Willie Wonka Who? Chocolate Factory What?

When I was a kid - ages and AGES ago - there were two movies that I waited for all year long. One, of course, was The Wizard of Oz. I clearly remember having a sleepover with a girlfriend, one that had we planned forever and ever, in order to watch it - we had dance class and then went to her house and ate pizza and stayed up late to watch it. We shivered with delight to see the Wicked Witch melting when hit with water, and we stayed up late to discuss the movie.

Another such movie was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The old one, starring Gene Wilder, natch. NOT the newer Johnny Depp version. He creeps me out.

So of COURSE we own the dvd. And I've forced my kids to watch it - and almost all of them love it as much as I do - although I think that they are just pulling my chain. Whatever.

The other night it came on and my husband was home. "Oh, I love this movie!  Don't you?" I asked, as I curled up next to him on the sofa. "I've never seen it," he replied nonchalantly as he grabbed the remote. "What's it about, anyway?"

Blink. Blink. Double Blink. Are you kidding me?

He had no knowledge of the Golden Ticket, the scandal of forged tickets, or the somersault that Willie Wonka did as he left the factory. No idea of the shrinking room, the Oompa-Loompas, the chocolate river. He had never seen the bubbles that shot Charlie and Grandpa towards the deadly fan, the glass elevator, pint sized Mike TeeVee and Veruca Salt, the rudest girl in the world. He'd certainly never heard of Wonka bars. I made him watch it. Not one to be forced into anything,

HE FELL ASLEEP.

Today, I saw this:

And immediately I had to buy it for him. I was so excited. It's a WONKA bar. AND a chance for a Golden Ticket. How cool. How exciting!

And what did he say?

"Thanks. That was pretty good chocolate."

That chocolate bar should have said DOOMED.

Comments

[Dana Glazer]

Thanks for sharing, Carmen. I've met people who not only do not like the Gene Wilder version but love the Johnny Depp film and I just nod my head, completely perplexed. It just make you wonder. Ironically, Willy Wonka is one of the only films my wife and I do agree on. Life is filled with differing views on things and that's what I suppose makes things interesting:)

Dana
www.evolutionofdad.com

[addy]

Cool find on the chocolate bar! I like both versions for different reasons. Husbands just dont understand sometimes.

[Luckyduck]

Willie Wonka was definitely NOT my thing. Even the Gene Wilder version creeped me out, so no need to see the new one. The same is true for Alice in Wonderland, Coraline, and anything Tim Burton. I did manage to watch all of "Gone With the Wind" at the request of my better half. After that torturous evolution, the least he could have done is watch the season finale of "Lost" with me.

[Tish]

I loved the Wizard of Oz, but I don't think I ever saw WW. I just looked it up. I was in college and way too "sophisticated" to watch a kid film by then. Of course I ended up being a children's librarian, with a masters in education as well, working in a primary school, so I became very familiar with "kiddie lit" and I loved it. I'll have to get it for my grandkids--and I'll watch it, too.

[beebalm]

My husband and kids love the Gene Wilder movie, but I'm partial to the original book by Roald Dahl, since I read that as a child before I ever saw the movie. You know how movies almost never live up to the book? This one is pretty close...but not quite. I made sure to read the book to my son before he saw the movie, too!

[A Simple Twist of Faith]

There is a commercial out right now, that has Gene Wilder singing from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory...it makes me feel good when I hear it...I think I may have to buy the DVD...thanks Carmen.

[amie]

I have never seen it either .

[Joelle]

my hubby had never seen Sesame Street until i put it on for our daughter!!

[Thumper]

He fell asleep?

MY SISTER WAS IN THAT MOVIE! How dare he!

(seriously, she was an extra, along with lots of my friends, but NOT me, dammit...)

I've seen it waaaay too many times now...

[joless]

How can he not be aware of it at least! I must have seen WW a million times as a child. Somehow I always remember watching it when I was off school sick....coz clearly rivers of melted chocolate are what you need to see when you don't feel so good! A Radio 2 DJ over here in the UK plays 'Candy Man' every Friday morning just after 8am and it always makes me smile :-)

[mm]

I do apologize but I just totally despised that movie! It seemed to go on forever. My favorite movie is Gone with the Wind. "I'll just think about that tomorrow" is one of my favorite sayings.

I guess I will give away my age of 29 (wink) but I consider the classics (lol) to be Flashdance and Footloose. Those are musicals! And when I am having a really bad day I listen to Chilliwack and others from the 80s. What my teenagers today think are musicals is just sooo upsetting... And seriously I wish the kids on Glee would stop making covers of all my favorite songs too! Ok. I stop whining now.

[Pat]

I did not see Willie Wonka either. I was working my way through college at the time. Since I'm not fond of either Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp, I don't feel compelled to see either version.

I have always loved The Wizard of Oz, however. The Tin Man was the best character, to my mind. When I see the movie today with my niece and nephew, I marvel anew at the way Ray Bolger could dance!

[kyooty]

LOL!! I had no idea about this movie until a Last Christmas when we were home visiting? It was on my parent's free tv.

[Headless Mom]

I've never seen it either. Well, the whole thing anyway, start to finish. I've seen enough to know all of the references, though.

In college, my roommate and I used to have Wizard of Oz parties and sing along with drinks and snacks. We even got our boyfriends to participate once!

[Ashley Williamson]

My son and I watched this just last night! I like the one with Gene Wilder as well, although my son said that he hadn't seen that one! I think the think that really creeps me out is Johnny's teeth in this one! So weird :)

[Elizabeth]

I am with you on the creepiness of the Johnny Depp version. I much prefer the original with Gene Wilder.

[elz]

I regularly tell my kids, "Cheer up, Charlie." A wasted Wonka bar-hmpf.

[Brandy]

My kids and I adore the Gene Wilder version, we all thing the Johhny Depp character was way too creepy. I like the commercials for the Wonka Bars, they have the Oompa Loompa's!

[Issa]

He slept through it? that is just wrong.

I love the original. I still remember the first time I saw it. My girls love it.

I won't even buy the new one. It's just...yeah.

[Debby Pucci]

Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard.
Those are two wonderful movies.

[LizP]

Love that movie! I bought it on VHS an eon ago and it is one of my 4 year old son's favourite movies! Yeah, he's probably too young for it but one of the teenagers played it for him last year and he just fell in love with the movie! Probably because of the chocolate ...

[Young Wife]

That is such a great movie! It always makes me hungry though.

[Robin]

In this day of instant gratification we kind of give up the fun of waiting for a special "TV" event. Now we can make it happen whenever we want. Wizard of Oz fest one night, Willy Wonka extravaganza the next. Kind of miss the anticipation of watching a classic but being able to create the experience whenever you want has it's advantages. Depp, or Wilder either one is okay with me you still get to hear the oompa loompa songs.....

[Deborah]

I remember waiting for the Wizard of Oz and the Ten Commandments when I was a kid. And glory of glories, we got to stay up late to finish watching them! I dont' remember Willy Wonka being an annual TV event though...but do love the Gene Wilder movie. Fun memories!

[BeeBelle]

The Gene Wilder version of WW is the one movie my dad took me to when I was little that we left before it was over - I was so scared by the tunnel and it made a huge impression on me that my dad was willing to walk out on something bought and paid for, for me. Wizard of Oz was also very scary, but Sound of Music was watched, annually, at a sleepover with all of my friends.