General

Scrooge U: Part XXVIII — “Ms. Scrooge” is kind of hit & ms. … er … miss

Jim Hill continues his look at many of the adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale. In today's installment, Jim checks out the 1997 TV movie that starred Cecily Tyson as Ebenita Scrooge

Published

18 years ago

December 19, 2006

Jim Hill

As I mentioned in this past Sunday's review of "Ebbie," "A Christmas Carol" is a surprisingly resilient story. It can survive a change of location or time period. Even giving Ebenezer Scrooge a sex change operation doesn't necessarily undercut the emotional effectiveness of this seasonal favorite.

But what happens when you do all this and then add the element of race? Surprisingly, it actually seems to deepen Dickens' classic story. As is demonstrated (in fits & starts, anyway) by the 1997 TV movie, "Ms. Scrooge."

Emmy Award-winner Cicely Tyson plays the title role in this holiday tale, Ms. Ebenita Scrooge. Who owns a loan company in modern day Providence, R.I. Though she claims to love Christmas because " … it's a time of year when people get overly optimistic. And then they over-spend. And then they come to me," Ebenita still barks at the Santa who's standing outside of her office collecting money for the poor. She even snatched the beard right off of this poor man's face.

Ms. Scrooge is similiarly sharp with her employees. Ebenita even turns away her own nephew, the Reverand Luke (Michael Beach) when he comes to invite her to Christmas dinner. She's obviously one tough, old bird.

And why shouldn't she be? Given that her mentor, Maude Marley (Katherine Helmond) taught her that — in order for a woman to survive in today's business world — you have to be tough. You have to be ruthless. More importantly, you always have to watch every single penny.

Ebenita has taken all of Maude's lessons about business to heart. Which is why she still cuts the toughest possible deals with every customer who comes through the door. And every evening — just as old Marley used to do — Ms. Scrooge locks away the day's earnings in that walk-in vault that's hidden in her office.

Now Maude's been dead for a decade (She died 10 years ago tonight, in fact). Which is why Ebenita's rather surprised when she arrives home on Christmas Eve and sees — rather than her own face reflected in the glass on her front door — her old partner's puss. Who then waggles a finger at Ms. Scrooge, as if to say "Naughty, naughty."

What follows is certainly one of the odder versions of this particular sequence in "A Christmas Carol" that I've ever seen. Not so much because it's two women playing the roles of Ebenezer Scrooge & Jacob Marley. But — rather — because Katherine Helmond plays Maude Marley is if she were Auntie Mame just back from a jaunty cruise down the River Styx.

I mean, Maude literally makes her entrance in a puff of smoke. With her arms held high over her head, she sings "Ta-Dah!" Marley then smiles at her old partner and says "I always did like a big entrance."

Now the two actresses who are playing this scene are clearly having a great time. And director John Korty certainly seems to have had a lot of fun staging this sequence in "Ms. Scrooge." The only problem is — since Maude Marley isn't particularly frightening — it's hard to take the rest of the holidays spirits who then appear in this TV movie version of "A Christmas Carol" seriously. And this is — after all — supposed to be a ghost story.

Certainly Michael J. Reynolds as the Ghost of Christmas Past fails to make much of an impression …

… Which is odd. Given that the scenes that are set in Ebenita's past are among the best parts of "Ms. Scrooge." In that we get to see how Ebenita was raised by a kind & loving family in the deep South. And her father — having just returned from a stint in the Army — now dreams of a better life for his kith & kin. Which is why he wants to open a grocery store in a nearby town.

Now this being the South in the 1950s and all … It's a somewhat controversial notion that a black man should be starting his own business. And while "Ms. Scrooge" never actually comes right out and talks about the racial politics of this period, we get little hints of what's going on. Like how the family has to do a lot of the work themselves in preparation for the opening of the store because no bank in town will give Ebenita's dad the money he needs to hire professional help.

And later … When the grocery store is fire-bombed and Ms. Scrooge's father dies while fighting that blaze … It's clear that the local community hasn't exactly greeted the Scrooge family's new business with open arms.

