#the man who wrote charlie and the chocolate factory

[indecisitivity]

the attendees when they reached the event:

well that was a

A Willy Wonka pop-up event in Glasgow had attendees calling the police after they paid £35 and the event didn’t deliver what was promised.

Event goers were promised a whimsical adventure all themed around something Willy Wonka might create in his factory.

Source

The keen-eyed amongst you might have noticed something a little bit…wrong.

Imagnation Lab. Encherining Entertainment. Catgacating. Live perforrmances. Cartchy tunes. Exarserdray lollipops. And my favourite “A pasadise of sweets teats”

But what did the event actually look like? WELL.

Feel like the marketing team got a bit carried away.

[polyhexian]

It's so... Strange watching a video about charlie and the chocolate factory and having the YouTuber talk about how roald dahl was not happy with the film and all the changes it made and disowned it and how the family wanted full creative control with the later one to finally make a film he would be proud of and just... Not mention the fact that one of the changes the 1971 film made was changing the oompa loompas to little fantasy orange people from their orange incarnation as... Black "African pygmies" imported as unpaid slaves. Who were happy as slaves. Who Wonka said he "waved" by giving them a better life. As slaves. Who Charlie's grandfather calls "not people. Not normal people, anyway."

Like how do you just... Skim over that? How do you neglect to mention that roald dahl was an outspoken anti semite- like HE called HIMSELF an anti semite, quite proudly- the man was a Hitler supporter. After the war and everything. He called it "the good old days of Hitler and Himmler." How do you just... Not mention the fact that roald dahl was a proud, outspoken racist and anti semite? I'm not even saying he didn't write important and classic pieces of children's literature that are still worthy of discussion, I'm saying you can't divorce those works from the man's overwhelming hate and prejudice and pretend they didn't exist or that they weren't IN his stories.

The man wrote one of the most personally important short stories I've ever read- when I was mid human trafficking in Beijing a collection of his adult short stories was the only English book I had and provided a great source of comfort to me, I grew up reading his books and it is a great burden on my heart to know who and what he really was, but how can you just... Not mention it? How can you ignore it?

[haroldgross]

New Post has been published on Harold Gross: The 5a.m. Critic

New Post has been published on https://literaryends.com/hgblog/wonka/

Wonka

[3 stars]

Where to begin with this one? It is a perfectly entertaining distraction. It even manages to stand on its own while still building on the world you probably already knew from it’s 1971 original adaptation, or it’s later Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake.

But prequels are always tricky. We know a good deal of what can and cannot happen in the story because we know what comes next. Wonka walks a fine line of showing us the young man that becomes the somewhat jaded middle-aged factory owner in the original movie. But, on top of that, Paul King and Simon Farnaby wanted to embrace more of the Roald Dahl of it all… and they managed to nicely. And yes, I’m aware of the irony that Dahl wrote the ’71 script and yet this was still brought more of his style to the screen than that did in many ways.

This presentation of our favorite chocolatier in this prequel is closer to Mathilda in style than the classic Willy Wonka. While I’d usually cheer on that sensibility it makes for an odd cognitive clash. One that is bridged at the very end with the one song you can never forget once you’ve heard it…and, in the process, imbues it with new meaning.

However, that final song is two-edged as it reminds you just how unforgettable the original movie was and how the new songs and music aren’t quite at that caliber. They’re fine, they’re sweet, but they are wholly forgettable despite the solid performances and effort. And the overall story is lacking in comparison, in part because there really isn’t much of one. There are antics and unsurprising setbacks, but it isn’t like we don’t know Wonka wins in the end. Also, unlike the first film, there just isn’t a lot of heart to it all.

That said, Timothée Chalamet (Dune) does deliver a beautifully balanced performance that constantly teeters between potential despair and uncrushable optimism. The child story in Wonka is a bit darker than Charlie’s, with Calah Lane navigating a path out of her circumstances thanks to the arrival of Chalamet. And they’re surrounded by a motley band of others in similar circumstances who come together to win the day (was there ever any doubt?).

There is also no dearth of bad guys. But it’s Olivia Colman (Secret Invasion) and Tom Davis (Free Fire) who really take the cake (and shillings) from it all. It isn’t to knock the other actors, they’re all fine, but these two had more depth and story than the rest. And then there is the neutral-ish character played by Hugh Grant (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) who stole every scene he was in.

Ultimately, watching this part of the story just wanted to make me watch the original again more than anything else. (Which, of course, I did.) I don’t know if I need to return to this prequel world again, however well it was done. It’s pretty and it’s distracting, and there are some clever plot devices, but it didn’t make an indelible mark on my soul the way the 1971 classic did. Perhaps it was trying too hard? Or perhaps it simply ended way too soon in Wonka’s story; completing its journey at the opening of the factory rather than his rise to fame and the closing of the factory before Charlie arrives on the scene. Or maybe we just needed to meet the Wonka that was willing to tell all his secrets, but only to another child? But, all that said, I also don’t feel my time was wasted visiting it the once. Nor would yours be.

Where to watch

[terselylove]

8 Classic Books to Read Before They Become Movies and TV Shows

With themes as resonant as ever, narratives as timeless as they come, and characters that nestle into our hearts and minds, classic novels will always influence contemporary content. Whether using the basis of a tale to weave something more modern or directly adapting the source material, classic novels provide bottomless pools of inspiration for filmmakers. Here are the classics you should read before they become movies and TVshows. 

‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ | “The Captain’s Log” in ‘Dracula’

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is based on a single chapter — “The Captain’s Log” — from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Stoker’s 1897 novel was not the first story about a blood-sucking vampire, as that honor belongs to Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1871 novel Carmilla. However, Stoker’s narrative has arguably influenced the vampiric landscape to a greater extent, as over 200 films have been made featuring The Count. 

As for The  Last Voyage of the Demeter, the tale is set aboard the Russian Schooner Demeter —chartered to transport 24 unmarked crates of private cargo from Carpathia to London. The story will follow the seafarers aboard the ship who do all in their power to survive the voyage, as they are terrorized by a dark presence nightly. When the ship finally arrives at the harbor, there is no trace of the crew. André Øvredal (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Autopsy of Jane Doe) directs the upcoming film starring Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead, In the Heights), Liam Cunningham (The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Clash of the Titans), and Aisling Franciosi (The Fall, The Nightingale). The Last Voyage of the Demeter will premiere in theaters on August 11, 2023.

‘A Haunting in Venice’ | ‘Hallowe’en Party’

A Haunting in Venice is an Agatha Christie adaptation with Detective Poirot at the helm once again. Following in the footsteps of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, A Haunting in Venice sees Detective Poirot come out of retirement to solve the death of a man who lost his life during a seance.

Unlike the previous two murder mysteries directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh in the title role, this film will enter into the horror landscape, boasting jump scares, an eerie atmosphere, and quite the foreboding score. Inspired by Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel Hallowe’en Party, the sequel stars Kelly Reilly of Yellowstone, Jamie Dornan of the Fifty Shades trilogy, funny lady Tina Fey, and Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh. The film premiers in theaters on September 15, 2023. 

‘Wonka’ | ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ 

Though not a direct retelling of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka will serve as a prequel to the tale set forth in the Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp-led adaptations. 

