Christmas Eve Movie Double: Scrooged and Bad Santa
Scrooged: This film has been with me for as long as I can remember, in the run up to every Christmas the BBC would put on this modern take of A Christmas Carol. So, every Christmas growing up, My Dad, Brothers, Sister and myself would do our best to watch it all together.
Bill Murray stars as Frank Cross a shamelessly mean and cynical TV executive, his network is staging a live performance of A Christmas Carol (what are the odds) but its Frank who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve and learns a valuable life lesson along the way, sort of.
It’s certainly an unexpected movie from director Richard Donner, the man behind Goonies, Superman and 4 Lethal Weapon films. Scrooged was made directly after the first Lethal Weapon, maybe all that violence and mayhem at Christmas I guess Donner wanted something more family friendly.
This may well be another reworking of A Christmas Carol, but it does it with such glee and Bill Murray is on top form. Co-starring Karren Allen, John Glover, Bob Goldthwait the legend that is Robert Mitchum and a fantastic performance from Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present. This movie is a Christmas must see as is my next choice.
I featured Bad Santa on my recent ‘Top 5 Alternative Christmas Movies’ post, it has long been a tradition that I watch this movie every year along with the more traditional films. After the credits rolled on Scrooged, it only felt right that Bad Santa was the next choice.
Billy Bob Thornton plays the full time low life and part time department store Santa in Terry Zwigoff”s Bad Santa. It’s a foul mouthed crime caper with a sugary sweet Christmas message, which is dressed up with sex, violence and the police shooting Santa in-front of children.
So, all my pre Christmas movies have now been watched, all the presents have now been wrapped up and are waiting under the tree. There are still plenty of Christmas coming up over the next 7 days, including my unmissable Boxing Day Movie Recovery Menu.
Have a super happy Christmas!
