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War of the Worlds, Chocolate Factory Trailers

rocketjam writes "The trailer for Tim Burton's version of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is online at Yahoo. The movie stars Johnny Depp and scheduled for release in July of '05. I think Tim Burton is the perfect director for a new Willie Wonka movie. The trailer looks very Burtonesque." And reader daquake writes "Our first peek at Steven Spielberg's contemporary version of War of the Worlds is available from Apple. Spielberg's installment is just one of many that have been developed throughout the years including a film produced last year n England."

33 of 637 comments (clear)

  1. Marylin Manson meets Willy Wonka... by neuro.slug · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wow, that's one scary Willy Wonka. I can almost see him saying:

    "Hello, Charlie.."

    -- n

    1. Re:Marylin Manson meets Willy Wonka... by hey! · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, Gene Wilder I think had an important insight into the character. Willy Wonka is supposed to be scary even a bit creepy. He is not like your parents, who will protect you from the consequences of your actions. He will let you be free, but you have to suffer the consequences.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    2. Re:Marylin Manson meets Willy Wonka... by garcia · · Score: 4, Insightful

      He will let you be free, but you have to suffer the consequences.

      Just because his actions creep you out (that crooked smile and that detached wonder he seems to have) does not mean that he has to look like The Crow in a purple robe or a hollow eyed heroin addict.

    3. Re:Marylin Manson meets Willy Wonka... by DarkSarin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      And you don't find Johnny Depp (ala pirates of the c.) to be just a shade creepy? Depp is a good choice, methinks, and I don't think that this is going to be a bad movie.

      Will it live up to the high bar set in the 70's? Perhaps, but I think you (and everyone else) should compare it to the book, not the Gene Wilder starring flick that we all know and most of us love (I have a friend that won't watch movies with midgets--eg, willow, willy wonka, ewoks, etc).

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    4. Re:Marylin Manson meets Willy Wonka... by hey! · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, I can't view these trailers on my Linux box, so I can't comment directly on Mr. Depp's adequacy or inadequacy. However, commenting on your comment, I think that this character is very, very hard to get right. The trick is the character has to be tinged with menace without being overtly menacing. After all, the children are supposed to think Wonka's a patsy just like their unspeakable parents. On the other hand, you don't want to believe that Wonka would actually let the children be killed or really harmed. The fantasy for kids watching this movie is the that they can get a taste of freedom and its consequences, not the full adult load.

      Mr. Depp's screen personality does have me concerned. It's very very easy to fall into the trap of winking at the audience -- the way that actors in really bad Gilbert and Sullivan productions insist on being in on the joke. It'd be very easy to turn this story into a loud, archly self referential but ultimately neutered romp. The kind of movies idiot reviewers will find "magical", even though they would not know magic if it conjured a demon from hell to bite them on the ass.

      A fantasy movie has to be believable.

      Look at the scene in the original movie where Charlie and Granpa confront Wonka in his office. It was a sublime and courageous performance by Mr. Wilder.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  2. this movie is going to be awesome by hsmith · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The original was nothing like the book, it was dark and gloomy.

    i think burton w/ depp will combine to make an kick ass flick the way the book intended it to be. i hope burton redoes alice in wonderland, THAT would be a trippy movie

    1. Re:this movie is going to be awesome by mothlos · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, the original film based on the musical was not too much like the book, but this movie doesn't look like it will shape up to capture the 'feel' of the book either. The book was always goofy but with an edge of sinister that you just couldn't grasp. This trailer with the music chosen and the silly slapstick Burton has Depp doing as well as the camera direction (the down shot on the group standing next to the chocolate river) makes it feel like Burton isn't catching the British part of all of this.

      Just like Planet of the Apes, he just doesn't 'get' the concept of the story and even if he is truer to hard action the original work, he just doesn't have it in him to be true to the idea of it.

  3. Contemporary War of the Worlds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    *Yawn*

    Evil, vaguely Arabic aliens invade. Only the square jawed hero (played by the guy from that movie that was vaguely popular last year), the love interest (with that woman from the movie your girlfriend watched) and the wisecracking black sidekick (fuck knows, they all look the same to me) can defeat them. 2 hours of bland Hollywood shite. This is the sight of a culture so bereft of originality that plagiarism is hailed as a creative force.

