adaptation of Charles Dickens classic fable. "Scrooged" holds a place on my list of the top 100 American movies ever made. The film takes place a few days before Christmas. Bill Murray stars as the heartless Frank Cross, a corporate tightwad in charge of a highly profitable television company. This man seldom gives raises, airs stomach churning TV ads, and fires desperate employees at the drop of a hat, regardless of what time of year it is. Currently, Frank's company is producing the first live Christmas program on network television, on Christmas eve. It is a Charles Dickens fable. Frank is at the prime of his life, living a wealthy, glamorous, but unhappy life. His greed soon catches up with him, however, when one night his old boss visits him, who has now been dead for years. Frank is at first astonished; he thinks he is hallucinating. The talking corpse tells him that very soon he will be introduced to three ghosts involuntarily. Franks then calls his old girlfriend, and continues on with his deprived life.Bill Murray plays his role straight, with intensity and imagination--just like everyone else in the cast. He acts like he is yelling at his workers, and they act like they are being yelled at. This is what generates the film all of its laughs. It takes the characters seriously, and the comical situations in which they are placed are what makes the film funny. Each of the three ghosts visit Frank. They include The Ghost of Christmas past, a rough cigar smoking taxi driver, an angelic but brutal pink fairy, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the most feared ghost, Christmas Future, the death-resembling, dark capped figure. They each contribute a heartfelt, terrifying message to Frank, explaining to him how that he either needs to clean up his act and become a giving, generous man, or dastardly things will happen to him. The three ghosts are some of the most memorable characters ever seen in the movies. The human characters are also very interesting and entertaining. The filmmakers write each with distributive characteristics, provoking empathy and captivation. They are wonderfully portrayed as well. The interlocking stories each related to each other in Richard Donnar's comedy classic as well. Each scene relates to the next with a strong, supportive narrative through line through Frank Cross. ''Scrooged'' definitely fits into the comedy genre, and offers copious amounts of laugh out loud material. There's even dialogue and sight gags that provoke laughter. On the other hand, the film doesn't lose track of its message by being all over the wall slapstick silliness. It leaves room for the emotions and feelings present. For this type of comedy to work, the humor needs to be played accurately. Some scenes involving the past of Frank are quite emotional, and the filmmakers use this to their advantage to develop the Frank character even further. ''Scrooged'' may be a spoof, but if still holds true to the classic story it is based on. I also enjoyed the illustrious style this film uses: a mesmerizing blend of perfect set direction and colorful atmosphere. The sound track is very effective as well, with memorable tunes and voiceless medleys. The closing scene of ''Scrooged'' may feel a bit contrived and fake, but it also allows us to leave the theater with joyful happiness inside. If this film doesn't put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.Brought to you by Paramount Pictures.

to Michael J. Pollard. This film will make you laugh, and will certainly bring a little warmth into your Christmas season.For those who sight this film as mean-spirited or dark, they surely must be missing something. This film is funny, charming, and sweet. Frightening and warm at the same time, "Scrooged" is a modern masterpiece that has been unjustly overlooked and unappreciated. While there are other enjoyable Christmas films of the '80s "A Christmas Story" and "Christmas Vacation" seem to get more than enough praise , none can hold a light towards "Scrooged", an excellent Christmas movie for modern audiences.

snowmobile and reassures Santa that Christmas will be coming on time this year. Then Lee goes to work killing the terrorists with a large Gatling gun.Then we're treated to a promo spot for a television production of "Scrooge," which features a bloody highway shooting, a plane blowing up, and drug addicts taking heroin. It is this sort of cynicism that's underlying in much of the subtext of this film, and it's also something that Frank Cross Bill Murray , "the youngest television president in network history," thrives on.And so opens "Scrooged," director Richard Donner's contemporary take on Charles Dickens's classic tale "A Christmas Carol." Dickens's novel has been fodder for countless television, film, and stage productions over the 150+ years it has been an accepted part of American literature, and this 1988 dark comedy is the latest incarnation.The biggest reason it has is because it describes the need for mankind to not be so selfish, and it takes three ghastly apparitions over the course of a 24-hour period to show an old miser the error of his ways.But all of this is in the past. Cross is so swept up in himself, that he gives bath towels to everyone even his only brother on Christmas. He asks his loyal secretary Grace Alfre Woodard to stay late at work, despite the fact that she has to take her mute son to the doctor. "I care!" Frank says, when she confronts him about it. He fires an underling named Eliot Bobcat Goldthwait for questioning him about his un-Christmas-like promo ads. He shuns Claire Karen Allen , the only woman who's ever cared about him when she tries to provide comfort for the homeless. Yeah, Cross is every bit as a unsavory as most misers are when it comes to "A Christmas Carol."But life is about to change for Frank, and that's marked by the sudden and literally explosive appearance of the rotting corpse of his late boss. The walking, talking "worm feast" informs Frank that he's going to be visited by three ghosts over the next 24 hours, and this may be his last chance to change his ways. And from there on, it's ghastly, darkly comic hilarity as Frank goes back, forward, and stays in the present as three ghosts a manic cabbie, a jilted, abusive fairy, and a towering, cloaked skeleton, respectively take him on a wild ride through his life.Bill Murray is at his comic best here, getting "Scrooged" the way someone in his position should. Much like the lead character in "A Christmas Carol" realizes the error of his ways, Frank Cross does so too, but with a kind of cynicism that could only be provided by someone as indifferent, uncompromising, and selfish as him. And he's also quite aware from the appearance of the first ghost of what this trip entails.The makeup and special effects are also worthy of some mention. The ghosts all look fantastic, even though some would argue that the effects that brought them to life are dated; well, this movie was made in 1988 for crying out loud!I liked "Scrooged," as it is certainly a fantastic Christmas movie to watch, and is quite funny, especially just to see Murray get his comeuppance in a role that seems to suit him perfectly.Watch Bill Murray get "Scrooged" - 10/10

