Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder is perfectly cast as the candy man in this fantastical tale from 1971 that holds up very well today.
Adapted from Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the name was changed so a Wonka candy brand could be launched along with the movie - ugh!), it tells of a impoverished boy who wins a competition to be one of five children to get a tour of the famous Wonka chocolate factory, which has been closed to the public for years.
Their tour guide is the reclusive chocolate wiz Willy Wonka, who has his own agenda for allowing the children in to his factory.
The factory itself is a wonderfully colourful achievement in production design, managing to be both delightful and threatening at the same time. Don't know about those Oompa Loompas, though.
Noted visualist Tim Burton (Big Fish, Batman, Edward Sissorhands) released a big budget remake of the film (which retains the book's title), with Johnny Depp playing Wonka. Cool.