#WonkaMovie Director, Paul King hosted an early look at the new trailer 🤩

Are you ready to enter a world of pure imagination? pic.twitter.com/rCeiyQvRcC

— Warner Bros. UK (@WarnerBrosUK) July 6, 2023

The upcoming movie musical will trace Willy Wonka’s journey to becoming a famous chocolatier. Timothée Chalamet will take on the iconic cooky candyman, with Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, and Ryan Gosling rounding out the primary all-star ensemble. Director Paul King (celebrated for his work on Paddington and Paddington 2) spearheads the film he co-wrote with Simon Farnaby (Ghosts, The Phantom of the Opera). The highly-anticipated fantasy is scheduled to premiere in theaters just in time for Christmas on December 15, 2023.

‘The Color Purple’ | ‘The Color Purple’ 

Nearly 40 years following the film that made Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg household names, The Color Purple will return to the silver screen with an all-star ensemble led by Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, Ciara, Halle Bailey of the live-action The Little Mermaid, Corey Hawkins, and Danielle Brooks (Orange Is the New Black).

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, documents the trials, tribulations, and gradual triumph of Celie (Fantasia) — an African American teenager raised in rural Georgia. Celie narrates her experience via painful letters written to god in a story that examines race and racism, spirituality, self-realization, and more. The Color Purple is scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 18, 2023. 

‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ | ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ 

Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is one of the author’s most celebrated short stories. Though not exactly a book, its legacy warrants its place on this list, and you will find it in any notable collection of Poe’s works. Capitalizing on the eerie and medieval atmosphere akin to gothic fiction, the tale puts forth themes of isolation, family, and madness to lay the groundwork for the eventual collapse of a decaying mansion. 

The story follows an unnamed narrator who is called to visit The House of Usher by his childhood friend, Roderick, who is slowly dying. The narrator, empathetic for a man on his deathbed, heads to the mansion (and stays longer than he should) out of respect for his childhood friend’s final wishes. 

A few minutes ago we wrapped production on THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, closing a huge chapter of my life. I've worked in Vancouver almost nonstop since BLY MANOR in 2019. We made 4 series in 3 years, only taking a short break for the COVID lockdown in early 2020.

— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) July 9, 2022

Mike Flanagan — the genius behind the Netflix adaptations of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game, and Henry James’ Turn of the Screw (The Haunting of Bly Manor) — helms the upcoming series. Flanagan, in a manner similar to Quentin Tarantino, likes to call upon the same actors; thus, it should come as no surprise that this series will star Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, and Annabeth Gish — all of whom have worked on multiple Flanagan productions. The series is expected to drop on Netflix in the fall of 2023. 

‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’ | ‘Harold and the Purple Crayon’

Originally scheduled to premiere in theaters this summer, the live-action retelling of the beloved children’s classic is now scheduled to premiere sometime in 2024. The story will follow Harold as he embarks on a magical mission with the help of his purple crayon. 

While Sony has remained rather tight-lipped about who’s playing who in the upcoming film, we do know a handful of the A-listers set to take center stage. Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel, Ravi Patel (Animal Control, Come As You Are), and Camille Guaty (Prison Break, Daytime Divas) are all set to star in the film from Rio and Ice Age director Carlos Saldanha. Writers Dallas Clayton (An Awesome Book of Love) and David Guion and Michael Handelman — who worked together on Slumberland, Dinner for Schmucks, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb — penned the screenplay/ 

A dream come true! @ZooeyDeschanel joins the cast of #HaroldAndThePurpleCrayon 💜 https://t.co/P79TtGMMVt

— Harold and the Purple Crayon (@HaroldMovie) February 10, 2022

‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ | ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ 

A movie in 2002. A British TV series in 1956. A TV miniseries in 1998. A 2023 ViX original series starring William Levy. And, now, an upcoming film from Director Matthieu Delaporte starring Pierre Niney (It Boy, Masquerade) in the title role. In short, The Count of Monte Cristo remains a timeless and captivating story from French author Alexandre Dumas. 

The novel chronicles a man’s revenge-seeking journey following his escape from prison and contemplates themes of vengeance, mercy, justice, forgiveness, betrayal, transformation, power, and identity. 

Screenwriters Delaporte and de La Patellière told Variety that their film, “will be told from the point of view of Edmond Dantès, the first French superhero, who steps from the light into the shadows, assuming the identity of masked avenger.” The film will premiere in French cinemas on October 23, 2024. An American release date — whether theatrical or streaming — has yet to be announced. 

‘Lord of the Flies’ | ‘Lord of the Flies’ 

You have quite some time to read this William Golding classic — if you haven’t already read it as part of your high school literature requirements — as the BBC series was only just announced in April 2023. British playwright Jack Thorne (Best Interests, Help, Kir) will take on the challenging task of adapting this complex story, which relies heavily on symbolism and inner dialogue to establish conflicts and thematic undertones. 

The BBC limited series will be the first-ever on-screen adaptation of Lord of the Flies, consisting of four one-hour episodes. The narrative follows a group of young boys who wind up stranded on a tropical island, giving rise to themes of civilization vs. savagery, power and control, loss of innocence, and more. A cast and release date have yet to be announced, but be sure to check back with Thought Catalog for updates.

[swanimagines]

FANDOMS

I’m that weirdo who’s willing to write for fandoms no one else writes for so don’t judge me. :D I like to challenge myself, so if I like the movie/tv show/game, I'll often write for it! Even if it's a "weird" fandom. Please note: this does not mean I write for every fandom there is. If the fandom isn't listed here, it's unlikely I even know it or then I'm just not interested. You can ask if I know it/if I could write for it, but please do not send in requests assuming I write for a fandom even when it's not listed.

READ MY RULES BEFORE REQUESTING!

The list for my fave characters to write for is below the fandom list in case you're interested!

(My random and unpopular fandoms are below the main list to make this easier to read)

I WRITE FOR ALL CHARACTERS UNLESS I STATE OTHERWISE IN THIS LIST

FANDOMS I WILL WRITE FOR:

MOVIES

10 Things I Hate About You

(James Cameron's) Avatar franchise

Batman: The Dark Knight Trilogy

Disney & Pixar movies (animated + live action)

Full list here!

Edward Scissorhands

Enola Holmes movies

Hunger Games

Jumanji (1995, 2017 and 2019)

Little Women (2019)

Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit

Marvel

Spider-Men (Maguire, Garfield, Holland)

MCU (up to No Way Home)

Venom (1 and 2)

X-Men (2000-2006 + 2011-2019)

Deadpool 1 + 2

Fantastic Four (2005-2007)

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Pirates of the Caribbean (2003-2017)

Shazam! movies

Sky High

Star Wars

The Skywalker Saga

Rogue One

Solo

Star Wars: Jedi (video game series)

The Chronicles of Narnia (2005-2010)

The Maze Runner

Titanic

TV SERIES

Bones

Chicago Med

DC Titans

Gotham

Free Rein

H2O: Just Add Water + Mako Mermaids

His Dark Materials

Julie and the Phantoms

Lucifer

Once Upon A Time

Peaky Blinders

Shadow and Bone/Grishaverse as a whole

Stranger Things

Teen Wolf

The 100 (up to S5)

The Queen’s Gambit

The Sandman (Netflix)

The Umbrella Academy (up to S3)

The Witcher (up to S2)

Wednesday

Xena: Warrior Princess

VIDEO GAMES

Assassin’s Creed (up to Syndicate)

Baldur's Gate 3

Detroit: Become Human

Dragon Age games (up to Veilguard)

Ghost of Tsushima

God of War & Ragnarok (2018 & 2022)

Horizon Zero Dawn + Forbidden West

Kingdom Hearts games

Marvel’s Spider-Man + Miles Morales

Red Dead Redemption 2

Sly Cooper

Star Wars: Jedi (video game series)

Tomb Raider (the new trilogy)

Uncharted up to Lost Legacy

Watch Dogs/Watch Dogs 2/Bloodline

RANDOM

Most of Freddy Carter’s characters, at the moment these:

Kaz Brekker

Pin Hawthorne

Jason Ripper

Tom (15 Days)

I also write for Ellis through research (from 2018 horror movie The Convent)

Gideon Fletcher

David Friedkin

(Also likely Ray when Recursive Dreams comes out)

SUBLIST: NICHE MOVIE FANDOMS

(These are all very small and random fandoms so that's why I separated them from the main list)

AND CLARIFICATION, YOU CAN REQUEST SOMETHING FOR ANY OF THESE!!

