Just off to the side of society, where the dark place meets the grey sky, you will find the realm of Burtons films. Heres a look at what Tim Burton has brought to theatres so far & some future projects.

By: Kindah Mardam Bey

Tim Burton seems to have made a career out of the ‘odd man out.’ Just off to the side of society, where the dark place meets the grey sky, you will find the realm of Burton’s films; a collage of unique and disenfranchised individuals constantly trying to live harmoniously among the ‘norm.’ Throughout all of Burton’s films you find joy, love, and heartache in the most unusual places. Millions have embraced Burton’s outsider feelings brought to screen and with his newest endeavour Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street it is easily suspected that Burton’s storytelling will reach farther than it ever has before. 

One of my greatest film experiences was seeing a Wednesday matinee of Sleepy Hollow, with no one else in the hyper-newly constructed theatre, sat eating popcorn and watching the black, & white foggy screen with hints of red for impact. Terrifying and sweeping music filling my ears, I felt briefly, as though I was entering into the world of an old horror film with Vincent Price or Bela Lugosi just around the corner. It’s that capability of Burton to put his audience into another place and time of an ominous persuasion that is a little exciting and terrifying all at once.  

Burton started his career as a gifted animator and established his trademark approach in the full- feature film Beetle Juice, which lead into a long list of equally, and oddly enchanting stories. More than just a Director, Burton is a Producer, Writer, and most of all, a storyteller with a love for old movies. Here’s a look at what Tim Burton has brought to theatres so far and some future projects planned.

Frankenweenie (1984) – To some extent it all started with Frankenweenie, the story of child’s best friend turned Frankenstein dog. Like all Burton films, the story sounds obscenely obscure but is full of heartfelt connections between people, and in this case, a resurrected dog as well. Searching this short film out from the ‘80s vault may be hard to do, but well worth doing. Shelley Duvall, flawed victim of The Shining, plays the mother in Frankenweenie which starts a trend for Burton; casting actors from previous horror classics in small parts of his films as homage. 

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) – Tim Burton’s first full-length film, it is perhaps Burton’s film least pondered in educated circles, but it is a robust representation of camp. Burton made the legacy of Pee Wee’s Playhouse aptly sealed on the big screen, and also gave studios some confidence that no matter how ‘fringe’ Burton may be, he managed to make a solid amount of box office success. 

Beetle Juice (1988) – Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice! Say the name three times and unlock an unholy, otherworldly being of grotesque fun. Almost twenty years later and Beetle Juice stands the test of time. It’s visually dynamic appeal and over the top characters (Catherine O’Hara at her absolute best) makes for a light-hearted comedy that made a huge impact and before Heathers or Great Balls Of Fire!, introduced the world to Winona Ryder. 

Batman (1989) – In Tim Burton’s second film with Michael Keaton as the lead, Batman was more than a merchandising dream, more than Jack Nicholson as the Riddler, Prince performing on the soundtrack and all that black rubber; under Burton’s watchful eye we would look at our superheroes as flawed and strong with intent.

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Possibly the most cited film in reference to Tim Burton is the 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands. A sweet natured, and well-meaning man made by a scientist but uncompleted before the inventor’s untimely death. Edward was to be left as an unfinished masterpiece with scissors for hands. He is welcomed into a cautious community on one hand embracing Edward’s uniqueness and on the other reviling him for it. In between it all is a love story of Quasimodo proportions when Edward becomes enamoured with Kim and tries to find a way to win her heart. Edward Scissorhands would be the second film Winona Ryder did with Burton, a guest spot by gothic horror actor of the 1950s - Vincent Price, and the first of a long professional relationship between a pale-faced Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton. 

Batman (1992) – For Keaton’s last performance as Batman, and the only sequel Tim Burton has ever directed, the two worked together on Batman Returns. However, it was the highly coveted role of Catwoman that would steal this film, taken on by Michelle Pfeiffer and her vacuum-sealed leotard.  

Ed Wood

Mars Attacks! (1996) – For all the success, some failure must occur, and this was considered to be Tim Burtons. It was a hilarious take on B-Movie films with an all-star cast. Perhaps that was the problem; the film was too over run by celebrities, which detracted away from the Martians attacking earth. I would be more inclined to believe that it was simply time for a Burton film to flop…too good, too long…people get suspicious. 

Sleepy Hollow (1999) – Exquisitely reshaping the Washington Irving story about hapless hero Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the supernatural Headless Horseman into a retelling that was both terrifying and visually delightful. Depp was to be the lead in this one as well. Another cameo was to be made, but this time by horror film legend, Christopher Lee (Dracula,1958).     

Planet of the Apes (2001) – A fabulous remake of the politically charged 1968 film starring Charlton Heston (also playing a cameo in the 2001 version) was done with more of a 21^st Century action-packed mind-frame. Mark Wahlberg plays the lead character (it’s the man among all the Apes), and the film garnered a mild success.   

Big Fish (2003) – When reviewing the end of a long career in the far future, we will look back at Big Fish as perhaps a smaller scaled film of Burtons, that received mild acclaim, but was perhaps, one of his more pertinent chronicles of ‘the other.’ Big Fish is the story of a father on his death bed and a son who must come to grips with losing his father and never really knowing his father at the same time. Ed Bloom was a storyteller who fused fantasy with reality, and his son William Bloom is searching for reality now that his father is so close to passing. A beautifully woven story of magic and truth, Big Fish is heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time. Albert Finney and Billy Crudup bring their ‘A’ game to the table with fantastic performances.  

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – Commonly referred to as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, this remake of a classic Roald Dahl children’s book is spooky and comical for the young kids being indoctrinated into the world as seen through Tim Burtons’ lens. Depp plays Willy Wonka and the incredibly talented Freddie Highmore (who was also in Finding Neverland with Depp) is Charlie. This was the first Roald Dahl film Burton directed, but he also produced the film version of another Dahl novel, James And The Giant Peach (1996). Like a good dark chocolate, this film will leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth.  

Corpse Bride (2005) – Although Tim Burton produced and wrote (story/characters) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), The Corpse Bride was the first time he wrote (story/characters), produced and directed a full-length feature, stop-motion animated film. An arduous and laborious form of animation, The Corpse Bride is the story of Victor who plans to propose to Victoria and when he rehearses his oath in a forest beforehand, he is unsuspectingly wed to Emily, the corpse bride. The film is visually stunning and has a pleasant story with musical numbers to make The Corpse Bride a highly underrated effort on Burton’s part. Depp voices the lead and Helena Bonham Carter (who has two children with Burton) is the corpse bride.    

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) – So we arrive at Sweeney Todd, Christmas blockbuster hit (I can already tell) with Depp as the lead again, Helena Bonham Carter as the love interest and all the grey tones, flashes of dramatic blood stained items, Victorian underworld, that we have come accustomed to loving Tim Burton creation.  In Hollywood terms,

Tim Burton is ‘bankable’ as he has somehow managed to make stories about those individuals just on the outskirts of ‘normal’ and yet help us all to discover how connected we are to those characters. Keeping a strong career in motion, Burton has announced he will be bringing Frankenweenie to a full-feature in animated form and Alice In Wonderland after that. Burton is also slated to direct The Spook's Apprentice as well. Aside from being a director, producer and storyteller, Burton also wrote a collection of eerie children’s poems called ‘The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy & Other Stories’ which he also illustrated; I highly recommend searching this out for its awkward and endearing qualities…just like so many of Burton’s other projects.