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Wicked transports audiences to the world of The Wizard of Oz, with Universal’s adaptation of the Broadway smash starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hitting theaters Nov. 22. It’s certainly had a smoother road than 1985’s Return to Oz.

After winning a sound Oscar for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, editor and sound designer Walter Murch was approached by Disney to discuss projects to direct. Murch expressed interest in an Oz story, and the studio was intrigued, as it owned the rights to author L. Frank Baum’s later novels The Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz, on which Return to Oz would be based.

A darker and non-musical follow-up to MGM’s 1939 classic, Return to Oz stars young Fairuza Balk as Dorothy, who is called back to the titular land that has been destroyed by the diabolical Nome King (Nicol Williamson) and Mombi (Jean Marsh). Here,...

Jedi Master Yoda is one of the most famous and beloved characters in fiction. He became a standout character in Star Wars when he first appeared, and his actions in the Prequel Trilogy solidified his status as one of the greatest characters of all time.

Yoda made his debut in 1980 in The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in Lucas’s Original Trilogy. He served as a mentor to Luke Skywalker after Ben Kenobi’s death. While it was clear he was powerful, the Prequel Trilogy finally revealed just how strong Yoda truly was.

Initially, Yoda was portrayed using a puppet, and even though modern versions use CGI, Frank Oz’s iconic 1980 puppet remains a key part of the original films. Many fans can’t imagine Yoda as anything else. However, did you know that Yoda could have looked completely different?

Several concepts were proposed before the production chose the puppet.

Jedi Master Yoda is one of the most famous and most popular fictional characters of all time. He was a breakout character for Star Wars when he first appeared, but his actions in the Prequel Trilogy cemented his status as one of the greatest fictional characters of all time. This is a fact.

Yoda first appeared in 1980, in the movie The Empire Strikes Back, which was the second movie in Lucas’ Original Trilogy. He was a mentor figure to Luke Skywalker after Ben Kenobi’s death and while we knew that he was powerful, it wasn’t until the Prequel Trilogy that we finally understood just how powerful Yoda was.

Initially, Yoda was a puppet, and while modern versions of the character were made with CGI, Frank Oz’s famous 1980 puppet is one of the major elements of the original Star Wars movies, and many fans cannot even imagine Yoda as something else.

Two-time Oscar nominee Tim Burton was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, September 3, just days before the director’s film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” hits theaters. His star is located at 6600 Hollywood Boulevard, appropriately in front of Hollywood Toys & Costumes. Burton received his star in the category of Motion Pictures. Joining emcee Tony Potts were actors Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. Guests in attendance included actors Danny DeVito, Monica Bellucci and Deep Roy, as well as costume designer Colleen Atwood. Watch Burton’s star ceremony below (beginning at 15:35 mark).

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame for the City of Los Angeles and has hosted the globally iconic star ceremonies for decades. Millions of people from around the world have visited this cultural landmark since the 1960s.

See ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ reviews out of Venice Film Festival: It’s a...

Stars: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, Matt Clark, Michael Sundin, Tim Rose, Mak Wilson, Stephen Norrington, Justin Case, John Alexander, Deep Roy, Emma Ridley | Written by Walter Murch, Gill Dennis, L. Frank Baum | Directed by Walter Murch

According to Roger Ebert, Walter Murch is “the most respected film editor and sound designer in the modern cinema.” Across a career spanning over 50-years, including multiple Academy Award wins from nine nominations, he has only two directorial credits to his name. The second is a fourth-season episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which was preceded over 25 years before by the only feature he directed; Return to Oz.

After her adventures in the Land of Oz, Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk) remains obsessed with the locale that she previously visited. Out of a fear that their niece is experiencing delusions, Dorothy’s aunt and uncle take her away to a sanitorium.

From the Creators of Ash and Bone & The Devil’s Left Hand comes “Beneath Us All”- A Viking origin Vampire Tale, yes you heard me right… Sounds intriguing right?

It’s released by Deskpop Entertainment and produced by Harley & Kaiti Wallen, Painted Creek Productions, Michael Alexander, Westside Warrior Films Joseph Williamson and Annette Cama of Cama Productions with Courtney Hamilton Vanloo Executive Producer.

The film stars Sean Whalen (Twister) Maria Olsen (Percy Jackson & the Olympians), Yan Birch (The People Under the Stairs), Angelina Danielle Cama (Ash and Bone), Kaiti Wallen (The Devil’s Left Hand) and Harley Wallen himself as Detective Donovan Booker (Betrayed).

