POLL: Best Tim Burton film

Sleepy Hollow is perfect in every way. Edward Scissorhands runs it a close second. He won't be remembered for Planet of the Apes, though.

wow I had forgotten that I'd seen most of his movies

Of the ones I've seen, the only one that I harbor ill will towards is Planet Of The Apes.

It is horrible. So is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, thought not so much.

Ed Wood is my favourite by a mile. I often think of the "one more step down into the cellar of indignity" look on Martin Landau's face as he prepares to wrestle with that octopus.

It's either Ed Wood or Mars Attacks!, followed by Todd and Batman.

Big Fish is hideous.

I liked what he tried to do with Charlie... even though it wasn't really successful.

Haven't seen: Vincent, Frankenweenie, Ed Wood, Big Fish, Corpse Bride

Pee-wee, Edward, Ed Wood, maybe Beetlejuice. I have a feeling Batman would seem kinda lame after Nolan/Bale.

i somehow managed to never see ed wood, I think because it wasn't on dvd for ages. also haven't seen vincent or frankenweenie. I have a feeling that everything b/w 96 and 2005 is pretty bad; I remember really hating Sleepy Hollow, but now I don't remember why. Big Fish just seemed like his "Fisher King". Charlie is really, really bad. But I'm inclined to vote for Sweeney Todd because it was so much better than I thought it would be.

i kind of liked the charlie and the chocolate factory remake. i saw it on the amtrak train.

either pee-wee or beetlejuice

Ed Wood is my favourite by a mile.

Mine too. Such a generous-spirited film with universally perfect performances. No one vote for Big Fish, it's rubbish.

You know what annoys me? When people describe Burton's films as 'dark'. He's obviously a big softie with a fetish for gothic window dressing.

Haven't got around to watching Big Fish but the fact that Spalding Gray killed himself after watching it doesn't bode well.

edward scissorhands brings me to tears every time

I have a feeling Batman would seem kinda lame after Nolan/Bale.

Wonderful production design (obviously), but a wafer-thin plot.

have a feeling Batman would seem kinda lame after Nolan/Bale.

-- ledge, 11 July 2008 14:28 (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

no, what?

xpost no, what?

I have a feeling nothing would seem kinda lame after Nolan/Bale.

bale can't hold a candle to michael keaton's batman/wayne.

I think the production design would suffer most actually, at the time it seemed dark and fitting but now it would look ridiculously obviously Burton. And I'm not sure I was ever that keen on Nicholson's hammy Joker.

yeah, why would anyone ham it up playing THE JOKER? Jesus.

Wow. Most of these movies are crap. And long!

Beetlejuice.

There's all different kinds of ham. Some ham is better than others.

Christian Bale is terrible! When he assumes the I-am-Batman stentorian, it's like watching a kindergarten student play adult with a pencil mustache.

Morbius mostly otm above but Pee-Wee ftw

Wow. Most of these movies are crap. And long!

-- Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Friday, 11 July 2008 15:40 (1 minute ago) Bookmark Link

^^^ridin' the truth pony

Burton's second Batman is still way better than Nolan/Bale, it's one of the best superhero movies in general. The first one is kinda patchy, admittedly.

bale's "serious batman" voice put me off right through the movie, and may well stop me from seeing the sequel all by itself.

i think the first batman is better than the second, though.

Bale is the best naked Batman (Val Kilmer close).

Other then the 4 I named (and I like the first Batman mostly for Jack and Gotham), Alfred is right; Burton is more tripe than ham.

I prefer his Apes to what (at the time, I haven't rewatched) seemed to be the emo misogyny of Edward Scissorhands.

Pee-wee has a great opening 15 minutes.

Batman Returns is so MEAN! Not much besides Pfeiffer.

Batman Begins might've been as good as Batman Returns if it hadn't taken itself too seriously. I hope the new one doesn't still follow Frank Miller's example in thinking Batman should be "realistic" and "gritty" and "psychological" like Dirty Harry or Death Wish or something.

Ed Wood pretty far ahead of the other good ones (Pee Wee's, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks)

I mean, Batman Begins is still quite "dark", especially compared to the Adam West Batman (not that I have anything against it), but in a way that suits the genre better.

(x-post)

xposts to tuomas- well, better all of those things than we get another schumacher style effort.

ed wood. martin landau is totally great in it and bill murray steals every single scene he's in. "mexico was.... a nightmare."

re-watched this recently thinking I probably wouldn't like this as much as I used to... definitely not!

second place is probably beetlejuice or batman or something.

