Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Scrooged (1988) think of snowflakes and moonbeams and whiskers on kittens...jab!

Scrooged (1988)
Directed By: Richard Donner
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Alfre Woodard, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, Bobcat Goldthwait, David Johansen, Michael J. Pollard, John Glover, & Robert Goulet.

What a dark and funny take on "The Christmas Carol" and big business in the 1980's!!!!

Tagline: "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts. Only this time, it's three against one."



Funny Quotes:
"Let's face it, Frank. Garden slugs got more out of life than you."
"The bitch hit me with a toaster!"
"Sometimes you have to *slap* them in the face just to get their attention!"
"I never liked a girl well enough to give her twelve sharp knives." 
"Close your eyes...! And think of snowflakes and moonbeams and whiskers on kittens"...jab!
Bill Murray & Alfre Woodard

 Plot:
"Scrooged" from 1988 take a new look at the Charles Dickens novel "A Christmas Carol" and updates it to the 80's big business with black comedy. Francis "Frank" Xavier Cross (Murray) is a television programming executive for IBC in the 1980's. Frank is consumed with the bottom line of viewership and getting the shock and awe and is very self absorbed. It is no surprise that Frank is single and over time has ran family, and his true love Claire (Allan) away. Claire and Frank could be not any more different where he is self involved and wants money Claire works for a mission for homeless people.

Karen Allen
It is now Chrsitmas time and IBC is getting ready to do the biggest lives broadcast around the world of "The Christmas Carol" bigger and better than any other network. He has hired "The Solid Gold Dancers" along with Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim, talk about crazy! Frank is feeling pressure by his boss Preston Rhinelander (Mitchum) to deliver the best and over the top shows. This is due to the fact that Frank has competition breathing down his throat that being Brice Cummings (Glover) whom is dashing and more people friendly. This of course makes Frank very threatened and stressed and wanting to work overtime like mad!

Frank's lovely and sweet assistant being Grace Cooley (Woodard) is a single mother and has a sick son at home with other children depending on her. Grace is a strong willed woman that puts in overtime but makes sure to state her mind when being abused by Frank which is often both taxing physically and emotionally. Frank for all the abuse and neglect he has given to all in his life then gets visited by three ghosts through out. Ghost of Christmas Past (Johansen) is a horrible and crazy taxi driver that shows Frank his youth and life with Claire.

David Johansen & Bill Murray
This ghost from the past is a riot! Then comes the Ghost of Christmas Present (Kane) which is my personal favorite. This ghost smacks A LOT of reality literally into Frank to show him some tough love on what he is missing out from Claire and her mission work and Frank's caring brother. Finally, there is TV Ghost of Christmas Past & TV Ghost of Christmas Future (Pat McCormick/Chaz Conner) that scares Frank into what might end up being the ugly future. This is a very interesting and funny take on a classic twised to a corporate and 80's look and it works with such an amazing cast!!!

Bill Murray & Carol Kane!



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