Now what's interesting about making this tragedy the most important event in Ebenita Scrooge's life is that it not only gives her a logical reason to become hard-hearted but it also explains her attitude toward money & property. You see, when Ebenita's father died, he left behind a mountain of debt. And the only way to pay off all of those bills was to sell off the Scrooge family home.

So you see what I mean about deepening the story? It was prejudice on the part of her neighbors that eventually led to Ebenita not have any compassion for those around her. Which is an interesting sort of backstory for Dickens' miser to have, don't you think?

Anyway … As soon as she could escape, Ebenita left the sadness of the South behind far. Traveling up to Rhode Island, Ms. Scrooge reinvented herself as Maude Marley's hard-working head book-keeper. And then — by saving all of her pennies — she eventually achieved what her father had only dreamed about: A business of her own as well as lasting financial security.

The only problem is — now that her own hard climb to the top is far behind her — Ebenita seems to forgotten what it was like to struggle. But the Ghost of Christmas Present (Shaun Austin-Olsen) is only all too happy to show her someone who's struggling even now: Ms. Scrooge's own head book-keeper, Bob Crachit (John Bourgeois).

Now this section of this TV movie tries hard to show us how important it is to have compassion. Maybe a little too hard. I mean — when Tiny Tim (William Greenblatt) lies dying — was it really necessary to have what seems like the entire city of Providence turns out to try & rally this poor child's spirits? Even Ebenita's nephew, the Reverand Luke, is there to hold Tim's hand and offer comfort as this good-hearted child slowly fades away.

Whereas Ms. Scrooge … She dies alone. In her vault, no less. Knocked to the ground by this enormous pile of valuables, Ebenita is literally killed by the things that she's been hording. All that stuff that she wasn't willing to share with the less fortunate. That's a little heavy-handed, don't you think?

And because the producers of "Ms. Scrooge" couldn't resist piling on the irony at this point in the story … The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be (Julian Richings) now reveals to the miser that — because Ms. Scrooge failed to fill out a will — the IRS is going to wind up with most of her fortune.

This — to Ebenita's way of thinking — is the final indignity. Not that only a handful of people come to her memorial service. But — rather — the money that she so carefully stashed away is now going to wind up in the hands of the government.

This last bit illustrates one of the main problems with "Ms. Scrooge." In that this TV movie lacks a consistent tone. I mean, we have the all-too-obvious jokes (I.E. Ebenita snatching that beard off of Santa's face as well as Ms. Scrooge's expression of horror & disgust when she realizes that the IRS is going to wind up with most of her money), the serious social stuff (I.E. How it was the restrictive racial policies of the South in the 1950s that eventually led to the hardening of Ebenita's heart) as well as the just plain bizarre bits (I.E. Maude Marley making like Auntie Mame) popping up at seemingly random intervals. No wonder "Ms. Scrooge" seems so hit & miss.

But — that said — I still have to give this 1997 TV movie a few extra points for including a vignette from Dickens' original text that doesn't often appear in other adaptations of this work. Mind you, it's only a sentence fragment from Stave Five of this holiday story — "He went to church …" But John McGreevey (I.E. The author of the "Ms. Scrooge" teleplay) takes this tiny bit of text and uses it to create a most satisfying conclusion for this seasonal show.

You see, Ebenita hasn't been inside a church since the day of her father's funeral. So to have Ms. Scrooge — after all these decades –finally force herself to walk through those doors, head up the aisle and then join Reverend Luke's family in the front pew … Just the expression on her nephew's face in the front pulpit says it all.

So — as far as contemporary versions of "A Christmas Carol" go — "Ms. Scrooge" isn't exactly the best. But — to be honestly — it's not the worst either. So if this 1997 TV movie pops up on cable later this week and you need something to watch while you're wrapping presents, I guess that it might be worth a look-see.

Now tomorrow, "Scrooge U" goes to the dogs. Literally. As we take a look at yet another animated version of Dickens' timeless classic, "An All Dogs Christmas Carol."

Your thoughts?

