Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media , the topic first appeared in literature and in music . Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptations of Christmas novels , in the forms of Christmas films , Santa Claus films , and Christmas television specials .
89-621: Scrooged is a 1988 American Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue . Based on the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens , Scrooged is a modern retelling that follows Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a cynical and selfish television executive who is visited by a succession of ghosts on Christmas Eve intent on helping him regain his Christmas spirit. The film also stars Karen Allen , John Forsythe , John Glover , Bobcat Goldthwait , Carol Kane , Robert Mitchum , Michael J. Pollard , and Alfre Woodard . Scrooged
178-457: A Christmas parade at Walt Disney World Resort and along with its sister cable network, ESPN (since they jointly acquired broadcast rights to the league in 2002), NBA games featuring some of the league's best teams and players, broadcasting a doubleheader (or as many as five games between the two networks in certain years); the NBA's Christmas Day games are notable as they historically serve as
267-412: A "complete bastard". The Washington Post ' s Joe Brown said that it was a "sprawling mess", but that he liked it. Brown said that Scrooged was unlikely to become a seasonal tradition like It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947), considering that it would age poorly and either scare or be too adult for child audiences. The Los Angeles Times ' s Sheila Benson said
356-626: A backdrop for the film (though the films themselves are often filmed in British Columbia due to favorable film tax benefits). As of 2020 The Grinch is the highest grossing Christmas film of all time. Green Book was the last movie with a Christmas setting to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . Before 1962, when Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol premiered, true Christmas specials made for TV were either adaptations of stories such as A Christmas Carol (with live actors), or
445-410: A big city person has to go to a small town, in either case deciding that the small town is where they should remain. A main character will also have a Christmas-sounding name (such as "Holly") and/or the small town will (such as "Christmas Valley"). The settings are usually in the northern United States, or in a mountain area (such as Colorado), where snow (and the ensuing "White Christmas") are used as
534-576: A custom DVD case and a retail price as late as September that year, it missed its release date and it remains unreleased. The reason for this has not been disclosed. Scrooged was released on Blu-ray on November 1, 2011. The release featured a 1080p resolution transfer of the original film and DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 quality sound. The release was criticized for only including the film's theatrical trailer, with Collider 's Phil Brown saying "there must be some incredible behind-the-scenes stories to tell." In August 2023, Paramount Home Entertainment announced
623-500: A desire to return to acting, he said the "scripts were just not that good", and he returned to the Scrooged project as he found the idea of making a funny Scrooge appealing. Murray was paid $ 6 million for his role. Producer Art Linson justified the figure by saying that for each year Murray stayed away from films, his audience draw and therefore fee potentially increased. At the time, Linson said that aside from Eddie Murphy , Murray's
712-1105: A disabled beggar boy living with his (presumably) widowed mother in the Holy Land. They are visited by the Three Wise Men who are on their way to see the Christ Child, and when Amahl offers his crutch as a gift, he is miraculously cured. In 1978, it returned to television, with less success. TV programmes which have had special Christmas episodes in the United Kingdom include Top of the Pops (from 1960s-2006), Morecambe and Wise (1970s), The Two Ronnies (1980s), Stars in Their Eyes , Only Fools and Horses (both 1990s), and more recently, Doctor Who , Top Gear (both 2000s), Downton Abbey (2010s) and The Repair Shop (2020s). The 1982 animated tale The Snowman has been screened for many years during
801-524: A party guest, Brian Doyle-Murray plays Frank's father, and John Murray plays his on-screen brother James. The film also features the final appearance of the Solid Gold Dancers . Comedian Sam Kinison was considered for the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past before it went to musician David Johansen, a personal friend of Murray's. Robert Mitchum cameos as Frank's boss Preston Rhinelander; the actor
890-461: A person who has "lost the Christmas spirit" and through "Christmas magic" regains it (commonly by a romantic encounter; frequently one of the two in the romance is a single parent or has lost someone special around a prior Christmas season). Another theme plays on the "big city-small town" dynamic, whereby a lead character has either left a small hometown for the big city (and has had to return), or
