The next deadly sin...gluttony, which we are all guilty of when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner and chocolate. Ok, maybe I am the chocolate glutton which is why I try not to have chocolate in the house. I have to admit I had a tough time this week since I already used Henry the 8th, played by Charles Laughton and Tom Jones with Albert Finney but I think I chose 3 that work. It will be interesting to see what the others will choose over at the brainchild, Wandering Through The Shelves. Here are my 3...
1. WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY-1971
Forget the Johnny Depp creepy flick and enjoy this one despite the creepy oompa-loompas. I had read that the studio thought the Oompa-Loompas were going to be a hit with kids so they put out dolls etc... only for it to tank..because they were creepy. Ok, a sweet kid, who is poor but happy, would love to get one of 5 tickets hidden in the chocolate bars placed all around the country. When the 5 lucky kids have the golden ticket they get a tour of the Willy Wonka factory. 4 of the kids are mean, entitled, nasty brats who love to eat whatever they can get their hands on. Well, the sweet boy gets a ticket and asks his granddad to go with him to the factory. There they meet the very odd Willy Wonka, played perfectly by Gene Wilder, and they, with the 4 brats and their parents, embark on a tour of the factory where each kid can’t help but gorge on sweets leading to unhappy events. It’s a weird movie that I haven’t seen in years and it’s not a favourite of mine but I will give it another chance to see if I like it better now even though I love Gene Wilder.
2. MONTY PYTHON AND THE MEANING OF LIFE-1983
Oh how I love Monty Python because, to me, they are brilliant in their absurdity. There is intelligence to everything they do and this is one I found hilarious when I saw it in the theatre starting with the Song,”Every Sperm is Sacred” while the Catholic couple keep pushing out kids. This film has a series of skits trying to explain the meaning of life from the skit I just mentioned to Death coming to fetch people who ate bad fish( except one who didn’t but death told her to be quiet). The most famous scene and, most disgusting, is the Mr. Creosote skit. This skit is my least favourite but it fits the bill for gluttony. Mr. Creosote is an immensely obese, rude, disgusting man who comes to a restaurant and proceeds to eat and vomit (bring me a bucket!). When he is finally asked if he wants a "wafer thin mint", he accepts and promptly explodes. I love this film except for this scene even though it is the most famous.
3. CHOCOLAT-2000
This is a really nice film that takes place in a small French village run by a very uptight mayor and the citizens seem unhappy until a young woman and her daughter come to town. This lady opens up a chocolate store and she seems to know exactly what each person needs in her chocolate choices. This decadence does not go over with the mayor who tries to do everything he can to close up her shop. Little does she know that he wishes to gorge himself on her chocolate. This is a nice little gem of a film that makes you forget the nasty days out there.
Which 3 would you choose?
Yes, if you're going to watch the film, watch the Gene Wilder one.
ReplyDeleteThat Monty Python skit is not the best but it is the one everyone knows from that movie.
The only other one I can think of this early in the morning is Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Jabba the Hutt.
I almost chose Jabba the Hutt or Pizza the Hutt:) This was a tough one
DeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Alex (above) in thinking of Pizza The Hutt from Star Wars in relation to this theme. I have not seen any of these films but, even so, it's gonna take the jaws of life to pry out of my head the imagined image of exploding glutton Mr. Creosote. :)
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB!
Oh just go to youtube and watch that scene..it never leaves you. I love Pizza The Hutt
DeleteI LOVE this version of Willy Wonka and it was the first thing I thought of as well but I've used it before. It's has its dark moments but overall its a sweet funny film and Wilder could not be more perfect as Willie Wonka.
ReplyDeleteI didn't love Meaning of Life but I'm variable on Monty Python. It does fit well though.
Chocolat was a lovely charmer when I saw it in the theatre but to be honest I haven't thought of it since.
I struggled a bit with this week’s theme but then happened upon my first pick, which until now I hadn’t known existed. It’s a series of vignettes for each of the sins and it’s provided me with at least one title for each transgression for the rest of the year!
