Well I thought I was done anyway

When I got home, I pretty much just wanted to collapse, and a very wise person told me to veg in front of the tube and not over-do tonight. I follow good advice - particularly if it allows me to be bone idle.

I had another furkey sandwich and some smashed taters, and proceeded to let my eyes glaze over in front of the new Willie Wonka. As I went comatose, though, Lance knocked on the door. I had forgotten we were going to do pictures tonight. With typical Lance niceness, he offered to do it tomorrow or later, but I needed to go ahead and get prints ordered so I could get Dad's present ready for his birthday (he asked for a new portrait of me). So I went over there, talked to Lance for a bit, and ordered my pictures. He had done some really nice stuff, making some close-ups out of some, doing a couple of black and whites, etc. I was really happy with them.

I have to say, I was pretty severe on the new Willie when I first saw it. I grew up (after reading the book as a child) with the Gene Wilder Willie, and I have to say, I still think he did the definitive portrayal of Wonka. I loved that version. But watching the second one tonight I liked it a lot more than I did originally. I thought all the Buckets came across as really warm and loving. I liked Helena Bonham Carter a lot too, although I didn't like her much in Sweeney Todd. Overall, I think the second version is probably closer to the book and the tone of the writing. I just really don't care much for Johnny Depp as Willie, and I usually like him in Burton's stuff. I think they work well together. I can see how he would draw on Michael Jackson as someone who has really been isolated from the world, but the creepiness was way off the scale for a children's movie. Frankly, the Chicklet-like (Psycho Beach Party) play of crazy across his face when he was supposed to be thinking about his dad was so bad as to approach parody. Since Depp is an accomplished actor, this had to be what Burton wanted, but I am mystified as to why. It never really works, although Depp does manage to make the character more likable at the end of the movie. I have to say though, I was too rough on the movie the first time I saw it, and found much of it charming this time.

Sometimes I have to see Burton's movies more than once to like them though. It seems to take more than one viewing for me to shift to his perspective with some of them. I found Nightmare Before Christmas disturbing and off-putting the first time I saw it, and now I consider it a masterpiece.