Code-name: Chocoholics
(except for Violet Beauregarde, who's a gum enthusiast)
Director: Mel Stuart (RIP 2012)
Type: Musical, Family
Cast:
Willy Wonka- Gene Wilder (RIP 8/29/2016)
[the rest of the actors' names escape me, but I'll include them for sake of completeness]
Charlie Bucket- Peter Ostrum
Grandpa Joe- Jack Albertson (RIP 1981)
Mrs. Bucket- Diana Sowle
Bill, The Candy-Man- Aubrey Woods (RIP 5/7/2013)
Augustus Gloop- Michael Bollner
Mrs. Gloop- Ursula Reit (RIP 1998)
Veruca Salt- Julia Dawn Cole
Mr. Salt- Roy Kinnear (RIP 1988)
Violet Beauregarde- Denise Nickerson
Mr. Beauregarde- Leonard Stone (RIP 2011)
Mike Teevee- Paris Themmen
Mrs. Teevee- Nora Demney (RIP 2005)
Charlie's teacher, Mr.Tuckentine- David Battley (RIP 2003)
Slugworth- Gunter Meisner (RIP 1994)
Nominations:
OSCAR nomination- Best Original Score
Golden Globe nomination- Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)- Gene Wilder
[Write-up]
This is one of those movies that begs me to say "if you don't like it, there's something wrong with you" :-P
but oddly enough, it wasn't a hit until VHS was invented in the 80's...
and not even the guy who wrote the book liked it... in fact, Roald Dahl hated it...
Why?
I don't know... IMDB suggests his opposition to David Seltzer's massive overhaul of the screenplay had something to do with it...
Now, would he have liked the Tim Burton remake because it was closer to the book?
Possibly... we'll never know cuz Dahl died in 1990.
This is also one of those old movies I like to reflect on from time to time, especially when I hear about the passing of another cast member.
Nearly all of the adults in the movie have died in the past couple decades, and I know that whenever Gene Wilder leaves us, it's going to be especially saddening.
Again, I can't precisely place the first time I saw this, but it was a long time ago.
I haven't even read the book yet :-P and the few books I'd read of his, I liked a lot...
Twitches and the BFG (big friendly giant)...
never read Matilda or Fantastic Mr. Fox, but loved the movies.
I distinctly remember in my 4th grade class that half the room read one book and the other half read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"...
Don't know how I missed out on that, but yeah, it sucks.
...
spoilers ahead, but seriously, EVERYONE should have seen this movie by now
Great movie all around.
It's comprised of two specific halves.
The first is where Wonka makes the announcement that he's released 5 golden tickets that'll grant children entrance into his factory, which had been closed for a long time.
According to Grandpa Joe, former employee Slugworth left the factory, threatening to spill Wonka's secrets and as a result, he closed his doors to the public.
One by one, four children find golden tickets. We find out their unique character flaws with their introductions and each time, a man whispers something into their ear.
We see the movie from the POV of Charlie, whose family (his mum and all four grandparents) is rather poor. While he is a pessimist about whether or not he'll get a golden ticket, we recognize that he is being realistic about his chances.
Unlike everyone else in the world who'd gone crazy for chocolate... so crazy that shopkeepers are afraid to open their doors when they have no more Wonka bars to give.
Things look hopeless when a 5th ticket was reported found, but Charlie overhears after running his paper route that the 5th ticket was a fake and pays the Candy-Man a visit.
We only see him a couple times, but he's such a nice, pleasant character, especially to Charlie during this scene where he comes in... kinda surprising there was no hoopla when he passed away only a month ago because everyone else at least got a mention.
Charlie gets his golden ticket and runs into Mr. Slugworth on the way home. He tells him that if he steals an everlasting gobstopper for him, he'll compensate his family.
This news, he only shares with Grandpa Joe... shortly after his great musical number where he bursts out of bed and dances around the room.
One of my favorite numbers in the movie, always has been :-P
For the most part, I like musicals and don't mind the general clichés that come with them. The only song I didn't care for was Mrs. Bucket singing "Cheer up Charlie"...
a meaningful number, yes, but it always bored me... kinda depressing too, but it's supposed to be a kinda depressing moment in the movie anyway.
