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Scrooge (1951)
The best adaptation of a Christmas Carol
I have watched over a dozen versions of a Christmas Carol and this one is the best by far. The recent Patrick Stewart version is the closest in terms of quality, but this version is the best by far.
One of the things that make this version the best are the additions to the story. I almost feel as though the scriptwriter looked though Dickens' draft of the story, found the parts that he cut out and found a way to add them back in to make the story richer.
Examples of added material include Marley's death, in which Scrooge is completely insensitive to the impending death of his partner. There is also the entire Mr. Jorkins story line. All of this added material adds depth to Scrooge.
The movie scenery is dingy and bleak, the way I would have expected things to actually be. Even though things are dingy, they are not ridiculous like some versions of a Christmas Carol in which the scenery is also filthy.
The actors look like the characters in the story. Roddy Hughes makes Fezziwig jump off the pages of the story. Miles Malleson looks the way I would expect Old Joe to look. Most of all, Allister Sim looks and sounds the way I would expect Scrooge to sound. He's not a cartoon. I can see parts of myself in Sim's Scrooge. At the end, you can feel that Scrooge has come to appreciate the harm he has caused others - especially his nephew.
I try to watch this version every Christmas. It will still be a classic in another 50 years.
Scrooge (1970)
An Enjoyable Version of a Christmas Carol
This is not the closest adaption of a Christmas Carol. The important thing is to enjoy it for what it is, because it's a fun version.
This is one of my favorite versions of a Christmas Carol. I watched it this year for the first time in a while. The thing I found that I admired the most was oddly enough the make-up - especially that on Albert Finney. The make-up is flawless and doesn't look like make-up as is usually the case.
This version varies from the original, but I didn't object. My favorite sequence is the first time "Thank-you very much" is sung. How can you beat people dancing on Scrooge's coffin, which Scrooge who is observing the scene is completely clueless.
Sir Alec Guinness turned in a very fun performance as Jacob Marley. I love the Scrooge in Hell scene.
The sets are great. The Ghost of Christmas Present's throne of Christmas food is probably the best I have ever seen in any adaptation of a Christmas Carol.
A lot of the songs are spot on, including the song Scrooge's fiancé sings as the movie shows their courtship.
Backstabbing for Beginners (2018)
Not a bad film, but could have been better
The biggest problem that this film had to overcome is that movies about white collar corruption are hard to do well. The movie spent the time laying necessary ground work, which made it tough to watch at times. The movie's strength is in pitting Theo James' character's naive optimism and Ben Kingsley's Machiavellian ethics. I down-rated this movie because I felt like Ben Kingsley acted as if he were being paid by the F-bomb. The movie reinforced my belief that the UN is an organization that is hopelessly corrupt and weak - even though it was founded on high ideals.
Perry Mason: Chapter One (2020)
Using the name Perry Mason without the Spirit
I have watched the original Perry Mason TV show, one or two of the subsequent movies,and I have even seen one or two of the Perry Mason movies from the 1930's.
I agree with most other reviewers: HBO's new series is not Perry Mason. I think where a lot of us have trouble with this new version is that if I were on trial, I would want the Perry Mason played by Warren Williams or Raymond Burr representing me. Both were men of substance, who earned the respect of friend and adversary alike. In one episode of the show, Hamilton Berger even refers a friend in trouble to Perry for help. I can't see where the Peeping Tom with a camera I saw on episode one of this show is going to be that man any time soon.
If HBO wanted to do a graphic film-noir type show, there are any number of detectives from the old pulp novels they could have resurrected. Using the Perry Mason name to gin up an audience for this mediocrity is a real turn-off.