Dark Shadows comes out today and while I am not that keen on vampires, I am one of those Tim Burton fanatics that will see anything that he does and just hope and pray that it is good. I must admit I am worried. The trailers have done little to make me excited and I am mostly just confused as to what it "is." I can't really even tell if it is a comedy or not? I am hoping I am wrong and it is just the marketing that is terrible (which I have heard could be the case) and the movie is much better than it looks. This also has made me reflect on the career of one of my favorite directors. I know that he has made some mis-steps (Sweeney Todd) and isn't loved by everyone but several of his movies are in my top 10 favorites of all time. In a film landscape crowded with sequels and super-heros I don't think anybody can deny that Burton's films are original. You can usually spot one the moment you see a single frame and whether you love them or hate them his movies have a distinct style. I thought I knew which would top my list, but then when actually looking at and thinking about it, it became much harder to decide than I expected it to be. I rank my list of Top 10 Favorite Tim Burton films here:
 | 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas I know this one might not technically count because Henry Selick directed it and Burton only wrote, but I go to Disneyland every year just so I can visit Halloweentown and can sing all of the songs by heart. It is in my Top 5 favs of all time and I had to give it its due. |
 | 2. Big Fish The way that he was able to inter-weave a depressing story of a dying man and transport you in to a new fantastical world with each story is still astounding to me. It has so much heart and emotion (and beauty) that it just gets me every time. |
 | 3. Edward Scissorhands It was the beginning of the on-screen love affair between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton and every time I watch this I am once again reminded of why. He's a monster with a heart of gold and the scene where he makes it snow with his scissor hands is one of the most beautiful I have seen in a film to this day. |
 | 4. Corpse Bride I am just still so fascinated by stop-motion animation and how hard it is to make a film like this so incredible that anytime it is done well I am sold. |
 | 5. Ed Wood As a film buff I can't help but love this hilarious look at the worst director of all time. Makes you respect how hard it is to make a movie…or not. |
 | 6. Batman I'm sure this will be higher on other people's list, but once The Dark Knight came along it blew every other version of Batman that I had seen out of the water. |
 | 7. Sleepy Hollow I'm not one for scary movies or gory films, but there is something about Sleepy Hollow that is just the perfect amount of both for me. |
 | 8. Beetlejuice It's Beetlejuice, how can you not love him?! |
 | 9. Pee-wee's Big Adventure I watched Pee-Wee's Playhouse every week and I believe this was one of the first movies that I ever watched and it still holds a special place in my heart. |
 | 10. Mars Attacks! It was years later that I actually realized this was a Tim Burton movie and I'm not sure what that means, but I still think it is one of the best "alien disaster" movies out there. |
I cannot stand Tim Burton; his style just overpowers the film. Then again, his films wouldn't overly appeal to me anyway.
I forgot all the good movies Burton has put out since more recently he hasn't been as brilliant as he has in the past. Now I just want to watch Batman and Pee Wee again.
I think Big Fish is the last good film Burton did. I'm kind of depressing to see his career go onto autopilot for the past decade. Alice in Wonderland directed by Tim Burton should of been an instant classic, instead, it was one of the worst pictures of the year. I feel that he needs to reinvent himself somewhere because his sense of weird just is tiresome now and Frankenweenie doesn't look much better.
I like Tim Burton he generally lets his artistic side come out in full form. You can watch 10 min of any of his movies and know that it is his. I wouldn't mind him pulling focus to some other actors though, the Johnny Depp and Helana Bonham Carter mix is getting a little tiresome.
Finally, I found someone else who was also underwhelmed by Sweeney Todd. Then again, I'm not really into musicals.
@RockinKemosabe:
Alice in Wonderland wasn't on most people's worst of list of 2010, so that's really only your opinion. Not to mention the fact that it made a million dollars and was his most successful film with Depp.
@Moviemaniac: Generally the movie is regarded as middling. Not great, not horrendous. But you're right, that movie made BANK! Over a billion overall including DVD sales I believe. Some of that had to do with the 3D craze going on and Alice was one of the first/best when it all began.