Part 2:
we're at the factory
Of course, this was my introduction to Gene Wilder. I'd only seen him "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" so far, but this will always be THE defining role for him in my eyes.
I love the various eccentricities of Willy Wonka, all starting for his first scene.
Bit of trivia: Gene Wilder accepted the role ONLY if he was allowed to do a somersault at his grand entrance to set the tone for his character. And he did.
Just WOW... absolutely brilliant idea... it's rare when you can say one of your favorite movie moments is one where actions speak for themselves
All of Wonka's ideas are brilliant as are the different rooms he has in his factory. You never really know what to expect.
The Chocolate Room sequence is nothing short of magical with all of the edible bits and pieces of it.
The little German boy Augustus Gloop ends up falling into the chocolate river when he gets carried away eating it...
meanwhile, while his mother is freaking out, Wonka is freaking that his presence is spoiling the chocolate... he gets stuck in a pipe... Wonka's practically eating popcorn watching "the suspense is terrible!... I hope it'll last"
One of many lines that are actual quotes from famous literary works (that was from "The Importance of Being Earnest" from Oscar Wilde). I remember being at trivia and didn't find out until the answer portion that "candy is dandy but liquor is quicker" was from Ogden Nash...
dude, how was I supposed to know that?!
Anyway... after Augustus gets "shot" to the fudge room, we have our first Oompa Loompa song
Next comes the notorious boat-ride scene.
Nostalgia Critic named it one of his top 11 WTF Nostalgia moments, pointing out that when we're kids, we don't know what to really think of the scene, but it is SO weird and out there... and chances are that it's a "big-lipped alligator moment" (see "All Dogs Go to Heaven" for that explanation) because it's never mentioned again after the end of the scene.
I don't remember my own reaction, but I knew the first couple times that I was never looking forward to it.
It's hard to say what's more unnerving, all of the freaky images or the fact Wonka seems to have lost his mind, especially at the top of the quote: "yes, the danger must be growing because the rowers keep on rowing and there's certainly no sign that they are slowing"... and screams his head off in a very high-pitch.
come to think of it, I had seen that degree of madness from him during "Young Frankenstein" when he finally calls himself "Franken-Sty-n" instead of "Fron-ken-steen"
The invention room is up next... where everyone gets their own everlasting gobstopper... and gum enthusiast and world record holder Violet can't resist the "three-course-dinner" gum...
everyone knows the extent of that scene...
"always goes wrong when it comes to the desserts"
and "Oompa Loompa, do-pa-di-di, if you were wise, you'd listen to me"
Charlie's own temptation comes into play when it comes to the fizzy lifting drinks. But to his credit, it was Grandpa Joe's idea.
Eventually, burping helps them get down ("Family Guy" spoofed this where Peter and Brian fart to get back to earth... after which Wonka does find them and throw them out...)
Everyone else is in the room with the geese who lay the golden chocolate eggs.
And after saying at least 2-3 times she wants something, Veruca demands a golden goose.
She's actually the only kid who got their own song in the factory before their demises.
The result is the following:
"She was a bad egg"- falling through the garbage shoot after the egg-dicator gives her a negative grade
"He finally got what he wants... Veruca went first"
"Oompa Loompa, do-pa-di-di, if you were wise, you'd listen to me"
We get into the final room, where Wonk-a-vision is introduced.
Of course, the TV-obsessed Mike can't resist and gets himself shrunk.
[everyone say it with me now!]
"Oompa Loompa, do-pa-di-di, if you were wise, you'd listen to me"
...and we're at the end of the tour... Charlie and Grandpa Joe are the only ones left and Wonka disappears into his office...
As it turns out, he really does have eyes everywhere because he found out about their escapade with the fizzy-lifting drinks and throws them out.
Despite all the crap that has happened throughout this tour, this is the only moment where he raises his voice... again, it's to be expected... but his patience is pretty astounding outside of that.
Charlie making the final gesture of giving back his Gobstopper was all he needed to change his mind.
Willy Wonka is beyond ecstatic.
As it turns out, the guy we believed to be Slugworth was an employee of his that was part of a great test, which Charlie passed.
