Released in 1971, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a staple of the Generation X childhood, a film to be both adored and ironically homaged forever after. At the time, author Roald Dahl received a much publicized screenwriting credit, albeit that more reflected marketing concerns more than it ddid the actual work done (David Seltzer penned most of the finished screenplay). Still, the film managed to retain the cynicism of the original book while director Mel Stuart mixed the tone surrealistic ’60s imagery and contemporary family movie friendliness, making for the ultimate movie in ironic appreciation.

Let’s now contrast that with the world that greeted the film’s most famous (and in some circles sacrilegious) remake. In 2005, the children who would compose Gen Z were already f

See Full Page