The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971)-Gluttony: The manufacturer of dietary biscuits Slimmo exhorts that you can exist on 8 of them a day while being a closet glutton with rich food hidden throughout his office. When he inevitably starts to gain weight the company doctor limits him to two biscuits a day but everywhere he looks he sees food! We follow his comic adventures as he tries to sneak whatever tidbits he can. But he pays for it in the end. Co-written by Monty Python’s Graham Chapman.
The Big Feast (aka La Grande Bouffe) (1973)-Four middle aged disenchanted French men of the bourgeoisie (including Marcello Mastroianni and Philippe Noiret) gather at the villa of one of their number with the express goal of eating themselves to death. Looking to indulge to the utmost they include three prostitutes in the party and from then on its food then sex, sex and food, sex while eating food and finally just food and more food. You might never want to eat again once it ends.
Cool Hand Luke (1967)-Non conformist Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is behind bars on a Florida chain gang but his spirit isn’t imprisoned. While he is a thorn in the side of the guards he becomes a source of inspiration to the other inmates particularly after accepting a spur of the moment bet to eat 50 hard-boiled eggs in an hour. After he achieves the gluttonish goal he lays on a table splayed Christ like suffering but venerated.
I have heard about the Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins and always wanted to see it. I have also heard about the Big Feast but never had a desire to see it. I almost went with Cool Hand Luke because of this famous scene
Delete7 Magnificent Sins is okay, nothing special but harmless enough and better than I expected it to be.
DeleteSpare yourself The Big Feast! I watched it specifically for this week and despite the quality actors involved it was both gross and dispiriting.
We sort of match with Willy Wonka, only I chose the remake. I haven't seen your other picks. I struggled this week too.
ReplyDeleteThe remake was icky to me and i don't mind Johnny Depp but I didn't care for this version
DeleteI enjoyed all three of these films Birgit....and the wafer thin mint joke has endured in our family every time we eat them.....have a great weekend let’s hope the weather is kind xxxxx
ReplyDeleteUghh, the weather was snowy not it is a cold rain. I am freezing in the satellite office I am in and have my coat on. I am glad you saw all three including the Meaning of Life. Funny that my friends and I can say Wafer thin mint and we all laugh even though we all find that scene disgusting
DeleteI've seen that Willy version. Re-watched a program about Sammy Davis Jr. this week and The Candyman song has been stuck in my head.
ReplyDeleteSaw Chocolat and loved it, but I am a nut for foreign films.
When I saw the theme on another blog, my first thought was the documentary Supersize Me. Turned me off fast-food real quick.
I almost went with Supersize Me and it really turned me off fast food. You know, Sammy Davis wanted to be in Willy Wonka but they didn't know where to fit him in. I just read about that...I think it was for Willie Wonka. Give me a film that takes place in Europe and I usually love it.
DeleteThis was a tough category for me, as well. Didn't want to go with Henry VIII - too obvious. Believe it or not, I've never seen either version of Willy Wonka, but I have seen the other two. Monty Python is a bit over-the-top but agree about the brilliance. Loved Chocolat!
ReplyDeleteHere's my entry @ The Doglady's Den
You should see the first Willie Wonka. I love Monty Python because they are over the top especially with this film.
DeleteI've never seen any of these and have no suggestions, either. I liked your synopses, though.
ReplyDeleteYeah...this was a tough week
DeleteWilly Wonka is a good choice
ReplyDeleteI ought to read Willy Wonka to see if it's as creepy as the movies. Gluttony-- that movie with Helen Mirrin, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover comes to my mind.
ReplyDeleteI almost chose this film and it is good..I need to see it again. Raould Dahl wrote this book and he is not on my favourite list especially how he was with his wife, Patricia Neal...Narcissist
DeleteThe Gene Wilder one sure is the way to go. That Depp one was awful. Never knew that about oompa loompa toys. Bet they go for a pretty penny now though. I'll have to check ebay.
