Am I the only one who thought Gene Wilder was creepy as Willy Wonka?

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

Seriously. Maybe after I've read the book, and watched the 1971 version again, I'll change my mind, but I remember thinking Wilder was pretty damn spooky. Of course, I was also 18 the first time I saw it.

[kick-ass-bob]

1. Hell no.

Creepy as one could get.
:scared:

[LeftCoast]

2. No. He was one creepy MoFo!

:)

[merh]

3. I'm with you.

That movie gave me nightmares. Wonka was just plain creepy and those oompa loompas -- they still make me quiver. That movie scared me more than the Wizard of Oz did, the oompas were worse than the monkeys! :scared:

[DemGa]

4. I thought the whole movie was creepy, still do.

[hippiechick]

5. His portrayal was very passive aggressive ...

.. alot of the things he says as asides or under his breath I think show "Wonka's" disdain for the greedy folks (adults and kids) who want the recipe for their own purposes.

On the surface Wonka appears to be this absent-minded dizzy inventor happy-happy joy-joy ... but some of the darker side peeks out if you watch closely enough.

Shrewd, I think.

[Lavender Brown]

6. I think the whole movie is grotesque, I could never get into it

It always creeped me out. A lot of kid movies are like that... Wizard of Oz etc. :shrug:

[trotsky]

7. Me too.

Wilder creeped me out.

The boy going up the chocolate river pipe, that scared the shit out of me.

The girl expanding into a big blueberry, that frightened me.

To this day I don't like watching that movie.

[salvorhardin]

8. That was sort of the whole point

Willy Wonka is a very mysterious and powerful individual to a young child (like Charlie). He plays the role of the devil in that he puts children in temptation's way, even subtly encourages them. It's up to the children to exercise free will and make the moral choice. If you don't like the Christain allegory, go with the Norse. He's Loki, the trickster.

BTW: I always thought Gene Wilder would have made a great Doctor Who.

[KitchenWitch]

9. He was creepy

but it was intended to be that way.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

15. Yeah..I liked that the character was creepy too.

I thought Gene Wilder was a good Willy Wonka.

[StaggerLee]

10. Wilder did seem to always have

a glassy eyed look going.
Maybe that's why he seemed creepy.

[LisaM]

11. No! he was creepy

Especially his unctuous voice. Aren't they using Christopher Walken or someone equally icky for the new one?

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

16. No... Johnny Depp... and Christopher Walken is cool too. n/t

[LisaM]

23. Oh. Hmm. I like Johnny Depp.

I'm sure he'll do the part justice and make it completely different from Gene Wilder while he's at it.

[uppityperson]

20. Wilder is weird. Using Johnny Depp for current one

Wilder is just weird. Of course Roald Dahl stories are not for children, just seem that way at first. I love Roald Dahl by the way.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

21. Johnny Depp.

The reason I posted originally is, one of the hot topics in the Lounge today is how the 1971 movie was so much more bright and cheery than the book. I agree that a lot of it was overly sappy, but I though Gene Wilder's portrayal of Wonka was pretty dark.

I just wanted reassurance that I wasn't alone in my impressions. I know I'm crazy, but I like to think I'm not a *complete* freak.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

12. I think it's more that Willy Wonka was creepy.

Although the movie did differ from the book, it seems that Gene Wilder actually read the book. Willy Wonka was quite passive-aggressive in his comments, especially when one of the rotten little children (I think those were his words) met his or her demise. And I believe that creepiness was well-portrayed in the first movie.
Especially when Wilder was saying "no, please, stop" with a totally bored expression on his face. I loved that.
Still can't wait for the new movie.

[BattyDem]

13. He was creepy ...

but in an eccentric sort of way. Obviously, the other characters were a bit frightened by him at times, but for the most part, the audience was in on the joke ... and that's because Gene Wilder insisted on it. I remember seeing an interview with Wilder:

He thought the character could be seen as psychotic or dangerous, so he insisted on that bit with the cane when Wonka makes his entrance. (When Wonka approaches the gate to open the factory, he has a severe limp and walks with a cane. When he gets to the gate, he falls foward, tumbles, then immediately jumps to his feet and reveals that he's physically fine.) Wilder felt that the scene defined the character - it revealed him to be more mischievous than dangerous, so the audience wouldn't think he was evil, just eccentric. He told the director that he wouldn't do the film if they didn't let him include that scene ... so the scene was included. :-)

On edit: I think that interview is on the DVD. It's very interesting. :-)

[elperromagico]

14. Gene Wilder strikes me as creepy in most of his movies.

He's funny but there's something creepy about him. Probably those eyes.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. The character is supposed to be creepy

Have you read the book? He's much creepier in the book.

I can't picture anyone else playing this part so I am not sure I even want to see the new version.

[kenny blankenship]

18. Sure he was creepy

he was supposed to be unsettling and even harsh, depending on who you were.

He doesn't much care when bad things happen to bad people, even when they're children. In that respect, WW treats children with the gravity and seriousness they deserve instead of finding endless excuses for the bad behaviors of some of them. And in the case of spoiled rich children, or children who behave in a coarse, vulgar manner, he foresees that having gone this far wrong they will never change as the only people who could have changed them, their parents, are still indulging their own bad natures.

Someone with power, like WW has gained through his inventiveness, and who is ready to cut himself off from your fate because he believes you to be incorrigible, can only seem remote and creepy. I really like that about him.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

19. Glenn Wonka seemed OK.

...little stiff, maybe, but OK.

[Mutley]

22. I thought there was a strange subtle darkness

to the Gene Wilder Willy Wonka. But most people told me I was crazy. I'm so glad I'm not the only one!

[Left Is Write]

24. Yes, he was creepy.

But I can't wait to see Depp's take on the character.

[last_texas_dem]

25. Vaguely creepy

Really creepy during the "There's no earthly way of knowing..." song, when they're going through that tunnel- but that would have been creepy with any actor. And really creepy again whenever he yells at Charlie about stealing fizzy-lifting drinks at the end... before letting him take over the factory. But overall, I think the creepiness is only part-Gene Wilder himself and mostly simply the fact that the role of Willy Wonka is vaguely creepy.