The Film
'Tis the season to scarf up holiday fare. In addition to candy canes, cookies and a variety of other treats, now is the time to indulge in holiday Blu-ray cheer. You probably already have a few perennial favorites in your collection. Now, Paramount is releasing 1988's Scrooged in time to stuff a few stockings.
Scrooged is obviously based on the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol. However, this version offers up a bit of a comedic twist via a very '80s Bill Murray. He plays Frank Cross, a TV exec who believes Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year because of the inevitable ratings boost. To ensure that this is the best holiday ever, he's planning an outlandish live re-telling of the Dickens classic.
Scrooged isn't so much funny as it is goofy. It's also pretty dated. Still, it's fun, it's a holiday favorite, and it's filled with the acting talent of Christmas Past, including Bobcat Goldthwait, Karen Allen, David Johansen, John Glover, and Mary Lou Retton.
The Picture
After 23 years, it's hard to believe that Scrooged holds any surprises. However, we were giddy like a kid on Christmas morning over this fresh 1.78:1 transfer. This is one clean print, and with the exception of the hairstyles, you would never know how dated this film actually is. The color palette looks pretty wonderful, with black levels being a real standout. Most impressive, however, is how much detail there is to be seen here. That clarity is certainly most evident in Bill Murray's face. However, we were very surprised that after countless viewings over the years, this Blu-ray made the viewing experience seem very new.
The Sound
Scrooged starts off with some booming effects (and the six million dollar man himself, Mr. Lee Majors!) during that North Pole scene. From there, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track does a very nice job at keeping up with the film's refreshed image. As with most comedies, the dialogue is the main focus, and comes through very well. However, this track does manage to squeeze in some nice atmospheric sounds that should keep you in the Christmas spirit.
The Extras
Bah humbug! Just when we thought we had been extra good this year, Paramount cheaps out and includes the film's theatrical trailer as the one lonely extra.
Final Thoughts
Scrooged has never really reached It's a Wonderful Life status. It's a little goofy, insanely dated, and saps out a bit at the end of the film. In other words, it's perfect holiday fare. The Blu-ray release, which boasts surprisingly stellar video and audio, bumps it up a notch, making it this year's perfect stocking stuffer.
Product Details
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