MOVIES

Aquamarine

Catwoman

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Ella Enchanted

Flicka

Garfield movies

Home Alone 1 & 2

Love and Monsters

Moulin Rouge

Notting Hill

Peter Pan (2003)

Red Eye

Rise of the Guardians

Stardust

The Dark is Rising

The Martian

Warm Bodies

—

This list is growing all the time!

Below I’ve listed some fandoms I once wrote for but not anymore in case you wonder why are they missing even though I have fics for it here. I've also included a reason why I'm no longer writing for it.

FANDOMS I NO LONGER WRITE FOR:

Wizarding World (Harry Potter + Fantastic Beasts)

I was bullied out of the fandom after JKR's transphobic statements and even though it has calmed down since (from what I hear), I no longer have interest to come back. The fandom is divided in three major "camps" now after JKR started clowning around and I don't want to be part of that drama + I don't really feel interested to write for them anymore anyway so even if JKR ever comes to her senses and apologises for what she has done and said and works to make amends, I may not be interested because the characters no longer resonate with me? + The fact that there's some characters who were very very minor in canon and we know next to nothing about them in canon beyond the name and one single thing about what they did/about who they were and they have risen mega popular in x reader community, I feel like I'd be spammed with them and then there would be yet another drama for why not because everyone else writes for them too. But the thing is, I don't feel comfortable writing for characters whose personalities have been completely made up by fanon rather than canon, there's some characters in other fandoms too and there's ALWAYS a bunch of people who just assume I hate that character for no reason because I don't write for a character who's basically a fandom-built OC. And people never understand why it's so difficult for me to write.

[reallca-blog]

Unwrapping the Wonka Bar Vol. 1 - Where is Charlie’s Town Located? Part 2

If you haven’t read the previous post, click here for Part 1 to make sure you are caught up to speed. If you’re already read the previous post, then welcome back and let’s get back to the show!

Exhibit #1: Tim Burton Didn’t Understand Roald Dahl’s True Work and Vision

Before we start, I need to make it clear that I am not here to trash Tim Burton or his vision, without him we would not even have a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to love and break down. Yet, with that said, it also needs to be said that Burton failed to comprehend the original source material, but I am also here to say that that is not entirely his fault. In the behind-the-scenes material mentioned previously, Burton mentions that he reread the original book by Roald Dahl to better understand the story of the film he was working on, which is something that should be commended. However, something that needs to be stated is that both Tim Burton and screenwriter John August, who it makes sense also read the Dahl book before writing the script, are Americans, which means that there is a good chance they read a copy of the book sold in the United States. It makes sense that one day they each would have sent one of their assistants down to Barnes and Nobles to pick of a copy of Roald Dahl’s most famous work so that they could begin reading it and thus could be best prepared to work on this new film adaptation. But that scenario also implies a certain reality, that Burton and August read American-published versions of the book, meaning that the filmmakers did not truly understand what Roald Dahl’s vision was.

Now, why would it matter if the books Burton and August read from were American-published copies, shouldn’t the material all be the same since Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in English? You would think so, but to better appeal to the local culture, especially when it comes to material aimed primarily at children, it is quite common for publishers to amend the original works they publish to reflect the dialects spoken in their markets. The result of this practice means that books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory underwent minor, but in some ways major, changes in the form of diction when it came to publishing the book outside the United Kingdom. In order so that Americans, primarily American children, can both better relate to the characters and in some cases simply follow the plot, American publishers have amended Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s British terminology and replaced them with common American phrases.

The most obvious example of this change comes in the form of the term “lift” being changed to “elevator” in American publications of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

As you can see, the term “lift” is used to describe the Great Glass Elevator, with even the name of Willy Wonka’s contraption having originally been the “Great Glass Lift” only to get turned into the “Great Glass Elevator” in the American edition.

This simple process of changing certain words but keeping the rest of the text intact is evidently clear by comparing how literally similar, but culturally different, the two previous images of text are, but it is also far from the last example of such a change. Another significant change made for the American publication was the value and, more importantly, the name of the currency Charlie finds on the street that he then uses to purchase the Wonka Bar with his Golden Ticket inside.

In the original British version, Charlie finds “fifty-pence” while outside.

Whereas in the American edition, our Lucky Boy finds himself a whole “dollar” that he quickly spends at a local store, and the rest is history.

Now, both versions cannot be canonically correct, so when in doubt its best to rely on the oldest version to best grasp the message the author hoped to convey. And since the author was a British man writing to a British audience, the logical answer is to say that the original British edition is what Roald Dahl had in mind when it came to describing the town that Charlie and the rest of the residents inhabit. And so, with all of this said, it is quite clear that Roald Dahl’s vision when it came to Charlie’s town was not that it was a location with “an American sensibility and a British sensibility,” and so we have no choice to say but that Tim Burton did not truly understand the work he was trying to adapt for the big screen, and so this misunderstanding helps explain why Charlie’s town is such a confusing location. But even though we disproved Burton’s thesis for the location of Charlie’s town, that does not mean that we now have a location for the town, and for that we will need to continue our analysis of the film.

That’s it for Part 2, click here for Part 3 where we begin our analysis of the demographics of Charlie’s town and discuss what they tell us about where he is from.

[lol-jackles]

Well, I know Harrison Ford was Hans Solo, but I honestly can’t tell you the name of the guy who was Luke. Also, did the Luke actor do anything else? Your whole lengthy essay about “protagonist “ etc. is like a High English lecture. Dean was the hero and Sam was the damsel in distress. Period. Castiel was just a mess and the story went downhill from there. Boom! Simplist explaination.

It doesn't matter that you didn't know the name of the Luke actor, Luke is still the protagonist of Star Wars. That's how George Lucas wrote him and literally millions of fanboys will tell you the same. Luke had to be rescued by Ben, Han, and Leia, just like countless protagonist have to be rescued before taking control of their fate and changing the story. In Thelma & Louise, the film's protagonist Thelma had to be saved by Louise from being raped, and then Louise killed the would-be-rapist. But Louise doesn't change as a person, Thelma does and drives the plot.