I liked Schumacher's first Batman! He did the campy superhero thing very well, I think. Never saw the second one though.

emo misogyny of Edward Scissorhands

I can't quite figure out where this is coming from. Diane Wiest is clearly the moral center of the film, and the most sympathetic character

You know what annoys me? When people describe Burton's films as 'dark'. He's obviously a big softie with a fetish for gothic window dressing.

^^this. Seen every single one... Planet of the Apes, Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are all awful but I pretty much like/love everything else. Ed Wood and Scissorhands are his best I think, but gonna go with Nightmare before Christmas - it's a little ruined by all the emo kids sporting Jack Skellington merch these days, but I must have seen it a billion times as a kid and love it a lot still.

I mean, if you have a story about a man dressed up as a bat fighting equally ludicrous villains, there's no reason you can't play up the camp aspect, even if it upsets Frank Miller fans.

(xx-post)

the campiness has been done to death though.

Simone: I know you're right, Pee-wee, but...
Pee-wee: Everyone I know has a big "But...? C'mon, Simone, let's talk about *your* big "But".

I'm gonna vote Nightmare Before Christmas too. It's the single most perfect film in his filmography, even if you're not a goth. Though half of the glory should go to Henry Selick, obviously.

scissorhands is really cloying and condescending. i didn't even like nightmare before christmas at the time, but now i don't remember why -- the ragdoll love interest bs maybe? i have not seen ed wood or sweeney todd, and i'm betting those are among his best

much rather watch the nolan batman at this point

the campiness has been done to death though.

Really? When Batman Forever came out, the "dark" Batman had been the predominant one for about 10-20 years.

I like Pee Wee better, but Beetlejuice is a better "Time Burton film".

so what is about Tim Burton that inspires long threads?

I like a lot of these, don't know if I love any of them (Big Fish was OK, not sure what people hated about it). Voted for Beetlejuice, narrowly over Pee Wee, Batman, Nightmare and Scissorhands.

re campiness vs "grit" options: that's why there shouldn't be Batman films, period.

Shakey, I dunno, I remember Wiest just coming off like a harpy.

Long threads about glitzy, overrated juvenilia-oriented filmmakers are inevitable, Alfred.

I agree with Shakey: Wiest is the best thing in Scissorhands.

When Batman Forever came out, the "dark" Batman had been the predominant one for about 10-20 years.

not 20 years....there had been the two burton films, which were kind of dark, and the comics after the Dark Knight (including Alan Moore's Killing Joke), but there had been 30 years of light comics, the tv series, the cartoon.....

i quite enjoyed Planet Of The Apes - don't get the hate

i'd forgotten that burton was behind ed wood and mars attacks.

i agree with uncle tuomas, dark batman is more played out at this point. i didn't give a chance when it came out, but after watching a bunch of youtube clips recently (i think there was a thread?) i was like "this shit's hilarious!".

Shakey, I dunno, I remember Wiest just coming off like a harpy.

?? She brings Edward home cuz she's worried that he's all alone with no one to take care of him, she tries to integrate him into her family, she defends him when everyone else turns against him... she's totally the idealized Avon Lady, all sweetness and light and naivete, except its genuine.

"Ed Wood" for me, but I still think Depp almost ruins it.

Painfully OTM

Wow, so close to an upset I could really endorse.

It really really really bugs me that he just can't deal with original material - almost everything he does is a shitty remake done in "the Tim Burton style". so boring.

like I don't even need to see this Alice in Wonderland (or C&C Shit Factory, or Planet of the Chimpwives, or Sweeney Todd) because I can already picture exactly what it will look and sound like.

Oh good, the world needs another goth Alice in Wonderland.

there are so many versions already (and none of them really hit it out of the park - altho each has their moments I guess)

Nothing can compare to the wonder that is American McGee's Alice.

This is the only film version you need

xpost lol Dan I was specifically thinking of that load of old bollocks when I said another goth Alice.

hahaha

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1185027/article_images/sammydavisjr.asthecaterpillar.jpg

^^^Sammy Davis Jr

That is the only Alice in Wonderland you need. The one with Carol Channing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=DrjIVhIeGnw

She was FUCKING DEMENTED in that. That whole psycho song about jam... yikes.

