Five favourite films with Tim Burton

At the time of writing this I'm currently sitting on the cold cement outside the Australian Centre For Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne. It's 4.30am and I suspect about 4'C, although I don't think I want to know the actual temperature in case it's way worse. I've spent the past three hectic days covering Tim Burton: The Exhibition, a career retrospective of sorts for the legendary director aka one of my all time great inspirations. I've toured the exhibition before its opened, attended special events with Burton and interviewed him twice, but still, here I am queuing to be one of the first to have their The Art Of Tim Burton book signed.

Yes, I am a massive geek. But I also appreciate that a Goth visualist and universal creative genius like Tim Burton only comes around once. Suffice to say I have a huge amount of Burtonesque content coming in the next few days, so I suggest you stay posted for exclusives, insights and pics.

In the meantime, as regular readers of my blog would know, one of my favourite questions to ask anyone even mildly film-related is what movies are their favourites and what ones have inspired them. I sat in on a session with Burton on Tuesday night where he discussed just that. It was an extremely interesting peek into the directors mind and without further delay, here's a list of Tim Burton's five favourites along with the reasoning behind his choices.

#5: Dracula A.D. 1972

"Christopher Lee is not to proud of this, but it’s a favourite of mine. It was one of first films I saw; you could pay 50 cents and see three films back at a cinema in Burbank. I think this is where I saw it. I loved how it combined the `swingin’ 60s and 70s London with Hammer horror films. You become hypnotised by how crap they are.

When I was younger I went to Grauman's Chinese Theatre and it had a picture history of every film that has won an Academy Award. I went `well, I’ve never seen that or that’. You know, I wouldn’t really know a good movie if it bit me in the face. But in these kind of films there’s something that takes you back to a weird, pulpy fairytale. Some of their flaws are actually part of their strengths and I found that to be more powerful to me than Academy Award winning types of films. I enjoy mistakes sometimes."

#4: The Wicker Man (1973)

"It’s like a weird musical, a weird, twisted musical. That’s actually one of Chris’s favourite movies of his. It’s like a weird dream. It wasn’t very popular at the time, but it’s one that has grown on people over time. Growing up in Burbank was bit like this village, except we had no fishermen. It was quite nice, quite friendly, but there was always something bubbling under the surface. "

#3: The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1974)

"Ray Harryhusen did the special-effects on this, he’s incredible. He’s an inspiration to me, I’m actually missing his 90^th birthday in London at the moment. He came on the set of the Corpse Bride and was a real inspiration to everyone. After Clash Of The Titans he didn’t really do anything and then when I met him years later he’s still very intelligent, inquisitive and a real artist.

You can see the artist at work there, even in crappy science fiction films his acting of the characters was better than the real acting. It inspired me, that’s what I like about movies is the fantasy. Stop-motion is really exciting, not just in terms of the movement, but having the artists around working on it."

#2: War Of The Gargantuas (1966)

"This is one of my favourites. It’s my 2-year-old daughter's favourite movie and she’s as obsessed with it as I was. She’s the green gargantuan and my son is the brown one. One of the other things I love about it is, unlike hardcore film people, I don’t mind dubbed movies. There’s something about the language and the way it comes across relating to the movie; it’s like weird poetry. I’ve always much preferred the dubbed version as opposed to the original Japanese movie. And plus, subtitles take about from the imagery.

I’ve always had a little bond to Japanese culture and they (their films) have a real heart to them in a weird way. There’s a lot of great dialogue. There’s another part when a man reports to the General and goes ‘there has been great damage to the city and over 100, 000 people have been killed’ and the General goes ‘that’s weird’. It’s quite surreal.

One of the things I love about monster movies, the monsters were always the most soulful characters. Usually because they were the main characters and misunderstood, and the actors were so bad the monsters ended up being the emotional focal point. That’s why I was always fascinated when people said `why do you like all those monster movies?’ The characters were great and at the end of every movie the characters would get killed and it was a very tragic, Shakespearean death that they had. I always found it quite moving in most monster movies."

#1: The Omega Man (1971)

"The thing I like about this is the vampire characters are played by real people which is nice and they had a cool look to them. They all were wearing cool black robes with cool black glasses and they just looked cool.

