On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are learning hard life lessons during the holidays: it’s all about love and family, don’t you know? We’re doing it with the festive Richard Donner film from 1988, Scrooged.
This ain’t yo granddaddy’s Christmas Carol, no siree! Nah, this is the cool, hip, kickin’ ‘80s version of the classic Charles Dickens story. We’ve got greased-up tv company executives, the cutting-edge technology known as the VCR, and enough Christmas ghosts to keep you feeling the holiday cheer for weeks.
Even after one of them keeps kicking our dear Bill Murray in his jingle bells, too, if you know what I mean…
Hey, when it’s Carol Kane doing the kicking, you just tell yourself that you’re okay with it. Oh, did I mention that the wonderful Carol Kane is in this movie? And Bill Murray! And Karen Allen! And freaking Robert Mitchum! C’mon, does it get any better than that? This film is a veritable who’s who of amazing actors. Alfre Woodard’s in this one, too, for crying out loud!
Maybe some of you will feel put off by the thought of watching yet another version of a story you probably know like the back of your hand. Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, fetch me a big turkey and all that. You’d be wrong, as dead wrong as the Ghost of Christmas Future. This is a fresh take on that tale and it’s a blast. This is peak ‘80s Bill Murray here, folks, and he’s chugging along on all cylinders. You’ve got to love him.
If you’re looking to spice up your holiday movie watching, go no further. Give it a watch or Lee Majors may try to murder you with Mrs. Claus and a bunch of elves. Yes, you read that right.
(Recorded on October 26, 2020)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned:
(Richard Donner was also, and probably more famously, the director of the first Superman movie.)
