Bjorn Posted February 18, 2015 Roald Dahl is a goddamn national treasure and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is honestly one of the tamer ones. He relies a lot on the grotesque, which is probably good to expose kids to so that they can recognise it later in life. I remember The Witches the most, which is a book about monsters that wear human skin that hunt and eat human children, and while on holiday a boy and his grandmother discover the witches are having a convention at the same hotel. The kid does manage to kill the witches, although he's turned into a mouse, and so he and his grandmother become witch hunters. I wonder how misogynistic it'll end up being as an adult. I honestly hadn't realized that was one of his stories. In the movie the kid gets turned back, but in the book he's just screwed and stays a mouse, right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted February 18, 2015 I honestly hadn't realized that was one of his stories. In the movie the kid gets turned back, but in the book he's just screwed and stays a mouse, right? The book is actually kind of fascist. All the kids who disobey are destroyed, and only Charlie gets to the end because, unlike in the movie, he never once disobeys Wonka, so is rewarded as Wonka's heir. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merus Posted February 18, 2015 I honestly hadn't realized that was one of his stories. In the movie the kid gets turned back, but in the book he's just screwed and stays a mouse, right? Yep, pretty much. Kinda dark for a kid's book but that was always the appeal - they're kinda dark for kid's books. Like, people enjoy pointing out that Wonka's kind of terrible, but honestly Gene Wilder understood how to play it far better than Johnny Depp did in that dodgy remake: in the original books, Wonka's surprisingly sinister. Even as a kid, I found the song gloating about Mike Teevee's accident and saying that kids would rather read pretty condescending. The book is actually kind of fascist. You mean authoritarian; the Oompa Loompas were clearly not unionised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gormongous Posted February 18, 2015 You mean authoritarian; the Oompa Loompas were clearly not unionised. My bad, that's what I get for typing political analysis of a children's book from the couch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bjorn Posted February 18, 2015 Yep, pretty much. Kinda dark for a kid's book but that was always the appeal - they're kinda dark for kid's books. I haven't read any of those books since I was a kid, and clearly I had forgotten which ones were by Dahl. Makes me want to revisit some of those. Gorm's fascist comment did send me down a weird rabbit hole though, learning that the picture of the fake golden ticket holder was actually a picture of Hitler's private secretary. That is an odd and fascinating detail to drop into a "kid's" movie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted February 18, 2015 I honestly hadn't realized that was one of his stories. In the movie the kid gets turned back, but in the book he's just screwed and stays a mouse, right? The part that sticks with me is the conversation with his grandmother after the hotel incident, which pretty much went 'As I'm a mouse, my life span has shortened to that of a mouse, and I'm going to die probably at the same time that you are Grandma, and I'm happy about that'. That sort of expected and accepted mortality thing is something that isn't really ever touched in kids books, and has stuck with me for years. Also Dahl's short stories before he started writing kids stories are really good too, and are similarly grotesque and fascinating. Tattoo is a particular highlight, as well as the lighter one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clyde Posted February 18, 2015 I'm looking for a picture of an ancient-civilization's classroom where students sat on benches that surround a dirt/sand area where the teacher draws in the dirt/sand with a pole. Anyone have a lead? I don't remember where these classrooms existed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dibs Posted February 18, 2015 You must mean a hedge school, when the Brits had Ireland under their thumb. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted February 18, 2015 You must mean a hedge school, when the Brits had Ireland under their thumb. That can't be accurate, there's not a potato in sight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted February 18, 2015 Two weird things I remember about Willy Wonka: 1) Gene Wilder was the one who suggested that Wonka first appear barely mobile with a cane and then suddenly do a somersault. The idea was that the audience would never know if he was lying or not after that. 2) "The snozberries taste like snozzberries" is a reference to Dahl's earlier adult book "My Uncle Oswald," where "snozzberry" is used as a slang term for "penis." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dewar Posted February 18, 2015 Folks, Willy Wonka totally says that the other kids are all right at the end of the movie, so they must be fine.... right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dibs Posted February 18, 2015 That can't be accurate, there's not a potato in sight. Yes, they exported them all. L2History. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N1njaSquirrel Posted February 18, 2015 Yes, they exported them all. L2History. Oh. Now I wish I had paid attention in history classes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apelsin Posted February 18, 2015 Folks, Willy Wonka totally says that the other kids are all right at the end of the movie, so they must be fine.... right? Yes, they went to a farm upstate where there lots of open ground to play around in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted February 18, 2015 Sometimes I wish everyone would just go back to using their original avatars on these forums (or at least the avatars they were using when I joined). It really fucks with me for some reason when someone goes from a dude with lasers shooting out of his eyes to a reindeer. Don't get me wrong, the reindeer is awesome and all, but I was just used to that person's posts coming from a laser-eyed dude. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Patrick R Posted February 18, 2015 Sometimes I wish everyone would just go back to using their original avatars on these forums (or at least the avatars they were using when I joined). It really fucks with me for some reason when someone goes from a dude with lasers shooting out of his eyes to a reindeer. Don't get me wrong, the reindeer is awesome and all, but I was just used to that person's posts coming from a laser-eyed dude. Fine! . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted February 18, 2015 Oh yeah, there you are, I remember you! Yay! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperBiasedMan Posted February 18, 2015 This is why I never change profile pictures anywhere. I've seriously had this one going for years actually. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted February 18, 2015 I will forever and always be Urkel. Because I am Urkel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperBiasedMan Posted February 18, 2015 I don't even know Urkel, so you'll always just be mildly zany kid to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted February 18, 2015 Well, here's some context then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tegan Posted February 18, 2015 Hey, I drew that reindeer... OnO Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SuperBiasedMan Posted February 18, 2015 Well, here's some context then. https://www.theyoutubes.com/watch?v=xz3ZOoYSMuw Did you do that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted February 18, 2015 Sometimes I wish everyone would just go back to using their original avatars on these forums (or at least the avatars they were using when I joined). It really fucks with me for some reason when someone goes from a dude with lasers shooting out of his eyes to a reindeer. Don't get me wrong, the reindeer is awesome and all, but I was just used to that person's posts coming from a laser-eyed dude. Hey, I drew that reindeer... OnO Look what you did now Zeus, you made Teg sad. I refuse to use anything but a Tegan made avatar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted February 18, 2015 Hey, I drew that reindeer... OnO It's a damn fine reindeer and you even have the laser coming out of the nose in the spirit of the original avatar. I think it's great. It still fucks with me a little though just because it wasn't the first one I saw when I joined. Also, I miss your original avatar (at least what I saw as your original avatar). Did you do that? I didn't do thaaat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
