10 Days 'til Christmas...

2023.12.15

Song of the day:

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Last night I saw the new Wonka movie, and I adored it. As I posted on my social media, it was the perfect mix of nostalgia and creative reimagining. The music was new and also familiar; the colors were vibrant, but dreary when the story called for it; the humor was subtle but also over the top; and everyone was perfectly cast. And also, there’s a giraffe. I mean, what more could you want?

I have always loved the Gene Wilder film, Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and despite the weird and awkward version Johnny Depp played in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, there was a lot I liked about that version, too. Though it doesn’t hold a candle to the original. I’ve read the book and seen the stage production twice. I even have a stuffed squirrel that I bought from one of those shows. Because in case you didn’t know, in the original story, there aren’t geese that lay golden eggs. There are squirrels that separate nuts. Thus, the stuffed squirrel. But I digress…

The new movie isn’t a remake per se, it’s more of a prequel - the tag line literally says “How Willie Became Wonka.” And so we see a younger Willie Wonka before his factory and golden tickets and nut-separating squirrels. It shows the hardships, the difficult road, and the people who tried to stop him. If you liked the Wilder or Depp film, the book or the stage show, I think you’ll enjoy this. If you didn’t like those then you won’t like this either. But Timothée Chalamet is truly delightful, so go for that if for no other reason. And for the rest of the cast. They are fantastic. And of course, for the giraffe.

In other news, my laptop fell on my foot today and well…the cut isn’t deep, but there is a bruise forming - shocker - and my foot is definitely sore. I couldn’t even put it in a regular shoe to go to the movie so I had to slip into the flip flops. Thankfully it was my MacBook Air and not my MacBook Pro. The latter would have hurt a lot more. Clearly I will live but really…good thing I got that tetanus shot on Monday!

Don't drop a laptop on your foot

It’s the last weekend before Christmas for those who celebrate. I hope you find time to relax and enjoy the season. I’m still not sure how it got there this quickly. Wasn’t it just June? Anyway, enjoy your weekend, and I’ll check in again next week.

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Video of the day:

These are all so lovely…