When writer Bret Miller and Director Harley Wallen sat down to concoct Beneath Us All they wanted a creature story but something that felt inspired by Stephen King with a mix of style and influences from Nosferatu, Let the Right One In and a touch of...

Ash and Bone is directed by Harley Wallen, written by Bret Miller and stars Jamie Bernadette (I Spit on Your Grave: Deja vu), Angelina Danielle Cama (An Intrusion), Harley Wallen (Tale of Tails), Kaiti Wallen (Agramon’s Gate), Erika Hoveland (Before I Wake), Jimmy Doom (Kill the Irishman) and Mel Novak (Bruce Lee’s Game of Death).

Wallen who also made the supernatural thriller Agramon’s Gate in honor of those style films that inspired him such as The Exorcist and Poltergeist etc, now gives a nod towards another era and style of horror films with Ash and Bone leaning towards the early 2000’s such as Wrong Turn, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and House of Wax.

With a celebrity stacked guest list, it’s easy to see why so much of Hollywood has set their sights on Wallen as a filmmaker as he keeps turning out hit films. The event will...

Arrow jumps into the 4K Ultra HD bracket with a knockout 40th anniversary presentation of this campy, music-filled and incredibly colorful Dino De Laurentiis spectacle. The impressive package has an endless catalog of extras, plus a second Blu-ray disc with a full-length feature about the film’s one-hit-wonder star Sam J. Jones. Buyers beware — no backup Blu-ray disc of the feature is included. In every other respect, “Go! Flash! Go!”

Flash Gordon

4K Ultra HD with Hdr

Arrow Video

1980 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date August 18, 2020 / 40.26 (Amazon)

Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, Deep Roy.

Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor

Production Designer: Danilo Donati

Film Editor: Malcolm Cooke

Original Music: Howard Blake

Written by Michael Allin & Lorenzo Semple Jr. from characters by Alex Raymond

Produced by Dino De Laurentiis

Directed by Mike Hodges

First things first: a lot...

'Star Trek Beyond' with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk: Will movie franchise reboot achieve 'escape velocity'? 'Star Trek Beyond' Review: Movie franchise needs to boldly go where J.J. Abrams has never gone before We're never told what “beyond” refers to in Star Trek Beyond, the 13th film in the venerated sci-fi series. But here's a theory: if the franchise is to regain its footing after the tepid returns of Star Trek Into Darkness, it will have to move beyond J.J. Abrams, the writer/director who used his brand of copycat magic to relaunch the series in 2009. In our reboot era, he's got the canny ability to provide older audiences with enough familiarity to keep them under the tent while giving new audiences enough youthful verve so they don't feel the franchise isn't for them. If you think that's not worth something, see Star Wars: The Force Awakens,...

It hasn’t been a particularly great summer movie season, I think we can all agree with that sentiment. Outside of a small handful of releases, it has been one disappointment after the next. This week, however, things pick up with the emergence of Star Trek Beyond, a sequel that not only manages to improve on what came before it, but really fits in with the entire franchise so far to date. It was very impressive what this film does, without ever really calling attention to itself. I suspect it’s going to be a pretty big hit, and rightly so, as it’s a high quality effort. The sequel picks up a while after the events of Star Trek into Darkness (itself taking place a bit after Star Trek). The crew of the Enterprise, led by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), is in the middle of a five...

To help sift through the increasing number of new releases (independent or otherwise), the Weekly Film Guide is here! Below you’ll find basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

For July, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for July 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, July 22. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Ice Age: Collision Course

Director: Galen T. Chu, Mike Thermeier

Cast: Adam DeVine, Jennifer Lopez, Melissa Rauch

Synopsis: Scrat’s epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet.

As Star Trek Beyond beams into cinemas this Friday, test your knowledge of the big screen franchise from the very beginning

What was the name of Khan's ship?

Regula I

The Delta Flyer

SS Botany Bay

Iks Gorkon

What is the name of the ritual Vulcans undergo to prove themselves purged of all emotion?

Kolinahr

Koon-ut-kal-if-ee

Kahs-wan

Kobiyashi Maru

Where would one be most likely to find Lt. Commander Scott on a pub crawl?

Edinburgh

Aberdeen

Glasgow

Balmoral Castle

What is the name of the frozen Klingon prison planet from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country?

