Guys,

This is about my #1 favorite movie of all time! There is so much mystic, magic, wonder, and pure imagination in this work of art, that I have often compared it to being similar to The Wizard of Oz, but with a darker and more sophisticated edge. This is the stuff that dreams are made of and if you haven't seen or don't love this movie, you haven't lived!!!

Peter Ostrum's Charlie Bucket is acting perfection. Amazingly, it was his only acting role. I loved the chemestry between Grandpa Joe and he throughout the movie. Julie Dawn Cole as bratty Veruca Salt steals the show with a nastiness and vindictivness that is almost the female equivlant of Damian in the Omen. But Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka takes your breath away! This man was born to play this role and it may be one of the finest performances on screen that you will ever see. His unpredicatbility leads to his charm. What is so cool about this film is that theere is no political correctness in it. It has elements of satire, comedy, mystery, and dramatic suspense. The Shakespere quotes are absolutely amazing and his interation with the kids and their parents is timeless!

Oh Yea! The DVD has an optional running film commentary with the kids, a seperate audio track of interviews with the kids, a great documentary "Pure Imagination":The Making of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Sing-Along-Songs!!! (plus original theatrical trailer)

A couple of notables:

1.) When the kids and parents see The Chocolate Room for the first time, it really was the first time they had seen the set. The same with seeing the Oompa-Loompas for the first time. Mel Stewart the director wanted spontanious reaction shots in these scenes.

2.) The boat ride with Wonka siniging and desending into madness was also spontanious to the kids and parents! You'll notice how terrified they all look on the boat, because...they were!!!

3.) Julie Dawn Cole (Vereca Salt) still has three props from the movie: Her Golden Ticket, a Wonka Candy Wrapper, and an Everlasting Gobstopper, despite the cast being told to return the props after filming. (Wonder if she tried to take a Golden Goose!! hahaha)

4.) Paris Themmen (Mike TV) was considered a little brat by Gene Wilder during filming!

5.) In contrast, Julie Dawn Cole was really nice and found it hard to by super nasty for her role of Veruca Salt. She is the only one who is still acting today.

I find the ending with Wonka and Charlie in the Wonkavator to be so warm and touching, it moves me to tears each time!

I picked up the DVD for $15 at Amazon! You can't beat it!

Jack

I had no idea that this was Peter Ostrum's only acting role. He was AMAZING! beyond belief. :eek:

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite films, too. I think the new movie that just came out was a disaster compared to the original.

As much as I like the original movei, I like the new movie a bit better because it's much more faithful to the book. :)

I had no idea that this was Peter Ostrum's only acting role. He was AMAZING! beyond belief. :eek:

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is one of my favorite films, too. I think the new movie that just came out was a disaster compared to the original.

Mrs. Gloop ( After Augustus gets sucked up the pipe: )

"My son!!! He'll be made into marshmellows in five seconds!"

Wonka: "Impossible my dear lady, that's absurd, unthinkable!"

Mrs. Gloop: "Why?"

Wonka: "Because that pipe doesn't go to the marshmellow room it goes to the fudge room!!" :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jack

In the original book, unlike in both movies, Augustus Gloop wasn't identified as German. In fact, he wasn't identified as being from anywhere at all. :)

3.) Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) still has three props from the movie: Her Golden Ticket, a Wonka Candy Wrapper, and an Everlasting Gobstopper, despite the cast being told to return the props after filming. (Wonder if she tried to take a Golden Goose!! hahaha)

The original book had Veruca wanting a trained squirrel from Mr. Wonka's nut room and being thrown down the garbage chute byt the squirrels after she attempted to pick up one. I guess it was too expensive to recreate the squirrels in the 1971 movie, though Tim Burton pulled it off in the 2005 version.

4.) Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee) was considered a little brat by Gene Wilder during filming!

I knew a kid in grade school who looked a little like that kid. I nicknamed him "Mike" for that, even though his name was Tom. Alas, he never picked up on why I called him Mike.

5.) In contrast, Julie Dawn Cole was really nice and found it hard to by super nasty for her role of Veruca Salt. She is the only one who is still acting today.

I loved the interaction between Veruca and Violet. When Veruca acted up in the Chocolate Room, an exasperated Violet yelled at her, "Can it, you nit!" :lol:

I haven't seen it and I don't want to. The trailer makes it look incredibly lame.

The original book had Veruca wanting a trained squirrel from Mr. Wonka's nut room and being thrown down the garbage chute byt the squirrels after she attempted to pick up one. I guess it was too expensive to recreate the squirrels in the 1971 movie, though Tim Burton pulled it off in the 2005 version.



I knew a kid in grade school who looked a little like that kid. I nicknamed him "Mike" for that, even though his name was Tom. Alas, he never picked up on why I called him Mike.



