In honor of “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971) turning 50, we’ve constructed a podcast category about bizarro adults and the puzzle worlds they make for kids.
LISTEN: An Ode To Movie Theaters In Movies [Be Reel Podcast]
After unpacking the simultaneous entrancement and discomfort of watching candymen, goblin kings, and world-builders covet innocent children for mysterious ends, Be Reel plunges into the alternate realities of “Willy Wonka,” “Labyrinth” (1986), and “Tomorrowland” (2015). Press play below for answers to these burning questions:
- How did Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka so expertly walk the line between idealist and tormentor?
- What happens when these movies put more energy into allegory than actual world-building?
- What can today’s picks tell us about children’s entertainment writ large? Will even the best examples feel warped through adult eyes?
As always, The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes Be Reel, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. You can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top to listen on this page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we appreciate it. Thank you for listening.