Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is still widely regarded as one of the best Roald Dahl adaptations and a truly classic film. And of course, the late Gene Wilder‘s performance as Willy Wonka earned this movie a permanent place in our hearts. But somehow, we suspect that Dahl and director Mel Stuart never expected their cinematic collaboration to undergo a high level of scrutiny. That’s where the Screen Junkies team came in with this week’s episode of Honest Trailers!
To start, this video challenges the motives of everyone involved. Old bed ridden Grandpa Joe? Totally a con artist! The singing candy shop owner? Also the owner of a white van with questionable intentions for the kids. As for Willy Wonka himself, “he’s very likely a serial killer.” It wasn’t hard to paint Wonka in a sinister light. The film did most of their work for them.
Singer and songwriter Michael Bolton also has an extended cameo in this episode as he reworked several of the classic songs from the film into tales of the barely hidden horrors of the chocolate factory. First up, was “The Creepy Man” song, followed by a very disturbing take on the Oompa Loompas’ forced captivity at the hands of Wonka. But the masterpiece of this clip is Bolton’s new take on “Pure Imagination,” which becomes “a world of safety violations.” All planed by Wonka, of course. The video even notes that the boats used for the tour of the factory clearly had no seats for the children and parental guardians who were left behind. As Will Graham used to say on Hannibal, “this is my design.”
What did you think about the Honest Trailer for Willy Wonka? Unleash your thoughts in the comment section below!
Image: Paramount Pictures