Wonka, Charlie and Grandpa Joe take a ride in the Wonkavator, and Wonka goes on to say he's giving Charlie the factory- considering his retirement, he decided he had to pass it onto a kid who'd run things the way he did so its legacy will endure.
Probably one of the happiest happy endings I can think of... always fills me up with so much joy.
Great to the last line:
"Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted. He lived happily ever after."
[About that Remake?]
Despite it being another Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration, I was beyond skeptical when I heard about him remaking the movie... except it's "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" and supposedly a closer adaptation to the book.
After seeing it, I say it isn't bad... but nowhere NEAR as good the original... you can't put a price tag on this movie
Of course, everything is a little bit darker and more dreary in this newer version because it IS Tim Burton.
The story is the same with a few exceptions here and there...
like how Grandpa Joe used to work there...
Charlie wins in the end, but Wonka is hesitant to take him because he doesn't want to leave his family behind.
and we see more of Wonka's background via flashbacks than we see of Charlie's progression through the movie.
For the most part, the kids are more extreme....
Augustus is about the same, although his look and demeanor reminds me of "Nightmare Before Christmas"
Violet is an athlete that's all about being #1 (a mini-version of her mom who comes there instead of her dad)
Veruca is... how can I put it... a little more passive... as if one sentence in unenthusiastic voice is enough to get a response... instead of the golden goose, she wants a squirrel, who determine whether nuts are good or bad.
Mike is INTENSE... the product of playing violent video games rather than being obsessed with westerns on TV... to the point of being scary (his dad comes instead of his mom here)
...and we actually get to find out what happens to them after they fail to impress, a nice extra touch
as much as I love Johnny Depp, this is not one of my favorite roles of his...
a little too weird, charactery... almost like a caricature or a puppet...
The Oompa Loompa songs aren't as memorable either... all of them are completely different and I guess I'm a little turned off by the fact they're played by one guy who'd been duplicated hundreds of times... not as much charm in that.
for more on this, check into Nostalgia Critic's take on the movies
http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/11805-wonka
One thing I liked about it a lot was Freddie Highmore as Charlie... probably my first encounter with him and I'd since seen him in almost everything else... he's especially been captivating in the A&E Series "Bates Motel"
[Final Note]
2016 has been a detrimental year for Hollywood. We've lost so many good people including some who were part of my childhood or impacted my entire life (well, at least the last 9-10 years of my entire life in Prince's case).
Gene Wilder finally passed away. I had a feeling it would be soon and it would be sad and sure enough, his time came 3 years after I posted this originally. He had Alzheimer's disease. So sad when someone who made so many people happy loses themselves before they pass. It was also interesting to hear how he was close with Gilda Radner and he promoted cancer awareness after ovarian cancer took her life.
When Halloween comes around, I'll probably do a post about "Young Frankenstein" and spend more time honoring this man's memory.
He's been around for so long and has so much nostalgia attached to him, I realize that I didn't really know him outside of the roles that made me laugh. He will be sorely missed.
Location: Pocono Movieplex
Date: Sunday, June 2, 2013
Time: 12:15pm
Party: 2 (my sister & I)
Cast:
M.K.- Amanda Seyfried
M.K.'s dad, Bomba- Jason Sudekis
Ronin- Colin Farrell
Nod- Josh Hutcherson
Mub- Aziz Ansari
Grub- Chris O'Dowd
Mandrake- Christoph Waltz
Nim- Steven Tyler
Queen Tara- Beyonce Knowles
Bufo- Pitbull
[Coming Attractions]
The two of us had the theater all to ourselves... with the exception of a boy about 5 or 6 who claimed he'd seen the movie three times already and his dad was seeing "Fast & Furious 6."
Question 1:
Why was he completely on his own?
It wasn't as if he talked through the entire picture, but he had trouble staying still a lot of the time and his attention wasn't where it ought to be.
:sigh:
I don't pretend to understand any of this. This movie could have gotten away with a G-rating, but I guess the MPAA people thought there were enough somewhat scary moments and bits of rude humor to bump it up to PG.
Are there no G-rated movies anymore?
At least that was my question until I saw that "Monsters University" got a G-rating.
Pixar can be counted on for that about 90% of the time.
The previews were all animated movies and included 2 sequels.