Nobody said Dean isn't the hero, but he's the hero with a little "h" while Sam is the Hero with the capital "H" because he has the greatest arc. A hero isn't always the protagonist if they don't drive the plot and change the story. Let's put it this way, all stories need a protagonist, but not all stories need a hero. The Great Gatbsy Jay Gatsby is the protagonist, a flawed and dishonest man, as seen through the eyes of Nick Carraway, who is an unreliable narrator due to his own dishonest nature.

In Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie is the hero and main character. We want him to win the golden ticket and for good things to happen to him. But Charlie is not the protagonist because he doesn't grow or change over the course of the story. He starts out a nice kid and ends up a nice kid. Willy Wonka is the protagonist because he changes and grow and in the Johnny Depp version, seek out his father for reconciliation.

[mafaldaknows]

wonka isn’t the problem Roald Dahl is. he’s racist and sexist. timmy shouldn’t be working with people like this it’s gross and we all know how him working with vile people go down (did anyone actually watch a rainy day in new york?) i’m very disappointed in him to take on a role from someone who doesn’t believe in equality.

Hello, Anon:

I understand what you are saying, and that’s your right to reject that which offends your sensibilities. You can be disappointed. That’s your prerogative.

Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and The Chocolate Factory in 1964. The world was a different place back then. Would it help you to know that Dahl himself was ashamed of the racist overtones of his iconic book and made an effort to rectify his mistake?

https://www.insider.com/classic-childrens-books-that-havent-aged-well-2019-5

Also, Roald Dahl died 31 years ago, so Timmy wouldn’t be working with him, as he did with Woody Allen in A Rainy Day In New York (2019).

I don’t think there’s any value in the wholesale rejection of a good story written in another era because certain details in it don’t hold up to our more enlightened contemporary standards. Why can’t the modern reboot be an opportunity for these archaic, offensive details to be addressed with greater sensitivity? Why must this controversy be such an all-or-nothing proposition?

By your logic, we all should also reject outright the work of the Disney Brothers. Walt Disney was a good friend of Roald Dahl and they shared similar views, some of which also appear in many Disney classics. https://www.insider.com/moments-themes-in-disney-movies-that-havent-aged-well-problematic

Better cancel your Disney+ subscription, if you don’t want to seem like a hypocrite, just saying.

So now what are we supposed to do?

There’s a lot of space to explore in between total acceptance and total rejection of a problematic classic. Rather than running from bigotry and misogyny as we find examples of them in classics from childhood, why not examine what’s terrible about them in a modern context, and use the material as a way to present solutions to prevent it in the future?

We don’t even know the specific details of this movie yet, and already people are sounding off about how disappointed they are in Timmy’s choices, based on very little actual information and a lot of speculation.

I don’t believe in canceling someone in a movie before the movie even exists, before even giving the problematic story a chance to redeem itself.

From what I’ve learned through interviews and articles about Timothée Chalamet, he seems to be a kind, caring, highly intelligent, emotionally aware, and socially conscious young man. I doubt highly that he would agree to work on any project that would compromise his values and principles.

Let’s give Timmy the benefit of the doubt. When we know better, we do better.

Thanks for your comment. 😊

[fearsmagazine]

Filming Is Underway On WARNER BROS. PICTURES’ “WONKA,” Directed By PAUL KING And Starring TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET In The Title Role

Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Wonka,” with Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (upcoming “Dune,” “Call Me By Your Name”) in the titular role, under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Paul King (the “Paddington” films).  Oscar-nominated producer David Heyman (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), who produced the “Harry Potter,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington” films, Luke Kelly, who produced the recent feature adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches as well as the upcoming “Matilda,” and Alexandra Derbyshire, who executive produced the “Paddington” films and the upcoming “Jurassic World: Dominion,” are producing “Wonka.”  The film is based on characters by Roald Dahl, inspired especially by one of Dahl’s most beloved characters, Willy Wonka, and takes place before the events of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”), Simon Farnaby (the “Paddington” films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Colin O’Brien (“The Mothership”), Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”) and Ellie White (“The Other One,” “The Windsors”).

King is directing from a screenplay he wrote with “Paddington 2” co-writer Simon Farnaby (with prior writers including Simon Rich, Simon Stephenson, Jeff Nathanson, and Steven Levenson).  Michael Siegel and Rosie Alison are serving as executive producers.  King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Seamus McGarvey (“Anna Karenina,” “Atonement”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); and Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”).  Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.

Filming in the UK, “Wonka” is set to open in theaters March 17, 2023 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

[dancingsalome]

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

120.

2) What’s your total AO3 word count?

328404. Which makes my fics 2736,7 words long, on average.

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

 26.

Agent Carter, All About Eve, Angel, The Borgias, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Who, both classic and new series, Dracula/The Historian, Emily of New Moon, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell , Harry Potter, Ivanhoe, Labyrinth, The Man in the High Castle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Mummy Series, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Penny Dreadful, Peter Pan, Piranesi, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Queen's Gambit, Sleepy Hollow (1999), Timeless, Versailles (TV 2015) and Victoria 

 4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ghosts (The Mummy Series. Evy/Rick, Evy/Ardeth, Evy/Imhotep)

The Number of Vices (The Queen’s Gambit, Beth/Borgov)

The Might of His Strength (The Mummy Series. Evy/Rick, Evy/Ardeth/Imhotep, Evy/Imhotep)

The Black King (The Queen’s Gambit, Beth/Borgov)

A Moment (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Midge Maisel/Lenny Bruce)

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I do. However, it can take me forever to get around answering them. And if the comment is just an emoji, I will probably not answer.

 6) What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Considering I have written a lot of angst, this was really hard. But if I have to choose one, I’d say a Sleepy Hollow-fic called Hell.

7) What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Crow’s Feet On the Prettiest Eyes (Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Smith/The Doctor) or The Black King (The Queen’s Gambit, Beth/Borgov)m which both are about lovers who are reunited after many years apart.

8) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Not really  I’ve borrowed a character from Pan Am for a The Queen’s Gambit fic, but that wasn’t much of a crossover, really. And I have one Piranesi/Chronicles of Narnia crossover, but that one isn’t particularly crazy either, given how many Narnia-references Piranesy contains.

9) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes. A couple of years ago a person read some of my explicit, and very well-tagged fics only to give me several comments on how disgusting the found explicit fics in general, and the tags i used in particular. Personally I would say that the easiest way to not be disgusted by that would be to NOT READ THOSE FICS!

10) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do. Quite a lot, actually. Mostly F/M, but sometimes also threesomes. As for kind of sex it ranges from fluffy vanilla to BDSM.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, though one I’m currently writing is certainly co-conceived. 

14) What’s your all time favorite ship?

I honestly can’t say; I have so many. My current favourite shup is Beth Harmon/Vasily Borgov from The Queen’s Gambit. Before that I burned for Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont from the TV show Versailles. No, wait, my favourite ship must be the OT3 Rick/Evy/Ardeth from The Mummy series, as that ship precedes the other, and is still around.

15) What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I currently have 5 WIPs posted on AO3  3 of them I’m writing actively on and plan to finish in the foreseeable future. Then I have two WIPs that’s over 10 years old. An extremely dark Sleepy Hollow-fic about Lady Van Tassel, and one humorous Harry Potter-fic about Dudley Dursley. I like them both, and have the plot properly mapped out, but I have yet to find it in me to finish them. I would still like to do that, though! However, I have one Peter Pan fic that I actually removed from AO3 because not only is it a 15 year old WIP, I have also completely forgotten how I wanted it to end. That one I doubt I will ever touch again.

