More than 30 years after events in which a young woman meets a demonic figure named Betelgeuse, the film revolves around that woman, her stepmother, and daughter who return to the small town following the death of her father where strange events occurred in the Afterlife involving Betelgeuse and his ex-wife seeking revenge on him. It is a film that does not just explore loss but also a woman dealing with the traumatic events when she was a teenager as she is forced to confront her past as well as her own relationship with her daughter. The film’s screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is straightforward in its narrative as it plays into a woman who remains haunted by Betelgeuse where she has spent her adult life hosting a TV show relating to ghosts whom she can see. Yet, the show has also been the reason Lydia Deetz has become estranged from her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who does not believe her mother’s claims, nor does she believe in ghosts as she wonders why her mother could see ghosts but not her late father.
The death of Lydia’s father Charles Deetz forces Lydia, Astrid, and Lydia’s stepmother Delia to return to Winter River fin the funeral as well as cleaning out their old house where Astrid discovered a flyer at the attic that has Betelgeuse’s name. Astrid would meet a fellow teenager in Jeremy (Arthur Conti) as they share a love of Dostoyevsky while Lydia’s boyfriend/producer Rory publicly proposed to her during the wake adding to the growing tension between Lydia and Astrid while Delia also is not fond of Rory as she’s concerned with cleaning out the house and express her grief through art. The script does play into Lydia and Delia’s relationship with each other as the former feels lost as she turns to the latter despite the issues they have had in the past. Still, the presence of Betelgeuse still looms as he has problems of his own in the fact that his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has returned following a strange accident involving a janitor. Delores and Betelgeuse met during the plague as the former was part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill the latter only for Betelgeuse to kill her in retaliation. While Lydia is reluctant to ask for Betelgeuse’s help when Astrid is sent to the Afterlife, Betelgeuse does help her though it does come with some risks as he is an opportunist who will always want something. Still, he does want to show Lydia that he does care despite his motives.
Tim Burton’s direction is stylish and full of whimsy in terms of re-establishing a few visual clues and some Easter eggs relating to the original 1988 film but also paying tribute to that film as its opening sequence mirrors the same one from that film. Shot on location in Vermont and Massachusetts with some interior shots created in London, Burton does play into these two different worlds that is the living and the dead where Lydia’s show is filled with these quirks that is expected in shows about the paranormal. Yet, Burton also infuses the film with different kinds of style ranging from European horror in a sequence where Betelgeuse tells his employees about how he met his ex-wife to stop-motion animation in discussing how Charles Deetz had died. Still, Burton knows when to break from the humor and horror to create scenes that are straightforward in his compositions where he uses close-ups and medium shots in the way characters interact with one another. There are some wide shots that Burton uses though he prefers to maintain some simplicity when it comes to the compositions and elaborate set pieces.
Burton also plays into this idea of death where there are some humorous moments as it relates to Delia’s over-the-top approach to grief as she expresses it through art as well as well as some of the antics that Betelgeuse does in the building he works at. Burton also maintains some suspense once Astrid is sent to the Afterlife as there are stakes not just for the Deetz but also for Betelgeuse himself as he is also being chased by the ghost detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) who was once a B-movie actor. The film’s climax is a throwback of sorts to the climax of the original film, but Burton brings in a more elaborate setting that involves musical dance numbers and other silly things that is expected from Burton. Overall, Burton crafts a dazzling and offbeat film about a woman reaching out to her former tormentor to help her retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife.
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for the daytime exteriors in some scenes as well as the usage of colorful lighting for the interior scenes in the Afterlife. Editor Jay Prichidny does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and suspense. Production designer Mark Scruton, along with supervising art directors Nick Gottschalk and Andrew Palmer plus set decorators Lori Mazuer and David Morison, does amazing work with the look of the Afterlife offices and hallways as well as the interiors of the old Deetz/Maitland home that also featured additional work from the first film’s production designer Bo Welch who serves as the film’s visual consultant. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the black clothing that Lydia wears as well as some of the clothes that Betelgeuse wears and the stylish clothing that Astrid and Delia wear.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does incredible work with the look of the characters from the look of the dead in the Afterlife as well as Delia’s red hair. Visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and special effects supervisor Stefano Pepin, along with creature effects designer Neal Scanlan, do phenomenal work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical and CGI effects to create a unique world . Sound designer Jimmy Boyle does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created as well as the atmosphere of a room during the wake scene as well as the raucous atmosphere of the scenes in the Afterlife.
