Reviews (8)

The best version ever
I was begining to lose all hope on the christmas carol idea. It had been very overplayed. So I caught this on its first showing and immeadiatley fell in love with it. Its one of those movies you can watch a million times and never get tired of.Vanessa Williams brings great spice to this old and in some versions dry tale. Finally it was given a facelift.Does anyone know what hotel in NYC she stayed at?? And by the way the music in this movie is excellent.Heartquake should be a Vh1 classic.Very 80s though. But still excellent Sleigh ride was also given an excellent makeover making one of the best versions I have ever heard. And the Heart of Christmas was also a really great song. Buy this movie you won't regrit it!

A Well Updated Classic
I thoroughly enjoyed this version of "A Christmas Carol" for many different reasons. The main reason being that I own several versions of "A Christmas Carol" and I find that this is the ONLY one that allows characters to act like real people.

Bob Cractchett DOES stand up for himself, though in a caring manner....Mrs. Cratchett is NOT happy that her husband spends so much time at work and lets him know this...Tim Cratchett is an ill child without being so saintly sweet that's he's unbelievable.

Many of the lines are gems...."Who the Dickens are you calling boy?" is my favorite, as it pays homage to Charles Dickens, and the tiresome "God Bless Us, Every One" isn't spoken by Tim but by a member of the band in a completely new way. I think that "A Diva's Christmas Carol" has some of the sharpest writing for a Christmas movie to come along in awhile.

While Vanessa Williams is good as Ebony Scrooge, the best member of the cast is Brian McNamara as Bob Cratchett. For the first time, you see Bob Cratchett as a real man, torn between his job and his family. McNamara's scene during "Christmas Future" almost brings a tear to your eye because he's superb at showing the depth of the character, without making it so syrupy that you don't care.

The cast is rounded out by various "Music Industry" personalities, none of whom are major stand-outs but play their parts adequately.

I gave this a 4 star rating rather than a 5 star for two reasons: The lack of special effects (when Marley removes her face, you're shown this from the back), and a heavy scene from Ebony's past showing her abusive father. If shooting Marley's face removal from the back was to shield children from a potentially gross scene, it was incongruous along with all of the "*itch" comments. If it was due to budget constraints, it's a shame.

Even with these notes, I highly recommend "A Diva's Christmas Carol" mainly for Brian McNamara, for the great script, for Vanessa Williams, and for some good singing and cute tunes. I wore out my VHS tape, and replaced it with the DVD.

one of the world's worst singers
Vanessa Williams just doesn't have it when it comes to singing....period.

A Christmas Carol for the Musically Oriented
A witty, musical new twist on the old classic, this VH1 production casts Vanessa Williams as a miserly and grinchy "Ebony Scrooge,". Ebony was once part of a popular 80s singing trio, but after one of the trio is killed in an auto accident, Ebony embarks on a solo career characterized by extreme narcissism and greed. While in New York for a "charity" concert, designed to benefit no one but herself, Ebony is visited by four spirits who want to make her change her wicked ways.

Suddenly Susan's Kathy Griffin gives a noteworthy performance as the sarcastic, tongue and cheek spirit of Christmas Past. Also making appearances are TLC's Chilli, John Taylor from Duran Duran, Brian McKnight and Nile Rogers.

Williams acting isn't the most fluid but her singing is superb. Her articulate vocals in the Christmas songs she sings in this movie provide some great "built in" holiday music videos. The "Sleigh Ride" sequence will quickly get you into the holiday spirit and the "Heartquake" sequence provides some humorous musical 80's nostaligia.

Vanessa Williams holiday musical numbers from this movie would make a great Christmas soundtrack and I'm very surprised VH 1 hasn't already released and marketed it.

Overall, those who love music, Christmas and/or the vocals of Vanessa Williams, will enjoy this fun remake of a treasured holiday classic.

A diva christmas carol
This movie was great!!! I loved.. love it!!! i wait 11 months to watch it every year!! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Funny, touching, beautifully acted--you should check it out
This movie is small in scale, but big-hearted. The cinematography is remarkable (Coney Island has never looked so desolate), and the acting is extraordinary. Jon Cryer does the best work of his career--and he co-wrote the script, too. Newcomer Rick Stear holds the screen like a star, and Frank Whaley, Dominic Chianese, and Peter Gerrety shine in supporting roles. There's also an amazing, evocative score by Midge Ure. This is the kind of film that perfectly defines the shape of American independent cinema; an involving story told with humor and grace.

