Ebanezer had nothing on Francis Xavier Cross

If there's one thing everyone is unabashedly sick of these days it's that dated piece of crap by Charles Dickens. Ebanezer give me a break. Besides that guy who used to be on the Cowboy's, who's called Ebanezer? Yet however overplayed a Christmas Carol is, I enjoy the modern telling of this tale. You may have seen it. It's called Scrooged and it's the best work Bill Murray has ever done. Sure everyone points to Zizzou, or Rushmore, both great movies, but I feel this movie made Bill Murray what he is today. It let him rant, and rave. Be a maniac.

I don't want to be a movie reviewer, so I'll keep this short. Frank Cross is a bastard. He's such a bastard. He'll steal from someone weaker than him. And his greed is unparalleled. But Frank is in for a surprise. Three ghosts. You know the rest. Bad Frank becomes good Frank. Greedy turn to generous. He wins back the heart of his old love Claire. Who's great by the way. And that's the story. Short and sweet.

Scrooged helps me realize the genius of Charles Dickens. All his stories, novels, and writings are simple. After reading his books you can literally tell someone what they're about in one sentence. So hat's off to you Mr. Dickens you're a great story teller. However, your dated stories won't go away. Ohhh I'm a poor little London boy with no money. Give it a rest. Dear Sir, my benefactor will be visiting me in a fortnight. Fuck off Pip. Unless you're enjoying David Copperfield in a cottage in Wales, drinking tea, and having a French whore giving you a shoulder rub I just don't see how you could enjoy it.

My point. Christmas Carol is a great story, however when you go see it at your local theatre or watch the movie from another time it's kind of boring. Scrooged takes the boring and makes it hilarious. I love that about it. I also love that it's so close to the original story. And the irony of it all is that the TV station which Frank is president of is putting on another lame incarnation of the dated story. Buddy Hacket as Scrooge, Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim. I mean I'm laughing as I write this. It's brilliant. Poking fun at the crap these Christmas Carol productions are.

So thank you Bill Murray for making a current version of Scrooged that everyone can enjoy. The messages are all the same. You get the point. But you laugh a hell of a lot more. And after all isn't that what Christmas is all about? Laughing and enjoying your family and friends.