The film’s music by Danny Elfman is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score filled with grand string and brass arrangements that play into the sense of suspense and humor while music supervisors James Balmont and Matthew Lawrenson create a fun soundtrack that features two different versions of the song MacArthur Park sung by Richard Harris and a disco version by Donna Summer. The rest of the music soundtrack also features music from the Bee Gees, Mazzy Star, Scott Weiland, Pino Donaggio, Sigur Ros, and Richard Marx as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sophie Holland is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Georgiana Beedle as Jackson’s secretary who always brings him a cup of coffee, Filipe Cates as a mysterious figure Astrid would meet in Vlad, casting director Sophie Holland as a hot dog lady with a stick who runs the office when the dead arrive, Sami Silane as an artist in Le Tigre who is upset at Delia for cancelling her show, and Amy Nuttall as the real estate agent Jane Butterfield who took over the business from her mother as she reveals some crucial information to Lydia that would be a key plot-point to the film. Other notable small roles include Santiago Cabrera as Astrid’s late father Richard who had died in South America, Burn Gorman as Father Damien who performed the funeral for Charles Deetz as well as other events in the town, and Nick Kellington as Betelgeuse’s right-hand shrinker-zombie friend Bob who helps run things for Betelgeuse.
Arthur Conti is superb as Jeremy as a young man Astrid meets after crashing her bicycle into his fence where he offers a chance to help Astrid see her father though he has motives of his own. Willem Dafoe is excellent as Wolf Jackson as a former B-movie actor who leads a paranormal detective force as he tries to deal with Delores and the antics of Betelgeuse where Dafoe gets the chance to ham it up as someone who really loves playing the role of a detective. Monica Bellucci is fantastic as Delores as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife who is part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill Betelgeuse during the black plague only to be killed by him in retaliation as she is eager to get revenge on him. Justin Theroux is brilliant as Lydia’s producer/boyfriend Rory as a guy who is the embodiment of uncool as he tries everything to win over Astrid while also forcing Lydia into a wedding for publicity reasons where Theroux is fun to watch in the way he reacts to certain things as well as just being so dumb. Jenna Ortega is incredible as Astrid as Lydia’s teenage daughter who wants nothing to do with her mother as she doesn’t believe in ghosts while feeling resentful towards her mother for not seeing their late father as well as other issues where Ortega brings a lot of wit and angst to her character while also proving to funny as she has great rapport with her co-stars.
Catherine O’Hara is phenomenal as Delia Deetz as Lydia’s stepmother who becomes consumed with grief over the death of her husband as she expresses it through art in the most hilarious of ways. Notably as she does some things that are odd, yet O’Hara often keeps things lively while also proving to be understanding over Lydia’s relationship with Astrid. Winona Ryder is great as Lydia Deetz as a paranormal TV show host who is still dealing with trauma as well as loss where Ryder keeps a lot of her performance straightforward while retaining a few quirks in her choice of clothing. Even though she is determined to not deal with Betelgeuse but realizes that she needs him to help retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a tremendous performance as Betelgeuse as the demon who still pines for Lydia while dealing with the return of his ex-wife as he is eager to be rid of Delores while also hoping to reunite with Lydia in the hopes of marrying her. Keaton adds a lot of energy and charisma to his performance as well as the complexity of someone who likes to create chaos while also wanting to show Lydia that he really does care in his own offbeat way.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a marvelous film by Tim Burton that features great performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, amazing set pieces, dazzling visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a story about loss and family. It is a film that does not try to be its predecessor while also acknowledging it in a loving way while also wanting to be entertaining and not taking itself too seriously. In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a remarkable film by Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) – Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) – Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) – (Sleepy Hollow) – (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) – (Big Fish) – (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) – (Corpse Bride) – (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) – (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) – (Dark Shadows) – (Frankenweenie) – (Big Eyes) – (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) – (Dumbo (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2024
Written, co-edited, and directed by Jon Schnepp, The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is a documentary that revolves around the making and un-making of Tim Burton’s attempt to make Superman Lives in the late 1990s with Nicolas Cage in the role of Superman. Featuring interviews with Burton as well as several collaborators including filmmakers Kevin Smith and Dan Gilroy who both were involved in writing the script in different stages. The documentary plays into what happens when a group of people including producers, designers, and writers all band together to get a film made only to see their work not see the light of day. The result is one of the most fascinating and exciting films about a film that could’ve been one of the greatest superhero films ever made.
In the mid-1990s, producer Jon Peters had just returned to Warner Brothers where he had just acquired the rights to make film versions about Superman as he wanted to revive the franchise following the critical and commercial failure of 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Yet, Peters wanted to do something different as an update of sorts of the Superman story where he had filmmaker Kevin Smith, a noted comic book fan boy, pitch some ideas as he would turn in a draft that was based largely on the 1992 comic book storyline The Death of Superman. Smith would be out of the project once Tim Burton came on board to direct the film as he brought in Wesley Strick to write a new draft as the cast would feature Cage as Superman/Clark Kent, Sandra Bullock as Lois Lane, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, Christopher Walken as Brainiac, and Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen.
With many of Burton’s collaborators such as production designer Rick Heinrichs and costume designer Colleen Atwood as well as a team of effects designers and such. The project to develop the film began in 1996 and ended in 1998 as a lot is revealed into what is made where director Jon Schnepp interviews many including Burton, Smith, Strick, Atwood, Heinrichs, Peters, producer Lorenzo de Bonaventura, and filmmaker Dan Gilroy who became the third screenwriter to write a new draft after the studio forced Burton to fire Strick. With the aid of co-editor Marie Jamora and the sound work of Stephen Chesney, Schnepp doesn’t uncover some rare footage including footage of Cage in the Superman suit which Atwood revealed was an evolution into what could’ve been. Even as Schnepp also create some animated sequences and mock-footage with the aid of cinematographer Carl Millard King about ideas of what Burton wanted visually as it features some unique background music from Frederick William Scott that ranged from orchestral bombast to somber ambient music pieces.
