View Full Version : Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is not for children
jacobic216
10-18-2002, 11:09 PM
I'm sure most people have seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I'm equally sure that we've all been frightened at one point or another during that film. It may be rated G but that doesn't mean it's geared towards children. The novel is, sure, but I used to get so frightened during parts that I'd have to go hide in the other room. Not so much the tunnel or the Oompa Loompa's but when Augustus is shot through the pipe. I used to imagine that happening and would freak out. Also, Mr Wonka himself patronizes all the other characters to such extremes, but they diserve it.
tabuno
10-19-2002, 12:33 AM
Do you think that most children nowadays are that sensitive to what they are exposed to in Willy Wonka compared to everything else they're exposed to in reality or animated television shows? From the young children I know they sure seem to have a lot of mature qualities for their age now.
fuzzy_nolan
10-19-2002, 01:40 AM
What used to freak me out when I was little wasn't anything in Willy Wonka but the Wheelies in Return To Oz...those freaky bastards that get around with wheels for hands and feet.
There was something depressing about that whole movie. One of the villains was a woman who had a collection of heads that she could swap with her body.
tabuno
10-19-2002, 02:28 AM
Yes, there was something strange and disquieting about those wheelies or whatever.
SinjinSB
10-19-2002, 10:22 AM
I think Willy Wonka is absolutely good for kids. Put a little scare into getting them to behave better! I don't think kids should or need to be sheltered from things...being scared is part of growing up. Besides, the scariest part was the boat ride.
SinjinSB
10-19-2002, 10:24 AM
Originally posted by fuzzy_nolan
There was something depressing about that whole movie. One of the villains was a woman who had a collection of heads that she could swap with her body.
I've heard a lot of people being afraid by the flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz...they never bothered me as a kid...heck, the trees were scarier than them.
I never saw return to oz...so not familiar with the wheelies.
Willie Wonka kind of freaked me out as a kid. Vague recollection but someone falls into the chocolate lake or something, gets sucked up into the machinage...not very clear memory obviously...
jacobic216
10-19-2002, 01:54 PM
I agree the wheelies are messed up. I also was freaked out by Return to Oz, the Wheelies and the talking wall were weird. I found the flying monkeys to be really creepy. I read a poll somewhere that said those monkeys are some of the most freightening creatures ever created for the screen.
When I said that it's not for kids, I mean that it is geared towards adults. I'll still let my kids watch it, in fact I may insist. I just know that some of the material is hard core for children to absorb. Can you honestly tell me it's not freaky for you to watch insects crawling on someones face, chickens being decapitated and whatever else Mr. Wonka had them see on that fairy ride?
SinjinSB
10-19-2002, 03:34 PM
Originally posted by jacobic216
When I said that it's not for kids, I mean that it is geared towards adults. I'll still let my kids watch it, in fact I may insist. I just know that some of the material is hard core for children to absorb. Can you honestly tell me it's not freaky for you to watch insects crawling on someones face, chickens being decapitated and whatever else Mr. Wonka had them see on that fairy ride?
It's not that freaky to me today, but it was when I was 4-5 years old. I think it's much more effective to see as a kid. I watched it pretty much every time it came on as a kid, but have probably only seen it once or twice as a an adult.
Well, if you saw a version where they road a "fairy", maybe you saw the adult version. The one I saw must have been edited for TV, because they were riding a boat and it wasn't even a ferry ;-)
jacobic216
10-19-2002, 09:29 PM
I get a kick out of it's dark mentality every time I sit down and watch it. I watch it more than when it's on TV. It's frequents my DVD player quite often.
And yes, the fairy...er ferry takes them down dark places children wouldn't want to go. Still, it would have been worth it to go to the chocolate factory, wouldn't you say? Even if it is for a rating higher than G.
lol
Yeah, the golden ticket is a dream come true... That was a pretty magical moment from a child-viewer's perspective. Definitely a great kids movie and not too much "scary" stuff for a kid with a little backbone.
jacobic216
10-20-2002, 12:36 AM
Yea, but if your 3 years old, how much backbone should we expect them to have? I've always felt it's one of the most magical movies ever, just a little creepy.
SinjinSB
10-20-2002, 12:58 AM
Originally posted by jacobic216
Yea, but if your 3 years old, how much backbone should we expect them to have? I've always felt it's one of the most magical movies ever, just a little creepy.
Sure it's creepy, but that's what builds backbones! I was probably in th 3-4 range the first time I saw it...or at least the first time I remember.
jacobic216
10-20-2002, 01:09 AM
I know I was at least 2 when I first saw it. I guess that's why it had such an impact on me, both positively with the Golden Tickets and also the creepy nature of the film. It's alot for a 2 year old.
stevetseitz
10-20-2002, 06:32 PM
Willy Wonka: O.k. for kids that can understand the concept of being responsible for their actions. 5-6 years old and up. You know your own kids. Anyone who has had a terrible two-er or three-er knows they should limited in their exposure to misbehaving children (in movies or in reality) lest they learn to mimic that behavior to illicit an intended response.
