Popcorn, Soda, and Goobers - Movie and DVD Reviews and Film Commentary

Flick4Friday’s are due tonight! So, all of you with blogs or who are just interested in sounding off, make sure to participate! We’ll post suggestions submitted by other bloggers on the Flick4Friday site tomorrow and hopefully you’ll have a few good picks for a flick to watch this Friday. (Get it?)

This week’s theme is “Movie’s which are better than the book.” I know, it’s a tough one. Most of the time, you just can’t retell a novel in two hours or so. But, once in a while the movie just strikes gold. Here’s one pick from me and one pick from Ryan.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Sorry Roald Dahl, I loved your books, especially Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but this movie was and always will be a favorite. I know it didn’t stay true to the book, but the songs are just so much fun and how can you say no to Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka? As a kid, I always wanted to believe there were magical lands filled with chocolate as well. Imagine! The sets, the costumes, the songs, it’s a beautiful little musical that brings one of the tastiest books ever written to life (with a little poetic license of course).

Here’s a fun fact. Did you know Peter Ostrum, the guy who played Charlie Bucket in this movie, never did another movie and went on to become a veterinarian?

Silence of the Lambs

Ryan had a real hard time choosing a movie for this topic. In the end, he went with “The Silence of the Lambs“, not because it was necessarily better than the book but because it was a terrific adaptation. And, just straight up fun to watch.