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The Wonderful World Of Tim Burton

empireonline.com — Tim Burton's style is instantly recognisable, as demonstrated in the recently released "Alice in Wonderland" pics. This piece looks back over his films to see how his style developed, in the man's own words.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 30, 2009

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  • HeDiggMe, on 06/30/2009, -2/+26Tim Burton + Danny Elfman = trippy movie awesomeness.

    By the way--no mention of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. That's an unsung Burton classic.
  • Wonderama, on 06/30/2009, -1/+18I'll never forgive him for what he did to The Planet of the Apes.
  • dxgg, on 06/30/2009, -1/+17I thought it was pretty good. It was a lot closer to the book than "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" in 1971, but I have such a soft spot for Gene Wilder's portrayal of the character, it was hard to watch *anybody* else do it.
  • Zarokima, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1514 ***** pages for as many paragraphs?
  • DinosaurDerek, on 06/30/2009, -4/+17I enjoy Tim Burton's movies.
  • Dtopler, on 06/30/2009, -10/+23I hate to say it, but the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sucked.
  • Tonicks, on 06/30/2009, -0/+11I don't always enjoy his movies, but I appreciate what he brings to the table. It's better, or at least more original, than a lot of filmmakers.
  • dxgg, on 06/30/2009, -1/+12Yeah, because Big Fish is exactly the same movie as Beelejuice, which is remarkably similar to Ed Wood, Batman, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
  • inactive, on 06/30/2009, -5/+13Style over substance.

    Superficial visual candy.
  • inigomntoya, on 06/30/2009, -0/+7For the most part, yes. But Big Fish kind of changed that for him. It was a movie that most definitely was more about the story than the eye candy.
  • Shiner76, on 06/30/2009, -1/+8Can't wait to see what he does with Alice and Wonderland
  • krakow056, on 06/30/2009, -5/+11Hot Topic fat goth girls rejoice!
    Ok director with an awful, awful fanbase.
    And his formula is getting old: get Johnny Depp and Helenea in dark makeup in..
  • Elranzer, on 06/30/2009, -0/+5Tim Burton was doing his thing before Emo was even a concept.
  • pr0jecktpat, on 06/30/2009, -8/+13All of his movies are extremely overrated and only appeal to a certain small group of people. I can't stand the people that defend his movies because they never defend them for what they are, but they just defend them because he is Tim Burton and he is edgy apparently.
  • NaziHatinChimp, on 06/30/2009, -2/+7 I refuse to watch Tim Burton movies. Why not change your style? I don't want to go see his movies because I know what I am seeing before I see it.
  • Rell812, on 06/30/2009, -3/+8Tim Burton is a great director, but a pretty terrible writer and art director. And apparently he doesn't know what makes a movie good, as seen by Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and his Planet of the Apes remake. Just because he does have some good movies, but when he fails he fails hard.
  • inigomntoya, on 06/30/2009, -1/+6Surprisingly, it was less creepy than the original with Gene Wilder...
  • danwallace, on 06/30/2009, -1/+6If they only appeal to a small group of people, how are they overrated? His swimming pool of hundred dollar bills has a bone to pick with you over that statement.
  • Taiyoryu, on 06/30/2009, -0/+4I'm surprised it took me this long to notice, but seeing Tim amongst the characters in his movies, I realize he fits right in among them.
  • inactive, on 06/30/2009, -0/+4Let's take a look at what he's directed...

    I think it's starting to get to the point where people can say that old Burton may have been a lot better than new Burton (or at least the Burton of the past 5 years)

    Burton could really use another Big Fish, Mars Attacks, or Ed Wood to get him out of this style rut he's been digging himself into, but I have the feeling now that he's established he can get away with doing whatever HE wants, which is putting everyone in Beetlejuice makeup and having 3-ways with Depp and Bonham Carter...

    # Alice in Wonderland (2010) (post-production)
    # Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
    # Corpse Bride (2005)
    # Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
    # Big Fish (2003)
    # Sleepy Hollow (1999)
    # Mars Attacks! (1996)
    # Ed Wood (1994)
    # Batman Returns (1992)
    # Edward Scissorhands (1990)
    # Batman (1989)
    # Beetle Juice (1988)
  • guyincognitoo, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3This may be common knowledge now, but I just learned the ending is the same as it is in the book. Of course he could have explained it a little better.