  4. Nightmare inducing grin by Gudlyf · · Score: 3, Funny
    As if the first Woka movie's boat ride scene wasn't enough to give kids nightmares...dear lord that grin on Depp in the trailer...that grin...

    shiver

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  5. Why are we celebrating this? by nasalgoat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    All they seem to do now is remake movies that don't need to be remade. The original Willy Wonka was a perfectly excellent film and I see no need to ruin it with a remake. Same with War of the Worlds.

    Whatever happened to original scripts?

    1. Re:Why are we celebrating this? by BTWR · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Given the original scripts coming out, mabye tons of remakes isn't so bad after all.

      ***YAWN***

      Yet another cliched "There's nothing good/original coming out anymore." Everyone like you seems to remember the "good ol' days" of 1972 or some shit like that. Well, let me tell you, aside from The Godfather, a LOT of crap came out that year, and every year after and before. This year (like most others) has had some AMAZINGLY wonderful AND ORIGINAL screenplays:

      Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Oh yeah, Charlie Kaufman is "so unoriginal")

      The Incredibles (Yep, Pixar does the same film over and over - ALL ANIMATION! I mean, come on!)

      Kill Bill, Vol 2 (The best samauri movie made in 20 years. And wha!?!?!? It was American?)

      Spiderman 2 (MAYBE 1978's Superman was an equal. MAYBE. I personally thought Spiderman 2 was better. But this is without question at least ONE of the greatest super hero movies ever made. Took the genre to new levels that perhaps ALL future superhero movies will be judged against. And FYI, before you say so, a "sequel" does not connotate unoriginalness. Empire Stikes Back and Godfather 2 both took the same characters and presented them in a new light to be wonderfully entertaining).

      Shaun of the Dead (Um... a zombie romantic comedy, that works? Yeah, I'll call that original any day)

      Napoleon Dynamite (I didn't see it, but everyone I know says it was a different movie than had been made in a long time)

      Movies I personally loved (i.e. my opinion), but understand I may find no mass-critical acclaim for:

      Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

      Mean Girls (seemed like yet another High School movie, but it surprisingly had a lot of heart, and great characters)

      Hero (It just worked for me)

      Team America: World Police (To me, it was the funniest film I had seen in years)

      Harry Potter & Prisoner of Azkaban (Alfonso Cuarón made the best film in the series, so far - I'm really looking forward to 4 and 5)

      Miracle (I never saw a movie before that I knew EVERYTHING that was going to happen, yet I was very excited and suspenceful in seeing it).

      And I can only speculate, based on the flawless (or nearly flawless) directoral efforts of these directors that we have at least a few more gems coming out:

      The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson is NOTHING if not original)

      The Aviator (Maybe he'll finally get his oscar?)

      Anyway, I didn't mean for this to sound mean-hearted. It's just that it's very common to hear this knee-jerk reaction to "today's (movies, television, culture, teenagers, music)" and forget that yes - a lot of trash comes out, but it does EVERY year. Be a half-full kinda person and treat yourselves to some of the wonderful new entertainment that came out this year.

  6. Re:Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Interesting
    > > That has to be the number 1 druggy movie ever.
    >
    > You're forgetting the crazy psychedelic scenes toward the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

    So watch both sequels at the same time:

    Oompa Loompa, doopity doo,
    All these world are belong to you!
    Ooompa Loompa, doobie-doo-dopa,
    Keepa you space probe offa Europa!

  7. No creativity by rice0067 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its nice to see that there is no creativity left in the movie industry. Why not come up with something new instead of redoing movies that there perfectly good to begin with.
    that means:
    Willy wonka....
    War of the worlds...
    Oceans 11..
    Manchurian candidate.
    Star Wars special editions.

    While we are at it might as well remake casablanca.
    And teen wolf.

    1. Re:No creativity by Mad_Rain · · Score: 3, Funny

      While we are at it might as well remake casablanca.
      And teen wolf.


      SSsssshhh! You're going to give them ideas!

      Movie Exec: I bet Keanu Reeves would be great for Rick's part!
      Keanu: You'll, like regret it - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but you'll be all like 'Whoa!'

      noooooooooooooooo!

      --
      "What do you think?" "I think 'What, do you think?!'"
  8. War of the Worlds has Tom Cruise by Nine+Tenths+of+The+W · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are the aliens going to be led by Xenu?

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    Slashdot: News for Nerds, Stuff that matters only to them
    1. Re:War of the Worlds has Tom Cruise by DaedalusLogic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Are the aliens going to be led by Xenu?

      oooohh snap! Take that dead L. Ron Hubbard!

