What we did this weekend

Friday night we attended a going-away party for our priest, who is being transferred to another parish. The hall was absolutely packed, the food lines were long, and of course my potato salad (which was the only dish my poor stomach wanted to think about) was gone by the time we got to the serving table. Still, an enjoyable evening. There was also a bit of a talent show in which yours truly sawed away at some Irish tune with the help of more talented friends. Afterwards we went out driving in order to watch the mileage roll over to 100,000. Whoo-hoo!

Saturday we took in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with some friends. Most enjoyable -- better than the first movie, I think. Johnny Depp is a funky guy who's able to channel the bizarre with style, and here's he's playing an insecure boy who hasn't really grown up. The Oompah-Loompahs' songs were laugh-out-loud funny, in various pastiches of modern styles, and the Oompah Loompahs weren't orange and fake -- they actually look like they're from a South Seas island (they're all played by the same guy, which gets funnier and funnier). And (a big plus in my book) Tim Burton didn't repeat the mistake of the first movie in having Charlie and Grandpa Joe sneak off and do something stupid. C'mon guys: Charlie wins because he's good! He's not a disobedient, noxious brat like the other kids! Anyway, there were some scenes that would have frightened me as a small child (melting puppets -- kind of creepy; Veruca Salt being attacked by squirrels) so I wouldn't personally take a child under ten to see it, but I give it three stars.

(Note: in a set of flashbacks not in the book (though very Dahl-ian in tone) we see Willy Wonka's father, played by Christopher Lee, who does not look like he's almost 90. Well-preserved doesn't begin to describe it!)