"Smurfs 2"
I saw bits and pieces of the first one. Not quite as bad as I expected, but I don't see myself seeing this unless it's on cable.
"Planes"
The trailer looks nice. It seems they're promoting it as a spin-off of "Cars" because there are cars in the movie. Again, nothing to get super excited about.
"Despicable Me 2"
Saw this trailer during Star Trek and it still looks great. We did go to see the first one, after all.
[Write-up]
Question 2:
Why did nobody like this movie?
Richard Roeper claimed that the celebrity voices were a distraction and that it has more stimulation for a younger audience than adults.
Hmm, maybe I answered my first question right there.
Maybe it just caters more to younger people because it has that "child-like wonder" factor. The animation is simply incredible. I remember seeing the teaser trailer last year (it was during a 3D movie so the trailer was in 3D... sadly we didn't have that luxury) and simply being in AWE of all the bright colors and such.
That's just one of the many ways I roll when it comes to movies.
It has an environmental message at its heart, but it's not preachy like a lot of movies people groan at merely the mention of.
Right now the only example I can draw up is "The Lorax." I didn't read the book as a kid so I didn't know what to expect, but I felt deceived by the trailers that promoted it as a funny, light-hearted kid's movie. In the dark parts, it got REALLY dark.
And before anyone cries out that this is a deliberate rip-off of "FernGully"... I can't speak on behalf of that one way or the other. I saw the movie so long ago that I have no recollection of it.
The end credits said it was inspired by a children's book.
Thankfully, us humans aren't the bad guys in this one.
They're merely visitors.
The movie begins when teenager M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) arrives at her dad's place, which happens to be in the middle of the woods. He'd been spending his life searching for an "advanced civilization of little people living the forest," leading to his estrangement from society and his own family. M.K. wants to explain how she feels about his way of life, but he's too busy tinkering with his latest discoveries (via several of his motion-sensitive cameras strung throughout the forest) to even listen.
But as she's on her way to leave, she ends up having to catch their dog- an old three-legged pug with bad eyesight- who ran into the woods. Did he need to have three legs? No, but even though he's animated, he was freaking cute.
In the forest where the leafman (the little warriors who ride hummingbirds) live, they're preparing for a special day that only happens every 1,000 years. The queen of the forest (a warm performance from Beyonce) has to choose an heir. She picks out a seed blossom from a pond that must be bloom under the light of the full moon when it's at its peak.
But our villains, who are fully aware of this, arrive to complicate things. Their leader Mandrake (Christoph Waltz) wants to make everything in the forest decay simply because that's the way he likes things.
Sadly this massive chase scene that ensues ends with the Queen Tara getting killed, but not before she and M.K. meet and she gives her the task of looking after the seed. Not to mention she shrinks her down to their size.
A few voices stand out and gave decent performances, but I viewed this film as a whole rather than the sum of the parts.
It's nice to hear Colin Farrell with his Irish brogue for a change. Josh Hutcherson, we all know as Peeta from "The Hunger Games," plays his young charge who is going through some growing pains and rebels, but evolves into somewhat of a love interest for M.K. It isn't explored terribly well, but it's a kid's movie- what do you expect?
He gets a little friendly competition for M.K.'s affections from Mub the slug (yeah, I totally see that couple happening [rolls eyes]), and his friend Grub continually brings up his dream to become a leafman (despite the fact he's actually a snail).
Christoph Waltz plays a good baddie, but his voiceover work doesn't hold quite as much water as he does in the flesh where his accent alone gives me chills.
Steven Tyler is probably the biggest stand-out other than Beyonce, making us totally believe that Nim is an eccentric "uncle" wise-man type.
The storyline is pretty easy to follow from there. After consulting Nim on what to do with the seed, they have to take it Moon Haven where the full moon will shine the brightest. The bad guys get a hold of it, Mandrake wanting it to open in darkness so he can use it to destroy the forest. Of course, the good guys have to infiltrate the evil lair to get it back and even then, the battle isn't entirely over.
The action comes and goes as it's needed so the movie is paced really well. And when the chips are down, everyone plays a part, even M.K.'s dad, and you get the desired happy ending.