  9. Great movie for Burton to do by vivin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    IMHO, this is a movie that will make full use of Burton's talents. Willy Wonka is a deeply eccentric character, and Burton is known for his well... "Burtonesque" way of doing things. Burton will really bring out the weirdness of Wonka. Although the book and even the previous movie (where Gene Wilder did a GREAT job) have alluded to it, I think Burton will really bring out how weird and eccentric and mysterious Wonka really is.

    --
    Vivin Suresh Paliath
    http://vivin.net

    I like
  10. I'm just not feelin' it... by phaln · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While I think Burton will do a decent job with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I really don't think it stands a chance of beating the 1971 version with Gene Wilder. There's a certain magic to it that I don't think can be replicated so easily into a polished Hollywood flick, no matter who's directing.

    War of the Worlds, so far, looks like one worth checking out.

    --
    SNACKS ARE AWESOME
  11. Re:Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If only I had mod points, if only. That was really, really funny.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  12. direct .mov url by TeknoHog · · Score: 3, Informative
    --
    Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  13. Re:The "In a world guy" by GuyZero · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Canadian comic Sean Cullen does a great bit on this guy. http://www.seancullen.com/

    The formula is:
    * "In a world..."
    * followed by some sort of contradiction
    * "one man..."
    * is doing some generic action

    They run the bit on those "Just for Laughs" shows on CBC every so often.

  14. Marilyn Manson by gamgee5273 · · Score: 4, Informative
    I remember a few years back, when Burton first started talking about doing the remake, that he wanted Marilyn Manson to be Willy Wonka.

    No matter how flipped-ouyt this version looks, can you imagine one with Manson in it? That would have rocked. :)

  15. Tim Burton has lost it by hcsteve · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Does anyone remember Planet of the Apes? The original is a classic, and Burton's remake was one of the most memorable stinkers in recent movie history. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic film, even if it doesn't hew very closely to the book, and I fear that a Burton remake will be Planet of the Apes all over again. Please, Tim Burton, leave my childhood alone.

    --
    If you were a hot dog, and you were starving, would you eat yourself?
  16. Johnny Depp by the+Dragonweaver · · Score: 5, Funny

    Does anyone else look at Depp and think, "Oh God, that's Michael Jackson!"

    Brings an extra level of creepiness, donchathink?

    --
    Actually I am a lab rat in an elaborate plot to take over the world.
  17. Chocolate Factory is Not a Remake by ytsejammer · · Score: 5, Insightful
    From what I understand, Burton's movie is not intended to be a remake, but rather a better interpretation of the book.

    So, I think it would be well advised for those of you looking to this movie in the hopes (or the fears) that it will be an updated Willy Wonka to attempt to forget about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and instead view this movie as the screen adaptation of the book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

    In fact, if I remember correctly, Roald Dahl was not happy with 'Willy Wonka', which I can understand since the book is incredibly darker than the movie.

    Hopefully, with Burton directing, we can get a more faithful interpretation of the book that stays true to the dark material.

  18. Straight from the book... by Aash · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Did anyone notice that the narration in the War of the Worlds trailer is almost word-for-word from the beginning of the book?

    From the trailer:

    "No one would have believed in the early years of the twenty-first century that our world was being watched be intelligences greater than our own, that as men busied themselves about their various concerns, they observed and studied. With infinite complacency, men went to and fro about the globe, confident of their empire over this world. Yet, across the gulf of space, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded our planet with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."

    And from the book:

    No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied [...]. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. [...] Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.

    I think that's pretty cool.

    --

    --
    These aren't the droids you're looking for.
  19. Has anyone else noticed? by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The alien hand on the War of the Worlds poster has its middle finger on top of Texas.

    Not that it necessarily means anything...

    1. Re:Has anyone else noticed? by zulux · · Score: 3, Funny

      The alien hand on the War of the Worlds poster has its middle finger on top of Texas.


      It's a good thing the globe is rotated to show America - otherwise most of us American wouldn't recognize the planet that the alien is grasping.

      Just kidding.... ....we American don't need geography, we just need missile coordinates.

      --

      Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  20. Re:Compare to Original by RealProgrammer · · Score: 3, Informative
    • the point of the original was that honesty was something that is rewarded

    Yes, the book was about Virtue. Willie Wonka was looking for someone Good, displaying:

    • Honesty: conforming to what you know to be true and right (not lying or stealing)
    • Patience: the ability to delay gratification and avoid complaining about the trivial
    • Humility: thinking of oneself as no better than others.
    • Kindness: the habit of treating others well in all things
    • Charity: the practice of thinking the best of others, as opposed to assuming the worst
    • Generosity: looking for ways to give to others, rather than to acquire for yourself
    • Flexibility: the ability to accept new things, be spontaneously fun, and learn

    He found all of those things in Charlie. I always thought Wonka somehow knew Charlie would find the last ticket, and in fact the whole thing was a setup to test Charlie.

