Monday, July 25, 2005
Movies That Didn't Need to Be Made
All right Gentlemen, our conversation draught is over. I want to open the artery of dialogue with this topic.
It feels like each summer we get more of the flms, "that shouldn't have been made". I'm not talking about just bad movies, I'm talking about the ones that serve no purpose.
I am about to buck the trend of ever critic, but the new Willy Wonka was one of those movie for me. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It mildly amused me for two hours, but you know what? So would the 1970's version, but for different reason.
First Off Willy
Aside from my Father, Gene Wilder was my first introduction to sarcasm. When Violet Beuregard is knuckle deep into her nose looking for another golden ticket and says, "spitting is a dirty habit" and Wilder volleys back in his best deadpan "I know a worse one". That's a line that transcends the generations. He was clever. He also had a certain bitterness and needed to open up his factory to help him rediscover his lost child.
Depp...was unique. He had...some very tough lines to deliver...and he did that...strangely. Right...Listen, I'm not against the wierd. I thgought Capt. Jack Sparrow was brilliant and fun. Willy Wonka, just creepy. But not Edward Scissorhands creepy. More, 21st century Michael Jackson creepy. And his lines just weren't as clever as Wilder's lines were. Depp was a child in a man's body. I feel bad for him. There's nothing worse than being that out of step with reality. I didn't feel good about the ending.
Oompa Loompas
First off, big props to Deep Roy. He did very well. Did not like the songs though. The original songs were about teaching morality. These songs were focused more on emulating a certain music style and not giving proper homage to the sin at hand.
Effects
2005 version. Our movies may be getting less original. But dam, they look so good.
Help me? I'm on the fence!
It feels like each summer we get more of the flms, "that shouldn't have been made". I'm not talking about just bad movies, I'm talking about the ones that serve no purpose.
I am about to buck the trend of ever critic, but the new Willy Wonka was one of those movie for me. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. It mildly amused me for two hours, but you know what? So would the 1970's version, but for different reason.
First Off Willy
Aside from my Father, Gene Wilder was my first introduction to sarcasm. When Violet Beuregard is knuckle deep into her nose looking for another golden ticket and says, "spitting is a dirty habit" and Wilder volleys back in his best deadpan "I know a worse one". That's a line that transcends the generations. He was clever. He also had a certain bitterness and needed to open up his factory to help him rediscover his lost child.
Depp...was unique. He had...some very tough lines to deliver...and he did that...strangely. Right...Listen, I'm not against the wierd. I thgought Capt. Jack Sparrow was brilliant and fun. Willy Wonka, just creepy. But not Edward Scissorhands creepy. More, 21st century Michael Jackson creepy. And his lines just weren't as clever as Wilder's lines were. Depp was a child in a man's body. I feel bad for him. There's nothing worse than being that out of step with reality. I didn't feel good about the ending.
Oompa Loompas
First off, big props to Deep Roy. He did very well. Did not like the songs though. The original songs were about teaching morality. These songs were focused more on emulating a certain music style and not giving proper homage to the sin at hand.
Effects
2005 version. Our movies may be getting less original. But dam, they look so good.
Help me? I'm on the fence!
Comments:
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Well, I haven't seen the new movie, but I will try to help.
Roald Dahl hated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That's why they never adapted the Great Glass Elevator. He wouldn't let them.
Also, Dahl wrote the lyrics to most of the songs in this new one.
Most movies don't serve a purpose other than to tell and entertaining story and make money. If they do that, then they;ve served a purpose. Even Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. I think the problem here is summed up in the following line:
Aside from my Father, Gene Wilder was my first introduction to sarcasm
Willy Wonka was a part of your childhood. It's a part of the innocent, happy days of when you were a kid. Now, you're an adult. You look at Willy Wonka and think "Michael Jackson." Do you think a 4 year old child will think the same thing?
Roald Dahl hated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. That's why they never adapted the Great Glass Elevator. He wouldn't let them.
Also, Dahl wrote the lyrics to most of the songs in this new one.