General

Seward Johnson bronzes add a surreal, artistic touch to NYC’s Garment District

Published

9 years ago

June 23, 2015

Jim Hill

Greetings from NYC. Nancy and I drove down from New
Hampshire yesterday because we'll be checking out
Disney Consumer Products' annual Holiday Showcase later today.

Anyway … After checking into our hotel (i.e., The Paul.
Which is located down in NYC's NoMad district), we decided to grab some dinner.
Which is how we wound up at the Melt Shop.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is this restaurant that only sells grilled cheese sandwiches.
This comfort food was delicious, but kind of on the heavy side.

Photo by Jim Hill

Which is why — given that it was a beautiful summer night
— we'd then try and walk off our meals. We started our stroll down by the Empire
State Building
…

Photo by Jim Hill

… and eventually wound up just below Times
Square (right behind where the Waterford Crystal Times Square New
Year's Eve Ball is kept).

Photo by Jim Hill

But you know what we discovered en route? Right in the heart
of Manhattan's Garment District
along Broadway between 36th and 41st? This incredibly cool series of life-like
and life-sized sculptures that Seward
Johnson has created.

Photo by Jim Hill

And — yes — that is Abraham Lincoln (who seems to have
slipped out of WDW's Hall of Presidents when no one was looking and is now
leading tourists around Times Square). These 18 painted
bronze pieces (which were just installed late this past Sunday night / early
Monday morning) range from the surreal to the all-too-real.

Photo by Jim Hill

Some of these pieces look like typical New Yorkers. Like the
business woman planning out her day …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the postman delivering the mail …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the hot dog vendor working at his cart …

Photo by Jim Hill

… the street musician playing for tourists …

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention the tourists themselves.

Photo by Jim Hill

But right alongside the bronze businessmen …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and the tired grandmother hauling her groceries home …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there were also statues representing people who were
from out-of-town …

Photo by Jim Hill

… or — for that matter — out-of-time.

Photo by Jim Hill

These were the Seward Johnson pieces that genuinely beguiled. Famous impressionist paintings brought to life in three dimensions.

Note the out-of-period water bottle that some tourist left
behind. Photo by Jim Hill

Some of them so lifelike that you actually had to pause for
a moment (especially as day gave way to night in the city) and say to yourself
"Is that one of the bronzes? Or just someone pretending to be one of these
bronzes?"

Mind you, for those of you who aren't big fans of the
impressionists …

Photo by Jim Hill

… there's also an array of American icons. Among them
Marilyn Monroe …

Photo by Jim Hill

… and that farmer couple from Grant Wood's "American
Gothic."

Photo by Jim Hill

But for those of you who know your NYC history, it's hard to
beat that piece which recreates Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous photograph of V-J Day in Times Square.

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, a 25-foot-tall version of this particular Seward
Johnson piece ( which — FYI — is entitled "Embracing Peace") will actually
be placed in Times Square for a few days on or around August 14th to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day).

Photo by Jim Hill

By the way, if you'd like to check these Seward Johnson bronzes in
person (which — it should be noted — are part of the part of the Garment
District Alliance's new public art offering) — you'd best schedule a trip to
the City sometime over the next three months. For these pieces will only be on
display now through September 15th.

General

Wondering what you should “Boldly Go” see at the movies next year? The 2015 Licensing Expo offers you some clues

Published

9 years ago

June 10, 2015

Jim Hill

Greeting from the 2015 Licensing Expo, which is being held
at the Mandalay Bay
Convention Center in Las
Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

I have to admit that I enjoy covering the Licensing Expo.
Mostly becomes it allows bloggers & entertainment writers like myself to
get a peek over the horizon. Scope out some of the major motion pictures &
TV shows that today's vertically integrated entertainment conglomerates
(Remember when these companies used to be called movie studios?) will be
sending our way over the next two years or so.

Photo by Jim Hill

Take — for example — all of "The Secret Life of
Pets" banners that greeted Expo attendees as they made their way to the
show floor today. I actually got to see some footage from this new Illumination
Entertainment production (which will hit theaters on July 8, 2016) the last time I was in Vegas. Which
was for CinemaCon back in April. And the five or so minutes of film that I viewed
suggested that "The Secret Life of Pets" will be a really funny
animated feature.

