The Smarmy Carny

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is "Rated PG for quirky situations, action and mild language."

I saw this movie opening weekend and absolutely loved it. Burton was clearly the right choice to put this book on the big screen.

And "quirky situations" is the understatement of the year. Several people have suggested that the "quirky situations" rating is MPAA's way of telling you that your kids may be on drugs.

Sunday's site this week is Guess Which Movie.

Guess Which Movie shows you four or so frames from a movie and allows you to — you guessed it — guess which movie the frames were taken from. It's multiple choice, but don't get too excited. If you're like me you love multiple choice . . . until you find out that you have twenty choices!

Some are quite easy, but most are fairly difficult. If the movie is Forrest Gump, you're not going to get a picture of Forrest Gump sitting on that bench with the chocolates on his lap. You're going to get a frame looking over his shoulder as he speaks to the crowd in Washington D.C. or a picture of the television with Elvis dancing on it.

There's also a lot of "Which of these war movies did I see that helicopter in?" and a whole lot of "Did I even see the movie this was taken from? Should I just choose one of the movies I didn't see?" But, to be fair, there are also a whole lot of "I know this animated scene wasn't in Rambo or Die Hard." Perhaps my description doesn't do it justice, but it really is great fun, especially for movie buffs.

I highly suggest you register first so you don't have to worry about going through the list again.

Status (Round: Score)

1. 75%
2. 80%
3. Not yet taken
4. Not yet taken
5. Not yet taken
6. Not yet taken
7. Not yet taken
8. Not yet taken
9. Not yet taken
10. Not yet taken
11. Not yet taken
12. Not yet taken
13. Not yet taken
14. Not yet taken
15. Not yet taken
16. Release Date: July 24

Willy Wonka

The newly released Charlie and the Chocolate Factory trailer is certainly worth watching. I really can't wait for this movie's release. This trailer shows us a bit more of the children than the teaser did.

Happily, the movie seems to retain the Willy Wonka disdain for the horrible children. I can only hope that Depp will be given lines as great as Wilder's, such as "Open your mouth a little wider when you talk."

I particularly enjoy the transformation of Mike Teevee from the gun-slinging television-obsessed child to the violent video game addict. I'm usually not a huge proponent for alterations on the silver screen, but that one not only more accurately depicts what Dahl was trying to point at, but it also is more prevalant today than ever before.

One other thing that makes me happy is that the chocolate river actually looks like chocolate when Gloop falls into it.

Nonetheless, I still think that the teaser was more fun, particularly because of the music. Possibly an altered Oompa Loompa song?

I'd like to see a Gene Wilder cameo in there somewhere, but I don't see any such credit listings yet. I did notice that Christopher Lee will have a role (and likely a small one, based on the character name).

Good times. Can't wait.

Luke, I am your DJ

Did you know that Darth Vader worked part time as a DJ weekends before he started the Death Star project? I heard he got his start at the Mos Eisley Cantina.

Watch the "Keltech Strikes Back" video. If you have trouble with that link, try the mirror instead.

The man behind the mask is Keltech, who goes by "DJ Daft Fader" while playing this one. According to his site, he performed this live at the Technics World DMC DJ Championships 2005 UK heats. Check out the Keltech and Johnny B homepage for more information.

No comment.

I have seen Star Wars III, but I'm no Star Wars geek. (I'm a different type of geek.)

Regardless of your thoughts on Star Wars, you really must view The Parade of Unfortunate Star Wars Costumes. As I'm sure you are aware, there are plenty of Star Wars nerds and geeks out there who await the next Star Wars con so they can dress up as their favorite Star Wars character, regardless of whether their body shape happens to coincide with the character or not. Granted, most of the homemade costumes you see at cons are often pitiful, especially considering the hours you can be sure went into making them.

I haven't laughed this hard in a week or so. Be sure to keep with it, as there are a string of so-so pictures followed by some truly great entertainment.

If you want to laugh at more Star Wars nerds and geeks, watch the classic Triumph the Insult Comic Dog clip where he visits the nerds standing in line for days waiting for the premiere. That one always gets me rolling, too.