Delta Vega

Ceti Alpha VI

Ice-9

Rura Penthe

What brand of beer do Captain Kirk and Gillian drink at the pizza parlor in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home?

Budweiser

Michelob

Miller Lite

Coors Lite

Who was the Captain of the USS Kelvin?

Captain Richard Robau

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun

Larskene, The Silver

Captain Rachael Garrett

What species is Keenser?...

Star Trek Beyond is, for lack of a better description, the goods. When I walked out of the Jj Abrams reboot in 2009, I was giddy about the potential for the series. I thought they did a terrific job casting the film, and by the time the movie ended, they were set to head out into space on their five year mission, seeking out, boldly going, and it felt like they had wiped the slate clean as storytellers so they weren’t beholden to anything anymore other than the characters. That’s what made Star Trek Into Darkness so confounding. I think there’s great energy to the filmmaking, which I liked when I first saw it, but I’ve never seen a movie more tied in knots to try to trick an audience, and for so little payoff. The moment they decided to make a movie that hinged on Khan as a villain,...

Hello again, dear readers, and I hope you all had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We’re in June now, and the summer movie season is chugging along with the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows this weekend. This week’s Trailer Trashin’ column examines the new trailer for another big summer release, Star Trek Beyond.

Premise: The crew of the USS Enterprise, halfway into their five-year mission, is attacked by a seemingly unstoppable wave of unknown aliens, forcing them to abandon ship. Stranded on an unknown planet and with no apparent means of rescue, the crew finds themselves in conflict with a new ruthless enemy who has a hatred of the Federation and everything it stands for.

My take: To put it nicely, when the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond was released in December of last year, it was met with a largely negative response.

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In the Special Editions, the Rebo Band were big victims of George Lucas' digital wand. Here's how CGI changed them - seemingly forever...

In 1997, Star Wars began its ineluctable turn to the digital side. A New Hope, re-released in January that year, marked the first of George Lucas’s Special Edition revamps of his blockbuster saga; then 20 years old, the original 70s print was decaying. Effects shots were damaged. Darth Vader’s once imposing black mask and cloak had faded to a wan shade of pale blue.

To combat the ravages of time, Lucas embarked on an expensive and lavish restoration of the movies, improving the quality of the sound, re-balancing and correcting the colours and placing them back where they belonged: on the big screen. While fans were delighted at the prospect of seeing Star Wars in theatres again, Lucas’ reissues didn’t stop at...

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In 1980, the idea of having a puppet as a supporting actor was still untested. Ryan looks back at The Empire Strikes Back's big gamble...

"You will go to the Dagobah system. There you will learn from Yoda, the Jedi master who instructed me..."

George Lucas may have had a wider saga planned out in his head, but he couldn't have predicted just how much hunger there would be for more space adventures in the wake of Star Wars. But as audiences flocked to watch and rewatch the film through the summer of 1977, Lucas was already putting the groundwork in place for a sequel, with its title, The Empire Strikes Back, firmly in place by November that year.

Exhausted by the process of making Star Wars, Lucas decided to step back from the role of writer and director for its follow-up, assigning his old mentor Irvin Kershner...

Thanks to Screencrush we have some awesome first-look images and footage from the Vancouver set of Star Trek Beyond. As you can see, Kingsman: the Secret Service actress Sofia Boutella is pretty much unrecognizable as an unnamed alien character, and Kirk (Chris Pine) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) are kitted out in some new uniforms. Scotty (Simon Pegg) is wearing a more traditional costume, so it's a safe bet these aren't the latest in Starfleet fashion, and the pair are dressed for a specific mission. Star Trek Beyond also stars Idris Elba, Joe Taslim, Lydia Wilson, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho and Deep Roy. The movie is set to hit theaters on July 8, 2016.

At least once a month, Cinelinx will chose one director for an in-depth examination of the “signatures” that they leave behind in their work. With the release of Big Eyes this week, let’s examine the trademark style and calling signs of Tim Burton as director.

Burton went to college to study animation. His work there caught the eye of Disney and he was hired on as an animator. He worked on several projects before it became apparent that his style did not fit with what Disney wanted to do. He worked on several short film projects before catching the eye of Paul Reubens who offered Burton the opportunity to direct his first full length motion picture, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985). That film was a success and led to Burton’s working relationship with Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman. Burton’s next opportunity was 1988’s Beetlejuice, which was also...