There are also many questions into why the film never made it pass the developmental stage as de Bonaventura, Burton, and Peters reveals a lot about what happened. Some of it isn’t surprising with what usually happens when studios find themselves dealing with projects that goes beyond the parameters of mainstream filmmaking. Yet, there is a lot of things that are revealed about why the film fell apart as it relates to behind-the-scenes issues within the studios as well as what was happening to Warner Brothers in the late 1990s due to the some of the films they had released which were some major flops. It plays into not just these great opportunities being wasted but also the fact that projects like this film could’ve been a game-changer or something that people will talk about. The fact that it still exists and people are interested in what this film would’ve done goes to show exactly why some of the most daring and off-the-wall projects should be made at times when people need something new.
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is an extraordinary film from Jon Schnepp. Not only is it an interesting look into a film that had so much promise and potential to be something more but also a look into the process of what it took to make something that was daring from the people who were there. Especially from those who are fans of Superman and were interested in seeing something that was new and great. In the end, The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? is a marvelous film from Jon Schnepp.
Superman Films: (Superman) - (Superman II) - (Superman III) - (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) - (Superman Returns) - (Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut) - Man of Steel - (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
© thevoid99 2015
Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren from a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson, Beetlejuice is the story of a recently deceased couple who asks a deranged ghost to get rid of a family who have moved in to their house. The film is a strange romp of horror and comedy where a couple try to deal with living with an eccentric family where its teenage daughter can see them due to her fascination with death. Starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Glenn Shadix, Robert Goulet, and Sylvia Sidney. Beetlejuice is a wild and extremely insane film from Tim Burton.
Following their death due to an accident, a newlywed couple deal with new inhabitants of their house that includes a death-obsessed teenage girl prompting the couple to hire the services of a crazed ghost by the name of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). It’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules of conventional horror as it’s more of a comedy where this recently deceased couple cope with their death as well as the fact that they’re forced to share the house with a New York City family and their offbeat interior designer. Yet, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, respectively) do befriend this Goth teenager in Lydia (Winona Ryder) who is the only one that can see them due to her fascination with death. Even as it is frowned upon by the afterworld to make friends with the living as Beetlejuice would cause hell for the Maitlands.
The film’s screenplay starts off with the life of the Maitlands as they just bought their new home which they refuse to sell from some potential buyers as a simple errand goes wrong which lead to their deaths. Upon this discovery that they’re dead and any place outside of their house has them in a very strange afterworld as they would eventually go to a caseworker named Juno (Sylvia Sydney) who reveal what they have to deal with as well as what to do to get rid of their new inhabitants in real estate developer Charles Deetz (Jeffery Jones) and his aspiring sculptor in Delia, who is Lydia’s stepmother,.
While the Maitlands try to haunt them, they would eventually succeed in haunting Charles and Delia but end up amusing them while their interior designer Otho (Glenn Shadix) would realize what is going on. Adding to this sense of chaos and the Maitlands’ attempt to get rid of the Deetzes is Beetlejuice whose approach to scaring the living is cruel and diabolical. Yet, there is something about the character that is so off-the-wall as he ends up being this very unconventional antagonist. Even as he has this macabre sense of humor who thinks The Exorcist is a comedy while is very crude to the Maitlands as he also pines for Lydia who would get to know what Beetlejuice is.
Tim Burton’s direction is definitely off the wall where it starts off being this quaint little story about a nice couple living in this small New England town. Then comes this very chilling accident where it plays to the sense of macabre humor that would be prevalent in the film. Even as Burton’s compositions ranging from some wide shots to some offbeat close-ups and medium shots showcase something that is really out of this world. Notably the scenes in the afterlife where the dead arrive in a waiting room to meet their case worker and later learn how to live as a dead person. Much of the presentation of the afterworld is presented with some unique visual effects and stop-motion animation to play into this strange approach to black humor that Adam and Barbara have to deal with.
The direction also had Burton create some moments that really amp up the line of reality and fantasy such as a dinner party with the Deetzes where Delia finds herself singing The Banana Boat Song where she has no control of what is happening to her. It’s a sequence that mixes humor and horror in the most absurd way as it refuses to play into any kind of traditional or conventional genre but rather a mish-mash of genres. Even as the film’s climax would maintain that offbeat approach of horror-comedy would force the Maitlands to do something as Beetlejuice would just cause hell for everyone. Overall, Burton creates a very spectacular and hilarious film about two dead people hiring a psychopathic ghost to get rid of people who moved into their home.
