Film director known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Wattstax
Mel Stuart, who has died aged 83, became widely known for directing two radically dissimilar films, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Wattstax. The former, which Stuart called "the most rewarding experience of my career", was a garish and joyfully warped musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Received without enthusiasm on its release in 1971, the movie became over the next few decades a children's favourite, though its psychedelic overtones extended its appeal beyond that core audience. "Although I have been a film-maker for over 40 years," Stuart wrote in 2001, "Willy Wonka is the one work that has reached out to and been embraced by a wide audience."
Wattstax, released two years later, also acquired a cult following, one which might have increased had music rights issues not made the film hard to see until the late 1990s.
Mel Stuart, who has died aged 83, became widely known for directing two radically dissimilar films, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Wattstax. The former, which Stuart called "the most rewarding experience of my career", was a garish and joyfully warped musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Received without enthusiasm on its release in 1971, the movie became over the next few decades a children's favourite, though its psychedelic overtones extended its appeal beyond that core audience. "Although I have been a film-maker for over 40 years," Stuart wrote in 2001, "Willy Wonka is the one work that has reached out to and been embraced by a wide audience."
Wattstax, released two years later, also acquired a cult following, one which might have increased had music rights issues not made the film hard to see until the late 1990s.
- 8/13/2012
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Janet Leigh biography final. Check out previous articles: Touch Of Evil / Orson Welles / The Manchurian Candidate and Psycho / marriaget to Tony Curtis. Leigh's movie career slowed down in the mid-60s. Among her sporadic movies from 1966 on were: Jack Smight’s Harper (1966), with Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, and others; Jerry Lewis Three on a Couch; Robert Gist's An American Dream, with Stuart Whitman and Eleanor Parker; Jack Arnold's Hello Down There with Tony Randall; Giuliano Montaldo's Grand Slam, with Robert Hoffman, Mel Stuart's One Is a Lonely Number / Two Is a Happy Number, with Trish Van Devere, Monte Markham, and Melvyn Douglas; William F. Claxton’s Night of the Lepus (1972), with Whitman and Rory Calhoun; Stephen Verona’s Boardwalk, with Ruth Gordon and Lee Strasberg; and John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980), with Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, and Hal Holbrook. On TV, Leigh was featured in,...
- 7/6/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Last night’s Intervention featured Kimberly, an alcoholic who lives in a big house and spends all of her spare time drinking. The Bachelor features “ladies” who “live” in a big house and spend all of their spare time drinking. It’s only a matter of time before the Champagne Flute of Fate will get us all.
Try to determine which quote is from which show. It may be harder than you think!
‘The Bachelor’ Or ‘Intervention’? for Jan. 23, 2012
1. “I am 100 percent thinking I cannot do this. I’m scared.”
2. “I sat there and I was just crying in the street.
Try to determine which quote is from which show. It may be harder than you think!
‘The Bachelor’ Or ‘Intervention’? for Jan. 23, 2012
1. “I am 100 percent thinking I cannot do this. I’m scared.”
2. “I sat there and I was just crying in the street.
- 1/24/2012
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.