Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Topic started by: Unorthodox on December 21, 2012, 03:50:34 pm

Title: A Christmas Carol
Post by: Unorthodox on December 21, 2012, 03:50:34 pm

In honor of the season, I present the Unorthodox review of nearly all versions of A Christmas Carol. 

• Scrooge (1935) starring Seymour Hicks as Scrooge
  
  First (talking) film adaptation, it sets up a lot of the imagery that will follow.  Notoriously, it leaves most of the ghosts offscreen, save for Christmas Present.  Seymour Hicks does an admirable job, and the film is enjoyable, but not the best of adaptations.
  
  (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SWGvu_5b3C4/UNR0HjOLV1I/AAAAAAAAO_A/q3MTxhLS5dc/s800/scrooge.jpg)
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1938), starring Reginald Owen as Scrooge.
  
  Very nice version.  Solid acting throughout, and decent set design.  Retains a lot of the stage play feel. 
  
  (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Zon-qIQJcIg/UNR0En3fjwI/AAAAAAAAO_A/6uCVeI6aF0s/s800/A-Christmas-Carol-1938-christmas-movies-1162084_400_300.jpg)
  
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1951) (Called Scrooge elsewhere), starring Alastair Sim as Scrooge
  
  Considered by some to be the best version available.  The first "True" movie version if you ask me.  Plays like a MOVIE, not like watching a stage performance. 
  
  (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KFtWoXN0Ijk/UNR0HNp0gbI/AAAAAAAAO_A/-VlAllHMBEc/s800/future1951.jpg)
  
  
• Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
  
  I'm a little young to have known Mr Magoo, and this is indeed the only thing of him I've ever seen.  As such, I'm just befuddled...
  
  (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-A_ehXX0Ws8Q/UNR1vsAVm6I/AAAAAAAAO_8/d3aGwZIRuUQ/s800/magooxmas.jpg)
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1971) with Alastair Sim reprising the voice of Scrooge.
  
  If you need to watch A Christmas Carol in an extremely abridged amount of time, this is the version to grab. 
  
  (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vRRMiIUPKXk/UNR0EmTS5FI/AAAAAAAAO_A/xi6YkB5HlJ0/s800/a-christmas-carol-1971-20.jpg)
  
  
• Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
  
  I should say, I typically hate all things with the mouse in them to begin with.  Fortunately this one is mostly Scrooge McDuck, my favorite of the disney stock characters.  Still, that being said...SERIOUSLY, WTF ghost of christmas future. 
  
  
  (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_bmlQZuLYZo/UNR2VqDMFlI/AAAAAAAAO_s/hCROvmiM6Ac/s800/Mickey%2527s%2520christmas%2520carol%25201983%2520yet%2520to%2520come.jpg)
  
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1984) With George C Scott as Scrooge. 
  
  This happens to be my personal favorite version.  Creepy as hell ghost of Christmas Present and future and EXCELLENT acting.  Hard to believe this is a made for TV version.  I remember watching it the year it came out.  This is the version that got me hooked on the story to begin with, so there's probably some nostalgia wrapped up in my opinion. 
  
  (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JHNtyJ5yt5k/UNR7a2O5IiI/AAAAAAAAPAY/r4hWV7zGF4Q/s800/2sbr8rb.jpg)
  
  
• The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Michael Caine as Scrooge.
  
  I was pleasantly shocked that this is ACTUALLY GOOD.  Not great mind you, but good.  Possibly the best Muppets movie in fact.  Michael Caine plays it straight, and does an admirable job in keeping this movie going. 
  
  (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-58WBz41n3vs/UNR0G1YhGPI/AAAAAAAAO_A/qx7wI8tghwk/s800/christmas.jpg)
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1997) Featuring the voice of Tim Curry as Scrooge.
  
  I love Tim Curry.  But Curry is horridly miscast here.  And the Animation is spotty at best. 
  
  (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yg-Vi5H2yXw/UNR0EpOHrGI/AAAAAAAAO_A/RAdQY7xnzHg/s800/a-christmas-carol-1997-14.jpg)
  
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (1999) Patrick Stewart. 
  
  This is an atrocity best left to those who have some kind of crush on Picard.  And whoever designed the Jawa ghost needs to be run out of the business. 
  
  (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zZfTD3RyCf8/UNR1vssxX-I/AAAAAAAAO_0/MSFoBa8fmBU/s800/a-christmas-carol-patrick-stewart-11.jpg)
  
  
• A Christmas Carol (2009)  starring Jim Carrey.
  
  Overall, this is a pleasant adaptation.  The animation comes and goes with one scene looking breathtaking, the next running right through the uncanny valley.  An unfortunate pandering to the 3d movement leaves some scenes going way too long to rope in some 3d gags, most egregiously in the Ghost of Christmas future scene.  Carrey however, does a very good bit of voice work with only occasional slips. 
  
  (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5L5gP5vQF4w/UNR0GPI8owI/AAAAAAAAO_A/zx0QYXZnsSw/s800/christmas-carol-2009-18.jpg)

Title: Re: A Christmas Carol
Post by: Buster's Uncle on December 21, 2012, 04:03:17 pm

Ah.  As I began your post, I was thinking "George C. Scott version; there's no topping the George C. Scott version.  ;b;

Title: Re: A Christmas Carol
Post by: JarlWolf on December 22, 2012, 09:27:59 pm

A Christmas carol is a story I think most of us were exposed young (I saw it as a play back when I was a child, and then later on.)

And when we do its one of the few Christmas stories that we actually come back to and find very deep meaning and context behind. The story of a man who, throughout his life was seemingly left out of social involvement, who had love but his ambitions for a career made it left him, and soon over time he grew into an old and bitter man.

A story that, while it may seem eccentric at first, can actually apply for almost anyone to relate to. It's one of the few Christmas stories I can honestly go through again and still have the same reactions and feelings for the first time provided it's not done in the forms of garbage.