Cinematographer Thomas E. Ackerman does fantastic work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of colorful lights for some of the film‘s interior scenes including the dinner scenes and the meeting with Juno. Editor Jane Kurson does excellent work with the editing as it‘s quite straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the film‘s humor and suspense. Production designer Bo Welch, with set decorator Catherine Mann and art director Tom Duffield, does brilliant work with the set design from the house in and out based on Otho‘s work as well as the world of the afterlife including the sand dunes. Costume designer Aggie Guerard does superb work with the costumes from the Goth clothes that Lydia wears to the fashionable upscale New York City look that Delia and Otho wears.
Makeup designers Steve La Porte, Ve Neill, and Robert Short do amazing work with the makeup from the look of Beetlejuice as well as the look of the dead characters in the afterlife. Visual effects supervisor Alan Munroe does awesome work with the visual effects from the use of stop-motion animation to the design of the sand dunes world that would feature sandworms. Sound editor Richard L. Anderson does nice work with the sound from some of the low-key sound work in some of the scenes at the house to the sound effects that occur in the world of the afterlife. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible as it is very offbeat with its playful orchestral score that is filled with strange choirs and string arrangements while the soundtrack features some amazing songs by Harry Belafonte to play into the film’s offbeat tone.
The casting by Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins is just phenomenal as it features some notable small roles from Annie McEnroe as the woman who tries to sell the Maitlands’ home early in the film, Patrice Martinez as an afterworld receptionist, Dick Cavett and Susan Kellermann as a couple of guests at the dinner party, and Robert Goulet as Charles’ boss Maxie Dean who wants Charles to do some things to the small town. Glenn Shadix is very funny as the interior designer Otho who tries to give the Maitlands’ home a post-modern look that plays to his taste. Sylvia Sydney is amazing as the deceased case worker Juno who often smokes a cigarette where smoke would come out of her neck as she is very blunt and to the point about what not to do. Jeffrey Jones is excellent as Charles Deetz as a real estates developer who is eager to wanting a simple life as he copes with the chaos involving ghosts. Catherine O’Hara is amazing as Delia as this aspiring sculptor who wants to make it as an artist while wanting to live the life of a New York City artist.
Winona Ryder is brilliant as the troubled Goth teenager Lydia whose fascination with death has her meeting the Maitlands as she wants to die due to loneliness. Alec Baldwin is fantastic as Adam Maitland as a guy who designs models who tries to make sense of everything that goes on. Geena Davis is superb as Barbara Maitland who also tries to make sense as she doesn’t want to bring harm to Lydia despite what the people in the afterworld says. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a magnificent performance as the titular role despite only appearing in less than a third of the film. Yet, he steals every moment from his crude approach to humor as well as being completely wild in every kind of mannerism that he does as it’s really an iconic performance for the ages.
Beetlejuice is a rapturous yet extremely fun film from Tim Burton that features a tour-de-force performance from Michael Keaton in the titular role. Along with a great cast as well as some amazing technical work, it’s a film that showcases Burton’s gift for blending weird and macabre humor with an absurd approach to horror. In the end, Beetlejuice is an outstanding film from Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) - Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) - (Sleepy Hollow) - (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) - (Big Fish) - (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) - (Corpse Bride) - (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) - (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) - (Dark Shadows) - (Frankenweenie) - (Big Eyes) - (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) - (Dumbo (2019 film)) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the biography Nightmare of Ecstasy by Rudolph Grey, Ed Wood is the story about one of cinema’s worst filmmakers as he struggles to find success through his offbeat yet cheaply-made films while forging a friendship with his idol in film actor Bela Lugosi. Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the film explores a period in Wood’s life where he tries to succeed through film that would culminate with the release of his most infamous film in Plan 9 from Outer Space as the titular role is played by Johnny Depp while Martin Landau plays the role of Bela Lugosi. Also starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, George “The Animal” Steele, Lisa Marie, Jeffrey Jones, and Bill Murray. Ed Wood is a witty and enchanting film from Tim Burton.
The film explores the life of a young artist named Edward D. Wood Jr. as he is eager to become a filmmaker like his favorite director Orson Welles where he later meets his idol in Bela Lugosi who would take part in Wood’s films. The film explores Wood’s life from the early 1950s where he is trying to get his film career off the ground and climax with him making Plan 9 from Outer Space which he became very famous for but for all the wrong reasons. Along the way, Wood struggles through personal relationships that fall apart as well as trying to get funding for his films like Glen or Glenda and Bride of the Monster where they would be reviled by critics and audiences. Yet, Wood has this optimism that is so compelling in his belief that he will become a great filmmaker while helping out the man he worshipped in Lugosi who is struggling with his own addiction to morphine.
The film’s screenplay is quite straightforward in its narrative but also filled with lots of humor in the way Wood often tries to succeed with his pals and his girlfriend Dolores Fuller (Sarah Jessica Parker) early in his career. Wood’s meeting and friendship with Lugosi is the heart of the story where Wood hopes to revive Lugosi’s career by putting him in his films despite everyone’s claims that he is washed up. However, Lugosi feels revitalized despite his issues where Wood would receive the support from a young woman in Kathy O’Hara (Patricia Arquette). Other aspects of the film includes Wood’s love of transvestite as he likes to wear women’s clothing which made him want to take part in a film version about the Christine Jorgensen story which he convinces a producer to create his own version of the story that would become Glen or Glenda. The script also explores the group of friends that Wood has where they’re a group of eccentric people as it’s this band of misfits trying to make a name for themselves.
