July 15
...serving up your daily dish.
Two new movies this weekend -- Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and Wedding Crashers. The reviews are good to glowing on both, although we have trouble trusting any reviewer who chooses to denigrate the original movie/cult classic starring Gene Wilder. The word is that Depp is entrancing (albeit eerily Jacko-like) and that this version adheres much more more closely to the book.
Wedding Crashers is getting strong buzz as a summer's runaway comedy blockbuster, with Vaughn specifically stealing the show. I pretty much could watch Vince Vaughn read the phone book and he'd make me laugh, so I'm biased.
Let us know what you see and what you think...
July 15, 2005 in Movie Mojo | Permalink
Liz, sometime rent "South of Texas, West of Hell," a weird sort of revisionist early 1900's western that Dwight Yoakam wrote, directed and stars in. Vince Vaughn plays the truly blqck-hearted villain, and you may never be able to laugh at him again after you sit through this one.
Have a grand weekend, too.
Posted by: cathar | Jul 15, 2005 6:19:32 PM
Thanks -- it would be interesting to see him as a bad ass...
You have a grand weekend, too -- and what's the best way to that Park Tavern in Rutherford...
Posted by: Liz | Jul 15, 2005 6:54:00 PM
I want to see the acting squirrels in Chocolate Factory.
Posted by: The Barista | Jul 15, 2005 6:56:23 PM
Liz - I am so glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that Willie looks exactly like Wacko Jacko - it gives me the creeps everytime I see the trailer!
Posted by: Anne Prince | Jul 15, 2005 10:53:47 PM
I had the good fortune to see "Charlie" today and can honestly say that I loved it. LOVED Johnny Depp - I don't know why people think he modeled the character after Wacko Jacko - I didn't see that at all. I just saw brilliant Johnny Depp going all out and having a blast. The Oompa Loompa songs were brilliant and the art direction is wonderful. This is DEFINITELY one to see in a theater, not on DVD.
Posted by: Jaynee | Jul 15, 2005 11:16:05 PM
Jaynee - is it as good as the original? I guess it's hard to imagine redoing something that's so classic. I'll forever love that version!
Posted by: butchcjg | Jul 15, 2005 11:46:17 PM
Ooh..."Charlie" is amazing. Best "kids" movie I've seen in some time. I will probably see it again very soon. Is it better than the first? Hard to say--but it's worthwhile. Depp is amazing, as usual.
Posted by: Wende | Jul 16, 2005 2:42:10 AM
Wende ,
I will be going tonight and am seeign it in IMAX. I'm glad to hear it was so great.
-Dani
Posted by: Dani | Jul 16, 2005 7:48:47 AM
Hi Jaynee -
I don't think that he modeled it after MJ - I just think that for some reason he just looks like him (not all the time).
Posted by: Anne Prince | Jul 16, 2005 8:27:00 AM
butchcjg - it's similar to the original but yet wholly different. I'm a HUGE fan of the original (I worship Gene Wilder in that movie), but I set that aside and was able to thoroughly fall in love with the new version. Johnny Depp was THAT good.
Posted by: Jaynee | Jul 16, 2005 9:55:25 AM
Liz, the "PT" is right across the tracks from the Rutherford train station (the cool thing about growing up in ER in general was that it truly was on the wrong side of the tracks, and thus has bars where Rutherford has churches) on Park Avenue. Rte. 3 E to the exit for Park Avenue, Rutherford. Left at light on top of hill after you exit, follow Park all the way down. At the station, bear right around the circle and right across the tracks. You'll see it easily enough.
Once inside, if you go in the front door, bear left around the horseshoe bar because the right way just ends up at a wall. Enjoy, have fun, don't expect any strictures about dress or that they'll ever be "out of pizza." And they serve late.
On the way home, because it also stays open late, you can also pick up a Korean movie from the Korean next door, or an American film dubbed into Korean. (And if you kept on going on Park Ave in ER until it hits Paterson Ave, then turned left, on your right a few hundred feet down would be what many folks think is the best and most authentic Korean restaurant in NJ.)
Posted by: cathar | Jul 16, 2005 10:30:36 AM
I just realized, it's "South of Heaven, West.." Sorry there.
Posted by: cathar | Jul 16, 2005 10:49:50 AM
We saw Willy Wonka tonight.....LOVED IT! I liked it even better than the original, which totally surprised me! Brilliant!
Posted by: butchcjg | Jul 16, 2005 11:30:07 PM
We saw it last night, too. I loved the whole look, and thought that Johnny Depp and all the kids were dead-on in their performances (especially, of course, the one who played Charlie). The grandparents and parents were excellent as well.
There was something about it, however, that left me cold and I finally realized that it was the Oompa Loompas. I was too aware that all of their scenes were very slick and completely computer-generated. Not that there were any technical gaffes, but perhaps if they had used a bunch of different actors, it may not have been so off-putting.
That said, it still was, overall, an excellent movie.
Posted by: sue | Jul 17, 2005 11:15:59 AM
We saw Charley on Saturday and give it three THUMBS UP! Perhaps next time we'll catch it in IMAX - that should be fun. We will definitely see it again in the theatre.
Posted by: Anthony Buccino | Jul 18, 2005 5:47:25 PM