979-516: A regular television Christmastime feature, with some critics calling it an alternative to traditional Christmas films, and others arguing that Scrooged was ahead of its time, making it relevant in the modern day. It has appeared on various lists of the best Christmas films. On December 23, Frank Cross, the ruthless and cynical president of IBC television, is preoccupied with ensuring the success of his extravagant live broadcast of A Christmas Carol scheduled for broadcast on Christmas Eve. He launches
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#17327873324611068-452: A score of 38 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 14 critics indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". In 2015, IGN named it the 11th-best holiday movie of all time. In 2016, Empire listed Scrooged as the seventh-best Christmas film, and in 2017, Time Out and Consequence of Sound listed it as, respectively, the 12th-best and 23rd best. That same year, Collider named it the fifth-best adaptation of A Christmas Carol , calling it
1157-495: A violent, fear-mongering advertisement for the show, and fires meek executive Eliot Loudermilk for questioning its content. That night, Frank is visited by the ghost of his mentor Lew Heyward, who died an unloved miser and regrets not performing good deeds while alive. Lew warns a terrified Frank that he will soon be visited by three ghosts to help him avoid the same fate. Frank's phone then mysteriously dials Claire Phillips, his ex-girlfriend. Claire visits Frank at his office, but he
1246-408: A wealthy and ruthless individual like him. Finally, Frank is shown his own cremation ceremony, attended only by James and his wife. In terror, Frank finds himself inside the coffin as it is consumed by flames, only to be jolted back to the elevator, face-to-face with Eliot. Having experienced a profound transformation, Frank jubilantly rehires Eliot with a pay increase. With Eliot's help, he takes over
1335-463: A young Frank finds comfort in television shows to escape the neglect of his father, who dismisses Christmas traditions. Transported to 1968, a young adult Frank works through the IBC office Christmas party but also meets and falls in love with Claire. By 1971, however, his growing selfishness, workaholism, and disregard for Claire's feelings have driven her away. Returned to the present, Frank visits Claire at
1424-404: Is "full blast with holiday spirit", and singled out J. Michael Riva 's production design, calling it "dead on the mark funny". O'Donoghue was very critical of the finished film. He said, "We wrote a fucking masterpiece. We wrote It Happened One Night (1934). We wrote a story that could make you laugh and cry. You would have wanted to share it with your grandchildren every fucking Christmas for
1513-474: Is a comic genius at his best, and Brown said that he created a credible, comic character. Ferguson said that the first part of Scrooged featured Murray at "his sour faced best". The Hollywood Reporter called him "hilariously convincing" and "impressively sinister" as the TV executive, saying that his hip and sassy performance gives the film energy, nuttiness and charm. Their review said that his deadpan, cutting style
1602-487: Is easily the best non-traditional translation of the story, and saying that it uses "a classic tale of redemption as the framework for a satire of modern culture's desire to embrace the irredeemable". In 2018, The Ringer said that even 30 years after its debut, the film represented the perfect Christmas movie, saying it is "loud, cartoonish, and misanthropic, but... remarkably well-suited for our fraught present moment". David Johansen's New York Dolls bandmate Arthur Kane
1691-430: Is the second-most lucrative season for the industry. In fact, a few films each year open on the actual Christmas Day holiday. Christmas movies generally open no later than Thanksgiving, as their themes are not so popular once the season is over. Likewise, the home video release of these films is typically delayed until the beginning of the next year's Christmas season. American Christmas-themed films are also broadcast on
1780-486: Is then shown his brother, James, who, despite celebrating Christmas with his loved ones, still misses Frank's presence after years of declined Christmas invitations and impersonal gifts. The Ghost abruptly abandons Frank in a utility space under a sidewalk, with Herman's frozen corpse. Desperate to escape, Frank breaks through a boarded door, finding himself transported to the production set minutes before broadcast. Overwhelmed, Frank retires to his office, while Brice takes over
1869-440: Is too preoccupied with production issues to give her his attention. Meanwhile, Frank's erratic behaviour leads his boss, Preston Rhinelander, to assign Brice Cummings, an ambitious acquaintance, to assist with the production. Frank deduces that Brice wants to replace him. On Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, a chain-smoking taxi driver. The Ghost takes Frank back to his childhood Christmas in 1955, where
