Scrooged (1988) (Blu-ray)

It's a funny movie on of my favorites with bill Murray

Now, more than ever, it is important to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas! Don't miss Bill Murray's immortal classic Scrooged. You're life might just depend on it.Christmas Specials are a big deal, with some of them (such as Charlie Brown and The Grinch) going down in TV history. When it comes to story a lot of lazy staff writers just milk the Christmas Carol goat and there are millions of different takes out there to prove it with Roseanne and the original Star Trek series all doing their own rip-offs. IBC boss Frank Cross (Bill Murray dressed up as Steven Seagal's long-lost twin brother) is a delightfully wicked man of hate who is planning his very own live broadcast of said story. Little does he know that very tale is about to wind its way into his life.I like Frank Cross is because he's a lot like me. He's mean to those beneath him, yields power with a ruthless swagger, and is sarcastic to just about everyone. If you disagree with him in even the slightest, tiniest little way he'll fire you. Just like I would. But on this certain Xmas Eve life is getting very weird for him.The owner of the station is doubting his abilities to undertake such a heavy production, a slimy Californian director is trying to muscle-in on his job and his dead boss comes back to haunt him. He brings an important message that if he doesn't change his way he's going to hell and that three ghosts, of Xmas past, present and future, are going to show him the results of his evilness.In the hands of just another comedy director this would have been a missed opportunity, but Richard Donner shoots the film as a supernatural fantasy and gives it a pretty superior shine. Something Brian Levant could never do. And let's not forget Bill Murray, the guy is a genius no matter what he does and he dominates the whole film with his loud an maniacal performance. Everything he says seems to be ad-libbed and babbles some brilliant one-liners and sarcasm.Most people are put-off by the ending and claim that when the nastiness stops and sentiment kicks in the film goes downhill. I don't feel this way. In a world where Xmas is commercialized and the time of year where people go in huge debt we need a constant reminder of what we should be feeling. No one is asking you to celebrate the fact that Wal-Mart are selling cheap turkeys or that greedy stores have a limited stock of $700 PlayStations. At the end Frank Cross, the world's biggest scrooge and non-believer, tells us that it's the fun, the determination to make a difference, the easiness of changing someone's life and the spirit of the holiday season that really matters. You don't have to hate it, and if you surrender your pride and just give it a go then maybe the miracle to happen to you to.For me, Scrooged has been an annual tradition for years and will continue to be so. Not only is it very funny but, in its own way, very important. If you give a little, you can get back a whole lot more. Sounds corny, I know but Xmas is what you make it. And you only get a small amount so it's best to make every one count. This movie is a step in the right direction.The Blu-ray looks great in 1.78:1 1080p. It's hard to believe this film was made in 1988. The DTS HD-MA sound is also an improvement on DVD. Extras are barely existent, which is a shame considering that Paramount planned then cancelled (for reasons unknown) a special edition back in 2006.

Scrooged is one of the most hilarious Christmas films ever made but it's surprisingly controversial or at least unpopular among some fans of Christmas movies. Maybe it's expectations. For those who say it's not a literal version of Dicken's story, well, it's not. It's inspired and loosely based on it. Many people complain that the character is too dark or that they can't like him enough to root for him. But this is not It's a Wonderful Life and Bill Murray isn't Jimmy Stewart. I don't think anyone watching any of the actual films of A Christmas Carol or even reading the story would say they could relate to Scrooge or see any hope for him. Scrooge is a dark character, so far it would seem from any hope of redemption that when it comes it's all the more joyful.Secondly, Scrooged is basically a farce and so by its very nature everything has to be over the top. That's how a farce works. If Bill Murray's character had been a mildly grumpy man it would have fallen flat. Everything is exaggerated to its maximum effect. Bill Murray's Frank Cross isn't bad, he's horrible. As the movie begins he does something awful, then he does something even worse, then he tops even that, totally plumbing the depths of being an unprincipled scoundrel. There's seemingly no limit to how awful Frank Cross can be. And Bill Murray was the perfect actor in the role. It's the summation of the cynical, smug character that Bill Murray had developed over the years. He plays it beautifully, too: no winks at the camera, just totally straight as the boss from hell. It's his film, he had to carry it and he did so, perfectly.The film by Richard Donner, a director known for action films was shot between Lethal Weapon I and II. It knocks you out of any preconceived expectations by opening with an armed invasion of Santa's Workshop at the North Pole (The Day the Reindeer Died) featuring an actual action star then goes off in several other unexpected directions until you don't know what will happen next and that's the general way the whole film is. It's also loaded with unexpected casting and surprise cameos which are all part of the fun. Some of this may have lost some effect as time has gone by and new viewers may not understand some of the references, but it's still a funny film even if you don't know who all the actors are. It also satirizes the notion that any publicity is good publicity, industry awards and the quest for network ratings. The supporting cast is excellent, even Murray's younger brother playing Frank Cross's younger brother. If you like Bill Murray, you'll love it.

The disk itself and the menu and the video quality are great. No problems here.The movie:The movie is a classic that is liked by as many people as hated.When it first came up it was a "modern interpretation" of the story, now it is not so modern as decades later and many other versions it lost it's magic to the poor animation and effects that were available at the time and mark the time the film was made.At this time the movie is almost half age of the story so you got a double vintage take here.Movie itself is not bad, it has ton of fun moment and many touching heart moments per original story.Acting is bit over the top for my taste but this was something I wanted to expose my kids to as the history of the story and different versions of the same book, we did a little home project to compare few of them and this one came up just so so..BEWARE of creepy moments and scenes, WAY too many for my taste.It is a bit unnecessarily scary at times and creepy at others to be delightfully scary in a subtle way that I personally prefer.It is rolls too many zombie- like cemetery feels to it for my personal taste but you be the judge.

It's not Christmas without scrooged

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VERY GOOD DVD

Okay movie and audio and video also ok.

Zum Film muss man nicht viel sagen, außer das er jedes Jahr aufs neue geschaut wird. Eine großartige Weihnachtskommödie. Die Bild und Tonqualität der Blu Ray ist super wenn man bedenkt das der Film gute 30 Jahre alt ist. Kein Bildrauschen und kein Filmkorn. So muss eine Blu Ray sein. Jetzt fehlt nur noch der Film die Glücksritter auf Blu Ray. Dann sind die altgeliebten Filmklassiker wie ein Ticket für Zwei, Der Prinz aus Zamunda und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier auf Blu Ray beisammen.