A Divas Christmas Carol: Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

Product Description

From Amazon.com

A new twist on an old classic, this VH1 production may not look like the Dickens favorite with Alistair Sim, but it's true to its spirit. Vanessa Williams is "Ebony Scrooge," a miserly Diana Ross-type singer. She was once part of 1980s trio Desire, but Marli Jacob (TLC's Chilli) was killed in a car crash and Ebony abandoned Terry for a solo career. While in New York for a "charity" concert--designed to benefit her more than anyone else--Ebony is visited by four spirits. First comes Marli, followed by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Suddenly Susan's Kathy Griffin), Present (Duran Duran's John Taylor), and Future. The last is a tragically humorous episode of Behind the Music, featuring cameos by Nile Rodgers and Brian McKnight. It's enough to make a diva change her wicked ways--some of them, at any rate. Williams sings several songs, notably "Sleigh Ride" and "Heartquake." --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best version ever, Dec 17 2003

By

stan Jarema (South Plainfield, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Divas Christmas Carol (DVD)

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!

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well Updated Classic, Dec 26 2002

By

Christina Dougherty "irishtina" (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Divas Christmas Carol (DVD)

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.

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1.0 out of 5 stars one of the world's worst singers, Dec 18 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Divas Christmas Carol (DVD)

Vanessa Williams just doesn't have it when it comes to singing....period.

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