Scrooged (PG) A review by David Wilcock (C)1997 DAVID WILCOCK
Starring Bill Murray and Karen Allen Directed by Richard Donner (Lethal weapon, The Omen, Superman) A Paramount Pictures Release
Take a look at the following equation....
A CHRISTMAS CAROL+GHOSTBUSTERS=SCROOGED
Yes, SCROOGED is the odd mixture of sentiment, comedy and horror you would get if you mixed those two elements toghether. SCROOGED is alternatively sick, gross, funny, and then sickly soppy.
Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a T.V executive with a horrible personality. He's evil to secretary, actors, crew, everyone, except the T.V's station's boss, of course (played by the late Robert Mitchum) However, he is then visited by a very dead exec, who warns Cross that he will be visited by three ghosts, past, present and future (who is called The Ghost of Yet to Come, for some reason) Sure enough, they arrive, show Cross how much of a S.O.B he is, and he changes his way.
However, throughout this simple plot, we've got to suffer outlandish special effects, poor comedy, and an very, very mean performance from Bill Murray. Frank Cross isn't 'funny' mean, he's just mean. He also isn't very good at emotional scenes, and totally destroys the last ten minutes of the film, with an utterly desperate speech saying how great christmas is, and how he has changed. However, the supporting cast are OK, with good performances from Mitchum, Allen (who plays his girlfriend) and John Glover (who plays Cross's 'partner') The ghost of christmas past isn't that bad either. Sadly, though, the audience has to suffer 25 minutes of 'Home Alone' style violence from the ghost of christmas present, played by Carol Kane. Whoever thought smacking that Kane smacking Murray in the head with a toaster was funny, should be fired straight away. And the audience also has to suffer Bobcat Goldthwait (the guy with the annoying voice in Police Academy 3, if I remeber correctly....) who, thankfully, dosen't say much. The script is horrendous. Michael O'Donaghue churns out terrible, bad taste jokes (which I guess is the whole point really) then changes direction completely to emotional scenes. And he must of been on some drug when he wrote the final ten minutes, which are awful. The special effects look nice, but do nothing for the film. There's some impressive make up effects also. The music is also good, which is scored by Danny Elfman. But great effects and make up don't make a great film. SCROOGED is an appaling attempt to inject some christmas spirit into the audience, seeing as the first 1 hour 20 minutes of the film are so depressing anyway, and the last ten minutes had to make up for it with an godawful speech. Why didn't Cross just look out his exec window, and ask a young boy to buy a goose for him?
Overall, then, you'd have a much better christmas if you avoid this film like something that should be avoided (perhaps a plague)
Overall Rating=*1/2 out of *****
Review By David Wilcock
DAVID WILCOCK david.wilcock@btinternet.com Visit the Wilcock Movie Page! http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/9061
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