Prologue to What a Scrooge

I have always had a soft spot for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.Oh, that is underselling it. It is my favorite Christmas tale. I like it more than the Christmas Story from the Bible. I can watch endless attempts to tell the tale.

I like the whole idea behind it. The ghosts, the memories, the redemptive nature of the story, the hope it tells of in our choices. It fills me with a certain joy and hope for what can be. I also think it is a “pure” horror story. Strong horror often can have a moral center, as opposed to the diluted in the modern world which often means “gory”. But A Christmas Carol is a true horror story.

Marley returns from the grave, given an opportunity to help one of his only friends from suffering his miserable fate. The ghosts are going to torment Scrooge with what could have been, what is and what might be. And Ebeneezer Scrooge? He is timeless. We see him today, unwilling to share, hoarding wealth, justifying his miserly ways.

“Are there no prisons?”

“And the Union workhouses. Are they still in operation?”

“If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”

“I haven’t SQUANDERED it, if that’s what you mean by “making myself comfortable!”

We justify greed and miserly ways. We call it good business sense. It is a powerful tale, one to be reminded of every year…

So I thought I would look at nine different versions of the film. It’s fascinating to see the variety of ways the filmmakers have sought to portray Marley and the Ghosts. I hope to keep adding to this list each year…focusing on the good, the bad…but we will coubntdown to Christmas day starting tomorrow.

(The featured image is actor Tom Atkins as Scrooge. I would love to see his stage performance of this wonderful story. But that would involve a road trip to Pittsburgh)

December 16, 2015 2

The Wondrous Life (It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946)

Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life was not a hit when released, yet it managed to become a classic. Due to copyright errors the film became a Christmas mainstay, cementing it as a Christmas Classic. And that is alright by me.

It’s a Wonderful Life is a wonderful dark fairy-tale. It focuses on George Bailey, a guy full of big hopes and dreams, for whom none get realized. There is always something that stands in the way. And now, married with children, George finds himself in a bind. It looks like he might lose everything. Despondent and prepared to commit suicide, even then he is interrupted by goofy angel in training Clarence.

What follows is Clarence walking George through his town, except, it is a town that never had a George Bailey. And what he finds is that as miserable as he thinks his situation is? His friends and family were worse off without him.

George is kind and constantly self sacrificing. Probably the closest he comes to selfishness in his pursuit of Mary (Donna Reed). He knows his friend Sam has been pursuing Mary, but he is drawn to her, and she has always wanted George. George fights his feelings for Mary, seeing her as someone who will tie him to the town of Bedford Falls, which he desires to leave ever so badly.

In a way, he is correct. His marriage to Mary is another nail in the coffin of his dream to travel the world. Yet, when he sees a world without him, George realizes how much is lost. There are people who never have homes, because he was not there to run his Father’s Saving and Loan. The cruel Mr. Potter (in the Scrooge model) is never obstructed by George Bailey. His mother is bitter, his brother is dead and his Uncle is the local town lunatic.

This is a classic because it strikes at the heart. We have all felt that lack of connection to our lives, when things get dark, it is easy to wonder why we might matter. And the film challenges that in it’s special and whimsical way.

This is a superb work from Capra and company, worthy of it’s status of “Holiday Classic”.

December 14, 2015 0

No Santa (Krampus, 2015)

The Krampus is a part of Christmas folklore largely unknown to the U.S., he is not part of our tales of Santa. It is a popular bit of European folklore though. But, as the film states, he is the dark shadow of Santa. Santa rewards goodness, but the Krampus condemns the naughty.

It only makes sense that there would be a Christmas film for the Krampus. Christmas horror stories have been around for quite some time. A Christmas Carol is a Christmas horror story.

Mike Dougherty, most well known as a screenwriter of numerous super-hero films, this is his second feature as Director. His first was the very entertaining Halloween themed Trick R’ Treat. And now he returns to the holiday theme with a Christmas Monster movie.

Young Max is frustrated that his family Christmas is not like it onvce was. There is fighting, cruel put downs and tension. After being humiliated with his letter to Santa, Max is angry and heart broken, tearing up his letter to Santa. He does not realize he has called forth a terrible wish.

The family wakes to discover there was a terrible snowstorm and they are out of power. And that is not the really bad news. what follows is the family discovering they are in for a terrible night.

The Krampus and his minions work to take the family to hell. The thing about Dougherty is he has a skill with letting a horror film have the right amount of dark humor. The monsters are wonderfully whimsical and creepy, which results in some enjoyable laughs. I mean, the giggling evil gingerbread men cookies were crazy enough. The designs are terrific. The Krampus is almost like a melted Santa…his skin hanging loose, like ill fitting cloth.

The use of a frigid winter and snow are well used. It is harsh and unforgiving. The cast (including Toni Collette, Adam Scott and David Koechner) are great. I genuinely found myself wanting this family to succeed, stop the Krampus and get out alive.

Krampus is a fun and enjoyable ride. It won’t be winning any awards, but it was great fun for a horror fan.

December 6, 2015 0