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#17327873324611958-781: The Jurassic Park movies, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory , the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, the DC Extended Universe movies and Peter Jackson 's Middle Earth saga , as well as several animated Disney , DreamWorks , Aardman , Studio Ghibli , Illumination , Laika and Pixar movies. Others have some scenes during the Christmas season, such as the Harry Potter films which are frequently included in
2047-732: The Solid Gold Dancers, Buddy Hackett as Scrooge, Mary Lou Retton (as "Tiny Tim" Cratchit), Jamie Farr as Jacob Marley, Larry Carlton , and Anne Ramsey and her husband Logan Ramsey . Scrooged was filmed on a $ 32 million budget over three-and-a-half months on sets in Hollywood . Exterior shots of the IBC building were filmed outside of the Seagram Building in New York City. Murray considered himself "rusty" after having left acting for four years following
2136-758: The Cincinnati Pops , and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Many radio stations begin to add Christmas music to their rotation in late November, and often switch to all-Christmas programming for December 25. Some do for part of or all of December 24 as well. A few stations switch to all-Christmas music for the entire season (some beginning as early as mid-November); in Detroit, 100.3 WNIC in 2005 started Christmas music day and night on midnight of October 31 because programmers believed that at least some listeners who are attracted by
2225-473: The Hallmark Channel and its companion channel Hallmark Movies & Mysteries , which during the holiday season generally feature new films along with reruns of favorites from prior years. Actresses Candace Cameron Bure , Lacey Chabert , and Danica McKellar , along with actor Niall Matter , are frequently featured in lead or major roles. The films themselves generally feature a similar theme of
2314-590: The National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Goonies (1985), Die Hard (1988) and Forrest Gump (1994). Trainor was married to director Robert Zemeckis for 20 years, with whom she had a son, Alexander. She was good friends with producer Kathleen Kennedy , who worked with Steven Spielberg extensively and serves as President of Lucasfilm . Trainor introduced
2403-752: The United Kingdom , during the 2000s ITV usually showed a James Bond and/or a Harry Potter film(s) during the Christmas Holidays whilst the BBC showed the Chronicles of Narnia and/or High School Musical films. And for many years Channel 5 have shown American/Canadian made-for-TV Christmas films during the weeks before Christmas. In North America, the holiday movie season often includes release of studios' most prestigious pictures, in an effort both to capture holiday crowds and to position themselves for Oscar consideration. Next to summer, this
2492-490: The 4K version of Scrooged , being released November 7, 2023 for the film's 35th anniversary. Pre-release audience screenings in Summer 1988 were positive, with 93% of those surveyed rating the film as "very good", the highest rating studio Paramount Pictures had received at the time. Press screenings nearer to release however were met with responses ranging from ovations to disgruntlement. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave
2581-453: The Christmas carol " Silent Night " and the story of " Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus " are two examples. Sometimes, family films and classics boasting special effects and/or uplifting messages, but having no real relation to Christmas, are telecast during the season as part of the holiday programming. The Wizard of Oz , for instance, was always telecast during the Christmas season between 1959 and 1962. Other films often seen around
2670-422: The Christmas chart has been dominated by the winner of The X Factor and various social media backed records aimed to hijack the charts. As with television, British radio programmes also schedule Christmas specials. These mainly include comedy shows such as I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and The Now Show . The Music Choice channels have over the past few years have begun playing Christmas music as early as
2759-427: The Christmas holiday period itself, the film had fallen to ninth place, behind The Land Before Time and Oliver & Company . The film left theaters after eight weeks with a total gross of $ 60.3 million, making it the 13th highest-grossing film of 1988. The film grossed $ 40 million overseas for a worldwide total of $ 100.3 million. Scrooged was released on VHS and Laserdisc in 1989 and DVD in 1999. The DVD version
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2848-483: The Christmas music will remain loyal listeners when the station reverts to its standard format on Boxing Day . Radio stations also broadcast traditional Western art music, such as the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel 's Messiah . Among other pieces inspired by Christmas are Tchaikovsky 's ballet The Nutcracker and the popular suite drawn from it, and Johann Sebastian Bach 's " Christmas Oratorio " (BWV 248). Some radio stations play Christmas music commercial-free