16) What are your writing strengths?

Emotions. I’m good with emotions, and nowadays I think my dialogue flows quite well too. I’ve been told I write good sex scenes too.

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Plots! Most of my fics are one-shots with few characters, mainly dealing with emotions. I used to be very bad at being descriptive, but I’m actively working on improving that. I can be brief to a fault, too.

18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

So far it’s something I have glossed over in the few cases it has been somewhat relevant for the fic. If I did, however, I would probably write the foreign language in italicized English. Unless it was a language no one else in the fic underwood- then I would write it in the original language.

19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Peter Pan, back in 2004, after seeing a promo pic of Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook.

20) What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

Another one of those impossible questions. How can I choose. I’m sorry, It has to be my favourite fics, in plural.

A Place in the Shadows (Penny Dreadful, Vanessa Ives & Sembene), because it turned out exactly as I envisioned it. And I really like the themes of friendship, and cake.

Professor Keller (Doctor Who, Delgado!Master) because it’s my most ambitious fic to date- I even rewrote it completely. I really think I managed the escalating horror of two completely normal people getting their lives destroyed by the Master.

Homeward (The Borgias, Cesare/Micheletto, Lucrezia & Micheletto). I’m not sure why, but I just really, really like this one, and it’s one of my fics that I reread regularly.

A Conversation in the Yellow Drawing-Room, And Other Letters To Mrs Strange (Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell, Lady Pole/John Childermass). In most of my fics the female protagonist saves herself, and this is probably the prime example. I really enjoyed writing Lady Pole making her life the way she wants it for a change, and, ultimately, saving herself, with a little help from her friends.  I also really enjoyed making use of a few fairy tales tropes.

[wonkastarshine]

Soooooo... I wasn’t sure when I was going to share this, but I’m just feeling very emotional towards this event today, so I think this is a good day to talk about it.

I’ve met Tim Burton.

That is me in the all black ensemble in front of him, at the bottom of this very long story. I met him on January 21st this year at his exhibition at the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. The second I found out that Tim was coming to Las Vegas, I cried so hard. This was finally my opportunity to meet the man that has shaped my whole life. But when I went online to secure a ticket for the book signing, they were sold out. I was devastated, and in a desperate plea, I called the museum and asked if they were COMPLETELY sold out. They said ‘yes, we are, but there will be a stand-in line.”

And the clouds lifted.

This was a risky trip. I would be ditching three of my classes to spend a day driving to Las Vegas and then driving back immediately afterwards. I live about 5 hours from Vegas. The stand-in line started at 10am. I planned to leave at exactly 5am and get in line as early as possible. I planned my outfit, my hair, exactly which book I was going to buy for him to sign, and how much I would need to put aside for gas money. It was all put into place.

Now, to convince Mom to let me go...

I wrote out a whole speech (a la Wonka cue card style) and read it out loud to her. I had lost so much sleep over the fear of her rejection, and the agony of knowing that I had a shot and it just slipped from my fingers. My mom’s biggest worry was that I would drive all the way, stand hours in line and have Tim say, “Sorry, I’m not going to sign any more.” But I told her, “I would rather go and be turned away, then to never know whether I would’ve been accepted or not.”

Mom wasn’t happy, but ultimately gave her blessing for me to drive solo(!) to Las Vegas. Gosh, even just writing about it now gives me such butterflies! I woke up at 4:30 and was out of the house by 5:30, as I had to wait for some fog to clear up. I was on my way, with Danny Elfman’s music to be my friend for the long drive. The drive was fairly empty. I went over the Tehachapi mountains just as the sun was rising. It was sooooo beautiful, with all of its purples, pinks and oranges. “Everyday” by Buddy Holly, from Big Fish was playing and it just completely summed up how I was feeling. This was my moment. From the second I laid eyes on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at age 4, Tim Burton forever changed my life. And now it was going to be time to thank him.

I arrived at the museum and to my surprise, the stand-in line was maybe 15 people maximum. The 400 people who got tickets previously were all in attendance. I breathed a sigh of relief and ate a snack while reading a book. The employees of the museum were so nice and always willing to answer our questions. One even said, “Tim loves his fans. He’s very grateful for all of you. I have no doubt he will sign for everyone.” So, the waiting began. I had arrived at about 10:30 or so and the signing would not start until 2pm. It wasn’t until around 2:30 or so that we were informed that those in the stand in line were definitely getting our books signed.

Y’all let me tell you, I almost died right there on the spot.

And I was internally panicking so much because I hadn’t allowed myself to plan what I was going to say to him, in the event I didn’t get to meet him. But it was real now and the gears were turning. I bought The Art of Tim Burton book from the stand and quickly joined the queue, which was moving rapidly. He was a fast signer, apparently. The employees told us we could pick ANY page we wanted him to sign and he would sign it. The gears turned even more. ANY PAGE?? Holy cow, what would I pick? Wonka, Edward, Catwoman, personal sketches of him and Helena?? I was so torn. I loved the concept sketch of Wonka, but there was some text at the bottom of it, and I kinda just wanted his signature to be alone with a drawing. I wanted to pick something that uniquely represented Tim, one drawing that completely encapsulated what his art is, what his art means and expresses.

And the lowly first sketch of Edward Scissorhands that he drew in high school was perfect. 100% Tim Burton.

The queue was getting shorter and shorter, and I realized that I was silly getting to think that Burton would want to really be having conversations with people. A self proclaimed introvert definitely would not want to talk to over 500 people in a day! So, I decided on one line. As soon as I turned the corner and I saw that tangled mess of black hair, those polarized glasses he never goes without, my heart completely dropped and burst with nerves. It was really Tim Burton, Tim Fucking Burton, sitting right there. The man responsible for creating my childhood: Willy Wonka, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman Returns. It just seemed so surreal. I handed my phone to the nice lady behind me in line, who I casually held small talk with throughout the day. She was more than happy to take pictures of me with Burton.

He was moving fast! I barely got in front of him when he was already done signing it! I had to make my move. I stuck out my hand, waited until he shook it, made eye contact with me and I said, “Thank you so much for coming.” He smiled and I was quickly ushered away by the nice employees. It was perfect. No embarrassing blubbering or confessions. Just a handshake, a word of thanks and some smiles. I’m sitting here with tears in my eyes just typing this. I left the museum, and went to my car. I just stared at his autograph for the longest time. I called my mom and told her I made it and I met him. After I hung up, I sat quietly in car, silent, yet happy tears falling. Everything I’ve ever wanted to be, is because of Burton. My reason for wanting to become a film editor is because of Burton.

It was my honor and privilege to have met the genius. And I’m beyond grateful it happened before the entire world turned into a chaotic mess. Tim Burton has always been my rock in times of chaos. Today is no exception. What a day 🖤

[wonkasmissstarshine]

The Chocolatier’s Rose {Willy Wonka x OC} Ch. 2

GIF not mine. Credit goes to owner.

Summary: Grandpa Joe shares his stories of when he used to work for Willy Wonka, an Indian prince and a chocolate palace, and deceit.

A/N: Yes, I am following the movie but some dialogue and scenes may be changed or not there entirely. I’ll add Wonka gifs once we get to that part of the story. And yes, Rose is singing that song to Charlie.