Digital Spy readers named David Tennant as Doctor Who's greatest ever Doctor - now, with less than a month to go until the 50th anniversary, DS is embarking on a new quest... to list the top 10 Who stories of all time.

Appropriately enough, slot number four is filled by the fourth Doctor. Tom Baker's first entry in our 50th list is a fan favourite tale penned by one of the show's most acclaimed writers, the esteemed Robert Holmes...

4. The Talons Of Weng-chiang (1977) - Six episodes - written by Robert Holmes

"Let the talons of Weng-Chiang... Shred Your Fleee-aaaa-eeesh!!"

The finale to Doctor Who's 14th series is a wonderfully lurid, Penny Dreadful-inspired piece of drama, where the fog-strewn streets of London are littered with severed limbs and innocents meet a gruesome demise.

'The Talons of Weng-Chiang' features not one but two iconic villains."Slathering, gangrenous vampire" Magnus...

Director J.J. Abrams’ phenomenal global sensation Star Trek Into Darkness makes its highly-anticipated debut on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and On Demand on September 10, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Guests included director J.J. Abrams, stars Leonard Nimoy (“Spock Prime”), Simon Pegg (“Scotty”), John Cho (“Sulu”), Alice Eve (“Carol”), Peter Weller (“Admiral Marcus”), Bruce Greenwood (“Pike”),Nazneen Contractor (“Rima Harewood”), Deep Roy (“Keenser”) and composer, Michael Giacchino as well as celebrity “Trek” fans including Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Bar Paly (Pain & Gain) and Gabby Douglas (Gymnast, Olympic Champion). Director J.J. Abrams spoke about The Mission Continues, an organization that assists returning veterans to find meaningful ways to contribute on the...

Most Doctor Who fans know Peter Cushing played Dr. Who (not The Doctor) twice, in the feature film Dr. Who and the Daleks, as well as the adaptation Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. Most also know of his star turn as the unforgettably evil Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Many may not know that between movies, TV series, video games, cartoons, and audio dramas, Doctor Who and Star Wars share many more actors in common. These ten actors have been pulled from both the the classic years and new series, as well as the original trilogy and it’s prequels.

While Doug Bradley doesn’t count in the confines of this list, due to just doing voice acting, it should be mentioned that besides his turn as Talbot in the Big Finish Productions audio drama Pier Pressure, and The Emperor in video game Star Wars: The Old Republic,...

He played an Oompa Loompa on the big screen ... and Kenny Powers' violent Mexican nemesis on TV ... but now, Deep Roy is cornering a new market ... Street Rap!!!The 55-year-old actor got straight up funky outside of Ocean Ave. Seafood in Santa Monica last night ... dropping some rhymes ... and even a few dance moves Like A Boss!!"Oh yeah ... uh huh ... Oh yeah ... uh huh."Just watch the clip. Read more...

Unusually short actors have it tough in Hollywood, usually relegated to characters whose size is the entire joke of their existence.  Even so, there are names who have risen above to become respected as actors.  Two of the most notable examples are Warwick Davis and Deep Roy, but the ultimate example right now is Peter Dinklage, best known for his Emmy winning role as Tyrian Lannister in Game of Thrones.  He's now branching out from that, having been cast in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

With the success of the Paranormal Activity movies, it's a given that there will be numerous copycats and spoofs. Enter Paranormal Movie, a comedy that looks to follow you straight into the toilet.

Cinema Management Group is currently in talks with buyers about Paranormal Movie, a "found footage" parody that satirizes the tropes of “found footage” horror films. Directed by and starring Kevin Farley (Dirty Work), the film is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2013.

Paranormal Movie tells the story of Larry, a bumbling and inept man-child who has spent his entire life documenting everything he does in front of a video camera. Now that he and his new girlfriend have moved into a house plagued with strange occurrences, Larry is determined to capture the poltergeist on tape and rid the home of its supernatural infestation.

In addition to Kevin Farley, Paranormal Movie...

3D Entertainment Distribution announced today that actor Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious franchise, Takers) will narrate Air Racers 3D, the first-ever IMAX 3D theatre film devoted to the fastest race in the world: the legendary Reno National Championship Air Races. With stunning aerial photography filmed entirely in 3D and unprecedented access granted to the course, Air Racers 3D takes audiences into Nevada’s Valley of Speedto experience the intensity and high-speed thrills of a sports event like no other combined with spectacular air show entertainment.