I loved the interaction between Veruca and Violet. When Veruca acted up in the Chocolate Room, an exasperated Violet yelled at her, "Can it, you nit!" :lol:

Hahaha!!! Paris talked about that on the DVD. He said that there are 3 scenes that stood out for him that he thought were hysterical and no one else did! (But I did.)

First Violet yells at Veruca when she wants Daddy to get her an Oumpa-Loompa NOW!!! Violet says, "Can it you nit!"

Than, when they go on the boat ride, as they are boarding, Mr. Salt says, "Ladies first, and that means Veruca." Grandpa Joe turns to Charlie and says, "If she's a lady, I'm a Virmicous Kinid!"

Than when Vercua thinks Wonka has given Violet two Everlasting Gobstoppers instead of one, she yells, 'Hey, she's got two! I want another one!" and Violet says, "That's gum you twit!!!"

Hahahaha, Paris and I found that funny! All of the lines bashing Veruca rthyme!:

"That's gum you twit!"

"Can it you nit!" and

"If she's a lady, I'm a Virmisous Kinid!!!"

****************************

Just remember (Oh the great freak out song by Wonka on the boat!!)

Oh.....there's no earthly way of knowing

Which direction we are going

There's no knowing where we're rowing

Or which way the river's flowing

Is it raining...is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a blowing?

Not a speck of light is showing so the danger must be growing!

Are the fires of hell a glowing?

Is the grisly reaper mowing?

YES!!! BUT THE ROWERS KEEP ON ROWING AND THE MOWERS KEEP ON MOWING!!! AND THERE CERTAINLY NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS THAT THEY ARE SLOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

(Classic Wonka!!)

Jack

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" was the best movie ever. It is much better than the remake. Gene Wilder was the best played Willy Wonka. I died to seen it a hundred times. I like the "Candy Man", the one that it was used in the movie before it became a hit by Sammy Davis Jr. (of the Rat Pack) in 1972.

Guys,

I know several people that are usually freaked out by:

1.) The boat ride OR

2.) The Oompa-Loompas

And for people that are afraid of Oompa-Loompas, it makes the great scene really stand out when Charlie is looking up at the factory gates for the first time, and as the lights W-O-N-K-A light up in individual sequence, this mysterious tinker comes out of the blue and just says:

"Up the airy mounten
Down the rushing glenn
We dare not go a-hunting
For fear of little men!!!!"

One of my favorite scenes!!! Than he says, "Nobody ever goes in. (long pause) and nobody ever comes out!!!!" Than just leaves almost as quickly as he comes!

How can you top that? It is such a small scene but just SOOO efective!

Jack

I love this movie as much as anyone but I definately prefer the newer Charlie Bucket. I didn't think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was anywhere near the greatness as the original but there were a few things I liked better and one of them was Freddie something (the actor)

After I saw the new one in theaters, I went out and rented the old one. I love it.

Guys,

I know several people that are usually freaked out by. . . the boat ride.


I was freaked out by the image of that chicken's head being blown to bits. At the end of the ride, though, what's funny is that Veruca, who wants everything she sees, changes her mind about having a boat like Mr. Wonka's. "Daddy," she says, "I do not want a boat like this!" :lol:

I was VERY disappointed after seeing Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Sure it was visually good, and it starred Johnny Depp who I'll always love as an actor, but I prefer Gene Wilder over Depp anyday. I didn't like how Depp portrayed Wonka as mean, and the whole movie was dark, and lacked the same magic the original had. The music was terrible as well, I loved the songs from the original, like "The candy man can" and "if you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world, there's nothing to it". Haha, just making a point. It sure beats "Augustus Gloop the great big greedy nincompoop" from Burton's. The only good thing I can say about the new version is Freddie Highmore is an exceptional actor!

I really liked "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" too. I haven't seen the new movie. I was also a bit "unsettled" by the boat scene, and also by the scene where Charlie meets the man who tells him, "Nobody ever goes in...and nobody ever goes out!" and also the part where he meets "Mr. Slugworth" for the first time - although we later find out it isn't really him.

The music was terrible as well, I loved the songs from the original, like "The candy man can" and "if you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world, there's nothing to it". Haha, just making a point. It sure beats "Augustus Gloop the great big greedy nincompoop" from Burton's.

Burton used lyrics from the original book.

Burton used lyrics from the original book.
Oh, i wasn't aware of that, its been SO LONG since I read the book. Still, I didn't like the music. I haven't changed my tune (haha, lame pun ;))

The version that played on the ABC Family channel last night was heavily cut. Among the cuts:

1. The boat ride.
2. The part where they lick on the wallpaper, before the fizzy-lifting drinks scene.