Most movies don't serve a purpose other than to tell and entertaining story and make money. If they do that, then they;ve served a purpose. Even Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. I think the problem here is summed up in the following line:
Aside from my Father, Gene Wilder was my first introduction to sarcasm
Willy Wonka was a part of your childhood. It's a part of the innocent, happy days of when you were a kid. Now, you're an adult. You look at Willy Wonka and think "Michael Jackson." Do you think a 4 year old child will think the same thing?
Just a random bit of trivia:
In the original Willy Wonka, they filmed it in Germany. They had to bring in foreign midgets to play the Oompa Loompas because it was 1971, a mere 26 years after the end of WWII, and they couldn't find any full grown midgets because the Nazis had killed them all. How fucked up is that?
In the original Willy Wonka, they filmed it in Germany. They had to bring in foreign midgets to play the Oompa Loompas because it was 1971, a mere 26 years after the end of WWII, and they couldn't find any full grown midgets because the Nazis had killed them all. How fucked up is that?
Dude, Deep Roy rocks! He was awesome. The songs were great too. I'm getting the soundtrack this week.
Okay, I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last weekend. I really enjoyed it. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. Like almost all of Tim Burton's films, his focus was on the look of the film, rather that developing the characters and story. Fortunately, he's been able to surround himself with some very talented actors over the years, so most people don't notice.
Anyway, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one such movie. Burton didn't go out of his way to develop the story, but the talent of the actors makes up for it.
I think probably the reason a lot of people have problems with this movie is because the original was such a big part of their childhood. I understand this. However, for me, the original movie wasn't that big a deal when i was a kid. I didn't see it until I was much older and had already read the books many times. I had a clear image of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Gene Wilder version didn't live up to it.
That's not to say this one did either, but it did put me in a position to not feel the need to think about the 1971 version either. I knew Tim Burton was going to bastardize the novel. He never remains completely faithful to the original source, so I was prepared for that.
Anyway, the movie was quite enjoyable. It had that strange, gothic Tim Burton feel, which was of course highlighted by Danny Elfman's music. It was everything one might expect from a Tim Burton movie. Charlie was great, as was Grandpa Joe and the whole Bucket Family.
Johnny Depp was terrific as Willy Wonka. Not the Wonka I imagined as a kind, mind you, but a good Wonka nonetheless. I understand where people might get the "Michael Jackson" vibe. He's got pale skin. He lives in a fantasy world of his own creation, even though he's an adult. I get that, but I didn't feel that while watching the movie. First of all, Wonka hates being touched by anybody, whereas Michael Jackson, well, let's just say he was acquitted. Johnny Depp, contrary to popular opinion, did not base his character on Jackson.
As for the Oompa Loompas. Deep Roy was awesome. The songs, most of which were written by Dahl, were fantastic. Deep Roy must have had a blast playing that role. Did you know he played Max Rebo in Jedi? How cool is that?
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Anyway, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one such movie. Burton didn't go out of his way to develop the story, but the talent of the actors makes up for it.
I think probably the reason a lot of people have problems with this movie is because the original was such a big part of their childhood. I understand this. However, for me, the original movie wasn't that big a deal when i was a kid. I didn't see it until I was much older and had already read the books many times. I had a clear image of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Gene Wilder version didn't live up to it.
That's not to say this one did either, but it did put me in a position to not feel the need to think about the 1971 version either. I knew Tim Burton was going to bastardize the novel. He never remains completely faithful to the original source, so I was prepared for that.
Anyway, the movie was quite enjoyable. It had that strange, gothic Tim Burton feel, which was of course highlighted by Danny Elfman's music. It was everything one might expect from a Tim Burton movie. Charlie was great, as was Grandpa Joe and the whole Bucket Family.
Johnny Depp was terrific as Willy Wonka. Not the Wonka I imagined as a kind, mind you, but a good Wonka nonetheless. I understand where people might get the "Michael Jackson" vibe. He's got pale skin. He lives in a fantasy world of his own creation, even though he's an adult. I get that, but I didn't feel that while watching the movie. First of all, Wonka hates being touched by anybody, whereas Michael Jackson, well, let's just say he was acquitted. Johnny Depp, contrary to popular opinion, did not base his character on Jackson.
As for the Oompa Loompas. Deep Roy was awesome. The songs, most of which were written by Dahl, were fantastic. Deep Roy must have had a blast playing that role. Did you know he played Max Rebo in Jedi? How cool is that?
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