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, Universal Pictures wanted to make sure that Expo
attendees remembered that there was another Illumination Entertainment production
coming-to-a-theater-near-them before "The Secret Life of Pets" (And
that's "Minions," the "Despicable Me" prequel. Which
premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival next week but
won't be screened stateside 'til July 10th of this year). Which is why they had
three minions who were made entirely out of LEGOS loitering out in the lobby.

Photo by Jim Hill

And Warner Bros. — because they wanted "Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice" to start trending on Twitter today — brought
the Batmobile to Las Vegas.

Photo by Jim Hill

Not to mention full-sized macquettes of Batman, Superman and
Wonder Woman. Just so conventioneers could then see what these DC superheroes
would actually look like in this eagerly anticipated, March 25, 2016 release.

Photo by Jim Hill

That's the thing that can sometimes be a wee bit frustrating
about the Licensing Expo. It's all about delayed gratification. You'll come
around a corner and see this 100 foot-long ad for "The Peanuts Movie"
and think "Hey, that looks great. I want to see that Blue Sky Studios production
right now." It's only then that you notice the fine print and realize that
"The Peanuts Movie" doesn't actually open in theaters 'til November
6th of this year.

Photo by Jim Hill

And fan of Blue Sky's "Ice Age" film franchise are in for an even
longer wait. Given that the latest installment in that top grossing series
doesn't arrive in theaters 'til July
15, 2016.

Photo by Jim Hill

Of course, if you're one of those people who needs immediate
gratification when it comes to your entertainment, there was stuff like that to
be found at this year's Licensing Expo. Take — for example — how the WWE
booth was actually shaped like a wrestling ring. Which — I'm guessing — meant
that if the executives of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. didn't like
the offer that you were making, they were then allowed to toss you out over the
top rope, Royal Rumble-style.

Photo by Jim Hill

I also have to admit that — as a longtime Star Trek fan —
it was cool to see the enormous Starship Enterprise that hung in place over the
CBS booth. Not to mention getting a glimpse of the official Star Trek 50th
Anniversary logo.

Photo by Jim Hill

I was also pleased to see lots of activity in The Jim Henson
Company booth. Which suggests that JHC has actually finally carved out a
post-Muppets identity for itself.

Photo by Jim Hill

Likewise for all of us who were getting a little concerned
about DreamWorks Animation (what with all the layoffs & write-downs &
projects that were put into turnaround or outright cancelled last year), it was
nice to see that booth bustling.

Photo by Jim Hill

Every so often, you'd come across some people who were
promoting a movie that you weren't entirely sure that you actually wanted to
see (EX: "Angry Birds," which Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia
Pictures will be releasing to theaters on May 20, 2016). But then you remembered that Clay Kaytis —
who's this hugely talented former Walt Disney Animation Studios animator — is
riding herd on "Angry Birds" with Fergal Reilly. And you'd think
"Well, if Clay's working on 'Angry Birds,' I'm sure this animated feature
will turn out fine."

Photo by Jim Hill

Mind you, there were reminders at this year's Licensing Expo
of great animated features that we're never going to get to see now. I still
can't believe — especially after that brilliant proof-of-concept footage
popped up online last year — that Sony execs decided not to go forward
with production of Genndy Tartakovsky's
"Popeye" movie. But that's the
cruel thing about the entertainment business, folks. It will sometime break
your heart.

Photo by Jim Hill

And make no mistake about this. The Licensing Expo is all
about business. That point was clearly driven home at this year's show when —
as you walked through the doors of the Mandalay
Bay Convention Center
— the first thing that you saw was the Hasbros Booth. Which was this gleaming,
sleek two story-tall affair full of people who were negotiating deals &
signing contracts for all of the would-be summer blockbusters that have already
announced release dates for 2019 & beyond.