Tim Burton’s direction is definitely a homage of sorts to the works of Ed Wood as well as being this film that plays into Wood’s attempt to find success as a filmmaker. Burton showcases a lot of what goes in the world of film where Wood had to use limited resources and such in order to make his films where his limitations and lack of funds often contribute to the poor quality of his films. Most of which is played for laughs but Burton is very sympathetic to Wood’s determination as he believes he is trying to make something good. Much of the direction has Burton go for simple compositions while giving the film a very old-school feel that recalls the period of the 1950s as it’s shot on location in Los Angeles. Burton’s approach to recreating some of Wood’s films do play into its low-budget aesthetics as well as wooden and terrible acting which adds the sense of joy into the film. Even in the scenes involving Wood and Lugosi where it’s humorous but also full of heart as it showcases how important their friendship is. Overall, Burton creates a very heartwarming and very funny film about the film career of Ed Wood and his friendship with Bela Lugosi.
Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to give the film a very old-school look to play into the period of the 1950s with some unique lighting schemes for some of its interiors and shots in its nighttime scenes. Editor Chris Lebenzon does excellent work in creating a straightforward style for most of the film including some stylish dissolves to play into Wood‘s own enthusiasm as a filmmaker. Production designer Tom Duffield, with set decorator Cricket Rowland and art director Okowita, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the set design of some of Wood‘s films which were quite terrible to the scary mansion ride where Wood and Kathy would have their first date at. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does amazing work with the clothes from some of the women‘s clothes and angora sweater that Wood would wear as well as the clothes of the other characters to play into their eccentricities.
Makeup designers Rick Baker, Ve Neill, and Yolanda Toussieng do superb work with the makeup from the look of some of the characters as well as Bela Lugosi as this old man often forced to live in the past. Visual effects supervisor Paul Boyington does nice work with some of the visual effects to play into the cheesy low-budget aesthetics of Wood‘s films. Sound editor John Nutt does terrific work with the film‘s sound from some of recreation of sound effects to the sounds that goes on in some of the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Howard Shore is wonderful for its orchestral score that features some lush string arrangements in its dramatic moments plus some light-hearted pieces in its comical scenes.
The casting by Victoria Thomas is great as it features some notable small roles from G.D. Spradlin as a preacher who would fund Plan 9, Ned Bellamy as Kathy’s chiropractor who would fill in for Lugosi in Plan 9, Max Casella and Brent Hinkley as two of Wood’s friends in their respective roles as notoriously bad actors Paul Marco and Conrad Brooks, the real Conrad Brooks as a bartender, Mike Starr as the exploitation film producer George Weiss who is reluctant to work with Wood, Juliet Landau as the actress Loretta King whom Wood mistakes an heiress as she would be a cause into Wood’s split with Dolores, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Orson Welles whom Wood would meet late in the film. Other noteworthy small roles include Lisa Marie who is wonderful as the TV host Vampira whom Lugosi likes as she would later work with Wood, George “The Animal” Steele in a terrific performance as the wrestler Tor Johnson, and Jeffrey Jones in a superb performance as the TV psychic entertainer Criswell who helps Wood get funding despite being wrong very often with his predictions.
Sarah Jessica Parker is excellent as Wood’s girlfriend Dolores Fuller who is often supportive but becomes frustrated by his lack of success as well as being a transvestite. Patricia Arquette is fantastic as Wood’s future wife Kathy O’Hara who not only accepts Wood for who he is but proves to be one of his biggest supporters. Bill Murray is hilarious as Wood’s openly-gay friend Bunny Breckenridge who often finds transvestites for Wood’s films as well as appear in them. Martin Landau is incredible as Bela Lugosi as he brings in a lot of energy into the role as well as being very foul-mouthed over Boris Karloff while trying to regain some attention as it’s Landau at his best. Finally, there’s Johnny Depp in a remarkable performance as the titular character as this very upbeat man who is eager to succeed while being a weirdo who likes to wear ladies’ clothing as it’s Depp in one of his quintessential performances.
Ed Wood is a phenomenal film from Tim Burton that features a great performance from Johnny Depp as the titular character as well as Martin Landau in an amazing performance as Bela Lugosi. The film isn’t just one of Burton’s best films but also a captivating story of a filmmaker trying to make it despite his lack of talent as it is a love letter to Wood but also a heartfelt story about Wood’s friendship with Lugosi. In the end, Ed Wood is a sensational film from Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) - Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) - Batman Returns - (Mars Attacks!) - (Sleepy Hollow) - (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) - (Big Fish) - (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) - (Corpse Bride) - (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) - (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) - (Dark Shadows) - (Frankenweenie) - (Big Eyes) - (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) - (Dumbo (2019 film)) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the DC Comics by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Batman Returns is the sequel to the 1989 film in which Batman faces a new foe in the Penguin who teams up with a business tycoon to take down the Batman while a mysterious vigilante in Catwoman also creates trouble. Directed by Tim Burton with a screenplay by Sam Hamm and Daniel Waters from a story by Hamm, the film is a darker story than its predecessor as Bruce Wayne/Batman deals with his new foes as Michael Keaton reprises his role with Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, and Danny Devito as Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin. Also starring Pat Hingle, Michael Gough, Michael Murphy, Cristi Conaway, and Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Batman Returns is a superbly thrilling film from Tim Burton.
