Tim Burton serves up the worst pies in London
January 29th 2008 22:00
Or rather, the worst pies from that studio where they filmed Carry On London... and probably the other 72 or so Carry On Films that are floating about the place.
I have plenty to say about the film Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Even more so now that I've actually seen it. I was just going to rant about it based on how I had imagined the film played out in my head, and in retrospect, I should have done just that, and saved $15 by staying home and watching "Criss Angel: Mindfreak", because he looks like a Tim Burton parody, and at least that show makes me laugh until it hurts.
I mean, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything special either. And the thing that really irks me is that Sweeny Todd beat out Juno for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Juno kicked Sweeny Todd's butt in the awesomeness stakes, and anyone that wants to argue this point with me shouldn't bother, because I'm right.
I mean, there was nothing different or new or interesting about Sweeny Todd... well not in the two hours that I watched it for anyway. It was just that kind of film, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter, otherwise known as Burton's best friend and his woman, respectively. I was half expecting home movies shot for no particular purpose with hand held cameras edited into a film a la that “Chaotic” series that Britney Spears and Kevin Federline vomited up.
Maybe that’s a pretty far out comparison to draw, but in all honesty, I probably would have enjoyed the film more if Spears had directed Sweeny Todd, simply because she would have brought in a fresh perspective on such a film. I mean, surely Britney has proved by now that she is a nutty as Tim Burton projects himself to be. Seriously, this is how desperately I am looking for something different in this genre of film.
Burton has proved that he has cornered the market on that particular type of tale of pseudo goths/spooky kids film, set in that cartoonishly grey scaled, eternally Halloween universe. But there comes a time when the art an artist such as Burton produces, which in the beginning is fresh and innovative, becomes just… what Tim Burton does on an average Tuesday. I mean, the people behind Sweeny Todd could have seen to it that a young, innovative director with new ideas about how comedy and gore can be used simultaneously to enrich the cinematic experience took the reigns on this movie…
Or play it safe and use that guy that did Nightmare Before Christmas.
What about Depp’s inclusion in the film? It’s a musical! I know people are saying they are surprised by how well he can sing, but I wouldn’t call what he does singing… it’s more like talking melodically. They could have found some dark, brooding hot guy who sings in an unsuccessful band or does shows at a Rocky Horroresque dinner theatre who would have been shown his gratitude for the chance to play the role by delivering a kick ass performance…
Or they could just call Johnny Depp, because he’s probably already appropriately dressed, and at Tim Burton’s house.
But the point I’m really trying to make is that no way in hell is Sweeny Todd a better film than Juno. All I have to say about Juno is go see it if you haven’t already. I’ve done it twice, which is quite a feat, as I can’t remember ever making the effort to see a film at the cinema more that once. Both times I’ve walked out an inexplicable kind of happy, which I’m guessing has something to do with the film’s modern day storybook ending reaffirming my faith in the world, despite the confusion it contains.
So where do the films come in on the rocking scale? Sweeny Todd rocks like Sondheim, and Juno rocks like the Stooges. Raw Power!
I have plenty to say about the film Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Even more so now that I've actually seen it. I was just going to rant about it based on how I had imagined the film played out in my head, and in retrospect, I should have done just that, and saved $15 by staying home and watching "Criss Angel: Mindfreak", because he looks like a Tim Burton parody, and at least that show makes me laugh until it hurts.
I mean, it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything special either. And the thing that really irks me is that Sweeny Todd beat out Juno for Best Picture, Musical or Comedy. Juno kicked Sweeny Todd's butt in the awesomeness stakes, and anyone that wants to argue this point with me shouldn't bother, because I'm right.
I mean, there was nothing different or new or interesting about Sweeny Todd... well not in the two hours that I watched it for anyway. It was just that kind of film, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter, otherwise known as Burton's best friend and his woman, respectively. I was half expecting home movies shot for no particular purpose with hand held cameras edited into a film a la that “Chaotic” series that Britney Spears and Kevin Federline vomited up.
Maybe that’s a pretty far out comparison to draw, but in all honesty, I probably would have enjoyed the film more if Spears had directed Sweeny Todd, simply because she would have brought in a fresh perspective on such a film. I mean, surely Britney has proved by now that she is a nutty as Tim Burton projects himself to be. Seriously, this is how desperately I am looking for something different in this genre of film.
Burton has proved that he has cornered the market on that particular type of tale of pseudo goths/spooky kids film, set in that cartoonishly grey scaled, eternally Halloween universe. But there comes a time when the art an artist such as Burton produces, which in the beginning is fresh and innovative, becomes just… what Tim Burton does on an average Tuesday. I mean, the people behind Sweeny Todd could have seen to it that a young, innovative director with new ideas about how comedy and gore can be used simultaneously to enrich the cinematic experience took the reigns on this movie…
Or play it safe and use that guy that did Nightmare Before Christmas.
What about Depp’s inclusion in the film? It’s a musical! I know people are saying they are surprised by how well he can sing, but I wouldn’t call what he does singing… it’s more like talking melodically. They could have found some dark, brooding hot guy who sings in an unsuccessful band or does shows at a Rocky Horroresque dinner theatre who would have been shown his gratitude for the chance to play the role by delivering a kick ass performance…
Or they could just call Johnny Depp, because he’s probably already appropriately dressed, and at Tim Burton’s house.
But the point I’m really trying to make is that no way in hell is Sweeny Todd a better film than Juno. All I have to say about Juno is go see it if you haven’t already. I’ve done it twice, which is quite a feat, as I can’t remember ever making the effort to see a film at the cinema more that once. Both times I’ve walked out an inexplicable kind of happy, which I’m guessing has something to do with the film’s modern day storybook ending reaffirming my faith in the world, despite the confusion it contains.
So where do the films come in on the rocking scale? Sweeny Todd rocks like Sondheim, and Juno rocks like the Stooges. Raw Power!
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Thanks,
Jon.