    "Ulysse lands on Earth, over 700 years after he had originally left it, and lands outside the city of Paris. However, once outside the ship, he discovers that Earth is now ruled by intelligent apes just like the planet from which he has fled."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_of_the_Apes#Pl ...
  • airwalke, on 06/30/2009, -2/+5You seem to forget that movies are a *visual* medium.
  • YouandWhoseArmy, on 06/30/2009, -5/+8Couldn't agree with your more. Every one of his movie screams, "Look at all this art direction, don't think about the story or plot". While he has made good movies he is definitely overrated.
  • inactive, on 06/30/2009, -3/+6Tim Burton is a true master of art. I enjoy looking at the word through the prism of his trippy art. He is among my favorite directors.
  • samard2002, on 06/30/2009, -3/+6How many Tim Burton articles are we going to have to suffer until Alice comes out? It's been a steady stream lately.
  • glasnostic, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3i was going to say the same thing.. this list is incomplete..

    incidentally, tonight our local art house is playing Pee-wee's Big Adventure as a fundraiser for the local NPR station.
  • Mothrog, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3And you seem to forget that movies are also made to tell a story. Visuals are great, but a movie isn't a movie without a good plot.
  • MisterNipples, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3Where is Pee Wee's Big Adventure in this list?
  • Garrulous, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3Wait a minute -- is that headline one of them "oxymorons"?
  • solid12345, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3Oh right, they are "scene" now
  • michaelangelo09, on 06/30/2009, -0/+3I agree, I didn't like it very much either. I say leave the stop motion to Henry Selick. Related story: Coraline was awesome.
  • BLeppard, on 06/30/2009, -3/+6I like.
  • SpookyBoots, on 06/30/2009, -6/+9Anyone else not like Tim Burton? I'm just curious. I think it's annoying artsy emo *****.
  • lex0nyc, on 06/30/2009, -0/+2Not as bad as the people who did sequels to the original.
  • ripter, on 06/30/2009, -0/+2Maybe it's because I didn't watch the Willy Wonka version until after I saw Charlie, but I liked Charlie better.
  • pathy, on 06/30/2009, -0/+2I don't know why but I'd love Tim Burton and Tim Schafer to get together and do something.
  • JinxCrow, on 06/30/2009, -0/+2His world scares me.
  • inactive, on 06/30/2009, -1/+3It did. Burton killed the Oompa Loompas, and pretty much anything fun.

    People think just because something is closer to the book automatically makes it better because it's more authentic or whatever. But cinema is a different medium. There is no way you could have fit all of Jurassic Park (book) into the film and still have it be a *good* film. If LoTR movies followed the books, each movie would be 15 hours long.
  • Phr3aker, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1the guy is amazing its just true
  • MasterGrief, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1The words "spindly gothic crap" come to mind
  • inactive, on 06/30/2009, -3/+4Tim Burton does one thing, and does it pretty well - it can get old pretty quickly if he doesn't mix things up a bit. Big Fish was a nice departure from his norm - but he just seems to be defaulting back to the "just make it really ***** weird" formula.
  • DarthVolta, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1I do for the most part, but I think Corpse Bride was seriously overrated.
  • had3l, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1Interesting that him and Johnny Depp made 6 movies together.
  • rocknog, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1I thought it received mediocre reviews, which would be appropriate because it was a fairly mediocre movie. If you ask me, the word "overrated" is overrated.
  • solid12345, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1This....is Diane Rehm...and I would like to talk... to... my listeners today about "spasmodic dysphonia"...

    SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA?! THAT'S THE SECRET WORD OF THE DAY! YAAAAAH!
  • nepidae, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1Damn, imagine Mars Attacks without generic CG? That would have been so badass.
  • solid12345, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1The CG was fine in Mars Attacks, was meant to be cheesy looking
  • MasterGrief, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1If by "classic" you mean "tired", then I agree entirely.
  • geoman2k, on 06/30/2009, -0/+1yea i was about to say... "how his style has developed"?? it hasn't changed in 15 years. movies like beetlejuice and scissorhands were innovative when they came out, but lately he has just been rehashing his old styles, using the same 4 actors and remaking movies that didn't need to be remade in the first place.
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