2937-608: The Christmas period (usually Christmas Eve or Christmas Day), and the 1991 short animated film, Father Christmas , by the same artist and company, is usually broadcast around the same time. Adaptations of novels from Charles Dickens are also common around Christmas time. Along with A Christmas Carol (the most popular due to its Christmas season setting, and the message portrayed), these also include Bleak House (2005), Oliver Twist (2007) and Great Expectations (2011), among others. These adaptations usually feature all-star casts. Christmas Day begins at 12 at night with
3026-517: The Christmas period are Singin' in the Rain , Some Like it Hot , Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines , Casablanca , The Golden Compass , Great Expectations , Annie , Grease , The Adventures of Robin Hood , Johnny Depp 's Alice Saga , Sunshine on Leith , The Star Wars Saga , Transformers , The Simpsons Movie , Cinderella , Maleficent , Into
3115-559: The Nativity Story, or episodes of variety shows highlighting Christmas music. They were often hosted by such celebrities as Perry Como , Jane Wyatt , or Florence Henderson . (A notable exception was The Spirit of Christmas in 1950, which, although featuring an appearance by Alexander Scourby , who also narrated, starred the Mabel Beaton Marionettes.) This all changed once variety shows began dying out in
3204-629: The Red-Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas . Some local affiliates provide the Yule Log , a block of time either on Christmas morning or both during the evening hours of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning showing footage of a fireplace, coupled with popular Christmas music. Some local affiliates that provide the Yule Log simulcast Christmas music from a radio station playing it. Every Christmas Day , ABC (since 1996) airs
3293-451: The Stone , The Monster Squad , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , and Freaky Friday (2003). Trainor attended San Diego State University , where she studied broadcast journalism. Trainor started her career working at radio stations KSDO as well as KCBS . Her first television appearance came in the 1983 Cheers episode " Father Knows Last ", and her big-screen debut came
3382-542: The U.S. music charts, peaking at number 9 on January 14, 1989. The film's marketing made references to Murray's role in Ghostbusters , with taglines including "Bill Murray is back among the ghosts, only this time, it's three against one". Scrooged premiered in Los Angeles, California on November 17, 1988, followed by its public release on November 23, 1988. Scrooged was a moderate box office hit on release in
3471-467: The UK are specially commissioned separately to a production season , and many are extended from the usual episode length. For example, the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special was 71 minutes as opposed to the standard 45 minutes, was broadcast six months after the third series had finished and four months before the fourth series started. UK Christmas specials may or may not feature the holiday itself as part of
3560-520: The United States. It earned $ 18.6 million during its release over its Thanksgiving -extended opening weekend in the United States at 1,262 theaters. It was the highest earning film that weekend, ahead of The Land Before Time ($ 8.1 million) and Oliver & Company ($ 6.3 million), both in their second weekend, and made Scrooged the fourth highest-opening weekend of the year. The second weekend saw an over 40% drop, taking $ 7.5 million. Over
3649-896: The Woods , Oz the Great and Powerful , Sam Raimi 's Spider Man trilogy , Paddington , Around the World in Eighty Days , Chitty Chitty Bang Bang , E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial , Robert Downey Jr 's Sherlock Holmes Saga , Fiddler on the Roof , My Fair Lady , Mary Poppins , Enchanted , the Mamma Mia! saga , Bridesmaids , Oliver! , Crocodile Dundee , King Kong , The Railway Children , The Sound of Music , Bedknobs & Broomsticks ,
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3738-437: The arm, leaving him bruised for a week. The production was rife with conflict between Murray and Donner. Murray described the experience as having a "fair amount of misery" and said "That's a tough one; I still have trouble talking about [ Scrooged ]", describing working on a "dusty, smelly, and smokey" set, feeling alone, and even coughing up blood due to the fake snow being used. He also admitted to feeling pressure from being
3827-468: The battle of the bands and artists to make it to the Christmas No. 1 spot, recognised on the first Sunday before, or on, Christmas Day. Many of these songs are festive, while others are novelty songs that remain but briefly at the top of the chart. Gospel singer Cliff Richard is a fixture of Christmas charts, appearing nearly every year, and subsequently being mocked for doing so. In more recent years
3916-634: The beginning of November, instead of waiting till after Thanksgiving. Mary Ellen Trainor Mary Ellen Trainor (July 8, 1952 – May 20, 2015) was an American character actress best known for her roles as LAPD psychiatrist Dr. Stephanie Woods in the Lethal Weapon films, newscaster Gail Wallens in Die Hard and Ricochet , and Irene Walsh in The Goonies . She also appeared in numerous other well-known films including Romancing
