Willy Wonka and the Gremlin Factory
After long years of seclusion in his factory, Willy Wonka shocks the world when he announces that five lucky children will be given a tour of his chocolate factory. These special guests will be shown all the secrets of his scrumptious candy, and one will win a lifetime supply of Wonka chocolate!
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Young Charlie desires desperately to tour Wonka’s factory, but with barely enough money for even one candy bar, Charlie’s odds of finding a golden ticket are unlikely. Despite the odds, fate surprises Charlie with one of the golden tickets and he joins four other children on what will be the most sugary and terrifying adventure in history.
Though the children are at first delighted with the factory, certain occurrences on their tour strike them as odd. A strange humming sound occasionally echoes through the halls as the group moves from room to room. And though Mr. Wonka is happy to show the children the Inventing room, the Nut room and many more fascinating parts of the structure, he squeamishly attempts to divert their curiosity about the Television room, shown on the factory map.
Convinced something is amiss, the children conspire to distract Mr. Wonka allowing Charlie time to investigate the mysteries. Following the humming and whistling through the hallway, Charlie tracks the sounds to Mr. Wonka’s office. There he finds a small-furry creature with large-round eyes who wears a name tag that reads “Gizmo.”
“How could that crazy Mr. Wonka keep you hidden and lonely in here?” Charlie dotes on Gizmo.
Gizmo’s giant ears perk up as he coos in response.
“Come on buddy” Charlie extracts Gizmo from the cage into his arms and continues snooping.
“Eew” he observes trays of tubes filled with ooze. His prying eyes navigate several photos Mr. Wonka. But in each of them he is alone.
“And what’s this about” the nosy boy flips through pages of loosely scribbled words and equations. Over and over the phrase “I need the spit” appears on the paper.
Charlie giggles but also finds it disturbing.
Footsteps and chatter disturb his investigation as the group draws near. Charlie takes the opportunity to slip back in with the group as they pass by outside the office. Gizmo quickly wins the children’s hearts and they all pet him happily, until Mr. Wonka’s high shrieking disrupts them.
“Gizmo!” he exclaims.
Startled by his owner’s tone of alarm, the small-furry creature jumps to the floor and darts down the hall.
“Wait!” Mr. Wonka shouts.
The group chases Gizmo down the hall and straight to the door of the Television room. The children gasp with fright as they hear snarls and evil giggles behind the doors.
“Mr. Wonka, what’s that sound?” Charlie asks him quietly.
“Oh Charlie, I don’t know what those things are exactly. They came from little Gizmo, but they aren’t anything like him. That’s why I’ve hidden away and not let anyone near the factory for so long. It’s dangerous.”
“Why now Mr. Wonka? Why’d you bring us here?”
“I was so lonely Charlie. And I wanted to share the wonders of my factory with someone else.”
Charlie peeks through the glass in the doors to see hideous reptile creatures fighting and destroying the room. “Why don’t you just have the police come capture them?”
Tears trickle down Mr. Wonka’s cheeks. “Well, that would break little Gizmo’s heart. And Gizmo’s previous owner told me that this could happen, but he also told me it is a curse. He said that if it did happen, the creatures had to be protected because they can be redeemed.”
A loud crash sounds from the Television room.
“Redeemed?” repeats Charlie.
“Yes, I think maybe healed” Mr. Wonka explains.
“I think those things are beyond help!” Violet shouts. “I’m calling the police.”
“No Violet, I can help them. I just need one more ingredient for the special formula that should change them. Kid spit is the last ingredient.”
“Nope, I’m calling now you crazy man” she begins marching toward Mr. Wonka’s office to use the phone.
Charlie sprints past her, almost knocking her off her feet. “Lets give Mr. Wonka a chance!”
He beats her to the office, detaching the phone and hiding it.
“Charlie, you’ve done the right thing” Mr. Wonka reaches the office. Panting after his sprint to catch up, he grabs a bowl with liquid in it and shoves it at Charlie. “Spit quick!”
After Charlie’s kid spit has been added and some ooze, Mr. Wonka dashes down the hall.
“I hope you can save those little grim things” Charlie encourages. “I’ll call them Gremlins.”
In the end, Mr. Wonka’s formula transformed the horrid little Gremlins into slightly cranky but still lovable little green-haired guys called Umpa-Lumpas. Charlie won a lifetime supply of chocolate and Mr. Wonka never had to be lonely again. Everyone lived happily ever after.
