Thursday, July 1, 2010

Cheer Up Charlie




Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite movies as a kid, heck it still is today. I know I am not alone in this fact. The movie is just astounding. The visuals, the plot, the actors, the songs, the creepiness, the innocence, the costumes, the oompa loompas, the contract, the golden ticket, and oh the snozzberries! And it's made by a director who has made nothing else even worth seeing in my eyes. But, that is all for another post.

Today I simply want reminisce about the 2 minutes and 33 seconds that is the song "Cheer Up Charlie". Listening to this song on a soundtrack now I can admit it is a beautiful song and Diana Sowle has rather nice voice. When watching the movie however it makes me want to slit my wrists and pour salt in the wounds.

As a kid I believe this one song caused me to have my first suicidal thoughts. Luckily most movies don't place such pace killing songs in them or I may have actually become emo or something. It is placed between "The Candy Man" which is also rather annoying but at least it is fun and has a little pop in it's step and "I've Got A (Freakin') Golden Tickets (All You Other Brits Can Suck It)". That's the name of that song, right? "I've Got A Golden Ticket" is one of the most uplifting songs ever put to film and good gosh is it ever needed.

Mrs. Bucket is simply trying to cheer her son up with song, but there are two problems with this. Firstly, if you want to cheer someone up it might help if they are actually within, you know, ear shot! Second, if I want to cheer you up I don't do it by tearfully telling you to be happy while I poke you in the eye with a pink eye fungus infested sewing needle. Mrs. Bucket clearly needs to take some anti depressants herself and listen to Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy Now" a few hundred times.

This movie has probably been watched millions of times but it is a well documented fact that the "Cheer Up Charlie" song has only been watched in it' 2 minutes and 33 second entirety three times. I vote that we get George Lucas to use some of his technology and cut this song out and extend "The Wondrous Boat Ride" scene by a few minutes.

Until that happens I will continue to lock up all sharp objects in my house before I press play on this movie.

I bet if I try jumping off the couch face first over and over it will work!