I actually am quite obsessed by him, Charlton Heston is like the greatest bad actor of all time. I mean, just between that and Planet Of The Apes and also The Ten Commandments, which I know is like this big religious film, but I always thought it was the first zombie movie. He starts out as a real person and by the end of it he’s like this weird zombie.

(In The Omega Man) I also love the scenes where he’s talking to himself and then when he watches Woodstock and is quoting lines to himself. The family are also great, they’re probably my favourite characters. It’s one of those movies where the rough edges make you love it more. Also, he was the first person in my mind to kind of bring in the line, the kind of Arnold Schwarzenegger thing `I’ll be back’, the cheesy one-liners.

I’m sure everybody has got films where if they come on TV late at night or they’re on cable they’ll watch them. They’re part of your make-up, your DNA. They will just stay with you, for better or worse. I guess that’s why some people might say I’ve made some bad movies because bad movies I watch and enjoy."

Tim Burton: The Exhibition runs at the ACMI until October 10, along with a whole program of Burtonesque events. For the full details visit their website here.

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The best movie soundtracks of all time; according to me

As much as I hate to bring up the T word again (in hushed voice whispers; Twilight) people have been going ape shit for the soundtrack to the latest installment. That might be because Twihards get hectic and snap up anything to do with the phenomenon. Or perhaps it’s because, like the first soundtrack, there’s actually some pretty decent music on there. Now pump the brake kids, I said `pretty decent’, not amazing, but that got me thinking . . .the soundtracks accompanying movies these days often have the potential to skyrocket the featured artists in to the charts, or at least give them well needed exposure. Take Kimya Dawson’s boost after the success of the Juno soundtrack or Muse’s merge in to the mainstream after the Twilight soundtrack hit number one in the US. Movie soundtracks make up a huge portion of my iTunes library and I’ve discovered some incredible bands courtesy of films like Idle Hands and I’m Not There. And then you have the rare gem of a film that has such an incredible original score and songs, they themselves become treasured, i.e Hairspray, Chicago and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Everyone has their own beloved movie soundtrack and opinion on the best movie soundtracks of all time. For future reference and in no particular order, here’s a list of my ultimate favourites;

Romeo + Juliet

Year: 1996

Standout tracks:

Whatever (I had a dream) – Butthole Surfers

#1 Crush – Garbage

Talk Show Host – Radiohead

Young Hearts Run Free – Kym Mazelle

Chicago

Year: 2002

Standout tracks:

All That Jazz

Mister Cellophane

We Both Reached For The Gun

I Can’t Do It Alone

Cellblock Tango

When You’re Good To Mama

Rock N Roll High School

Year: 1979

Standout tracks:

Rock N Roll High School – Ramones

I Want You Around - Ramones

Orange County

Year: 2002

Standout tracks:

Defy You – The Offspring

Shadow Stabbing - Cake

I’m Not There

Year: 2007

Standout tracks:

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Anthony and the Johnsons

When The Ship Comes In- Marcus Carl Franklin

The Lion King

Year: 1994

Standout tracks:

Circle Of Life

Can You Feel The Love Tonight

Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2

Standout tracks:

Kill Bill Theme – Wu Tang Clan

Twisted Nerve – Bernard Herrmann

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Santa Esmeralda

About Her – Malcolm Mclarren

Malaguena Salerosa - Chingon

Hairspray

Year: 2007

Standout tracks:

Run and Tell That

Without Love

Big, Blonde and Beautiful

The Hurricane

Year: 1999

Standout tracks:

In The Basement - Etta James

Hurricane - Black Thought, Common, Mos Def

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron

Hurricane - Bob Dylan

Idle Hands

Year: 1999

Beheaded- The Offspring

Enthused – Blink 182

Second Solution – The Living End

Shout At The Devil – Motley Crue

La Vie En Rose

Year: 2007

Standout tracks:

La Vie En Rose – Edith Piaf

Non, Je Ne Regret – Edith Piaf

Padam Padam – Edith Piaf

Watchmen

Year: 2009

Standout tracks:

You’re My Thrill – Billie Holiday

The Times, They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan

The Sound Of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel

Pocahontas

Year: 1995

Standout tracks:

Colour Of The Wind

Steady As The Beating Drum

Reservoir Dogs

Year: 1992

Standout tracks:

Stuck In The Middle - Stealers Wheel

Madonna Speech – Quentin Tarantino

Juno

Year: 2007

Standout tracks:

Loose Lips – Kimya Dawson

Tire Swing – Kimya Dawson

My Rollercoaster – Kimya Dawason

Vampire – Antsy Pants

Anyone Else But You – Moldy Peaches

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Year: 2005

Standout tracks:

Wonka’s Welcome Song – Danny Elfman

Mick Teavee – Danny Elfman

Main Titles – Danny Elfman

OnceYear: 2007

Standout tracks:

Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Once – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Romeo Must DieYear: 2000

Standout tracks:

Are You Feelin’ Me? – Aaliyah

Revival – Non A Miss

Try Again – Aaliyah

We At It Again – Timbaland and Magoo

Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me Year: 1999

Standout tracks:

I’ll Never Fall In Love Again – Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello

Beautiful Stranger - Madonna

Just The Two Of Us – Dr Evil

Draggin The Line – R.E.M

Soul Bossa Nova – Quincy Jones & his orchestra

AladdinYear: 1992

Standout tracks:

One Jump Ahead

Never Had A Friend Like Me

A Whole New World

Fighting

Year: 2009

Standout tracks:

Hustling – Rick Ross

Magic – Robin Thicke

Gotta Work - Amerie

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Year: 1993

Standout tracks:

This Is Halloween

What’s This

Step Up 2 The Streets Year: 2008

Standout tracks:

Is It You – Cassie

Say Cheese – KC

369 – Cupid feat B.O.B

The Little Mermaid
Year: 1989

Standout tracks:

Part Of Your World

Under The Sea

Kiss The Girl

Looking For Alibrandi

Year: 2000

Standout tracks:

Teenager Of The Year – Lo-Tel

I Miss You – Silverchair

Don’t You Know Who I Am – Happyland

Dinnertime - Spiderbait

Whip It

Year: 2009

Standout tracks:

Umm, pretty much everything? These also;

Lollipop – The Chordettes ft Squeak E Clean & Desert Eagles Remix

What’s The Altitude – Cut Chemist ft Hymnal

Boys Wanna Be Her- Peaches

High Times – Landon Pigg ft Turbo Fruits

Your Arms Around Me – Jens Lekman

If you want to add to the list or bitch slap my choices in written words, leave a comment below

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On and on and on . . . .

Here's the final instalment of the Coraline A - Z character movie posters. You know, I'm actually disappointed there's only 26 letters in the alphabet. Ho-hum.

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All men aren’t created evil

Well, well, well. Just when I was about to give up on animated movies, someone pulled the switch and threw this gem in the mix! Alright, you know that’s an outright lie. The truth is I doubt I will ever be able to give up on animated movies as long as people keep making little beauties like Igor. Unfortunately this film hasn’t been promoted well and, given it’s dark nature, is screening in limited release despite appealing to kiddies and adults alike. John Cusack voices the main character of Igor in this animated fable about a cliché hunchbacked evil scientist's assistant who aspires to become a scientist himself, much to the displeasure of the rest of the evil science community. Molly Shannon, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Coolidge, Jay Leno, Eddie Izzard and Christian Slater also lend their voices to make up the rest of the characters. Written by Chris McKenna, one of the writers of American Dad, Igor is hilarious, witty and dark in a way similar to Tim Burton classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. The animation isn’t as beautiful as a Tim Burton film but it’s still great to look at. I’d go as far to say this is too dark for kiddies and most of the jokes will go straight over their head. It’s brilliant none the less and by the end of it I was left wondering how I could have so many favourite parts. Steve Buscemi is perfect as Scamper, a suicidal bunny invented by Igor and his attempts to kill himself (despite being indestructible) are a hilarious running joke throughout the film. He also has the best lines along with fellow side kick Brain.
There are so many genre jokes and inside puns on the monster film you’re barely given a second to recover before you’re hit with the next line. Politically incorrect in too many ways to count but cinematically correct in sheer entertainment value. This is an intelligent animated film somewhere between the sheer brilliance of Wall E and side splitting humour of Madagacar 2: Escape to Africa. I would go as far to say this is the best animated film I’ve seen since The Incredibles. A lot of the credit has to go to director Anthony Leondis who started out as a writer and animator with Disney and has now moved on to directing as well. He also voices a minor character in the film. In conclusion, how can you NOT love a movie that closes with 20 blind orphans singing the Johnny Nash classic “I can see clearly now” on stage? Answer: you can’t. Igor is at selected cinemas now but be quick before they chuck it on DVD, given the dark quirky nature of this film I doubt that will take long. SEE THIS!
Watch Igor trailer here.