Overall, it's straight forward, well-written, acted decently, provides a feast for the eyes and has a little something in it for everyone.
I really enjoyed it and hope anyone who reads this decides to give it a shot at some point, no matter what the critics say.
Grade: A
[Program Note]
Speaking of those critics, they all panned the magician heist film "Now you see me." Yet it managed to beat out this week's designated Blockbuster "After Earth" in box office earnings.
I'll be going to be seeing that solo on Wednesday. Not just to prove the wrong critics (something I like to do every now and then), but also because the trailers looked more awesome each time they showed them in theaters.
Code-name: [Formerly] Her Last Christmas... [now dubbed] Mushroom Allergy
Writer/Director: Thomas Bezucha
Type: Family-oriented Christmas Dramedy
Cast:
Mr. Kelly Stone- Craig T. Nelson
Mrs. Sibyl Stone- Diane Keaton
Everett Stone- Dermot Mulroney
Meredith Morton- Sarah Jessica Parker
Amy Stone- Rachel McAdams
Susannah Stone- Elizabeth Reaser
Ben Stone- Luke Wilson
Thad Stone- Tyone Giordano
Patrick Thomas- Brian White
Julie Morton- Claire Danes
Brad Stevenson- Paul Schneider
Notable nomination:
Golden Globe- Best Actress (comedy/musical)- Sarah Jessica Parker
[Write-up]
If I'm not dubbing these movies after animal characters, the 2nd easiest go-to is a quote from the movie...
One of my favorite lines comes during a scene where Meredith is making Christmas breakfast the night before and is told that her boyfriend Everett is allergic to mushrooms.
The second time this happens, she immediately freaks out and as I tend to do during my favorite on-screen freak-outs, I scream along without her: "I didn't know!!"
I think this was another one of those in-flight movies my dad recommended we watch.
And it's become somewhat of a staple during Christmastime.
I believe I watched it last Christmas Eve, but my memory escapes me.
Right now, it's hard to put my finger on exactly why this is one of my favorite movies.
I come from a large quirky family (relatively speaking, my immediate family places me as one of 4), so part of me does get into it for that reason.
Without taking any of the good quotes into account, my love of this movie comes down to some of the actors and the characters they play.
This was Rachel McAdams (one of my favorite actresses) just after her "Notebook" success and after she, unknowingly, leaped into our hearts in "Mean Girls." With the exception of 1-2 roles, she seems to fill up the archetype of "designated bitch." Not to the same degree as Regina George, mind you, but Amy Stone is really mean to Everett's girlfriend Meredith... seemingly for no apparent reason.
Maybe she and her overprotective, tightly-knit family are under the impression that nobody is good enough for him-- certainly not a stuffy, uptight businesswoman like Meredith.
Here's the crazy part:
I found Sarah Jessica Parker extremely refreshing in this capacity, so much so that my opinion on her changed in an instant.
I can't explain exactly why I disliked her so much as I did previously. I never saw any of "Sex in the City," but in whatever I'd seen her in previously, she gave me the impression she was a complete airhead, someone I could never take seriously.
As Meredith, I enjoyed her performance and felt really bad that she couldn't gain the favor of the Stones no matter what she did.
The basic premise follows that this is Christmastime and we're spending it with a large family with the surname Stone.
You have the happily married couple, patriarch and matriarch.
Five siblings:
Amy (single, but the end suggests she'll rekindle an old relationship)
Susannah (married, one daughter and another baby on the way)
Thad (deaf, in a happy relationship with his boyfriend, Patrick)
Ben
and Everett who is bringing his girlfriend Meredith home to meet the family.
As previously mentioned, for whatever reason, the Stones have deemed Meredith not to be good enough for Everett even before meeting her... seemingly based on one time when Amy met her and disliked her.
It's gotta be more than just the fact "she's a throat-clearer," something she and the other Stones make fun of whenever they get the chance... and the fact she has to give up her bedroom to accommodate (although that'd be a more legit reason than the previous one).
Meredith feels so unwelcome she breaks down and has her younger sister to come stay with her in a hotel.
Julie, of course, is the prettier, nicer, more out-going on sister, and everyone loves her... naturally this treatment has Julie wondering why Meredith begged her to join her.
