Tuesday, September 27, 2005

I'll probably see "Corpse Bride" sometime this week. I thoroughly liked "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka elicited some of the affinity I experienced for "Edward Scissorhands'" title character.





I'm fascinated by Tim Burton's cinematic vocabulary; he shamelessly reuses old tricks but manages to infuse them with novelty. I particularly liked the scene in "Charlie" when Wonka is cutting the ribbon to his Gothic-looking factory with a pair of giant scissors in what has to be a deliberate homage to "Edward." And the CGI opening sequence, with its eccentric chocolate bar assembly line, recalls both the automated cookie factory from "Edward" and the armada of brushed-steel flying saucers from the beginning of "Mars Attacks!"

(Burton can fail -- the first two "Batman" movies and "Planet of the Apes," while fun to look at, are essentially pretty vapid. Burton's vision is best conveyed by simple storylines, and the Mervyn Peake-like surrealism of "Edward Scissorhands" and the inspired whimsy of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" are, in my opinion, among his best offerings.)

4 comments:

Dominus said...

Mac, you're a real smart guy, but when you put down the first Batman and sing praises to the crap fest that's trying to usurp Gene Wilder... well...

"Never rub another man's rhubarb"

Ummm... Mars sucks! Now you know how I feel.

Adrian said...

Don't forget Ed Wood.

My favorite Tim Burton movie is actually the short film included in The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD entitled Vincent, which is narrated by Vincent Price.

I still haven't seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but loved Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow.

Mac said...

Gene Wilder's Wonka was brilliant. No offense intended.

But I'm not a "Batman" fan, despite its awesome visuals. Sorry.

Mac said...

your book sucked! i wan't a refund!

Whoah -- tough crowd.

*nervously adjusts bowtie*