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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a review by Dragonfire

What wonders await you in Willy Wonka's factory? Explore fields of soft minty sugar grass in the Chocolate Room...Sail along the Chocolate River in a pink sugar boat...Experiment with Everlasting Gobstoppers in the Inventing Room...Observe talented squirrels in the Nut Room and travel to the Television Room by a glass elevator. You'll find a lot that's funny, a little that's mysterious...and an adventure as sweet as a satisfying as a Wonka Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar. This dazzling film adapted from Roald Dahl's classic children's novel, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore, is your Golden Ticket to a world so inventive, so imaginative, you won't want to miss a delicious moment!

My Thoughts

I love this movie.  It is a bit different from the original in a way that works really well.  The characters are interesting and Johnny Depp is perfect as Willie Wonka, making him kooky and a bit twisted.  The plot is interesting and I enjoyed the new flashback scenes showing earlier times in Wonka's life.  The settings in the candy factory look amazing.  The movie isn't really a comedy overall, though there is a decent amount of humor in the movie.  It is a bit dark and twisted at times, so it won't appeal to everyone.

 

I did get a review posted on Epinions after I saw the movie in the theater.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

(From Dragonfire: What I've Been Watching on May 28th, 2009)

The City of the Dead, a review by Danae Cassandra

City of the Dead
Year of Release: 1960
Directed By: John Moxey
Starring: Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Patricia Jessel, Tom Naylor, Betta St. John
Genre: Horror

Overview:My Thoughts:
This was a great piece of 60's British horror. Really gothic and creepy, with fantastic atmosphere. Yes, you can tell it's made on a soundstage, but the blackness around the town and the thick fog make Whitewood seem like it exists in another realm. Christopher Lee is in his usual form - charismatic with an aura of menace beneath a classy exterior. The script is good too, especially since you think you know where the film is going and then it hits you with an unexpected twist in the middle. Highly recommended if you enjoy older horror films, or are a fan of Lee's. He's not here as much as I'd like, but he's superb in his scenes.

Watched For: Hoop-tober 3.0, Horror/Halloween Challenge 2016

Bechdel Test: Pass
Mako Mori Test: Pass

Overall: 4/5

Horror/Halloween Challenge Films: 5/52

(From Horror/Halloween 2016 Challenge on October 5th, 2016)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Roswell: Season One (1999/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United States) Length: 968 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Plot:
"I'm Liz Parker and five days ago I died. After that, things got really weird." So begins a new life for Liz and her friend Maria after they discover that three of their classmates at Roswell High aren't exactly from "around here." To be more exact, Max, Isabel and Michael are from "up there." Having grown up quietly within the community, their alien identities are suddenly jeopardized after Max uses his powers to save Liz's life. Now the alien trio must learn to trust their human friends even as they struggle to discover their own true identities.


Roswell
1.01 Pilot
Writer: Jason Katims (Writer)
Director: David Nutter
Cast: Shiri Appleby (Liz Parker), Jason Behr (Max Evans), Katherine Heigl (Isabel Evans), Majandra Delfino (Maria DeLuca), Brendan Fehr (Michael Guerin), Colin Hanks (Alex Whitman), Nick Wechsler (Kyle Valenti), William Sadler (Sheriff Jim Valenti), John Doe (Jeff Parker), Michael Horse (Deputy Blackwood), Wendle Josepher (Jennifer), Kevin Weisman (Larry), Vance Valencia (Mayor Sandler), Joe Camareno (Paramedic), Yolanda Lloyd Delgado (Ms. Hardy), Channing Carson (Liz at 7 years), Daniel Hansen (Max at 7 years), Zoe Nutter (Isabel at 7 years), Jonathan Frakes (Emcee (uncredited)), Richard Schiff (Agent Stevens (uncredited))

I enjoyed watching this series when it originally aired, but lost interest in the second season. I only finished watching it later on DVD.
As far as I am aware it was one of the first series which tried to build upon the success of Buffy and Dawson's Creek, by having a Dawson's Creek type of teen soap with a science fiction or fantasy twist. Many followed for good or worse.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on June 26th, 2012)