Admittedly, things get out of control during a conversation at the dinner table... which makes one wonder why they put it in the script because there is literally no way for Meredith to come off well.
One lesson to be taken from this is that if you're getting to know people for the first time, do not bring up the nature vs. nurture debate.
Mrs. Stone sarcastically comments that she had hoped all of her sons were gay because then they would never leave her.
To which Meredith asks "you wouldn't actually wish for your children to be gay, do you?"
going on to say life is hard enough as it is and to make easier for the child to navigate it, she wouldn't wish it...
The misunderstanding escalates until the dinner table explodes with screaming and swearing, leaving Meredith no choice but to run out of the house.
It's the toughest part of the film to endure and, of course, all of us watching are screaming for Meredith to shut up and backtrack before initiating the wrath of the matriarch...
spectuators eveywhere probably agreed that she should have let the topic drop because there was nowhere good for it to go.
In her attempt to escape, she accidentally crashes her car into a tree. Ben goes out to see how she's doing and he takes her out for a couple beers so she can loosen up.
At the bar, they meet up with a couple of EMTs. One of them happens to be Brad, whom Meredith (more than a little intoxicated by this point) recognizes via previous conversation as "the guy who popped Amy's cherry" and she begs him to go to the house on Christmas, believing Amy would be happy to see him.
The scene doesn't last long, but this is one of my favorite parts of the whole movie. Meredith finally loosens up and relaxes, dancing to the jukebox and all that, and she doesn't invoke the airheadness of her past life on "Sex in the City." There's just something about the way it's written and acted I just love.
Just to briefly address the sensitive issue from my perspective, to quote a distraught but newly intoxicated Meredith early into the bar scene, "I love the gays! Gay people!"
I respect them, support their right to marriage, adoption and so on, and believe it's a non-genetic predisposition they're born with.
Gays & Lesbians are great people. 8-)
And to stop myself from coming off overally preachy, I'm going to leave it at that.
spoilers ahead
Another major storyline in the movie is the fact Diane Keaton's character's breast cancer came back and it is assumed (evidence at the end of the movie supports this) she is terminal. The news leaks out little by little and everyone in the family uses it as an opportunity to embrace one another and stay as tightly-knit as they are.
Apparently, it isn't intergal to the overall plot because it's only mentioned a few times... unlike "Step-Mom," where it was an ever-developing plot point.
A couple people on IMDB brought this up and I can't help but agree that's a little... odd... that little attention is brought to it outside of 2-3 scenes and the final epilogue.
A couple of times, Everett asks his mom for "the ring" because he wants to propose to Meredith, which she shoots down each time. Then he picks up his own ring and asks Julie to try it on for size.
It fits, but they have trouble getting it off... which brings hilarity and awkwardness... slowly, things give way and the women end up changing partners.
Everett ends up falling for the younger sister, Julie.
Ben manages to get Meredith back home in one piece and she wakes up to find herself in his bed... leaving her to believe that they slept together... a point Ben later corrects, but a relationship eventually does develop between them.
Luke Wilson doesn't play the sharpest crayon in the box, as in he has a frat-boy-like demeanor, whatever the male equivalent of an airhead is. A few comments on the page indicate he helped make the movie easier to get through. He's easily the nicest, easiest-going of the Stones.
Finally on Christmas morning, when the 2nd misunderstanding occurs and Mr. Stone is chasing Ben around the house to get at him, displeased with what he and Meredith supposedly did (which they didn't), Meredith is in the kitchen getting her breakfast dishes out to put in the oven, the kitchen door swings into her, making her drop it.
Mrs. Stone and Amy go in there to help her clean up, she's in hysterics, and they do their best to make her feel better.
Meredith Morton: [crying] I'm just as good as any of you!
Amy Stone: [laughing and crying at the situation] Maybe better.
Meredith Morton: [still crying] What's so great about you guys?
Sybil Stone: [laughing and crying along with Amy... patting Meredith's cheeks] Oh, nothing! It's just that we're all that we've got
Overall, the sequence is very slapstick-ish in an old school sort of way, but it accomplishes its intented purpose: to finally clear the air between Meredith and the Stones.
And in the end, all of it works out quite well.