4005-498: The commercialization of Christmas while also capitalizing on it, taking on the moral message of A Christmas Carol , "without sacrificing its yuppie priorities for an instant". Rosenbaum cited the ending in particular, wherein Frank gives his Christmas message, causing Karen to leave the needy homeless to come to his side, and both are watched over approvingly by Herman, a homeless man who froze to death. Ebert and Empire concurred about
4094-611: The day after Christmas while NBC airs a Premier League soccer match that same day. Christmas specials based on classical music have also been well received. Among them, in addition to the previously mentioned Amahl and the Night Visitors , have been the many telecasts of the ballet The Nutcracker , and concert specials featuring musicians such as the Boston Pops , the Mormon Tabernacle Choir ,
4183-449: The ending. Ebert said that the necessary words are spoken by the characters, but it lacks heart, continues at embarrassing length, and seems like an onscreen breakdown. Empire also called the ending embarrassing and beyond Murray's capabilities. Conversely, the BBC's Ben Falk said it is hard not to join in singing at the end. Critics were divided by Murray's performance. Falk said that Murray
4272-499: The entire day on Christmas Day, with only interruptions for Christmas messages from station personnel and personnel from the station's parent company. Others, like 96.5 KOIT in San Francisco do on both part of or all of Christmas Eve and the entire day Christmas Day. Frequently, the first song played on an "all-Christmas" station is the popular tune It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas . The UK music industry features
4361-406: The film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. On release, reviews were similarly mixed. Roger Ebert called it one of the most "disquieting, unsettling films to come along in quite some time", saying that it portrays pain and anger more than comedy. Empire ' s William Thomas called it a slick and cynical update of Dickens’s tale, but that it is only funny when Murray's character is being
4450-439: The film before his death, stating that the script was much funnier than what ended up on screen. Contemporary review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes offers a score of 71% based on 51 reviews—an average rating of 6.1/10, which provides the consensus: " Scrooged gets by with Bill Murray and a dash of holiday spirit, although it's hampered by a markedly conflicted tone and an undercurrent of mean-spiritedness." The film also has
4539-469: The film's one completely persuasive performance. The Hollywood Reporter also praised Woodard, Mitchum, and John Glover's credible portrayal of a sleazy executive. Both The Hollywood Reporter and Brown appreciated Goldthwait's role, with Brown calling it "twitchingly touching". Thomas called Johansen's Ghost of Christmas Past a "bonus", but he and Benson lamented the "king's ransom of actors" that were wasted. The Hollywood Reporter said that Elfman's music
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#17327873324614628-598: The film's opening is its high-point, featuring the parody IBC lineup of "Robert Goulet's Cajun Christmas" and "The Night the Reindeer Died", but as the film progresses the laughs become more sporadic and the tone becomes darker. Benson said that the film is a "mass of sharp, well-deserved paper cuts" to the entertainment industry, citing Murray's character whose life knowledge is based on the Golden Age of Television , and Mitchum's character who wants to add elements to
4717-426: The film, calling it a "joyously black Christmas treat", but once the "sentimentality starts seeping in", it seems like a misstep. A 2007 review by Den of Geek agreed, saying that the film and Murray are at their best before the redemption begins, and that the only film to come close to capturing Murray's vitriol was Bad Santa (2003). Jonathan Rosenbaum called Scrooged an ironic film, for seemingly condemning
4806-610: The first time, saying, "God bless us, everyone." Frank leads the crew and audience in singing "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" as the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, Future, Lew, and Herman look on with approval. The cast also includes Mary Ellen Trainor as Ted, Wendie Malick as Wendie Cross, Brian Doyle-Murray as Earl Cross, and Lisa Mende as Doris Cross. Scrooged features several cameo appearances, including: Lee Majors , John Houseman , and Robert Goulet portraying themselves, Miles Davis , Paul Shaffer , David Sanborn ,
4895-661: The following year in Romancing the Stone . She frequently appeared in the films of Richard Donner and her ex-husband Robert Zemeckis . In addition to her film work she had recurring television roles as Judy Lewis in Parker Lewis Can't Lose (Pilot 1990; 1991–1993), as Eve Lukens in Relativity (1996–1997), and as Diane Evans in Roswell (1999–2002). She has appeared in three films that have been selected for