The film is an exploration into Bruce Wayne adjusting to his role as Gotham’s peacekeeper as new enemies emerge during the Christmas holidays to wreak havoc on the city. Among them is a deformed man known as the Penguin who wants to take over Gotham where he kidnaps the industrialist Max Shreck as the two team up to control Gotham. Adding to the chaos is a woman named Selina Kyle who was a secretary of Shreck as she was pushed out of a window and fell many stories to the ground. Kyle would survive the fall as she becomes Catwoman as she becomes a vigilante of her own as she causes problems for Batman where she briefly aligns with the Penguin. Yet, Kyle’s life is more complicated when she falls for Bruce Wayne unaware that he’s Batman and vice versa as it would lead to a very troubling climax.
The film’s screenplay by Sam Hamm and Daniel Waters, with additional work by Wesley Strick, doesn’t just explore Bruce Wayne being this hero for Gotham but also encounter these new forces. The real villain in the film is Max Shreck as he is this industrialist that wants to create a new power-plant for Gotham when the city doesn’t need it. When Kyle accidentally learns what Shreck is doing, Shreck tries to kill her as he would use the Penguin to usurp Gotham’s mayor (Michael Murphy) to become the new mayor so Shreck can build his power plant. Though Penguin had his own plans to create chaos in Gotham, he teams up with Shreck for power while trying to discredit Batman with the help of Catwoman. One of the aspects of the script that is unique is the fact that it’s a film about identity as it relates to Batman, Penguin, and Catwoman.
Whereas Bruce Wayne tries to cope with his dual role as he is also seeking some balance as a man where he wouldn’t need to keep secrets. Though he accepts his role as Gotham’s hero, it’s not one that he easily accepts as he has few allies in the city. The Penguin maybe an antagonist but not a conventional one as the film begins with his birth as he arrives as a deformed baby his rich parents would dump into a sewer just days after his birth. In being this outcast, he wants to destroy Gotham only to become a pawn in Shreck’s plans that forces him to become more determined for Gotham’s end. Then there’s Selina Kyle who starts out as this timid secretary who lives with a cat as her near-death experience in the hands of Shreck has her becoming this unstable woman that not only wants to get revenge on Shreck but her encounter with Batman would create a very complicated relationship as their real-life personas are in love with each other while there’s a strange attraction between the two in their other personas. Catwoman isn’t a villain nor a hero but a true anti-hero who is only in it for herself.
Tim Burton’s direction is definitely more extravagant in some respects but also very offbeat in its mix of dark humor, action, and suspense. Yet, there’s a looseness to the story where Burton is able to make all of these elements fuse together though not all of these moments work. Still, he is able to create some exotic scenes and action sequences that are very exciting as it includes a very memorable moment where Catwoman introduces herself to Batman and the Penguin. The use of close-ups, wide shots, and medium shots gives Burton some room to breathe in the way he creates some of these moments while being able to explore the complexity of identity in the film in shots that are much more simpler. Especially in the romantic attraction between Wayne/Batman and Kyle/Catwoman as there’s an element of sensuality in that attraction.
The direction is also stylish in the way some of the action scenes and in some of the humor that is presented though a lot of its very dark. Especially in the film’s climax as it involves Batman, the Penguin, Catwoman, and Shreck as it features extravagant set pieces as well as a lot of penguins where some of it is real and some are robotic. The usage of animals do add some style to the film where they would aid whoever is needed as its climax is both enthralling but also somber where it would play into Batman/Wayne’s struggle to find a balance in his dual role. Overall, Burton crafts a very exciting and stylish film about Batman coming to terms with his identity and the new foes he faces.
Cinematographer Stefan Czapsky does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the exteriors of Gotham as well some of the lighting in the sewer home of the Penguin and his army as well as the shadows in the Batcave. Editors Chris Lebenzon and Bob Badami do nice work with the editing as it‘s pretty straightforward with some stylish cutting for some of the film‘s action scenes as well as some of its humorous moments. Production designer Bo Welch with set decorator Cheryl Carasik and supervising art director Tom Duffield, does amazing work with the set pieces from the look of the city square in Gotham to the Batcave as well as the Penguin‘s lair, and the apartment Kyle lived in. Costume designers Bob Ringwood and Mary E. Vogt do fantastic work with the look of Catwoman‘s costumes as well as the clothes of the Penguin and the suits that Max Shreck wears.