it's done wonderfully. It's great to see how the the classic story is translated into the 20th century. Everything works very well: The settings, the characters and the events, everything.From the hilarious opening involving Santa Claus and Lee Mayors I say no more till the wonderful ending the movie delivers non stop fun and pure entertainment with a nice love story, brilliant dialog and a great and important message in it. Only thing is that I feel that the movie could have done without the whole Loudermilk thing, but oh well...Very recommendable and close of being perfect.9/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

fool who manages, through his bastardization of the human condition, to rate the "ghost of xmas past, present, and future" treatment from the Powers That Be.Don't miss this wonderfully funny movie, especially around xmas time. It's an endearing, heart-warming and hilarious production which is horribly under-rated.It rates an 8.9/10 from...the Fiend :.

complaints miss the point of the project. While staging a production of 'A Christmas Carol,' a TV executive experiences the very same circumstances as one of the characters in the novel. That alone makes it work. A few reviews question the overall harsh tone of the movie, or more specifically, Murray's role. Frankly, I would not have minded had it been even a little darker. There's a lot of water to carry in that bucket of trying to measure the callous and thoughtless manner in which some folks act on all but the most treasured of holidays. Murray's demeanour boils it down into one strong mean spirit and evaporates it with a truly positive and well-wishing finale.Scrooged is, along with Groundhog Day, among his best work.

same, and in this ever changing world of ours the core essence of the story is one the world should heed.This version is a blast, it's loud, it's brash, but boy is it damn funny, and I personally watch it every Christmas without fail. And yes, I watch it alongside the glorious Alistair Sim version, for although they are poles apart in class, they both entertain for very different reasons.Joining Murray in this festive romp is the delightful Karen Allen, while luminaries such as former New York Dolls front man David Johansen and Mr. Laconic himself, Robert Mitchum, add some weight to the cast list. It all works really rather well with the exception of Carol Kane's Ghost Of Christmas Present, where to me she comes off as being more annoying than funny, but that of course is a personal opinion and I know as fact that many others adore her energetic performance. With quips aplenty and of course with a simple heartfelt message at the core, Scrooged is truly a sharp and enjoyable film to be enjoyed at the festive period. Thanks boys, get the nurse! 8/10

Buddy Hackett as Scrooge and Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim. And that's just a taste of the kind of humor this film has to offer. There's more, much more, and it's all handled with aplomb by Donner, Murray and a great supporting cast. Whatever genre he's working in, Donner knows his stuff and knows how to deliver the goods. Here he wisely lets Murray lead the way, but keeps his star on task and the film moving along with a tempered pace and great timing. The story remains the same, but placing Scrooge-- Cross-- in the entertainment industry was a stroke of genius, and it all works exceedingly well, as it gives the audience a medium with which it can readily identify. Let's face it, television is a part of our culture, like it or not, and it's here to stay; and in this instance, using it as a setting for this story offers a `tableau vivant' rich with possibilities that are tapped to the fullest. There's a promo for the upcoming live broadcast like you've never seen before; there's the `inside' industry jokes, like Network executive Preston Rhinelander Robert Mitchum urging programming for cats; `Marley's ghost' becomes Lew Hayward John Forsythe the exec who sold his soul for ratings; the casting of Hackett and Retton; but most of all, it puts Murray right in his element. Murray gets right to the heart of the character, imbuing Cross with a sense of jaded, dubious and sarcastic paranoia that so perfectly fits the psychological make-up of an executive in a business where you're only as good as yesterday's ratings. And Murray plays him to the hilts; he has the tone and the body language, and nobody can look `askance' like he can, a nuance he makes the most of here. it's an original take on a familiar character, and in Murray's skin Cross becomes a memorable and entirely believable figure, from his credible ruthlessness he fires an underling, Eliot Loudermilk--played by Bob Goldthwait-- just before Christmas for disagreeing with his `vision' to his epiphany on Christmas Eve. The terrific supporting cast includes Karen Allen as Claire, the girl Frank lets slip away as he follows the siren's song of career; John Glover Bryce Cummings as Frank's new `assistant,' plotting his way to the top; Alfre Woodard Grace as Frank's secretary, a single mom with a sick child; Michael J. Pollard Herman ; Nicholas Phillips Calvin ; John Murray James ; Brian Doyle-Murray Earl Cross ; David Johansen, as the cab-driving Ghost of Christmas Past; and Carol Kane, who turns in an unforgettable, hilarious, scene-stealing performance as the Ghost of Christmas Present. There's plenty of laughs and some touching moments in `Scrooged,' which is a wonderfully entertaining holiday treat, especially if you want your `Christmas Carol' served up just a little bit differently this year. And the speech Murray gives at the end, once he's had his revelation, is worth the price of admission alone; it's one of those things Murray does best, and he really connects with the audience, especially when he finishes up by leading everyone involved including the audience in song. This is a movie that has become an annual event for many since it's arrival on video; give yourself a present this year and put this one under your tree. You'll be glad you did. Like the song at the end sung by Annie Lennox and Al Green , it'll `Put A Little Love In Your Heart.' I rate this one 8/10.