XPOST HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I think there was an X-rated musical one in the '70s.

I have seen it - its pretty softcore, fun for what it is

I like Carol Channing fine but for fuck's sake that Alice is HORRIBLE.

The girl I mean, haven't seen the film.

I remember there were NYC RADIO ads for the porn musical back then! Imagine that happening under our New Puritanism...

I don't remember this poll happening, but I'm pleased ILX chose the correct winner.

Would've had Scissorhands higher, it's certainly better than Batman and Mars Attacks.

was just thinking that, looking again.

Never seen Ed Wood. I think I would have had to vote Scissorhands. I have a real soft spot for that movie.

earning myself 22 sb's, but i dunno would i have it in his top 3. depp is very very good in it though.

sleepy hollow his most complete effort imo

Listen to your internet peers and watch Ed Wood.

xpost

I'd say EW and ES are his most emotionally engaged films by far.

I also love Beetlejuice which I've seen at least 20 times. I feel like it was always on TV when I was a kid.

ps - this was a friend's Halloween costume last year:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs031.snc4/33905_1557193062224_1607181715_1322990_1484390_n.jpg

sorry to ruin ur internet peers line chap :(

yeah, i'd agree with you on 'emotionally engaged' but for me personally that's an area where he tends to go a little over the top if not reined in sometimes, so the bit of edge that SH retained keeps me happy

9 is a pretty good Burton film

he didn't do anything with that but produce it. also, I think you are the only person who ever saw it.

i saw it and it's brilliant

but yeah, not a 'burton' movie.

Oh, I got it for xmas and saw Burton written on the cover. I couldn't remember if he had wrote it or not.

Oh shit yeah, 9 was awesome, although it ended on a corny note.

sleepy hollow.

i really like edward, batman 1/2 and mars attack

my mom took me to see Ed Wood when it came out. i was 9 years old and was very excited since it was rated R. i loved it.

ive never thought of myself as a tim Burton fan but thinking back on it, it's funny how many of his movies ive seen and loved (especially when I was a kid) - loved Nightmare & Beetlejuice, saw Batman Returns when it came out too, was 7 years old, loved it, Pfeifer in patent leather likely a formative influence on my burgeoning sexuality, probably the second best live action Batmovie... the first batman is horrible (love how he turned bats into a literal serial murderer though)

mars attacks was prob where it all started to fall apart... loved it at the time (& havent seen it since) but all the seeds for the 'wacky' Alice in Wonderland were sown there... Sleepy Hollow had amazing set design and a spooky Chris Walken but not much else going for it... Planet of the Apes was str8 up horrible aside from some great costuming and makeup, i skipped everything else by him this decade until a date dragged me to Alice... im sure i'll never intentionally see one of this guy's movies again... i promise you his Dark Shadows movie will be agonizing, someone needs to euthanize Johnny Depp

i do sorta wish his nic cage superman movie happened

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvhMejIcD9o

http://mydisguises.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/superman-lives-concept-art-3.jpg

jesus that picture at the bottom is just horrifying

ikr, it looks like a final happy snap before some drunk cannibalism.

I thought his movies were lame and bad and boring when I saw them as a kid for some reason but then again I loved the mortal kombat movie and shit as a kid
but I saw ed wood and uh some other movie he did I forget oh it was beetlejuice recently and both were pretty awesome

I think I saw mortal kombat 3 on tv a year ago when I was drunk at like 3 am or something I watched the whole thing it was like one long expensive episode of the power rangers holy shit what do we all do with our lives

now the song is stuck in my head

Was thinking about this this afternoon. My top three would be Bettlejuice, Scissorhands, and Nightmare b4 Christmas which I try to watch every year but now I feel like I really need to see Ed Wood.

Actually pretty surprised at the lack of love before Nightmare. It's really good!

wow - I just reread that. Lack of love "for" "Nightmare Before" obv. I just woke up and apparently can't type while still 1/2 asleep.

I've always found Nightmare Before a tad overrated, mainly because of goth girls at my sixth form going on about it endlessly.

yeah but we are approaching an age where the Nightmare Before fad is ending
popularity aside, the night mare has amazing artwork/detail/yada yada, it should have got more points

jesus that picture at the bottom is just horrifying

Coppola looks like an extra from the Walking Dead in that picture.

You guys know about the unmade Beetlejuice sequel set in Hawaii, right?