22 - Wednesday, December 7, 1988 - North Shore News

Scrooged ** (Paramount) Rated
M (at the Capitol 6, Park Royal,
Richmond Square, Lougheed
Mall, Guildford and Willowbrook
‘Cinemas)

GEORGE C. Scott did it. So
did Mr. Magoo. But Alastair
Simm did it best. Now, Bill
Murray gets ‘Scrooged.”’

After a four-year hiatus, Bill
Murray pops up as Frank Cross,
the youngest, most ruthless net-
work president in TV history.
Viewers this season (courtesy of
Mr. Cross} are treated to such rat-
ings monsters as The Night the
Reindeers Died and Robert Goulet
on the bayou in an Old-Fashioned
Cajun Christmas.

However, the golden program
will be a live broadcast of Dickens’
immortal tale. But on Christmas
Eve, mean, miserly Frank finds life
imitating art when the spectre of
the former network president
Yohn Forsythe) appears to warn
him about his terminal attitude.

Rattled, Frank calls an old flame,
Claire (Karen Allen}, but just when
you think she'll melt his lead = -
ticker, the old nastiness creeps
out. It takes three visits by the
ghosts of past, present and future
(including a seedy David Johansen
and slap-happy Carol Kane) to
show him that Christmas spirit isn’t

BILL MURRAY encounters a sugar plum fairy (Caro! Kane) with a mean right hook in Scrooged.

Classic remake is a biatant
parade of product advertising

seee _ Excellent
*** _ Very Good

“* — Average
* ~ Poor

something you drink.

Murray is quite funny when he
suggests stapling tiny antlers toa
mouse’s head or preparing an
apocalyptic ad campaign to terrify
viewers into watching Scrooge.
But his cruelty is blunted by the
laughter it provokes and the only
difference between Frank before
and Frank after is his chumminess

TIM
BELL

film reviewer

at the end.

Murray’s best scenes are the
serious ones of revisiting his
cheerless youth and witnessing his
own funeral.

But what makes this an especial-
ly cynical exercise is the blatant
parade of products that litter what
seems to be every other shot.

Vancouver's Choice

NAKORN THAI

restaurant
a Finest Thai Cuisine

‘ NOW FEATURING VANCOUVER'’S FIRST AND ONLY
AUTHENTIC THAI BUFFET
(Buffet Lunch every Thursday thru Sunday)

plus Lunch Spectal & Combinations *4h.°> & up
Dinners — choese from over 70 Dishes

\ orn

LICENSED OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11:30 - 11:30
1157 DAVIE ST. wcconitcs 683-6621

TAKE GUT AVAILABLE FREE PARKING AT REAR

An Exotic Safari into the
heart of Fine East African Indian Cuisine

FRESH, EXCITING FOOD
WARM, INVITING ELEGANCE

JOIN US!

Book your office/business Christmas party nowl
(special group rates availabie)

+ GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE +
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

: 13544 Lonsdale
North Vancouve

Strategically placed labels and
logos make it seem like this
message of hope and cheer has
been brought to you by ....
Masquerade * (CBS/Fox Home
Video) Rated R

Rob Lowe fans can rent this
puppy to see both pairs of his
dimples as he plays a conniving,

Reservations

984- R775 :.

seafaring seducer of rich women.

His latest target is Meg Tilly,
who falls recklessly in love with
the seadog. In between racing the
Masquerade, he spins sad yarns to
her of his life, while her alcoholic
step-daddy threatens to punch
glamor boy’s lights out.

Soon corpses start piling up as a
conspiracy to rob Tilly of her mil-

.tions gets out of hand.

An incredibly clumsy ending
hinging on unlikely oversights
destroys whatever credibility this
film had. Clocking in at 90
minutes, it's an hour and a haif too

long.

ORTH SHORE VIEWS
West Van Odeon: Coccon: The
Return; Fresh Horses; Madame
Sousatzka
Park Royal: Scrooged; The Naked
Gun; A Cry in the Dark

i

z
:
i
:
g
&
i
FE
:
z

|
|

as Around The

Join us as we celebrate the
season with tastes and touches
from around the world.
Buffet Luncheons in our
Lobby Lounge Featuring
Christmas Traditions From:
ITALY: December 5 - 9
SWEDEN: December 12 - 16
CANADA: December 19 - 23

Monday to Friday -
11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

NEW WORLD

HARBOURSIDE

1333 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. Canada VGE 3T3
Telephone: (604) 689-9211
Toll Free: 1-800-663-8882
“TIAEMBER OF REWWOALD HOTELS PITERNATIONAL

Open daily for Lunch, Dinner
and a special Sunday Brunch

The Bridge House Restaurant
3650 Capilano Road, North Vancouver

987-3388

Not valid with other promotions