Entire Prize Enterprises

I don’t usually talk about to many personal things in this blog, but I had a dream a couple of weeks ago that has really stuck with me. The fact that it was so memorable combined with it’s obscure but workable element combinations continues to intrigue me the more I think about it. So I have to share it with you… Besides, it’s a slow news day.

I dreamed that I finally got to see the obscure, panned and typically discarded sequel to the original Willy Wonka movie. Historically it had been pretty much hidden in a vault since its release in 1974. It turns out that the movie did so badly because of how drastically it deviated from the original beloved film. There was no music, no Oompa Loompas and no chocolate factory. Instead, Willy Wonka was a private investigator and he was working with the police to solve grisly murders. When the lead police detective was stumped he would turn and say something along the lines of “what do you make of it, Wonka?” And Willy would turn away from the yellow tapped crime scene, twirl his cane, tap his purple top hat and make some obscurely cryptic, but appropriately Zen riddle that would instantly solve the case.

Ironically, it kind of worked; in a strange Charlie Chan sort of way. And the reason it worked was because it was Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka, that whimsical and wise twinkle in his eye brought it all together. Johnny Depp’s Wonka was more innocent and never would have been able to have what it takes in the dark gritty world of a film noire detective story. A real testimony to the genius of Gene Wilder…. Or maybe it was just because I saw that “Pure Imagination” commercial during an episode of CSI….