Photo by Jim Hill

"But what about The Walt Disney Company?," you
ask. "Weren't they represented on the show floor at this year's Licensing
Expo?" Not really, not. I mean, sure. There were a few companies there hyping
Disney-related products. Take — for example — the Disney Wikkeez people.

Photo by Jim Hill

I'm assuming that some Disney Consumer Products exec is
hoping that Wikkeez will eventually become the new Tsum Tsum. But to be blunt,
these little hard plastic figures don't seem to have the same huggable charm
that those stackable plush do. But I've been wrong before. So let's see what
happens with Disney Wikkeez once they start showing up on the shelves of the
Company's North American retail partners.

Photo by Jim Hill

And speaking of Disney's retail partners … They were
meeting with Mouse House executives behind closed doors one floor down from the
official show floor for this year's Licensing Expo.

Photo by Jim Hill

And the theme for this year's invitation-only Disney shindig? "Timeless
Stories" involving the Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm brands that
would then appeal to "tomorrow's consumer."

Photo by Jim Hill

And just to sort of hammer home the idea that Disney is no
longer the Company which cornered the market when it comes to little girls
(i.e., its Disney Princess and Disney Fairies franchises), check out this
wall-sized Star Wars-related image that DCP put up just outside of one of its
many private meeting rooms. "See?," this carefully crafted photo
screams. "It isn't just little boys who want to wield the Force. Little
girls also want to grow up and be Lords of the Sith."

Photo by Jim Hill

One final, kind-of-ironic note: According to this banner,
Paramount Pictures will be releasing a movie called "Amusement Park"
to theaters sometime in 2017.

Photo by Jim Hill

Well, given all the "Blackfish" -related issues
that have been dogged SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment over the past two years, I'm
just hoping that they'll still be in the amusement park business come 2017.

Your thoughts?

General

It takes more than three circles to craft a Classic version of Mickey Mouse

Published

9 years ago

June 9, 2015

Jim Hill

You know what Mickey Mouse looks like, right? Little guy,
big ears?

Truth be told, Disney's corporate symbol has a lot of
different looks. If Mickey's interacting with Guests at Disneyland
Park (especially this summer, when
the Happiest Place on Earth
is celebrating its 60th anniversary), he looks & dresses like this.

Or when he's appearing in one of those Emmy Award-winning shorts that Disney
Television Animation has produced (EX: "Bronco Busted," which debuts
on the Disney Channel tonight at 8 p.m. ET / PT), Mickey is drawn in a such a
way that he looks hip, cool, edgy & retro all at the same time.

Looking ahead to 2017 now, when Disney Junior rolls out "Mickey and the
Roadster Racers," this brand-new animated series will feature a sportier version
of Disney's corporate symbol. One that Mouse House managers hope will persuade
preschool boys to more fully embrace this now 86 year-old character.

That's what most people don't realize about the Mouse. The
Walt Disney Company deliberately tailors Mickey's look, even his style of
movement, depending on what sort of project / production he's appearing in.

Take — for example — Disney
California Adventure
Park's "World of Color:
Celebrate!" Because Disney's main mouse would be co-hosting this new
nighttime lagoon show with ace emcee Neil Patrick Harris, Eric Goldberg really had
to step up Mickey's game. Which is why this master Disney animator created
several minutes of all-new Mouse animation which then showed that Mickey was
just as skilled a showman as Neil was.

Better yet, let's take a look at what the folks at Avalanche Studios just went
through as they attempted to create a Classic version of Mickey & Minnie.
One that would then allow this popular pair to become part of Disney Infinity
3.0.

"I won't lie to you. We were under a lot of pressure to
get the look of this particular version of Mickey — he's called Red Pants
Mickey around here — just right," said Jeff Bunker, the VP of Art
Development at Avalanche Studios, during a recent phone interview. "When
we brought Sorcerer Mickey into Disney Infinity 1.0 back in January of 2014,
that one was relatively easy because … Well, everyone knows what Mickey Mouse
looked like when he appeared in 'Fantasia.' "

"But this time around, we were being asked to design
THE Mickey & Minnie," Bunker continued. "And given that these Classic
Disney characters have been around in various different forms for the better
part of the last century … Well, which look was the right look?"