Tagging: @holdmeicant​ @willymywonkers​

Rose and Charlie had a couple of stops to make on their way home. Rose needed to pop into the market to buy a loaf of bread, using the money that Mrs. Mason gave her. After that, the two siblings walked by the chocolate factory. They stopped in front of it and stared for a few minutes.

"What do you think it's like inside?" Charlie asked his older sister.

Rose, who was staring at the smoke coming out of the factory responded with, "I don't know, but if I ever had the chance to see inside, I would take it. Mr. Wonka's chocolate has always been the best"

If there was one thing Rose loved almost as much as her family, it was chocolate. More specifically, Mr. Wonka's chocolate. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to eat a bar that often. Her and Charlie both got one for their birthdays. And they always shared with everyone else.

Rose tried to save up enough money to buy Charlie a chocolate bar, but other necessities came up. Like the loaf of bread for example.

Charlie and Rose made it home, announcing their arrival to the other Buckets in the house. The other Buckets greeted them in return.

"Hello, darling" Mrs Bucket greeted her daughter as she came into the kitchen area. "How was work today?"

"Like any other day" Rose said with a shrug. "But Mrs. Mason did send me home with a cherry pie!" She handed the pie over to her mother.

Mrs Bucket's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful. That Mrs. Mason is such a kind woman"

"And she also gave me some money to buy this" Rose presented the loaf of bread.

"Nothing goes with cabbage soup like bread, and cherry pie for dessert. Thank you, dear" Mrs. Bucket kissed Rose on the cheek. She then went back to cutting up the cabbage.

At that moment, Mr Bucket came through the door. He took had a long day of work, just as Rose did. He greeted everyone the same way Rose and Charlie announced their arrival. "Evening, Buckets!"

Everyone greeted him back. Mr Bucket went over and kissed Mrs Bucket. That's when he noticed the pie and the bread. He turned to smile at Rose. "Let me guess? Mrs Mason?"

Rose smiled with a nod. "She says hello, by the way" She then wrapped her arms around her father, giving him a tight hug.

"Was that boy giving you trouble again today?" Mr Bucket whispered so that only Rose could hear. Rose didn't say anything. Instead, she gave a small twitch of her lips. He knew she didn't want to talk about it now, so he let it go for now. The two of them let go. Mr Bucket took a seat at the table, reaching into his pocket. "Charlie, I've found something I think you'll like" He placed a few caps belonging to toothpaste tubes on the table.

Charlie and Rose's father worked at the local toothpaste factory. The hours were long, and the pay was terrible, yet occasionally, there were unexpected surprises.

Charlie grabbed the two caps that were molded together. A big smile grew on his face. "It's exactly what I need!"

Rose had already grabbed Charlie's special project when their Grandpa Joe had asked, "What is it Charlie?"

Rose placed Charlie's toothpaste tube cap replica of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory onto a table. Charlie then placed the double molded cap on his mini Willy Wonka, giving him a head and a top hat. "Dad found it. Just the piece I needed" Charlie said.

"What piece was it?" Grandpa Joe asked.

"A head for Willy Wonka"

"How wonderful!" Grandma Josephine said.

"It looks perfect, Charlie" Rose told him, wrapping her arms around him from behind and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "And I must say, Willy Wonka looks quite handsome!" She joked with a smile.

"It's quite a likeness" Grandpa Joe added.

"You think so?" Charlie wondered.

"Think so? I know so! I saw Willy Wonka with my own two eyes" Charlie and Rose stared at Grandpa Joe in disbelief. "I used to work for him, you know"

"You did?" Charlie gasped.

"I did!"

"He did!" Grandma Josephine said.

"He did" Grandpa George repeated.

"I love grapes!" Grandma Georgina chirped randomly. Rose smiled at her. She always loved the random things she would say.

"Of course, I was a much younger man in those days" Grandpa Joe began to reminisce about Willy Wonka's first shop. Everyone settled in for Grandpa Joe's story. Mrs. Bucket handed out dinner to everyone. "Willy Wonka began with a single store on Cherry Street, but the whole world wanted his candy. The man was a genius. Did you know, he invented a new way of making chocolate ice cream so that it stays cold for hours without a freezer? You could leave it lying in the sun on a hot day and it won't go runny"

"That's impossible" Charlie said.

"But Willy Wonka did it. Before long, he decided to build a proper chocolate factory. The largest chocolate factory in history. Fifty times as big as any other" Grandpa Joe added a detail about him and Josephine sharing a kiss at the opening.

Rose giggled in amusement, while Charlie said, "Grandpa, don't make it gross!"

"Tell them about the Indian prince" Grandma Josephine suggested. "They'd like to hear about that"

"You mean Prince Pondicherry?" Grandpa Joe continued on with the story. "Well, Prince Pondicherry wrote a letter to Mr. Wonka and asked him to come all the way out to India and build him a colossal palace entirely out of chocolate"

"Oh, I would love to live in a chocolate palace!" Rose chimed in dreamily. "Too bad I would end up eating it all"

"True to his word, the bricks were chocolate and the cement holding them together was chocolate. All the walls and ceilings were made of chocolate as well. So were the carpets and the pictures, and the furniture. The prince was told to eat it all before it melted, but he wouldn't listen. But Mr. Wonka was right, of course. Soon after this, there came a very hot day with a boiling sun. The prince sent an urgent telegram requesting a new palace, but Willy Wonka was facing problems of his own

"All the other chocolate makers had grown jealous of Mr. Wonka. They began sending in spies to steal his secret recipes. Fickelgruber started making an ice cream that would never melt. Prodnose came out with a chewing gum that never lost its flavour. Then Slugworth began making candy balloons that you could blow up to incredible sizes. The thievery got so bad, that one day without warning, Mr. Wonka told every single one of his workers to go home. He announced that he was closing his chocolate factory forever"

Rose suddenly remembered the smoke coming from the factory when she and Charlie were walking home. "But the factory is open right now" She said.

"Ah, yes" Mrs Bucket piped in. "Well, sometimes when grown ups say forever, they mean a very long time"

"Such as I feel like I've eaten nothing but cabbage soup for ever" Grandpa George grumbled.

"Now, pops" Mr. Bucket warned.

"The factory did close, Rose and Charlie" Grandma Josephine said.

"And it seemed like it was going to be closed forever" Grandpa Joe added on. "Then one day we saw smoke rising from the chimneys. The factory was back in business"

"Did anyone get their jobs back?" Charlie wondered.

The smile on Joe's face faded away. "No, no one did"

"But there must be people working there"

"Think about it, you two" Grandma Josephine spoke up yet again. "Have you ever seen a single person going into that factory, or coming out of it?"

Charlie and Rose shared glances as they both thought about the answer. Charlie was the one to speak. "No, the gates are always closed"

"Exactly, Charlie" Grandpa Joe said.

Another thought came across Rose's mind. "But then, who's running the machines?"

"No one knows, Rose" Mrs Bucket shrugged.

"It certainly is a mystery" Mr Bucket added.

"Hasn't someone asked Mr. Wonka?" Charlie asked yet another question.