“We are truly honored and delighted to have Paul Walker lend his storytelling talents to this action-packed 3D film, which will hit IMAX theatres in the Us beginning this April,” said Francois Mantello, Chairman and CEO of 3D Entertainment Distribution. “His passion for racing and high-adrenaline sports makes him a perfect fit for this celebration of aviation.”

“I have always been fascinated by the sheer power,...

by MoreHorror.com

Shockfest Film Festival 2011 kicks off this coming weekend in Hollywood, CA. The festival will begin with a Red Carpet event on November 18th at 5:00pm at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave. Hollywood, CA. The Festival picks up again on Saturday November 19th at the same location, and moves to The Hollywood Hardrock Cafe at 11:00pm for award presentations.

One of the big draw of this years festival is the Closing Nightmare Director's Screening of Cabin Fever (10th Anniversary Screening) with Eli Roth, 9:00pm-11pm which includes The Shocking Filmmaker of The Decade Award to Eli Roth

We are giving away 13 VIP tickets to the event. (*Thanks for everyone that entered. At this time, all passes have been awarded. Stay tuned for MoreHorror giveaways soon!). If you live in or around the Hollywood, CA area and would like to attend, simply email your name and address to shockfestcontest@morehorror.

HBO rarely disappoints with its original series, and when Eastbound & Down debuted in 2009, its small following grew rapidly. Now on its second season, the show finds its lead, bad-attitude and ego-driven Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) south of border in an attempt to get his life back on track, and win some cockfights.

The season opens with the formerly-beloved-but-now-total-pariah baseball legend Kenny Powers down in Mexico, where he planned to disappear among the people, become an outlaw of sorts, and tear up the streets with his pair of lackeys. Led by Aaron (Deep Roy), his two lackeys soon turn on him, mostly because they simply don't like Kenny. And if you got to know Kenny, you would know why -- the character of Kenny Powers is morally reprehensible, chauvinistic and slightly bigoted. He's 100% American, and his love for his country and his unmatched ego create one of the most narrow-minded leads in popular TV series.

Louisa takes a look back at one of the more sinister entries in our Enchanted 80s season, the underappreciated Return To Oz...

If not an outright porky pie, then the DVD blurb on Disney's 1985 Return To Oz is, at the very least, misleading. "If you loved The Wizard Of Oz," it promises, "you'll love accompanying Dorothy on this second thrilling adventure."

A more fitting advert might be, 'If you loved Mulholland Drive, but thought it could do with less girl-on-girl action and more talking chickens, you'll love accompanying Dorothy through this scary ass mess of a film.' Not quite as pithy, perhaps, but a bit more honest.

A composite of the plots of L Frank Baum's Ozma Of Oz and The Magical Land Of Oz, Walter Murch's sole directorial effort is a very different beast from Fleming's 1939 original. The baddies are as scary, the heroine as determined,...

I thought you Danny Elfman/Tim Burton fans might like this. For $500 you can pre-order a limited edition collector's set of all 13 scores that Elfman compased for Burton's movies. But this is a pretty kick ass package that you're getting for $500.It's a 16 cd set packaged with artwork by Tim Burton, with over 19 hours of music, which include 7 hours of previously un-released masters, demos, work tapes and rarities.It comes with a ton of stuff, so I'll list it here for you from the official site.A Collectible Zoetrope Box A collection of music as unique as Danny Elfman’s for the film of Tim Burton needed to be housed in something equally special, wondrous, and whimsical. Designed to evoke a treasure chest found in a mysterious attic, The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box is a work of art in itself. Grammy-winning designer Matt Taylor has transformed...

Here is the new poster promo art for Eastbound & Down Season 2, starring Danny McBride (Up in the Air, Tropic Thunder). Eastbound & Down tells the story of Kenny Powers, who used to be a star pitcher until his self-destructive behavior knocked him out of Major League Baseball. In the first season of the series, he returned home to North Carolina to teach Phys. Ed. at the middle school he once attended, and eventually scored another big-league job offer – or so he imagined. Eastbound & Down also stars Steve Little as Stevie Janowski, the high-school band teacher who idolizes Kenny; Michael Pena as Sebastian Cisneros, owner of the local Mexican baseball team; Ana de la Reguera as sultry lounge singer Vida; Marco Rodriguez as Roger Hernandez, manager of the baseball team; Efren Ramirez as his new neighbor Catuey; Elizabeth De Razzo as Maria, another new neighbor; Deep Roy as ...