ReplyDeleteI bet they would be worth something not that I would ever want one
DeleteI never much liked Monty Python, but John does so I’ve seen that film. Not a nice scene!
ReplyDeleteOh you must be reading a book when he puts Monty Python on:)
DeleteKind of a strange topic, but you picked some good ones. The first thing that came to my mind was the pie eating fantasy segment in Stand By Me.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
It's a tough one and I had to struggle. I never saw Stand By Me..one day
DeleteI sure enjoyed Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka! Now I want some chocolate :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I want chocolate all the time
DeleteI have never seen that scene in Meaning of Life. I'm way too sensitive to such things, so every time I've watched the movie, I've skipped that scene. (Luckily, I've always watched it on TV.) Is that the one where they do the sex ed demonstration? As someone who has worked in schools, that bit is sooooo true.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the one and I was a bit shocked by that scene..the puritan in me...there isn't much but it came out when watching that scene
DeleteGee, everyone has already mentioned everything I could think of. When I first saw your title, the Mr. Creosote scene from Monty Python immediately came to mind. And I whole-heartedly agree with your other two choices. Chocolat is one of my all-time favourite movies. Then I tried to think of other scenes and the egg-eating scene from Cool Hand Luke came to mind. As did the blueberry-pie scene from Stand By Me. The only other scene that comes to mind is from an obscure Vincent Price movie - one that we both adore - Theatre of Blood! There is that scene in which one of the victims is force fed something... I won't say what... but we both know the scene. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yea..I almost chose Theatre of Blood because it is perfect for that scene. Chocolate is a very good film and I have to ask you why it resonates with you so much. Love that scene near the end with the mayor
DeleteWe share 2 picks! Yay!
ReplyDeletethat's great news!
DeleteThey play Willie Wonka at my favorite local candy shop, over and over again. It's a fun place and very fun movie. (Yeah, forget the Johnny Depp version. That'll scare kids off of candy for a lifetime). If I recall correctly, Chocolat had an unsettling ending - ? Maybe I'm wrong. Something about that movie didn't work for me. Maybe I just didn't see enough chocolate.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Birgit.
Nothing came to my mind.
ReplyDeleteI saw but did not like 'Willie Wonka'.
I saw but did not like 'Chocolat'.
However, I think Joel's selection of 'COOL HAND LUKE' was inspired. I like that movie so much that it's in my DVD collection.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
The mood, the music... there is a certain magic to it. In a way, it reminds of me of the famous novel "100 Years of Solitude." I also like how they illustrate those with the supposed deepest convictions can often be the biggest hypocrites.
ReplyDeleteThe first two are popular choices this week, I can get why! Chocolate is a fresh pick this week, it fits perfectly!
ReplyDeleteHi there Brigit, only ever seen Chocolate and and because I'd read the book and love Johnny Depp. But the MP looks really worth a watch, kate x
ReplyDeleteI'm probably the only person in the universe that didn't see Willy Wonka or watch Monty Python.
ReplyDeleteHope you are well.
I’ve actually seen all three of these. We love Chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of chocolate. It came as an amazing surprise that such a place could exist when i discovered the factory on tv in the 70's. In a way it was so wrong nobody every sent me or told me such a place existed. I wanted my golden wrapped bar so badly, felt I deserved it, now after eating 1000's of these bars, I've finally realized Charlie and the Chocolate factory was a wonderful fiction made for children to believe in which gives us moral lessons in good and bad and for me it kept me on the straight and narrow for my entire life.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when I saw the topic was Meaning of Life!
ReplyDeleteI can think of lots of good food movies but gluttony is its own thing, isn't it? I like your suggestions and those of your commenters. Supersize Me is a good one.
As for food movies... Tampopo, Ratatouille, Like Water for Chocolate, The Big Night...
As for Wonka, I absolutely adore the book, easily one of my top 5 ever. The movies have never quite lived up.
I've only seen Willy Wonka and enjoyed it. Chocolat is one I've been meaning to watch for ages but Depp always puts me off.
ReplyDelete