of Frank (in slapstick fashion) while getting her point across. Murray also holds the film together with his wickedly keen sense of humour, in both a negative light and a positive one (working well with co-star Karen Allen as a long-lost love interest). Rating - 3.5/5
The Blu-ray Disc (Released November 1, 2011)
VIDEO - The 1080p high-definition transfer done on Scrooged has admittedly made the film look better than ever. Although some scenes still contain a level of grain and softness that comes with age, for a 1980's release the job done on the quality is considerably admirable. Rating - 4.5/5
AUDIO - Scrooged comes with a far superior DTS-HD Master Audio Track that exceedingly improves over anything done before. It's not a mind-blowing sound experience, but it has its moments of noticeable definition, strength and impact. Rating - 4.5/5
EXTRAS - Once again Scrooged is released with only a Theatrical Trailer as a bonus feature, and left bereft of any retrospective or production footage that was promised as far back as 2006 when its "Yule Love It!" DVD collector's edition was cancelled by Paramount. Rating - 0.5/5
CONSUMER/COLLECTOR VALUE - Although the technical aspects of the Blu-ray upgrade are well executed, the edition needs more in order to justify double-dipping for buyers who already own a standard DVD copy. For those thinking of acquiring this edition to add the movie for the first time to their collection, it's the best offering available, but Paramount could still do much better. Rating - 3/5
Closing Arguments
Scrooged is atypical of the usual vibe of a Christmas movie, and therein lies its worth. Although we've seen this story before, Richard Donner and Bill Murray put a different spin on it to make it memorable on its own. The Blu-ray edition has great technical appeal and good main content value, but with a continuing lack of bonus features offered it's a frustrating decision for fans and buyers. Over-all Rating - 3/5
Sources:
- Scrooged. Dir. Richard Donner. Perf. Bill Murray, Karen Allen. Paramount Pictures. 1988. Running Time: 101 mins.
Ryan Young - Ryan Young is a Film and Sports article/review writer, based in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.
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