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Hungry for Hunger?

There’s been a lot of hype in the critical circles that count surrounding Steve McQueen’s latest venture Hunger. Heard of it? You probably have considering its had the best reviews of any film all year, excluding The Dark Knight and There Will Be Blood. Hunger is about the experiences of prisoners and prison guards during the 1981/82 hunger strikes in Belfast, Ireland. This film is raw, real and quite unsettling. I was surprised at how much main stream appeal this picture has had considering how avant-garde it is. The shots are long and linger on seemingly insignificant aspects of every day in a bid to underline how depressing the situation is for everyone involved. McQueen uses everything in his arsenal as a director and weaves a delicate web incorporating every aspect of life for the prisoners and the motivations behind their actions. Be warned: this film is not for the light hearted. For majority of the film there’s no dialogue besides a sentence here and there and maybe the odd scream. The living conditions the prisoners had to endure were disgusting and McQueen doesn’t skimp on the details. In the last third of the film you watch a man starve to death step by agonizing step. Personally I was disappointed. Hunger isn’t supposed to be entertainment, it’s supposed to be a message film and deliver the audience with McQueen’s message on the situation in Ireland in the 80s. But I think there’s dozens of message films out there who deliver their specific political message in a more effective manner. I mean, did we really have sit through a five minute scene where we watch a prison guard sweep piss and bleach down a hallway? All the way down the hallway? Don’t mistake me, I think Hunger is a powerful film and has a valid message. I just don’t think it’s as good as everyone has made it out to be. I felt like McQueen was trying to manipulate the audience with some of the camera angles used and overall Hunger is a very one sided affair. Hunger has flaws. You should still go and see it though for no other reason than to catch what I thought was the pinnacle of the film: a 21 minute dialogue exchange between a prisoner and priest. The scene is a straight shot with no cut aways and the audience is drawn in to a heated discussion between the prisoner and priest as one tries to justify his intentions of going on a hunger strike and the other begs him to have some regard for life. Undoubtedly this is one of the most powerful scenes in any film all year and the dialogue is incredible. However, one scene (no matter how long) doesn’t make a good film and Hunger falls well below the bar.

On a completely irrelevant note I saw Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa and it was a joyful, hilarious, adventure! It’s not as good as other animated releases from this year like Wall E and it may not trump my all time favourites (The Incredibles, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride) but it was seriously funny. There are more than enough jokes to please the kiddies and parentals but it’s the characters who steal the show. The penguins and king Julius are amusing to no end. If you’re looking for something light and not about people starving themselves to death then this is a worthy alternative.

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Alice in Burtonland

I would doubt there’s anyone in the whole wide world who hasn’t heard about Tim Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Regardless I thought a quick run down can’t hurt. The film started shooting last week in Cornwall, England and 18-year old Aussie actress Mia Wasikowska is in the lead role of Alice. Wasikowska has been pretty much plucked from obscurity after only minor roles in a handful of small budget films including one of my personal favourites; Suburban Mayhem. After the success of The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D, Disney have agreed to let Burton release this film in Digital Disney 3D too. The only other news to escape to the media is Burton-bosom buddy Johnny Depp will be playing the mad hatter. Well dah! It wouldn’t be a Tim Burton film if Depp wasn’t in it. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has always been one of the darkest children’s stories and my blood is bubbling with excitement to see Burton’s Gothic take. All other cast and set details are unknown at this stage and kudos to the film crew for keeping everything hush hush. The project is set for release on March 5, 2010 in the US, later in Oz.

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