The Art of Tim Burton Deluxe Edition Books (2nd Edition) are now in stock and available at SteelesPublishing.com!

These books will not be sold in bookstores or on amazon.com - in the Us they are available online only at SteelesPublishing.com.

This is a limited edition printing of 1,000 copies - each book is hand signed and includes a new hand signed and numbered lithograph specifically chosen for this limited run.

Available while supplies last at steelespublishing.com!

Now in stock and available for order at SteelesPublishing.com - The Art of Tim Burton Deluxe Edition (2nd Edition) books!

The Art of Tim Burton is the definitive compilation of forty years of Tim Burton’s artistry, including film concepts and hundreds of illustrations from his personal archives, edited under the creative guidance of Burton himself. This comprehensive 434 page book is grouped into thirteen chapters that examine common themes in Burton’s work,...

Maybe "Tweedle Dee!" should be the new "Squeeeee!" for excited exclamations. You've probably seen the new images via USA Today and the info on Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland? But I'd like to talk about the cast and the polish. One of the only pluses of mainstays like 'Wonderland' being retold each decade over original work is to see how the different eras and visual artists interpret them.

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum

Wonderland. If you click over to USA Today you can move

around in the gardens with your mouse. For what it's worth it looks like

Edward Scissorhands has been hired as Wonderland's landscape artist.

Mia Wasikowska as Alice (the oldest Alice since Meryl Streep?) and

Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedleydum

Helena & Anne Hathaway as Red & White Queens. Depp as Mad Hatter.

I love what My New Plaid Pants says about the latter: "if Elijah Wood...

Candy and fantasy film share this in common: Each is tricky to get right. Success requires a perfect balance of flavor, richness, depth and a yummy yumminess that's hard to pinpoint but you know it when you taste it. So when it comes to candy -- and to film fantasy -- "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is the real deal. This morality tale disguised as a whimsical, magical mystery tour of the world's greatest chocolate factory has all the gorgeousness of hard Dark Chocolate that melts ever-so-slowly in your mouth. What a treat coming from Tim Burton, who has recovered his imaginative touch after a few missteps, and from his frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, an actor who resolutely embodies Burton's fanciful vision.

Here's a film about kids and for kids that has not lost touch with what it is like to actually be a kid. Children and adults alike will jam lines to movie houses in North America and overseas to acquire golden tickets for this audience-pleaser.

"Charlie", of course, derives from Roald Dahl's quirky fantasy first published in 1964, which inspired the fondly remembered 1971 movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Dahl's tale, very faithfully adapted by John August, tells of a good-hearted though poor lad named Charlie (fresh-faced Freddie Highmore), who dwells in Dickensian squalor in a lean-to cottage -- how on earth does it remain upright, you wonder -- a few blocks from Willie Wonka's chocolate factory. He shares crowded quarters with a loving mom Helena Bonham Carter) and a happy though unemployed dad (Noah Taylor) along with both pairs of grandparents who occupy a communal bed.

One day the reclusive Willy Wonka, seen by nobody in years, announces a worldwide contest in which five children will win a guided tour of his factory. Golden tickets have been hidden in five Wonka chocolate bars. Naturally, Charlie is one of the lucky five. Each child is accompanied by an adult guardian. Charlie selects his excited Grandpa Joe (ageless David Kelly), who once worked for Willy.

Upon being escorted into the candy kingdom, the five children find themselves in a contest of sorts, though neither the rules nor the prize are ever stated. Unlike Charlie, the other children are all vile: Gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Philip Wiegratz) is a German Junge whose only thought is to continually stuff his face with sweets. The seriously spoiled Veruca Salt (Julia Winter) pouts and throws fits whenever her rich daddy (sturdy James Fox) fails to satisfy her whims.

Martial-artist Violet Beauregarde (Annasophia Robb) is fiercely competitive in all things, even gum chewing. Finally, techno brat Mike Teavee (Jordan Fry) lords his supposedly superior knowledge over everyone.

So you pretty much know who the likely winner is and can probably even guess the surprise prize. Which means the delight of the film lies in the guided tour itself performed by troubled Willy.