4984-401: The hero of the former, George Bailey , is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide, by supernaturally showing him how much he meant to the world around him. A few films based on fictionalized versions of true stories have become Christmas specials themselves. The story behind
5073-507: The holiday period. Entertainment Weekly ' s Whitney Pastorek called it an immortal classic and argued that it is the most underrated Christmas movie. Pastorek said that the film is "both crude and sentimental, resonant and ludicrous... Scrooged is the perfect holiday movie for bitter, reluctant, closet Christmas lovers". The Boston Globe ' s Maura Johnston said that the film was ahead of its time which allowed it to remain relevant years later. PopMatters said that their view of
5162-535: The homeless shelter she runs, refusing to believe someone could be genuinely altruistic. When Claire offers to help him, Frank mocks her work and the homeless individuals she assists, including a man named Herman. He advises Claire to prioritize herself over others. The Ghost of Christmas Present, a violent fairy, takes Frank to the apartment of his loyal asssistant, Grace. There, Frank witnesses her struggles to support her large family, including her youngest son, Calvin, who has remained mute since his father's death. Frank
5251-450: The inside of his lip when Kane pulled his lip too hard. Kane herself said "I hit Bill Murray with a toaster, and with my wings, and I kicked him in areas that weren't pleasant for him. I had fun. I don't think it was as fun for Bill, because he was the victim! I did what the stunt people told me, but when I had to flap my wings in his face, I really couldn't control them." The film also features Murray's three brothers; Joel Murray cameos as
5340-460: The late 1980s and Rankin-Bass began producing more and more Christmas specials. One notable television special usually seen at Christmas was Amahl and the Night Visitors , commissioned by NBC and telecast annually in the U.S. from 1951 to 1966. It was the first opera written especially for television. Composed by Gian-Carlo Menotti with a libretto in English by the composer, the opera told of
5429-524: The league's first game telecasts on over-the-air network television each season. NBC airs the Vatican Midnight Mass service at St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve night (having broadcast the service annually since 1972, typically in place of the network's regular late-night programming), and usually airs an ice skating special (often on the weekend prior to or of the holiday). Additionally, CBS usually airs college basketball games
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#17327873324615518-494: The narrative. While the season receives almost universal acknowledgement on British TV, some channels and programmes have tried "alternative" or "anti-Christmas" ideas. One example is Channel 4 which has run an Alternative Christmas message since 1993. In 2009, two movie channels renamed themselves for the season; Sky Movies Screen 2 became Sky Movies Christmas Channel and Movies 24 became Christmas 24 . From 2010, changes to Sky Movies line-up meant that Sky Movies Showcase
5607-513: The network shows that attract pet audiences, but Benson lamented that these details were never expanded upon. The Hollywood Reporter said that the story was uproarious and sometimes vitriolic, labeling it a scathing satire of the entertainment industry, that was a "wild and wooly holiday feast that should scrape off the competition". Their review continued that Scrooged features "wickedly amusing flashbacks", but also some overwrought comic misfires. The Radio Times 's John Ferguson appreciated
5696-403: The next 100 years. The finished film was a piece of unadulterated, unmitigated shit." Make up artists Thomas R. Burman and Bari Dreiband-Burman were responsible for the film's single nomination at the 61st Academy Awards for Best Makeup , losing to Beetlejuice . Since its release, Scrooged has become a cult classic and a Christmas classic, being regularly shown on television during
5785-447: The ongoing commercialization of Christmas, and the film's anticipation of marketing tactics aimed at pets watching television, made the film more relevant now than at the time of its release. In 2012, Den of Geek! described it as the "finest Christmas comedy of all time". Al Green's and Annie Lennox's "Put a Little Love in your Heart" is also played regularly at Christmas despite not being about or mentioning Christmas. O'Donoghue disavowed
5874-432: The popularization of home video in the 1980s, their many editions are sold and re-sold every year during the holiday shopping season. Notable examples are the many versions of the ballet The Nutcracker , the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life , and the similarly themed versions of Dickens' A Christmas Carol , in which the elderly miser Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts and learns the errors of his ways. By contrast,
5963-495: The production set, locks Brice in the control room, and interrupts the live broadcast to share his newfound appreciation for life and his belief that it is never too late to change. Frank publicly apologizes to Grace, James, and the cast and crew for his past behavior and delivers a heartfelt plea to Claire. Watching the broadcast, Claire is moved and rushes to the network with help from the Ghost of Christmas Past. As Frank and Claire reunite, Calvin, inspired by Frank's words, speaks for
