Merry Christmas Everybody. Completely cooked out now and planning next years Christmas Lunch. Anna...
Merry Christmas Everybody. Completely cooked out now and planning next years Christmas Lunch. Anna
Member since:20.04.2007
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Last week whilst I was doing my grocery shopping on the internet, I could feel a poking in my back and a little voice saying Mama. Holly had been looking through our DVD collection and had decided she had wanted to watch one. To my amazement she had picked out one of my favourite films of all time. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
This original version of the film was made in 1971 and starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. I was 5 when this film was made and can't ever remember seeing it at the cinema, so I would have first seen it on the television. It is loosely based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, that was first published in 1964. It is rumoured that Roald Dahl hated the film with a passion because it bears little resemblance to the book. Having read the book as well I tend to agree. According to Wikipedia the film was a flop at the cinema but has since been hailed as a cult classic and has attracted a world wide audience.
A second version of the film was made in 2005 by director Tim Burton and starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and this was called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This version is more like
the book.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka owns the largest Chocolate Factory in the world but nobody seems to work for him. He has decided that it is about time he opens the factory to the public so offers the chance of five children and their parents a visit and win a life time supply of chocolate bars. However to be successful in receiving this offer the children have to find one of five golden tickets that are hidden in his chocolate bars. This is a rouse for Willy Wonka, who now feels he has become to old to continue with the factory and having no children of his own wants a decent, caring and loving child to take over his position.
The Main Characters
Willy Wonka – Gene Wilder
A rather eccentric person.
Charlie Bucket. - Peter Ostrum
Charlie is poor and lives in a small shack in the same town as Willy Wonka. He lives with his mother, Mrs Bucket, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephine, and Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina. The shack is so small that all the Grandparents have to share one bed. Charlie has a paper round to help out and with his first wage treats his family to a loaf of bread and an ounce of tobacco for grandpa Joe played by Jack Albertson.
Augustus Gloop
A rather Greedy German boy (played by Michael Bollner) who's family seem to enjoy their food.
Veruca Salt.
A Spoilt British Daddies girl (played by Julie Dawn Cole) who gets everything she wants. Her parents just don't know how to say no. Her doting father was played by Roy Kinnear.
Violet Beauregarde.
An American girl (played by Denise Nickerson) who gets everything she wants but has some very bad habits.
Mike Teevee
Another American boy (played by Paris Themmen) who spends his time in front of the television.
The Oompaloompas
Little orange coloured people who were rescued from Loompaland by Willy Wonka. Their favourite food is the Cocoa Bean, making them ideal people to live with Willy Wonka in his factory. They love singing while they work.
The film
The film follows the five children and their parents from them finding the golden ticket through to their day at the factory. It highlights the many faults of the children but how many of the children will survive unscathed and which child will be victorious in winning the valued prize of a lifetimes supply of chocolate and unbeknown to the children who will Willy Wonka choose to take over his factory and care for the Oompaloompas. So has Willy Wonka done the right thing, his main competitor Mr Slugworth is also trying to gain access to Willy Wonka's secrets and sets about trying to get the children to steal secrets from Willy Wonka, so will Slugworth succeed and ruin Mr Wonka's business.
All the way through the film are songs, although I wouldn't call the film a musical. Once inside the factory most of the songs are sung by the Oompaloopas about the children and their faults.
The film is filmed in the Techni-colour but the first half of the film, set in standard streets and Charlie Buckets house is rather dull colours and when you enter into the world of the chocolate factory it has some of the most amazing bright colours in it. This is probably what appealed to Holly when she picked the film out, as the cover of the DVD is very colourful.
My opinion.
I love this film but I have absolutely no idea why, in fact I can't even remember when I first saw the film, more than likely one Christmas. I can watch it over and over again and sing along with all the songs, (really must get a life). I was shocked when I found out this was not a box office hit but then again the only the film doesn't really boast many major stars, the only two are Gene Wilder and then it was only his 5th film so he may not have been that well known and Jack Albertson, who played Grandpa Joe and although he had made a lot of films prior to this, none of them were very well known and he was coming to the end of his career. Even Charlie Bucket, played by Peter Ostrum only made that one film.
The running time for this film is 96 minutes and is certified Universal – suitable for all. There are no extras on the DVD but the special features are scene access and subtitles.
You can buy this DVD from Amazon for £3.98
"My candle burns at both ends, It will not last the night, But ah my foes and oh my friends, It gives a lovely light."
Roald Dahl's favourite motto.
Thank you so much for reading. Anna
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Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (DVD)
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Having proven itself as a favourite film of children around the world,Willy Wonka&the ... more
Chocolate Factoryis every bit as entertaining now as it was when originally released in 1971. There's a timeless appeal to Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, whic...
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Having proven itself as a favourite film of children around the world,Willy Wonka&the ... more
Chocolate Factoryis every bit as entertaining now as it was when originally released in 1971. There's a timeless appeal to Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, whic...
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It's everybody's non-pollutionary anti-institutionary pro-confectionery factory of fun! ... more
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