"Nobody sees him anymore. He never comes out" Grandpa Joe answered. "The only thing that comes out of that place is the candy that's already packed and addressed" A smile then grew on his face. "I'd love to see the factory one more time to see what became of it"

"Well, you won't because you can't" Grandpa George said, being the usual party pooper he was. "It's a mystery and it will always be a mystery. That little factory of yours, Charlie, is as close as any of us is going to get"

"Come on you two" Mrs Bucket told her two children. "I think it's time we let your grandparents get some sleep"

The two Bucket children wished everyone good night, giving everyone a goodnight kiss and then climbed up to their shared bedroom. Charlie's bed was against one wall while Rose's was against the other.

Charlie climbed into bed first. Rose tucked him in, making sure the blanket was pulled right up to his chin. "Goodnight Charlie. I hope you have sweet dreams" She kissed his forehead, before climbing into her own bed.

"Rosie?" Charlie spoke his sister's name ever so quietly.

"Yes, Charlie?"

"Can you sing the song you usually song?" Charlie loved hearing his sister sing. He thought that she had the voice of an angel.

"Anything for you, Charlie" Rose said sweetly. She then began to sing.

A dream is a wish your heart makes

When you're fast asleep

In dreams you will lose your heartaches

Whatever you wish for, you keep

Have faith in your dreams and someday

Your rainbow will come smiling through

No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

The dream that you wish will come true

A dream is a wish your heart makes

When you're fast asleep

In dreams you will lose your heartaches

Whatever you wish for, you keep

Have faith in your dreams and someday

Your rainbow will come smiling through

No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

The dream that you wish will come true

[nightmarecake426]

~So as someone who’s a fan of AUs and Henry Stickmin is one of the coolest and greatest games out there: I decided to make my own AUs.

Gonna say this: I wrote down a list of AUs I plan on making (crossing out any that I find have been done)

The ones in the picture are just the first three.

All That Glitters Is Pain [Frozen!AU]- An AU inspired by the fact it seems Reginald is the only one who wears gloves, like a certain queen in a certain Disney movie, to which brought me to making this. It’s basically an AU where it has the classic Frozen movie elements and plot but with added in Henry Stickmin classics like memories, accepting the past, as well as this AU being one of the few where Henry is the son of Reginald Copperbottom. (Alsp ye can tell I switched the ice and snow to something a bit more fitting for the Toppats)

Charles And The Chocolate Factory [Charlie And The Chocolate Factory!AU]- An AU created by how every time I hear the name “Charles” or “Charlie” or some form of the name: I think of Charlie Bucket to which Charles, our favourite pilot, seems to be the perfect one to play the lucky boy himself. For this I’m still working out who’s who as it’s the classic story (from the book so nothing from either films as those are covered in different stories that aren’t HS AUs) with Charles as Charlie along with Galeforce being Grandpa Joe and (only because he is a leader and has a top hat) Reginald being Willy Wonka. Might change, I have a feeling I know who cast for the other Ticket winners but for now it is in beta mode: more info coming soon.

Silent Stickmin [Silent Hill!AU]- I can’t remember what made me create this AU. Maybe I was in a bit of a Silent Hill mood while talking to a friend? But it’s an AU that takes place in the Toppat Civil Warfare ending with Ellie escaping the Wall but ending up in Silent Hill while she was on her way to take revenge on Henry Stickmin. Most of the story is her dealing with monsters as well- inspired by my friend’s SH story and Silent Ponyville- as memories of her past. Her only companion, mainly, is Right Hand Man (I have had the idea of giving him an actual name in this but I’m not sure for now). It is basically Henry Stickmin meets Silent Hill, what more can ye expect. I also chose Ellie as I feel like she could possibly be like Heather Mason.

Those are just three out of the long list I’ve got. More coming soon~

[phlaimeaux]

Hello!

I mentioned this on the ISOLATING podcast today.

Here is a six round quiz you can do with your friends/family/frenemies in person or over the internet/WhatApp. The questions are mostly from the amazing Louise O’Connor and I wrote some of the less good ones. Please go on Twitter and say thanks to her. She’s @oconnola.

You can use this quiz but the only rule is that you have make a donation to a charity that is helping vulnerable people at this time. In Ireland, good ones are Alone or Age Action. Please find a similar one in your country/area. And if you could ask the people who are playing with you to do likewise.

It’s one point for a correct answer plus a bonus of two if you can get the link that ties each round together, so the whole quiz is out of 72 points. Sometimes it’s easier to figure out the link and work backwards to get the questions.

The way I did it with my family was to use the main O’Doherty family WhatsApp. There are forty people across three time zones on that. I told them we’d be having a quiz at 8pm Irish time and to form teams and nominate a captain. In the end there were six teams and they could converse with the rest of their team across video platforms. At 8pm I cut and pasted the questions from round one up on the WhatsApp and gave them 10 (more like 15mins really) for the team captains to get the answers back to me directly . Then we moved on to round two. There was a threat of excommunication from the family if anyone cheated.

I corrected them and my Dad did the scores while they were deliberating on the next round and it was one of the most fun nights of the pandemic so far!

Good luck with it and let’s all just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Let me know how it goes.

DO’D

ROUND ONE

1. Brazilian forward and politician Bebeto played for which northern Spanish club for four years in the 1990s?

2. What is the currency of Sweden?

3. Name the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber, and provides most the eye’s focusing power.

4. What is the scientific name for the family of birds that includes jackdaws, rooks, ravens and magpies amongst others?

5. What number appears directly opposite 1 on a standard dartboard?

6. What is the Internet country code top-level domain for Colombia?

7. In anatomy, by what name is the crown on the top of the head also known?

8. Which song on The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan features a woman’s name twice?

9. Which brand regrettably launched its hard seltzer line in the USA in early 2020 with the tagline "coming ashore soon"?

10. Who is the lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?

ROUND TWO

1. According to singer Edwin Starr, what is good for absolutely nothing?

2. The Pub Landlord comedy character is played by whom?

3. A rock group, record label or film not belonging or affiliated to a major record or film company is known by what name?

4. ‘______snipe,’ is originally Wall Street slang for ‘streetcorner broker.’

5. Which 2020 Democratic presidential candidate was the mayor of South Bend, Indiana?

6. What was Spike Lee’s film about murderer David Berkowitz?

7. Which international football team played with the letters CCCP on their shirts?

8. What was Lewis Carroll’s sequel to Alice in Wonderland?

9. In Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, what is the name of the Imperial troop transporter/combat vehicles that defend the ice planet Hoth?

10. French duo Air had a hit with ‘Kellie Watch ___ _____’ in 1998?

ROUND THREE

1. Ursula Andress appeared as Honey Ryder in which James Bond film?

2. After Romeo and Juliet, which character has the third most lines in the eponymous play? We never actually learn this person’s given name.

3. What 1994 Robert Altman film was shot on location during Paris Fashion Week?

4. Otto Octavius is the real name of which myopic enemy of Spider-Man?

5. Louise Fletcher won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of which character, the antagonist of a character played by Jack Nicholson?

6. An 1886 book by Robert Louis Stevenson investigates the dual lives of which two title characters?

7. What does assassin Leon call his work in the movie ‘Leon’?

8. What genre of song was first published in Tommy Thumb's Song Book, published in the 1740s? Subject material includes the destruction of a major thoroughfare in the English capital, an expedited order of a very special cake, and the threat of a tragic arboreal accident?

9. The term PhD is an abbreviation of which academic title?

10. Jackie, played on TV by Edie Falco, and Betty, played on screen by Renée Zellweger, both share what job in the title of their show and movie respectively?