6052-483: The production. Having since been left by his wife, who took their child, a despondent and armed Eliot arrives to kill Frank. Frank flees into an elevator, where he is met by the Grim Reaper-like Ghost of Christmas Future. The Ghost transports Frank to a bleak future: Calvin has become catatonic and institutionalized, and Claire, having followed Frank's advice, has abandoned the needy, transforming into
6141-468: The project. The production was tumultuous, as Murray and Donner had different visions for the film. Murray described his time on the film as "misery", while Donner called Murray "superbly creative but occasionally difficult". Along with Murray's three brothers, Brian , John and Joel , Scrooged features numerous celebrity cameos. The film's marketing capitalized on Murray's Ghostbusters role, referring to his encounters with ghosts in both films. Scrooged
6230-400: The release of Ghostbusters . He described the success of that film as a phenomenon that would forever be his biggest success, compounded by the failure of The Razor's Edge (1984) making him feel "radioactive" and resulting in him avoiding making movies temporarily. Murray had the opportunity to work on Scrooged over two years earlier but was enjoying his break from work. When he did feel
6319-401: The script. Wanting a central acting moment, however, Murray gave an emotional and intense performance, deviating from his marked positions and improvising his speech. Glazer and O'Donoghue thought that the actor was suffering a mental breakdown . After he was finished, the crew applauded Murray, but O'Donoghue remarked "What was that? The Jim Jones hour?" Donner turned and punched O'Donoghue in
6408-430: The showing of Midnight Mass on the BBC . In addition, the monarch annually broadcasts a 10-minute speech on Christmas Day at 3 p.m. Many long-running British soap operas have Christmas specials, usually involving a dramatic storyline developed over several weeks which culminates at Christmas. Often these stories are tragic, involving a death, divorce, a dramatic revelation or similar event. Most Christmas specials in
6497-536: The solo star of a film compared to previous productions like Ghostbusters , as he was on set mostly every day while some actors would make brief cameos requiring only a day or two of work. Donner himself said that he had never worked with Murray before and met up with him for drinks before accepting the project to see if they would get along; they did. The director was more positive about their relationship, describing Murray as "superbly creative but occasionally difficult - as difficult as any actor." Donner said that Murray
6586-465: The soundtrack to Scrooged , which features nine songs. Seven of the songs were released as singles: Put a Little Love in Your Heart (October 1988), " The Love You Take " (December 1988), "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" December 1988 "We Three Kings of Orient Are", A Wonderful Life, Sweetest Thing 1988 Christmas Must Be Tonight. The rendition of " Put a Little Love in Your Heart " by Al Green and Annie Lennox spent 17 weeks in
6675-478: The viewing rotation. The action film Die Hard is seen by some as a Christmas film, as it takes place on the holiday, and is often viewed during the season, although whether or not Die Hard should be considered a Christmas film has been debated due to its story not being about the holiday itself. Others in this category include Iron Man 3 , Lethal Weapon , Batman Returns , Eyes Wide Shut , Female Trouble , Shazam! and Doctor Zhivago . In
6764-769: The world" as Frank Cross was fun. He described his challenge as having an edge but then completing Cross's transformation into a decent person at the end. Murray said "being a decent person is not that hard. But acting like one is." Carol Kane's ghost was intended to have a body double for ballet scenes until set designer saw Kane rehearsing the dance and convinced Donner that the resulting scene would be funnier with Kane's "horrible" dancing. Donner and Murray said that Kane would sometimes experience long crying periods during filming, caused by frustration over her violent scenes. Murray also endured some physical pain during his encounters with Kane's character, insisting that she actually hit him during their scenes together, and at one point tearing
6853-427: Was always in a professional mental state on set, believing it made him stressed, so the crew would do "silly things" to improve morale. Donner had not worked with an improvisational comedian like Murray before, who ad-libbed many of his lines, saying "you don't direct [Murray], you pull him back". In a 1990 interview with Roger Ebert , Murray said that Scrooged "could have been a really, really great movie. The script
6942-489: Was confident enough to begin filming. O'Donoghue and Glazer found the film's denouement, in which Murray reveals his redemption live on TV, to be the most difficult to write. They settled on the example of Christmas Eve in New York , where people are nice to each other for one night, believing it to be a "miracle we could live with". Murray was concerned with how he should portray the scene, with Glazer telling him to follow
