BOONE, NC – “The spirits will move you in odd and hysterical ways” when “SCROOGED” is screened on the Holiday Classic Film Series at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country. The 1988 Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 6, at the historic theatre on King Street in downtown Boone, NC. The running time of the film is 100 minutes.
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 holiday spirit. The film also stars Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, Michael J. Pollard, and Alfre Woodard.
“Scrooged” was filmed on a $32 million budget over three months in New York City and Hollywood. Murray returned to acting for the film after taking a four-year hiatus following the success of “Ghostbusters,” which he found overwhelming. Murray worked with Glazer and O’Donoghue on reworking the script before agreeing to join 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.”
The film’s marketing capitalized on Murray’s “Ghostbusters” role, referencing his encounters with ghosts in both films. “Scrooged” 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 too mean-spirited or too sentimental. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup, but lost to the fantasycomedy film “Beetlejuice.”
Since its release, “Scrooged” has become a regular television Christmastime feature, with some critics calling it an alternative to traditional holiday 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.
Along with Murray’s three brothers, Brian, John, and Joel, “Scrooged” features numerous celebrity cameos including: Lee Majors as himself, Miles Davis, Paul Shaffer, Larry Carlton, and David Sanborn as the Street Musicians, John Houseman as himself, Robert Goulet as himself, the Solid Gold Dancers as “The Scroogettes,” Buddy Hackett as Ebenezer Scrooge, Mary Lou Retton as “Tiny Tim” Cratchit, Jamie Farr as Jacob Marley, Pat McCormick as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Chaz Conner, Jr. as the Ghost of Christmas Future, and Anne Ramsey and her husband Logan Ramsey as two people in a shelter.
Note that Films@TheApp are shown without movie previews or trailers, so please arrive a few minutes before the scheduled start time to secure tickets and purchase concessions. The general admission ticket price is just $5 per person, and attendees under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The remaining movie on the Holiday Classic Film Series is “White Christmas” with a showtime at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 22. These classics were selected from hundreds of submissions by audience members and the general public in a survey conducted last summer.
While the App Theatre’s online ticketing system is accessible 24/7, customers can avoid the online service fees by visiting the lobby box office between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday, or one hour prior to showtime for each film. For a complete performance schedule of all upcoming events, or to sign up for the theatre’s e-blast distribution list, visit the organization’s website at www.apptheatre.org
Events, days, dates, times, performers, and prices are subject to change without notice.
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