Two flicks, two addresses, one glorious day. Even with traffic in this town, such a goal is completely doable if one plans accordingly. Here are our two reel go-outs for Saturday, November 15 (and a fanciful duo they are).
Flick #1
"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory": Every time we watch this classic (and it really is the classic to trump all classics, period), we find something new to obsess over. Last time it was Gene Wilder's hair. Specifically the wispy tuft that kept sticking crazily off one side of his head. We also constantly re-quote, to the annoyance of everyone we know, all of Violet Beauregard's lines ("can it, you nit!"). And Charlie's shy smiles? Adorable. The Aero is screening this wonder in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, which sounds just about perfect to us. Saturday, November 15, 4PM. $10. Aero Theater, 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica. 310-260-1528
Dinner: Ever since the LA Times ran a piece talking about the Father's Office burger earlier this week, we've been craving heaps of caramelized onions. The Santa Monica outpost is just three blocks from the Aero, so we'd head down there for a bite.
Flick #2
An Evening of Stop-Motion Rarities: If you grew up loving the work of Rankin & Bass (creators of the "Rudolph" television fave), then you likely love stop-motion. We think the whimsical and strange form is the perfect companion to "Willy Wonka"; both "Willy" and stop-motion appeal to kids and adults alike. The stop-motion night at Silent Movie includes a bunch of shorts going all the way back to the silents; look for humanized insects and strange monsters executing charming, halt-and-go movements. Saturday, November 15, 7:30PM. $10. Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles. 323-655-2510