Makeup designers Stan Winston, Ve Neill, and Ronnie Specter do brilliant work with the makeup design of the Penguin as well the look of his band of freaks that he leads. Visual effects supervisor Michael L. Fink does terrific work with some of the visual effects that includes some early ideas of CGI as well as the use of miniatures in some of the action sequences. Sound editors Richard L. Anderson and David E. Stone do superb work with the sound to create some layering of sounds in the action scenes as well as some of the scenes set in Gotham. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is incredible for its mixture of bombastic orchestral pieces to some more serene and enchanting pieces to play into some of the melancholia as the film’s soundtrack also includes a few Christmas pieces and a collaboration with Siouxsie & the Banshees for the song Face to Face.
The casting by Marion Dougherty is great for the ensemble that is created as it features cameo appearances from Jan Hooks as a PR assistant, Vincent Schiavelli as one of the Penguin’s henchmen, Anna Katarina as the poodle lady who works for the Penguin, and in the role of Penguin’s parents, Paul Reubens and Diane Salinger who had appeared in Burton’s first film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Other notable small roles include Andrew Bryniarski as Shreck’s son Chip, Cristi Conaway as the Ice Princess who lights Gotham’s Xmas tree, and Michael Murphy as the city’s mayor. Reprising their roles from the first film, Pat Hingle and Michael Gough are terrific in their respective roles as Commissioner Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth where Gordon becomes one of the few men who trusts Batman while Pennyworth helps Batman/Wayne in uncovering some of the mysteries relating to the Penguin.
Christopher Walken is brilliant as the very manipulative and power-hungry Max Shreck as Walken has this charm that makes him a very unique villain that doesn’t have any personas but is willing to use people for his own means. Danny DeVito is fantastic as the Penguin as a man who learns about his family as he becomes manipulated into becoming a politician only to realize that he is who he is as he wants to destroy Gotham and its hero Batman. Michelle Pfeiffer is phenomenal as Selina Kyle/Catwoman as this woman who despises Shreck for his plans and later trying to kill her as she becomes this very unstable woman that wants to create chaos as she also falls for Wayne/Batman. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a superb performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman as Keaton displays more aggression in his role as Batman while still being a bit brooding as he showcases Wayne’s struggle to balance his dual roles as he also has some great chemistry with Pfeiffer in their different personas.
Batman Returns is an excellent film from Tim Burton that manages to be a worthy sequel to its 1989 predecessor. Armed with an amazing cast as well as dazzling set pieces and Danny Elfman’s sumptuous score that includes a song by Siouxsie & the Banshees. While it is a darker film than its predecessor, it is still an engaging one for the way it explores identities and one man’s desire to balance his role as a man and crime fighter. In the end, Batman Returns is a marvelous film from Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) - Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) - (Sleepy Hollow) - (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) - (Big Fish) - (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) - (Corpse Bride) - (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) - (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) - (Dark Shadows) - (Frankenweenie) - (Big Eyes) - (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) - (Dumbo (2019 film)) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman Begins - The Dark Knight - The Dark Knight Rises - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - The Batman (2022 film)
© thevoid99 2014
Based on the DC Comics by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Batman is the story about a mysterious vigilante who battles corruption in Gotham City as he deals with a former mob enforcer who would become the Joker who is set to wreak havoc on the city. Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Sam Hamm and Warren Skaaren from a story by Hamm, the film is an origin-story of sorts of how Bruce Wayne deals with the loss of his parents in the hands of the man who would become the Joker while falling for a photojournalist. In the role of Wayne/Batman is Michael Keaton while playing the role of the Joker is Jack Nicholson. Also starring Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Tracey Walter, Billy Dee Williams, Jerry Hall, and Jack Palance. Batman is an adventurous yet stylish film from Tim Burton.
The film is about Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego in Batman as he tries to save Gotham from chaos as its bicentennial is approaching. In this role of a vigilante who isn’t accepted by the police, Batman would spread fears into the criminals as he would fight the mob where an encounter with the enforcer Jack Napier at a chemical plant would have some repercussions where Napier falls into a chemical waste as he would survive and become a more psychotic killer in the Joker. The Joker would wreak havoc on Gotham forcing Batman to try and stop him while Wayne would deal with the trauma over his parents death as he falls for the photojournalist Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) who is helping a reporter in covering a story on Batman. It’s a film that isn’t a traditional origin-story but rather an interpretation into what drives Bruce Wayne into becoming Batman as well as coming to terms with his loss and the man who killed his parents when he was a kid.
The film’s screenplay does subvert a lot of the ideas of the origin story in order to make it a film in not just Jack Napier’s transformation as the Joker but also in how he would get Batman to emerge out of the shadows and save Gotham. When Wayne isn’t Batman, he acts as this reclusive and eccentric billionaire who is sort of aloof to the public including Vicki Vale and her journalist friend Alexander Knox (Robert Wuhl) as it’s just a cover for the fact that he is trying to stop corruption in the hands of mob boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance). Yet, Grissom would try to kill Napier who had been having an affair with Grissom’s mistress as it would force Napier as the Joker to kill Grissom and take over all of the operations. Yet, the Joker just wants to create chaos and destroy the Batman so he can rule Gotham. This would force Wayne to not only step up against the Joker but also deal with the wounds and trauma so he can gain some peace.