Reminds me of home.
I didn't think it was the strongest movie, but I lived in Coney for 33 years and it hit home. It did remind me of the people and problems of broooklynites. And, though shot in Winter - the most depressing time in Coney, the scenery reminded me of home. I actually used to work in the freak show they went to - too bad they didn't actually use the real performers. Jon Cryer could've been better, but, all-in-all, I enjoyed.

Capturing the Past at Coney Island
In the beginning of this hilarious movie, the characters seem hopeless and pathetic, complete with dead-end jobs and a strong ability to screw up their lives. But as they journey to Coney Island in search of a homeless childhood friend, they rediscover their past and where their hopes, dreams, and lives took a wrong turn. It captures the essence of redemption and the perspicacity of starting over.

GREAT MOVIE!!!!!
Great character studies and atmosphere. Looks like the 80's generation has touched down to the harsh realities of life and living as two friends take a day off their normal existences to hunt down an old buddy who is suppossedly living homeless in Coney Island. The strange,yet so human people they meet while searching and the way they come to terms with themselves is riviting and this is absolutely one of the finest movies I've seen in a really long time.Sorry Fwongo!!

Almost meritless.
So there are some brief funny parts near the beginning. Basically the movie started mediocre and rapidly went downhill from there. About two-thirds of the way into the film it hit bottom and apparently started digging. This movie is so horrendously bad that you can't even laugh at it as much as stare in horror. There's almost no plot, just constant droning misery and depression. The movie devoted about a half hour to an extremely boring and drawn-out scene in which the main characters look for their mentally diseased, homeless former friend.

The movie gave me a headache and the soundtrack a stomachache. This is the first film I've seen with disease-like symptoms. I write this about 10 minutes after I watch it, and my head is still pounding. For the sake of your mental health, do not watch this movie. It would be best used as a torture device for government interrogators, though perhaps is too potently bad even for that. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Pompousness of Schenkman
A group of idiots hang around to chug beers and engage in "clever" conversation. The shallowness of the characters is belied by the director's resort to making a "political statement" at the end of the film. Add four stars if you're still living in the 60's. ...

Good start but it tapers off......
This film starts off well, with witty dialogue and dead-on portrayals of 30 somethings dealing with the urban dating scence. After awhile, though, the film seems overlong and the characterizations run out of steam.

The guys in the film are definitely self-absorbed and verbal in a way that, upon reflection, may be particularly recognizeable to city dwellers. I wonder whether the experiences depicted here will resonate as well with non-urbanites.

Witty, Funny, and Meaningful
The Pompatus of Love is one of my all-time favorite movies. The fast paced dialogue is always entertaining, and this movie addresses an issue everybody has to face at some point: how to attain a fulfilling love life before you go crazy trying. Very funny, and with a light enough touch that it'll make you think without being cheezy. You've got to see this movie!

Why THE POMPATUS OF LOVE is good.
Now you may wonder why i gave this movie a 5 star rating. Well... I rented it thinking it would be another "kitchy" indie movie. I was very suprised to see that this movie had a amazing plot, and the story just make me sit there for around 40 minutes after pondering love and life and all that stuff. It is an amazing movie. Well worth the 5 star. A hip love movie for the 90's

Terrific for anyone who has ever dated in the 90's!
The plot, dialogue and acting are the best I have seen in a long time. It's quick and quick-witted. There is not one dull scene in this entire film about men dating in the 90's. Each character is well-drawn and three-dimensional. Each of the actors are excellent and believable throughout the film. Jon Cryer is angst-ridden (as his roles often are) and again he brings a great sense of humor and warmth to the role. Adrian Pasdar portrays a "playboy-type" character but still manages to make him likeable (and also hilariously funny). Mia Sara is beautiful but her part is not large enough! This is an unusually real, yet hysterical "romp" through dating in this 90's. ... Read more