Wizard of Oz: The wicked witch/gulch has scared my sister for decades, to be honest I think she still fears the wickedwitch/gulch much to this day. The lady who portrayed the wicked witch/gulch was typecast almost like Nurse Ratched on "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest". (That whore!)
Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang: The child-catcher is probably one of the most disturbing characters on film. Find him and kill him.
To be honest, I've never seen the movie, but I did recently finish reading "Charlie and The Chocalate Factory" to my 6 year old.
I found it odd that two of the kids got in strife from Mr Wonka for chewing gum and giving the telly too much of a workout. About all I did when I was a kid was watch telly and chew gum - so I found Mr Wonka to be a cultural fascist. Some people from Community Services and a few health inspectors should have closed him and his self righteous organisation down.
Maybe the book is different to the film - maybe I spare the rod - but on the whole it was slightly objectionable.
Nuff said
stevetseitz
10-20-2002, 10:05 PM
I have found that in our modern society children tend to be either sedentary or sedentary. They are either sitting in front of the TV or playing games, or viewing the internet, etc.
I don't believe that the increased injury level in child, and high school athletics is a coincidence. Kids are tearing ACL's in HIGH SCHOOL which is slightly ridiculous. The ACL tear is and should be an injury that happens to old men trying to re-live their youth at city league games.
I thank my parents (and now understand why) they booted us out of the house as often as they did. Although we had one of the first Betamax (R.I.P.) machines in the neighborhood and an Atari 2600 video game console, if it was daylight you better be outside playing or sick. My brothers and I would play basketball or football until dinner was called and then rush out to play under the lights. It is one of the reasons we have been able to stay fit and athletic in our advancing years. All of us participated in college athletics.
So Roald Dahl's point is, kids that watch TV all the time and don't respect their elders are not only annoying but also unhealthy.It is generally accepted that incessant gum chewing can be obnoxious.
SinjinSB
10-21-2002, 12:15 AM
Willy Wonka: 2-3 might be a bit young, but in general the children's bad behavior wasn't rewarded, but punished. A positive message IMO.
Wicked Witch: Pretty Scary for a kid I s'pose.
Child Catcher: Not scary to me at all as a kid, but an ex-girlfriend was always scared by him.
SinjinSB
10-21-2002, 12:18 AM
Originally posted by Russ
I found it odd that two of the kids got in strife from Mr Wonka for chewing gum and giving the telly too much of a workout. About all I did when I was a kid was watch telly and chew gum - so I found Mr Wonka to be a cultural fascist. Some people from Community Services and a few health inspectors should have closed him and his self righteous organisation down.
They weren't punished for chewing gum or watching TV, but for doing things they were told not to. One was chewing gum, but was told that it hadn't been tested and wasn't safe. And similar with the TV part...they were punished for being out of control and misbehaving.
MarkMyWord_81
10-21-2002, 12:55 AM
I have to admit that I was much older when I saw the movie than when I read (or when my mom read it to ME, to be honest) the book. However, I cannot see how this would be frightening to most children then or now. To be honest, I had never noticed the beheaded chicken or other stuff in the tunnel until I started reading other IMDb reviews. Only then, with my new VCR that actually had working slow-mo (first time in about three years!) was I able to pick these images out. Of course TODAY'S kiddies would think a mere CHICKEN being beheaded was boring, I'm sure! lol
You have a charming, fast-paced and colorful film that teaches some important lessons. Yes, it is by Roald Dahl, and therefore has a dark side to it. Yet, if one takes Mr. Wonka at his word, all of the children survive, more or less as good as new -- and hopefully a bit smarter and/or more humble than before.
About my biggest complaint is Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) leading Charlie to disobey Mr. Wonka & drink the special soda, then becoming ENRAGED when he enforces the pre-agreed rules!
Oh well, maybe 20 years worth of bed sores will do that to a person! lol
I loved it as a kid & still love it!
MarkMyWord
stevetseitz
10-21-2002, 01:05 AM
But Wonka was an eccentric psycho! I just want to know when is the film version of "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" coming out? With CGI, the vermicious Knids would be sweet.
jacobic216
10-22-2002, 11:20 PM
The most disturbing character on screen is a hard one for me. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it WILL BE Gollum in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. So far though (and off the top of my head), I have to say The Flying Monkeys from The Wizard of Oz and just about anything in Naked Lunch.
Johann
10-25-2002, 04:02 AM
Another synchro that works: Willy Wonka (the movie) and Rush's album 2112.... great stuff, very trippy...
King Synchro, youre going to have to release a compilation of some kind ;>
jacobic216
10-26-2002, 11:02 AM
I've seen that synch with 2112 and wonka. It is messed up. I loved it. My favorite synch is 2001 A Space Odyssey to Echoes but that one is really great too.
Let us not forget the classic Dark Side of Oz
Johann
10-27-2002, 01:48 AM
Oh yes, synchros are a wonderful thing to explore.
"The dark side of the rainbow" is the most well-known one....If you're feeling a little wacko, try looping Nancy Sinatra's Greatest Hits with Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.
OR, Chaplin's "The Kid" with The Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty Lp
The Nine Inch Nails record "The Fragile" apparently matches Lang's Metropolis. (I haven't tried that one)-sounds good, tho
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