Adding to the dramatic elements of the story is the presence of Vicki Vale as she helps Knox try to find the identity of Batman as she gets close to Bruce Wayne where she and Knox eventually learn about Wayne’s past and his parents death. She would eventually become an object of desire for the Joker who would try to woo her in the most insane ways as it adds to some of the film’s dark humor.
Tim Burton’s direction is very extravagant in some of the set pieces he creates from the Axis chemical plant to the city of Gotham itself as it becomes a playpen of sorts for him. With its emphasis on miniatures and other special effects, Burton creates a film that does have a look that is quite dark but also very offbeat. Much of the staging of the fights and action sequences that is shot at Pinewood Studios in England has Burton going for a world that definitely seems to have a bit of a comic-book look but also a bit of realism. The compositions that Burton creates for those scenes are vast and powerful as it includes the climatic showdown between Batman and the Joker as well as an earlier confrontation at a museum.
The dramatic and humorous scenes are also interesting in the way Burton maintains a certain intimacy in his direction. Especially in the latter as the humor is very dark yet somehow manages to be very funny. There’s an energy to those scenes while the dramatic moments including a flashback scene of the death of Wayne’s parents are quite eerie but also somber in how Wayne tries to cope with that loss. That balance of humor, adventure, drama and suspense somehow manages to create a film that doesn’t have all of the attributes of a great blockbuster film but also something more. Overall, Burton creates a film that does more than what it needed to be while also being a whole lot of fun to watch.
Cinematographer Roger Pratt does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of shadows and such for some of the film‘s interior scenes at night as well as the elaborate lighting schemes for the parade and some of the exterior settings in Gotham. Editor Ray Lovejoy does brilliant work with the editing with its approach to rhythms that allows each moment to shown while slowing things down in the more dramatic portions of the film. Production designer Anton Furst, with set decorator Peter Young and supervising art director Leslie Tomkins, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of Gotham City as well as the places such as Wayne Manor, the Axis Chemicals factory, and other places in Gotham while Keith Short does superb work in the design of the Batmobile.
Costume designers Bob Ringwood and Tony Dunsterville do terrific work with the design of the costumes from the suits of the Joker as well as the costume that Batman wears. Makeup designer Nick Dudman does wonderful work with the design of the makeup that the Joker wears. Visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings does nice work with some of the visual effects that includes some animation and miniatures in some of the designs of the places in Gotham. Sound editor Don Sharpe does some fine work with the sound to create some of the film’s sound effects as well as the chaos that goes on in Gotham. The film’s music by Danny Elfman is great for its bombastic orchestral theme to play into some of the adventure and drama that occurs in the film while the soundtrack features an album of original songs by Prince that plays into the film‘s humor as it‘s mixture of funk and soul music with a bit of rock adds a unique flavor to the film.
The casting by Marion Dougherty is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from William Hootkins as the corrupt Lt. Eckhardt, Lee Wallace as Gotham’s Mayor Borg, Tracey Walter as Jack’s right-hand man, David Baxt and Sharon Holm as Bruce’s parents in the flashback scene, Charles Roskilly as the young Bruce Wayne, Hugo E. Blick as the young Jack Napier, and Jerry Hall as Carl Grissom’s mistress Alicia. Jack Palance is excellent as Jack’s boss Carl Grissom who tries to have Jack whacked only to deal with the more psychotic Joker. Billy Dee Williams is terrific as the new district attorney Harvey Dent while Pat Hingle is superb as Commissioner James Gordon. Alfred Gough is wonderful as the very resourceful Alfred Pennyworth who helps Bruce in all sorts of things. Robert Wuhl is brilliant as the reporter Alexander Knox as he says some funny things while being the guy trying to get Vale not to get too close.
Kim Basinger is pretty good as Vicki Vale as this determined photojournalist who falls for Bruce Wayne while becoming the unwilling object of affection of the Joker. Jack Nicholson is magnificent as Jack Napier/the Joker as a mob guy who likes to take care of business only to become this very strange psychotic who always has some funny things to say while being a complete psychopath as it’s definitely one of Nicholson’s best roles. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a marvelous performance as the titular character/Bruce Wayne as Keaton brings this very restrained performance that has this brooding quality to both personas as well as a bit of aloofness in his approach to Wayne while being the badass as Batman.
Batman is a remarkable film from Tim Burton that features outstanding performances from Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Along with a strong supporting cast and great set designs, it’s a film that definitely serves as a standard-bearer for many superhero blockbuster films while it’s also a film that is very fun to watch. In the end, Batman is an incredible film from Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) - Beetlejuice - (Edward Scissorhands) - Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) - (Sleepy Hollow) - (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) - (Big Fish) - (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) - (Corpse Bride) - (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) - (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) - (Dark Shadows) - (Frankenweenie) - (Big Eyes) - (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children) - (Dumbo (2019 film)) - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman Begins - The Dark Knight - The Dark Knight Rises - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - The Batman (2022 film)
© thevoid99 2014