    --
    sigs, as if you care.
  21. Re:The "In a world guy" by fahrvergnugen · · Score: 4, Informative

    You need to watch the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's comedian movie right now.

    --
    Even Jesus hates listening to Creed.
  22. Re:Compare to Original by Bugmaster · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Note, however, that Willie Wonka himself possessed none of these qualities.
    • Honesty: he built what is essentially a giant mousetrap for children, and rigged his own lottery.
    • Patience: instead of actually doing something to pass on his empire (such as, I don't know, raising kids), he wants to pluck a ready-made perfect heir from the masses.
    • Humility: you're kidding, right ? He styles himself so far above humanity (literally, too), that he might as well be Apollo. Or Narcissus.
    • Kindness: here, have some blueberry candy, kids ! Mwa ha ha ha ! j00 d34d f00 !
    • Charity: see "Patience". He has studied humanity thoroughly; he knows to expect the worst.
    • Generosity: can we say, "financial empire", "media blitz", and "addiction-fostering ad campaign" ?
    • Flexibility: he is certainly whimsical, but Willie Wonka's methods are set in stone for all eternity. Feed chocolate to kids until they explode; if it was good enough 100 years ago, it's good enough now.
    And that's just what can be gleaned from his relations to other humans ! I am not even talking about his enslavement of an entire alien race.

    I hardly think that Wonka is looking for someone "Good". He is looking for someone Gullible enough to take the fall when the SEC probe arrives.

    --
    >|<*:=
  23. WotW: The Musical! by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny
    Evil, vaguely Arabic aliens invade. Only the square jawed hero (played by the guy from that movie that was vaguely popular last year), the love interest (with that woman from the movie your girlfriend watched) and the wisecracking black sidekick (fuck knows, they all look the same to me) can defeat them. 2 hours of bland Hollywood shite. This is the sight of a culture so bereft of originality that plagiarism is hailed as a creative force.

    Sounds like what we really need is a War of the Worlds Musical!

    Is this the real life
    Is this just fantasy
    A.D. 2101, War was beginning
    Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see
    Martians, yeilding no sympathy

    Because I'm easy come,easy go,
    Fly Zig high, fly Zig low,
    Anyway the Zig goes,doesn't really matter to me, to me

    Mama, just watched TV,
    Ignored what prophets said,
    Now martians coming and we're dead,
    Mama, life had just begun,
    But now we've gone and thrown it all away
    Mama ooo, didn't mean to make you cry
    If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
    Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters

    Too late, we're on our way,
    To destruction, Cats say,
    Told to make our time today,
    Goodbye everybody, I got to go
    Gotta leave you all behind and move a Zig
    Mama ooo- (any way the wind blow)
    I don't know how to fly,
    I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

    I see a little silhouetto of a man
    Is the curate!, Is the curate, dragged by a tentacle
    Laserbolt and heatrays very very frightening me
    All your base, All your base
    All your base, All your base
    All your base are belong to us!

    But I just a poor boy and nobody loves me
    He just a poor boy from a poor planetoid
    Spare him his life from this monstrosity
    Easy come easy go, will you let me go
    Take off every Zig! For great justice!
    Take off every Zig! For great justice!
    Take off every Zig! For great justice!
    For great justice! For great justice!
    Move, move, move move, move, move Zig!

    Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me move
    Someone set up us the bomb!

    So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
    So you think you can love me and leave me to die
    Oh baby, I know what I doing baby!
    Just gotta get out-just gotta move Zig right outta here

    Nothing really matters, anyone can see
    Nothing really matters ,nothing really matters to me

    Any way the Zig goes....

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  24. Re:What's the deal with Tim Burton?! by mikeg22 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's the big f-ing deal about Tim Burton? The guy has NEVER directed a good movie.

    You're on crack...
    Batman
    Batman 2
    Sleepy Hollow
    Nightmare Before Christmas
    Ed Wood

    Tim Burton gives us something different with every new movie. You may not like his style, but at least the guy comes up with original ideas...a wonderful break from Spielburg, Michael Bay, etc. It should say something that Johnny Depp signs on so often.