Outfitted in black with top hat and formal long-tail coat, a pasty-white face and faux gullibility, Depp somewhat resembles Michael Jackson on a good day. He is a man deliberately disconnected from any reality so he can focus solely on childish delights. Through flashbacks, which cannot be found in Dahl's book, you learn that Willy's life is a complete reaction to an overly strict father (Christopher Lee), a candy-hating dentist.

Willy and Charlie, however, are on the same wavelength: They naturally gravitate toward those things in life that are cheerful, optimistic and good. Both banish the dark side with a breezy nonchalance. Charlie, for instance, sees no squalor or poverty in his home, only the love of a close-knit family.

Willy leads the party through rooms of wonder beginning with the Chocolate Room, a grassy landscape divided by a chocolate river and waterfall, dotted with candy trees and fudge hills. In another room, 100 trained squirrels sit on tiny stools and carefully remove nuts from their shells. And can you imagine a goofier image than a suspended cow struck repeated with tiny whips to produce, yes, Whipped Cream?

Throughout the factory, workers named Oompa Loompas perform such tasks as mining fudge and rowing a spun-sugar seahorse-shaped galley on the chocolate river. All Oompa Loompas are played by the same diminutive actor, Deep Roy, who has been further miniaturized and multiplied through motion-capture technology.

During the tour, each vile child is undone by his or her character flaw. At the moment a child is eliminated from competition, the Oompa Loompas break into marvelous song and dance numbers that utilize Dahl's lyrics from the book. (Danny Elfman wrote the spirited music.) In these numbers, Burton cannot resist kidding a range of Hollywood classics ranging from Busby Berkeley musicals and Esther Williams pool ballets to Beatles movies, "2001" and even "Psycho".

Generally, movies have viewed mechanization with suspicion, going back at least to Chaplin's "Modern Times". Not here though. From the opening credits, Burton & Co. glory in automated assembly lines that spin out sugary concoctions in all colors and flavors, in laboratories filled with boiling pots and strange pipes and in an elevator that impossibly moves up, down, sideways and through the roof.

Dahl was nothing if not a first-class production designer and Burton's team follow his suggestions to the max. To evoke this dream factory, Burton benefits from a third collaboration with the resourceful and dexterous cinematographer Philippe Rousselot, who turns Alex McDowell's edible-looking sets into a confectioner's wonderland. Nick Davis' visual effects, Gabriella Pescucci's not-quite-old, not-quite-new costumes and Chris Lebenzon's smooth editing makes the chocolate factory one of the best fantasy worlds this side of Oz.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. in association with Village Roadshow Prods. Presents a Zanuck Co./Plan B production

Credits:

Director: Tim Burton

Screenwriter: John August

Based on the novel by: Roald Dahl

Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, Brad Grey

Executive producers: Patrick McCormick, Felicity Dahl, Michael Siegel, Graham Burke, Bruce Berman

Director of photography: Philippe Rousselot

Production designer: Alex McDowell

Music: Danny Elfman

Lyrics by: Roald Dahl

Co-producer: Katterli Frauenfelder

Costume designer: Gabriella Pescucci

Editor: Chris Lebenzon.

Cast:

Willy Wonka: Johnny Depp

Charlie Bucket: Freddie Highmore

Grandpa Joe: David Kelly

Mrs. Bucket: Helena Bonham Carter

Mr. Bucket: Noah Taylor

Mrs. Beauregarde: Missi Pyle

Mr. Salt: James Fox

Oompa Loompa: Deep Roy

Dr. Wonka: Christopher Lee

Mr. Teavee: Adam Godley

Mrs. Gloop: Franziska Troegner

Violet: Annasophia Robb

Mike: Jordon Fry

Augustus: Philip Wiegratz

MPAA rating: PG

Running time -- 120 minutes...

Rusty Goffe was one of the original Oompa Loompas in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, filmed in Munich in 1970. The Oompa Loompas went on to do various other TV, film and stage shows, but there are now only three alive

I was one of the original Oompa Loompas in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, filmed in Munich in 1970. At that time, there weren’t many British actors who were short (I am 4ft 2in), so six of the actors were British and they used one Maltese actor, another from Turkey, one from Germany, and one woman. There were 10 of us in all. The director Mel Stuart sometimes got very frustrated telling us what to do in English and then trying to explain to the Maltese, German and Turkish actors what he wanted as well.

When we first arrived in Munich the choreographer Howard Jeffrey showed us these amazing dance routines,...