Scrooged was a starring vehicle for Bill Murray who teamed up with director Richard Donner for this re-working of Dicken's A Christmas Carol.

The movie is essentially a 'concept vehicle' a term in vogue at the time. A starring role for Murray, make him a high powered television executive and team him up with an action director who had success a year earlier with Lethal Weapon.

Bill Murray is climbing the corporate media ladder as the ruthless, cynical, mean and heartless Frank Cross. In his office he has a sign which defines Cross. 'Something you nail people to!'

For Christmas Murray has devised a multi location live television broadcast which has to be the show to watch with a strong promotional clip to publicise it which makes his fellow executives sick. However he has to contend with a rival, John Glover, there to help out but actually eyeing up his job.

One night before Christmas his old television boss (John Forsythe) who has been dead for years visits him and tells him to mend his ways and informs him that he will be visited by three ghosts.

They include the Ghost of Christmas past, a cigar smoking cab driver, the Ghost of Christmas Present, an angelic fairy who likes a bit of the rough stuff and certainly dishes it out, finally the Ghost of Christmas Future, a terrifying dark hooded figure who would certainly scare the kids.

Each ghostly spectre takes Murray to a time and place. Such as when he was young and dorky working his way up in television and in love with Karen Allen. As time goes by he becomes obsessed with work and frustrated by Allen's do-gooder attitude.

Murray actually calls on Allen when he his spooked out and finds out that she is helping out with the homeless but she stirs something in Murray who his still a Grinch.

There is no Cratchit in this movie that part in effect goes to Alfre Woodard who plays Murray's secretary. Bobcat Goldthwait plays an executive whose life heads towards a downward spiral when he is dismissed by Murray.

I remember the film was largely dismissed by critics when the film was released but it is rather an enjoyable reworking of Dickens's story. Murray despite not getting on with the director pitches it just right, almost remaining lovable even though he is mean spirited. I rather enjoyed his Richard Burton impression. The film has lots of star cameos from John Houseman, Lee Majors, Jamie Farr, Anne Ramsey and Robert Mitchum as Murray's cat obsessed boss.

Director Richard Donner adds plenty of social commentary with references to apartheid South Africa for example.

The ending might be regarded as tad sentimental which follows the book, but once they start singing the final song even you would want to 'Put a Little Love in Your Heart.'

"Scrooged" is a very hard sell for me from the outset. I have long felt that there have been WAY too many versions of "A Christmas Carol"...way too many. Think about it, in addition to the traditional versions, there have been Flintstones, Mr. Magoo, Sanford & Son, Jetsons and Mickey Mouse versions. And, when I last looked, IMDB listed nearly 100 different versions of this Dickens story. Except for a few rare instances (such as "A Muppet Christmas Carol" and "Blackadder's Christmas Carol"),the many, many versions are just too many. And what innovations does "Scrooged" offer? Well, it's angrier, meaner, and features a Christmas Spirit that kicks the grouch in the crotch and punches him repeatedly for laughs, some nipples, as well as cursing...making it a lousy bet for family viewing!

I won't bother talking about the plot.....EVERYONE knows it already other than it's a modern retelling of the story. The big difference here is that it appears as if they just let Bill Murray run amok with the adlibs and jokes....which, to me, just didn't fit in to the story at all. It also lacked subtlety and was rather ugly. The film certainly was NOT sweet and fun like "Groundhog Day", "What About Bob?" or "The Man Who Knew Too Little". No...it is just abrasive. And, in its own way, it is very cynical.

So was there anything I liked about the film? Not much...though it was nice seeing Robert Mitchum and John Houseman in small roles. Also, the mouse with the antlers was cute. But apart from that....nothing.

SCROOGED is a cynical '80s retelling of the famous Dickens story, transplanted to modern society and featuring a crass TV producer who must learn the error of his ways when confronted by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. It's fast-paced, refreshingly mean-spirited, and quite simply good fun.

The main reason for this film's success is, of course, Bill Murray, delivering a delightfully deadpan turn as an absolutely villainous character. His Frank Cross is the epitome of '80s-era greed and commercialism, and Murray nails it from the outset. It helps that he's given great support (the underrated Karen Allen and Bobcat Goldthwait in particular),but this is the Murray show through and through.

Okay, so watched today, some of the special effects look a little rubbery, and some of the schmaltzy stuff feels a little twee, but it doesn't matter. SCROOGED has a great script, lots of successful gags that come thick and fast, and another good turn from the reliable Murray. What's not to love?

NB. I rewatched this film once more to see how it holds up in high definition. It looks a treat, and the '80s-style special effects are fine and pleasingly macabre. However, I think Murray's shouty performance is a bit too much. It's not the actor's fault, but rather director Richard Donner's, who insisted on everything being dialled up to 11. I think if the film had been a little more subtle and nuanced it would have been an all-time classic; as it stands it's merely a fun and snappy '80s variant on the famous storyline.