Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

[Jono G]

You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly as a child.
I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving this movie all those years later.
Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny Depp's any day. The set pieces are gorgeous, and the songs are absolute classics.

So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

[hislop]

Post by Jono G
You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th
anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly
as a child. I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving
this movie all those years later. Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny
Depp's any day. The set pieces are gorgeous, and the songs are
absolute classics.
So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

First visit to a cinema with a school group in the 70s, rather than the
drive-in which I went to a lot.
Never get tired of it.

[JD Chase]

Wonderful, unique, magical cult movie... Some people seem to find it somewhat scary and creepy... The boat scene really IS scary, with the decapitated chicken... Completely agree, it is much better than the remake...

[Bill Anderson]

Post by Jono G
You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly as a child.
I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving this movie all those years later.
Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny Depp's any day. The set pieces are gorgeous, and the songs are absolute classics.
So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

[moviePig]

Post by Bill Anderson

Post by Jono G
You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th
anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly
as a child.
I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving this movie
all those years later.
Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny Depp's any day. The set pieces are
gorgeous, and the songs are absolute classics.
So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

Plus, there's that whole 'willy wanker' thing...

Actually, though, you could go some distance down that road with a
number of children's classics (not) starting with WIZARD OF OZ.

[JD Chase]

At the end of the movie, Willy Wonka tell Charlie that he wanted a child to run the factory, but what would he have done if only adults had found the golden tickets?

[poisoned rose]

Post by Bill Anderson
Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

I've gathered that Roald Dahl's works have been repeatedly criticized
for their cruelty to children.

[Halmyre]

Post by poisoned rose

Post by Bill Anderson
Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

I've gathered that Roald Dahl's works have been repeatedly criticized
for their cruelty to children.

And yet are very popular with children...

[JD Chase]

Post by Halmyre

Post by poisoned rose

Post by Bill Anderson
Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

I've gathered that Roald Dahl's works have been repeatedly criticized
for their cruelty to children.

And yet are very popular with children...

Probably because children know that life isn't all sunshine and roses, that it also can be dark and scary... Children can relate...

[hislop]

Post by JD Chase

Post by Halmyre

Post by poisoned rose

Post by Bill Anderson
Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

I've gathered that Roald Dahl's works have been repeatedly criticized
for their cruelty to children.

And yet are very popular with children...

Probably because children know that life isn't all sunshine and roses, that it also can be dark and scary... Children can relate...

Very old books can be like this. I have seen a book called I think,
Childhood Accidents from the 19th century (I think), with accounts of
accidents with loaded guns and such, but meant for child readers.

[OldBob]

Post by Halmyre

Post by poisoned rose

Post by Bill Anderson
Willy Wonka, as played by Gene Wilder, is the grownup stranger all
parents warn their kids not to talk to. He's smarmy. He's a little TOO
friendly. He's horribly frightening. And to my utter astonishment, he
turns out to be deadly. If I were 10 years old and I encountered Gene
Wilder's Willy Wonka, I would run screaming from his presence as fast as
my terrified little legs would carry me. I certainly wouldn't accept an
invitation to visit his hellish chocolate factory where small children
are slurped to their demise in giant vats of confection. This is
supposed to be a CHILDREN'S film? It belongs on a double-feature bill
with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." What a perverted, hateful movie, and
what a dirty trick to play on innocent children.

I've gathered that Roald Dahl's works have been repeatedly criticized
for their cruelty to children.

And yet are very popular with children...

At least they are very popular among adults who but books for children.
I've yet to see any evidence that children actually like them.
Be that as it may, Wilder's Willy Wonka gave off a creepy, child
molester vibe.
The picture is just a poor piece of film making, it stunk in 1971 and,
like the pile of rotting garbage it is, it hasn't improved with age.

[Michael OConnor]

The Depp version was ruined when Depp decided to base his Wonka character on Michael Jackson and he mimicked Jackson's facial expressions and had the same white pasty skin. The Wilder Wonka was quite eccentric but it turned out to be an act to see if one of the kids (it turned out to be Charlie, but it's possible he intended it to be Charlie all along) would demonstrate an act of loyalty to him, which he did when he returned the gobstopper.

[Ramkumar Nunna]

Extremely old books can be similar to this. I have seen a book called I think,

Youth Accidents from the nineteenth century (I think), with records of

mischances with stacked weapons and such, yet implied for tyke perusers.

[hislop]

Post by Ramkumar Nunna
Extremely old books can be similar to this. I have seen a book called I think,
Youth Accidents from the nineteenth century (I think), with records of
mischances with stacked weapons and such, yet implied for tyke perusers.

Did you read my post about this book? I thought the title was Childhood
Accidents, I would like to find the copy to see it.
I distinctly remember a bit about playing with a loaded gun.
It's a very sad book, no glossing over.

[gggg gggg]

Post by Jono G
You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly as a child.
I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving this movie all those years later.
Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny Depp's any day. The set pieces are gorgeous, and the songs are absolute classics.
So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

50 Years later:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/willy-wonka-child-stars-reunite-50-years-later-gene-wilder-stories-brat-150028133.html

[Your Name]

Post by gggg gggg

Post by Jono G
You know, I have fond memories of this one. My family had the 25th
anniversary edition on VHS, and I watched this pretty much constantly
as a child. I'm voting age now, but that doesn't stop me from loving
this movie all those years later. Gene Wilder's Wonka trumps Johnny
Depp's any day. The set pieces are gorgeous, and the songs are absolute
classics.
So, what memories do you have about this movie? Share below!

Johnny Dipstick is miscast in everything, and Tim Burton is simply
weird which is reflected in everything he makes being horrible.

Post by gggg gggg
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/willy-wonka-child-stars-reunite-50-years-later-gene-wilder-stories-brat-150028133.html

There's the new prequel movie coming in 2023 about the young Willy Wonka
<https://deadline.com/2021/05/timothee-chalamet-willy-wonka-warner-bros-1234762658/>


There's also two new animated TV shows in development too - one
expanding on "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" and the other about the
Oompa-Loompas.
<https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/taika-waititi-netflix-charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory-animated-series-willy-wonka-oompa-loompa-1203524577/>



Of course, since there are no books for any of these new projects,
they're likely to be the usual ill-fitting mess of stupid ideas where
the makers think they know better than Dahl. :-(