7031-467: Was filmed on a $ 32 million budget over three months in New York City and Hollywood from December 1987 to March 1988. Murray returned to acting for the film after taking a four-year hiatus following the success of Ghostbusters , which he found overwhelming, although he had a minor role in Little Shop of Horrors . Murray worked with Glazer and O'Donoghue on reworking the script before agreeing to join
7120-534: Was hilarious, but that he layers the character's histrionics with inner sensibility that makes his eventual redemption believable and uplifting. Conversely, Ebert said that Murray looks genuinely unhappy, and lacked the lightness and good cheer lurking beneath previous performances. Ebert also criticized Murray's ad-libbing, blaming it for being at odds with, and blocking the flow of the story. Benson said that Murray imbued Frank Cross's worst attributes with sincerity, making his redemption difficult to accept. Carol Kane
7209-501: Was not interested in the small role, but Donner asked him to meet with Murray, who convinced him to take the part. Lee Majors cameos as himself in the film after being contacted directly by Donner. Majors appears in the opening scene helping to save Santa Claus. Majors was armed with a stripped-down M134 Minigun , the same one featured in Predator , which he found difficult to carry due to its weight. In 1989, A&M Records released
7298-417: Was not present in the film's final cut. For his part, O'Donoghue later said that Donner did not understand comedy, omitting the script's subtler elements for louder and faster moments. He estimated that only 40% of his and Glazer's original script made it into the final film and the surviving content was "twisted". The final cut of the film runs for 97 minutes. Bill Murray said that "being the meanest person in
7387-399: Was praised for her performance, with The Hollywood Reporter referring to her as a "certified hoot", and Entertainment Weekly ' s Sara Vilkomerson saying that she "steals the show" from Murray. Benson said that watching her fragile, winged character pummel Murray was "strangely satisfying", although the joke eventually wore out. Benson was more positive on Woodard, saying that she offered
7476-415: Was released on November 23, 1988, and grossed over $ 100 million worldwide. The film received a positive response from test audiences, but was met with a mixed response upon its release from critics who found the film either too mean-spirited or too sentimental. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup , but lost to the fantasy-comedy film Beetlejuice . Since its release, Scrooged has become
7565-537: Was scheduled for re-release on October 31, 2006 as the "Yule Love It!" edition. This version was to include commentary by Donner, "On the set with Bill Murray", Murray's message from the ShoWest exhibitors convention, and other featurettes including "The Look of Scrooged ", "Updating Ebeneezer", "Bringing the Ghosts to Life" and "Christmas to Remember". Although Paramount promoted the "Yule Love It!" edition with images of
7654-628: Was sent into a jealous rage after seeing Johansen's prominent role in Scrooged , reacting by beating his wife and attempting suicide by jumping from a third-story window. Christmas film It also includes animation, comics, and children's books, including A Charlie Brown Christmas , How the Grinch Stole Christmas! , and Frosty the Snowman . Many Christmas stories have been adapted to movies and TV specials , and have been broadcast and repeated many times on TV. Since
7743-419: Was so good... [Donner] kept telling me to do things louder, louder, louder. I think he was deaf." In a later 1993 interview, Murray said that he and Donner had different visions for the type of film Scrooged would become, adding that there was potentially only one take in the finished film that was his. In a 1989 interview, Murray said, "He shot a big, long, sloppy movie", describing how a lot of filmed content
7832-472: Was the only other name that could draw $ 10 million of tickets in the opening three to four days. Murray wanted several changes to the script once he joined the project; among other changes, the romantic plot with Karen Allen's Claire was expanded, and the family scenes were reworked as Murray felt they were "off". Murray worked with scriptwriters Michael O'Donoghue and Mitch Glazer (whom Murray had previously worked with on Saturday Night Live ) until Murray
7921-540: Was used for Sky Movies Christmas Channel. On 16 November 2012, two music channels renamed themselves; Bliss became Blissmas and Greatest Hits TV was rebranded as Christmas Hits TV . In the United States, many television series (particularly those of a family-oriented nature) produce a Christmas episode, although seldom outside of a season's production block. Stand-alone Christmas specials are also popular, from newly created animated shorts and movies to repeats of those that were popular in previous years, such as Rudolph
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