Which is why Jeff and his team at Avalanche Studios began watching hours &
hours of Mickey Mouse shorts. As they tried to get a handle on which look would
work best for these characters in Disney Infinity 3.0.

"And we went all the way back to the very start of Mickey's career. We began
with 'Steamboat Willie' and then watched all of those black & white Mickey shorts
that Walt made back in the late 1920s & early 1930s. From there, we
transitioned to his Technicolor shorts. Which is when Mickey went from being
this pie-eyed, really feisty character to more of a well-behaved leading
man," Bunker recalled. "We then finished out our Mouse marathon by
watching all of those new Mickey shorts that Paul Rudish & his team have
been creating for Disney Television Animation. Those cartoons really recapture
a lot of the spirit and wild slapstick fun that Mickey's early, black &
white shorts had."

But given that the specific assignment that Avalanche Studios had been handed
was to create the most appealing looking, likeable version of Mickey Mouse
possible … In the end, Jeff and his team wound up borrowing bits & pieces
from a lot of different versions of the world's most famous mouse. So that
Classic Mickey would then look & move in a way that best fit the sort of
gameplay which people would soon be able to experience with Disney Infinity
3.0.

"That — in a lot of ways — was actually the toughest
part of the Classic Mickey design project. You have to remember that one of the
key creative conceits of Disney Infinity
is that all the characters which appear in this game are toys," Bunker
stated. "Okay. So they're beautifully detailed, highly stylized toy
versions of beloved Disney, Pixar, Marvel & Lucasfilm characters. But
they're still supposed to be toys. So our Classic versions of Mickey &
Minnie have the same sort of thickness & sturdiness to them that toys have.
So that they'll then be able to fit right in with all of the rest of the
characters that Avalanche Studios had previously designed for Disney Infinity."

And then there was the matter of coming up with just the
right pose for Classic Mickey & Minnie. Which — to hear Jeff tell the
story — involved input from a lot of Disney upper management.

"Everyone within the Company seemed to have an opinion
about how Mickey & Minnie should be posed. More to the point, if you Google
Mickey, you then discover that there are literally thousands of poses out there
for these two. Though — truth be told — a lot of those kind of play off the
way Mickey poses when he's being Disney's corporate symbol," Bunker said.
"But what I was most concerned about was that Mickey's pose had to work
with Minnie's pose. Because we were bringing the Classic versions of these
characters up into Disney Infinity 3.0 at the exact same time. And we wanted to
make sure — especially for those fans who like to put their Disney Infinity
figures on display — that Mickey's pose would then complement Minnie.

Which is why Jeff & the crew at Avalanche Studios
decided — when it came to Classic Mickey & Minnie's pose — that they
should go all the way back to the beginning. Which is why these two Disney icons
are sculpted in such a way that it almost seems as though you're witnessing the
very first time Mickey set eyes on Minnie.

"And what was really great about that was — as soon as
we began showing people within the Company this pose — everyone at Disney
quickly got on board with the idea. I mean, the Classic Mickey that we sculpted
for Disney Infinity 3.0 is clearly a very playful, spunky character. But at the
same time, he's obviously got eyes for Minnie," Bunker concluded. "So
in the end, we were able to come up with Classic versions of these characters
that will work well within the creative confines of Disney Infinity 3.0 but at
the same time please those Disney fans who just collect these figures because
they like the way the Disney Infinity characters look."

So now that this particular design project is over, does
Jeff regret that Mouse House upper management was so hands-on when it came to
making sure that the Classic versions of Mickey & Minnie were specifically
tailored to fit the look & style of gameplay found in Disney Infinity 3.0?

"To be blunt, we go through this every time we add a new character to the
game. The folks at Lucasfilm were just as hands-on when we were designing the
versions of Darth Vader and Yoda that will also soon be appearing in Disney
Infinity 3.0," Bunker laughed. "So in the end, if the character's
creators AND the fans are happy, then I'm happy."

This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post's Entertainment page on Tuesday, June 9, 2015