Merry Christmas to all!
In honor of the holiday, the Pavement Pounders read Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and watched four adaptations: Scrooge (1951, starring Alastair Sim), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, starring Michael Caine), A Christmas Carol (1999, starring Patrick Stewart), and Scrooged! (1988, starring Bill Murray).
We also discussed other versions we’d seen and gave some general Christmas-movie-viewing recommendations.
Thanks to everyone who listened this year. Our first episode was recorded in December 2013, so we’re officially a year old now!
Don’t forget to go check out our friends at The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast, as they’ve got a special Christmas episode up today.
Pounder Rankings!
Colin:
- A Christmas Carol (1999)
- Scrooge (1951)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Scrooged!
James:
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Carol (1999)
- Scrooged!
- Scrooge (1951)
Seth:
- Scrooge (1951)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Carol (1999)
- Scrooged!
Favorite adaptations (Top Three):
Seth:
- A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Scrooge (1951)
James:
- A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Scrooged!
Colin:
- A Christmas Carol (1999)
- A Christmas Carol (1984, George C. Scott)
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
Other versions watched by any or all Pounders:
- 1901 silent film
- 1935 Seymour Hicks film
- 1949 TV Adaptation (narr. by Vincent Price)
- 1970 Albert Finney musical Scrooge!
- 1971 animated short (Scrooge voiced by Alastair Sim)
- Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol
- Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009, Jim Carrey)
Notes:
- Get the eBook free from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Books-Book-ebook/dp/B00H5SE1TG
- Get the eBook free from B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-christmas-carol-charles-dickens/1116639901?ean=9781451685626
- Is it Sci-Fi?: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/12/genre-in-the-mainstream-how-a-christmas-carol-invented-time-travel
- Peter David’s take: http://www.peterdavid.net/2010/04/30/what-the-dickens/
- Christmas and Exmas: http://www.khad.com/post/196009755/xmas-and-christmas-a-lost-chapter-from-herodotus
- From Louisa May Alcott: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7425/7425-h/7425-h.htm#i
- From Horatio Alger: http://www.ulib.niu.edu/rarebooks/alger/DigRepos/jobwarner.cfm
- 1901 silent short, first film adaptation, Marley’s Ghost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILDHYYsC-g0
- 1949 TV short film, narrated by Vincent Price: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxgU_J366JI
- Best and Worst Adaptations: http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/23887/a-christmas-carol-the-best-and-worst-adaptations
Just a general comment, since everyone in my house figured Seth swore in the bleeped out section. He said “bleep”, and then bleeped it out.
Dangit, Colin! I was hoping to start a huge internet controversy!