ROUND 4

1. How are Athos, Porthos and Aramis better known?

2. Which 1991 film stars Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze?

3. How many countries of the world begin with the letter O (in English)?

4. As of 2020, how many times have Manchester City won the premier league?

5. On a typical dart board, which number is directly to the right of the number twenty?

6. How many claws does a rabbit have on its foreleg?

7. In Greek mythology, how many Muses are there? They are the daughters of Zeus.

8. Does a vein carry blood to or from the heart?

9. How many players are typically on a volleyball team?

10. How many countries are permanent members of the UN security council? They are also the only countries with a veto.

ROUND 5

1. What denotes the letter C in the NATO alphabet?

2. What is the surname of the central family in the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances?

3. A 'black light' emits what kind of light?

4. Which Louisiana general led the Confederate troops at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 during the American Civil War?

5. Which rock group sang the 1988 number 2 hit, The Living Years?

6. What was first broadcast on August 1st 1981?

7. Which Roman emperor succeeded Julius Caesar?

8. What five letter word, beginning with G, refers to sloppy or sticky semi-fluid matter?

9. A Plantar wart is most commonly known as what?

10. Which (US) city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics?

ROUND SIX

1. Which long running BBC music show is hosted by Jools Holland?

2. Which Shakespeare comedy features the characters Benedick and Beatrice?

3. Complete the title of this Duke Ellington song: ‘East St Louis ______ ____’ 

4. What breed of dog is or was a pet kept by, amongst others, Elvis Presley, Martha Stewart, President Calvin Coolidge and Sigmund Freud?

5. What is the chemical symbol for the element copper?

6. The sitcom Frasier was itself a spin-off of which sitcom? I hope everybody knows its name.

7. Which cereal, marketed in the UK and Ireland by Nestlé, features the cereal in question falling into a bowl with blue, red, yellow and green stripes?

8. Which condiment is made mainly of mayonnaise and finely chopped capers?

9. Constantinople was the capital of which empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453?

10. Which Australian musician’s singles include Chandelier and Cheap Thrills?

ANSWERS

Round ONE

1. Derportivo La Coruna

2. Krona

3. Cornea

4. Corvids or Corvidae

5. 19

6. Co

7. The corona

8. Corrina Corrina

9. Corona

10. Karen O

Theme: Coronavirus

Round TWO

1. War

2. Al Murray

3. Indie

4. Guttersnipe

5. Pete Buttigieg

6. Summer of Sam

7. USSR

8. Through the Looking Glass

9. AT-AT

10. The stars

Theme: Oscar Wilde Quote. ‘We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.’

Round THREE

1. Dr No

2. Nurse

3. Pret a Porter

4. Dr Octopus

5. Nurse Ratched

6. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

7. Cleaner

8. Nursery Rhymes

9. Doctor of Philosopy

10. Nurse

Theme: Heroic front line workers at this time

Round FOUR

1. Three Muskateers

2. Point Break

3. One

4. Four

5. One

6. Five

7. Nine

8. To

9. Six

10. Five

Theme: Pi

ROUND FIVE

1. Charlie

2. Bucket

3. Violet

4. Beauregarde

5. Mike

6. Teavee

7. Augustus

8. Gloop

9. Veruca

10. Salt

Children in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/Willie Wonka

ROUND SIX

1. Later

2. Much Ado About Nothing

3. Toodle-oo

4. Chow

5. Cu

6. Cheers

7. Cheerios

8. Tartar

9. Byzantine

10. Sia

Theme: Ways of saying goodbye.

[mylearning-teachingblog]

The World of Roald Dahl

https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/the-enormous-crocodile-by

Roald Dahl was a spy, an ace fighter pilot, a chocolate historian and a medical inventor.Roald Dahl He was also the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, and a treasury of original, evergreen, and beloved children’s books. He remains for many the world’s No. 1 storyteller.Born in Llandaff, Wales, on 13th September 1916 to Norwegian parents, Harald Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg, Dahl was named after Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian who had been the first man to reach the South Pole just four years earlier. A heroic start in life. But his early years were blighted by the tragic deaths of his older sister, Astri, and his father.Wanting the best for her only son, his mother sent him to boarding school - first to St Peter's, Weston-super-Mare; then, in 1929, to Repton - where many bizarre and memorable events would later be recounted in Boy. Pupils at Repton were invited to trial chocolate bars, a memory that stayed with Dahl throughout his life, inspiring Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.Schooldays happily behind him, Dahl’s lust for travel took him first to Canada, then to East Africa, where he worked for an oil company until the outbreak of World War Two. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force at 23 years old.In September 1940, Dahl received severe injuries to his head, nose and back when his Gladiator crash-landed in the Western Desert. After six months recovering from his injuries in Alexandria he returned to action, taking part in The Battle of Athens. Later, after a posting to Washington, he supplied intelligence to MI6.In 1953 Roald Dahl married the American actress, Patricia Neal, with whom he had five children. They divorced after 30 years, and he later married Felicity “Liccy” Crosland, who has furthered Roald’s legacy through the foundation of Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity and The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.In 1960 Roald helped invent the Wade-Dahl-Till valve, prompted by the need to alleviate the head injuries endured by his son after an accident in New York.Roald Dahl as a child Roald Dahl as a child Roald Dahl as a young boy Roald Dahl in the RAF Roald Dahl with Quentin BlakeThere followed a burst of literary energy: in 1961 James and the Giant Peach was published in the US, followed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald then wrote screenplays for the James Bond hit You Only Live Twice and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as well as adult novels such as Kiss Kiss. Fantastic Mr. Fox was published in 1970, the year before the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was released. The rest of the decade saw the publication of many other classics, including Danny the Champion of the World, The Enormous Crocodile, and My Uncle Oswald. Roald also enjoyed enormous success on television. Having already had his stories told in six episodes of the award winning US series Alfred Hitchcock Presents, his Tales of the Unexpected ran for several series between 1979 and 1988 in the UK. In the early 1980s he published The Twits, Revolting Rhymes, The BFG and The Witches. There followed two autobiographical books: Boy, in 1984 and Going Solo, in 1986. Matilda was published in 1988, Esio Trot in 1990, and finally, in 1991, came the posthumous delight of The Minpins.Roald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, aged 74. He was buried in the parish church of St Peter and St Paul in Great Missenden - the Buckinghamshire village where today The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre continues his extraordinary mission to amaze, thrill and inspire generations of children and their parents.

[jq37]

So you have a vendetta and I love it, finally someone else agrees that Dahl was an insane person who had crazy morals (like how any man with a beard was automatically a degenerate, horrible person. He wrote a book on that. A children’s book. WTH.) but what do you think of the sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator?

Is that from the Twits? It sounds like it would have been in that book but the main thing I remember is the whole gross food in beards bit. Ugh.

And I’m gonna be really real with you. The reason this sat in my inbox for a month is that reading Glass Elevator is legit one of the most scarring moments of my childhood.

Like, as a book it makes no sense as a followup to Chocolate Factory but even alone, it’s a deeply disturbing book. I read it with the original illustrations which are pure nightmare fuel. Those monsters were so gross. And then the concept of de-aging into negatives which I don’t even want to get into. Thinking about the book makes me slightly nauseous. 

Just truly the definition of thanks, I hate it.