And this week's Friday night movie has been... Scrooged!
I have spoken previously of my admiration of A Christmas Carol and how the source material is strong enough that it can adapted so many times and still work. So it was only a matter of time before I came across this.
On paper this sounds like it has potential: Bill Murray playing the Scrooge role? And it's updated with Scrooge playing a TV bigshot? And it utilises an adaptation of the original text as a framing device? Sounds like something that could work. So does it?
Watching Scrooged, I can't shake the feeling that it was looking over Ghostbusters' shoulder, with the presence of Murray, the use of horror & fantasy and ingenious special effects. Also it is difficult to ascertain the mood the movie is going for, with it starting being critical of Christmas sentimentality before giving up by the end and embracing it.
But in the end, this movie works because of Murray - proving that he is his best when he gets to play complete jerks. The afore-mentioned framing device works, and I will admit that I enjoyed the speech at the end.
You know, when I was a kid, I saw the music video to Put a Little Love in Your Heart on rage and wondered what movie it was selling. Now I know.
Incidentally, would anyone else want to watch The Night the Reindeer Died?
Anywho, hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
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