Well hell. The first several Wonderland scenes are filmed in a real 1800s lunatic asylum. Alice acts the way she does throughout because she’s clearly an insane child. When Leo McKern in a dress says that he beats his little baby when it sneezes, you take one look at his expression and know he means it literally. I never said it’s a jolly, fun-loving pic.
Yeah, I like morbid and weird. Carroll is for MY type of person, too!
Alice through the TV screen, IIRC.
I think I may be the only person who ever saw the 1985 Made For TV version with Natalie Gregory. It was quite faithful (if not comprehensive) with an age appropriate Alice, and I thought it was quite lovely. It’s my favorite version by far. And nobody else ever remembers it when the topic comes up. But if you’re looking for a straight version of Alice in Wonderland, that’s it.
If I had to pick someone to make a spiritually faithful Alice movie, I’d pick Hayao Miyazaki (now retired). I don’t really think there’s all that much really separating My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away from Alice. Spirited Away, especially, has a very loose plot but is in many ways an excuse for Chihiro to interact with all of these weird spirit world inhabitants, while engulfed in Japanese cultural, religious, and folkloric allusions.
I get that, but I think it would have worked better as an “inspired by”. Suppose it started with Alice in the admitting psychiatrist’s office, then walking down a long hallway (like the rabbit hole!) and having lunch with the other patients (like the Mad Tea Party!) and so forth. The events, and the tone, of the original, except all real-world. Well, there could be a dream sequence. Anyway, that could work. As it is, it falls flat on its face as an adaptation.
I was also going to mention this one. I enjoyed it as a kid, and I actually watched it not that long ago, and it was still enjoyable.