I guess it depends on how you measure a success.
Burton should of stopped after Big Fish that movie is probably his best imo. Alice in Wonderland was a mess but I did like Sweeney Todd, but that's more to being a fan of the musical than his actual directing or style. Still I can rock to Sleepy Hallow when it comes on.
Having recently re watched his two Batman films, Batman and Batman Returns I've realized they just don't work for me. I liked the world he made but everything else not so much.
The College Humor Tim Burton's Secrete Formula video is pretty accurate
@FinalDasa said:
It was shocking to me when I looked at my list and the last film on it was made in 2005. Definitely indicates something about the recent films.
@staceywi: Do you think he just gave up and wants a paycheck? Or maybe kind of lost his way within his own style?
@FinalDasa said:
I believe more the latter that he lost his way and has recently almost become "stuck" within the style. Even though all his films have a specific look and style it seems like lately they all have the "same" look. Ed Wood was very different from Edward Scissorhands but you still knew they were Burton films. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland look like they could have been the same films with different stories so just didn't feel fresh anymore. I am actually hoping Frankenweenie might take him to a different place and bring out something new that we haven't seen before, but not convinced that will happen yet.
I'm surprised you would consider Sweeny Todd as a misstep yet put Sleepy Hollow on your list... I mean, to each their own and stuff, but I personally thought Sweeny Todd was the only semi-decent thing he's done since Big Fish (which, admittedly, is pretty great).
@FinalDasa said:
I've had a theory behind his demise for a while. From his start in the 80s up through the early 90s he was skyrocketing. Batman Returns didn't do nearly as well as the first one, but it was still a success (and I'd say a much better film anyway). He was at a point where he could branch out from doing studio's characters and black and white stripes, and just tell a story that he really wanted to tell. That was the brilliant Ed Wood, and it was a disastrous flop. I honestly think that broke part of him. Going from being one of the most acclaimed Hollywood directors, to a dude who made a flick nobody cared about.
Then came (the equally divergent from his past) Mars Attacks!, which made a meager profit, but received middling reviews. And I think that's what sealed the deal. From then on out it'd be spirals, black and white shit, and "creepy" material. Burton didn't like the taste of risk, so he's been playing it safe ever since. Pretty much exactly like this...
Also , Burton had little to do with The Nightmare Before Christmas. He created the main characters and wrote a short poem which was resurrected by Disney years later. THAT'S IT! It was developed by Michael McDowell, written by Caroline Thompson, the songs were written by Danny Elfman, and (as you thankfully at least mention) was directed by Henry Selick. Burton was one of the producers, so he did "oversee" the production in that capacity, but I really think it's kind of irresponsible to put it on a list of Tim Burton Movies. He of course deserves credit for the original spark, but it's furthering an all-too-common misconception and taking credit away from the lesser-known talent behind that amazing movie.
Sweeney Todd is by no means a mis-step for Burton. It's one of his better films. Maybe you just don't like musicals?
Planet of the Apes, now there is a mis-step!
@gangly said:
Yes, I agree with you and it is true that he was not involved in much of the actual production, yet, in this case, I don't think you can discount how much he laid the ground-work that led to what the final film was. Listening to a talk by Danny Elfman, Burton was very involved in writing the music and lyrics as they worked on many of the songs together. I know that it maybe a marketing scheme to call it "Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas"but I also don't think in this case you can deny how much his inspiration of the story, characters, storyboards had on the final product. I absolutely give credit to Henry Selick (as I did) and Michael McDowell but I also believe that this film does belong in the lexicon of Tim Burton films.
Tim Burton used to be one of my favorite directors in the world, but the last ten years of underwhelming films have made me lose a lot of respect for him.
And Also, please take a break from working with Johnny Depp. Jeez.
I think Sweeney Todd is his best movie, and I absolutely love it, but I think Dark Shadows is awful. There's more to it than just using the same style over and over. One of those movies is interesting, and one of them is not. Simple as that.