A Christmas Carol

Loughc

It's a book that doesn't need any introduction, no doubt its one of Dicken's best and the themes and morales in it are as relevant today as they were when he wrote it.

I absolutely adore A Christmas Carol, its the only book I can ever remember reading so many times and never get bored of it, I have several copies of the book from illustrated to vintage to even an ebook version of it. It a shame there was never a prequel of the book, I would love to see Scrooges downturn in more detail,his business partnership with Marley in action and the breakdown of his marriage.

Needless to say I pretty much love any movie or tv adaption of A Christmas Carol and there are some crackers (no pun intended! :P ) adaptions out there,

some of my favourites are,

Scrooged : The very funny Bill Murray version, this version is set in the 80's and Scrooge (Murray) is a ruthless TV Exc, its a great version of the movie and its great to see the modern spin on it.

A Christmas Carol (2009) : The animated version staring Jimy Carey orginally released in 3D, upon intital viewing of this I wasn't blown away but I recently re-watched it and I loved it, Carey is fantastic in it and the animation is top notch!

A Christmas Carol (TV 2000) : The ITV Christmas Special staring Ross Kemp. This is basically Eastenders meets Groundhog Day, with Kemp playing a Loan Shark/Gangster, who reminds me alot of Grant Mitchell Again its set in modern times and its a really clever spin on the story, I really enjoyed this and Kemp does play the baddie role very well.

A Muppets Christmas Carol : The title says it all, how can you not love this, its got it all, Michael Caine as Scrooge and Muppets singing and dancing, and its in parts very funny!!

Other honourable mentions go to, The Den's Christmas Carol, Dustin as Scrooge as Ray D'Arcy as Cratchett brilliant!! :P

So the floor is now open what are all yer favourite adaption of A Christmas Carol? And your thoughts on the book itself?

Princess Peach

Muppets without a doubt! You just can't beat it, its brilliant.

Never read the book, I say I will every year This year maybe!

Rabble Rabble

I love Dicken's. He is second to Shakespeare in my book. The introduction to Scrooge is amazing. Having never heard of him before the 19th century reader would be in no doubt as to the man - his looks or personality, after this:


Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn't know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind men's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!"

corblimey

For my money, you can't beat the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, although I've not seen it in years, and "Billy" Murray's Scrooged has become a regular annual watch recently.

Loughc

corblimey wrote: »

For my money, you can't beat the 1951 version with Alistair Sim, although I've not seen it in years, and "Billy" Murray's Scrooged has become a regular annual watch recently.

I'm shamed to say I've never seen the 1951 version of the film and yes Scrooged gets an annual viewing by me ever year, I might pluck it out of my collection sometime soon!!

dolphin city

i like the older version - the 1970 scrooge film with albert finney

CombatCow

Yeah I love scrooged and a Muppets Christmas carol too, I haven't watched the recent Jim Carey version but I will this year!

Posy

I like the Patrick Stewart version- Patrick is yummy and I love Richard E Grant too!

Miss Lockhart

I like the 1984 version with George C Scott.

But I'll watch any version that's on. I can't wait to see the show in the Grand Canal theatre in a few weeks!

Loughc

Miss Lockhart wrote: »

I like the 1984 version with George C Scott.

But I'll watch any version that's on. I can't wait to see the show in the Grand Canal theatre in a few weeks!

Oh enjoy!! Be sure to post up your thoughts of the show!!

theghost

Have only ever been able to get half-way through a Dickens novel in my life and that was The Pickwick Papers - give me Anthony Trollope any day - but I do like A Christmas Carol on film. I find Dickens humourless and moralistic in print.

alibabba

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

I love Dicken's. He is second to Shakespeare in my book. The introduction to Scrooge is amazing. Having never heard of him before the 19th century reader would be in no doubt as to the man - his looks or personality, after this:


Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn't know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?" No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind men's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!"

Jasus thats good

Asphyxia

The Muppet Christmas Carol is deadly My favorite one by far, haha! I remember when Boyzone did a version on the Den years ago it was so funny. I thin I have it on video at my parents house somewhere.

Loughc

Pocketfizz wrote: »

The Muppet Christmas Carol is deadly My favorite one by far, haha! I remember when Boyzone did a version on the Den years ago it was so funny. I thin I have it on video at my parents house somewhere.

That's right, Dustin played Scrooge, Ray was Cratchett and Soky was Tiny Tim, solid casting there!

Asphyxia

lockie1983 wrote: »

That's right, Dustin played Scrooge, Ray was Cratchett and Soky was Tiny Tim, solid casting there!

Ah yes! I loved it

I've started re-reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens I usually read it around this time of year to get me in the spirit it's a brilliant story

ncmc

I love A Christmas Carol, my father reads it every year and I have started to do the same. I never get tired of it in print or film. My favourite film version is the Patrick Stewart one, he is an amazing Scrooge and it is very faithful to the book. It's my favourite Christmas movie. Honourable mention would be the George C Scott one.

CombatCow

Gonna watch the Patrick Stewart version over the weekend, haven't seen it before so I'm looking forward to it.