We examine one of the most erratic, yet singular, directing careers in modern Hollywood.
Let us return to the world of Tim Burton.
Vertical lines and black and white stripes.
Sullen expressions and pallid skin tones.
Disheveled hair and often handcrafted special effects.
There are certain staples and motifs that recur in the works ofTim Burton.
But the movie which marked real decline is this soulless and insipid studio product made to order for Disney.
In isolation, there is much to admire aboutDark Shadows.
Yet this one mightve benefitted from trying to be moreSleepy HollowthanBeetlejuice.
One can feel the film revel in Greens devilish smile as she turns into a falcon.
Other highlights include a winking homage to the army of skeletons inJason and the Argonauts(1963).
Alas, the sum is lesser than the parts.
The film ultimately was noEd Wood, however, nor the Oscar-magnet Weinstein hoped it to be.
So he stole the credit and the fortune until Margaret took it back.
The film unpacks their battle with more restrained whimsy than normal for Burton.
Perhaps that is why it is fairly forgettable.
Still, theres a sincere empathy and affection for Margaret and her dubious paintings.
it’s possible for you to tell Burton is acknowledging a kindred spirit.
And toa certain vocal minority of Dahl fans, he succeeded.
The production design by Alex McDowell is literal eye-candy.
All things being equal though, fidelity to source material can be overrated.
The 71 movie is a heartwarming classic in no small part because of Wilders vulnerable performance.
Wilder found a way to walk a delicate line between endearing and creepy.
But the ultimate result is more unsettling than avuncular.
Theres a reason only one of them is considered a classic.
Corpse Brideis not a multi-holiday triumph likeNightmare, but it is a pleasant enough oddity in its own right.
(Spoiler: Its the remains of a finger!
Its a family friendly Danse Macabre full of beautiful animation and tuneful Danny Elfman songs.
To this day, it enjoys eternal life on cable television every October.
Thats remarkable since it stars mostly dead people.
Its gonzo nonsense that overcomes a plotless screenplay that might otherwise waste Ryder and newcomer Jenna Ortega.
But no one can be fully wasted when theyre asked to lip-synchand dance to MacArthur Park.
The stop-motion animated version is the same thing, if only more so.
Still, we still kind of prefer the story in its original 29-minute form.
Yet unlike so many modern superhero flicks,Batmanretains a quirky and morbid personality befitting its director.
Also, that Danny Elfman score soars.
Pee-wees Big Adventure (1985)
Burtons first feature film is also one of his best.
But Paul Reubens probably had a hunch.
But that is why it remains among the best superhero films ever made more than 30 years on.
A metaphor for modern politics or Burtons own experience on the first Batman movie?
InSleepy Hollow, though, that spell is cast with dreamlike wonderment.
Another exquisite Danny Elfman score also doesnt hurt.
YetSondheim himself adored the picture, calling it the best adaptation of one of his musicals.
This is a nearly black-and-white psychological drama until it oozes red.
None of it tracks, but all of it is strangely joyful.
The movie represents Burtons preferred aesthetics and instincts at their absolute best.
And there is sincere affection and even bliss in how Burton translates this to the screen.
Its a beautiful piece of cinema and one of the best films ever made about making movies.
