Alice in WOnderland Tagged Articles at Cinematical

New York's Museum of Modern Art is hosting a retrospective for Tim Burton that spans the artist's career so far, from doodles on paper, Polaroids, sketches, full-blown paintings, sculptures, and, of course, movies. The MoMA will be showing 14 of his films, and Burton himself curated a collection of films that inspired him, aptly titled "The Lurid Beauty of Monsters." Burton was on hand to talk to the press, comparing his joy at the show to "an out-of-body experience." He said, "In my life, I've had many surreal, great things happen -- meeting my idol, Vincent Price; being able to make movies; and this one, I think, tops it in the sense that it's the most amazing and surreal, and that's what you look for in life, is these great and incredible [experiences]."

The MoMA's Ron Magliozzi, Assistant Curator, and Jenny He, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Film, worked feverishly to uncover work from the artist's 27-year career, even touring his house to find art for the show. Burton also created seven new statues for the exhibit.

The show opens November 22nd and ends April 26th, 2010. You can see a selection of the art on display in the gallery below.

Cinematical: What's the most personal piece in the collection for you?

Tim Burton: Well, it could be any of a number because I noticed the ones that freaked me out so much that I can't look at, which is a lot of it, I think it's a lot of that early stuff. Stuff that I didn't even know I had. I don't even know where they found some of that really early stuff. 'Cause it's, as they [Ron Magliozzi and Jenny He] pointed out, it was all just kind of personal and private, so there's a lot of that in there. Mainly, the early stuff, I'd say. Stuff that – I don't know where you actually found stuff that I actually got decent grades on! Because I don't remember that at all! [Laughs]

Note: This is not a new trailer, but an extended trailer.

Ah, that dreaded black cloud known as the remake/re-imagining. It hovers, eliciting a neverending sense of ire in the moviegoing public. Yes, some of the backlash comes from nothing more than passionate fandom. But it also comes from how these projects come to be. Studios grab them willy nilly with nothing but dollar signs flashing in the eyes. Projects hit that could never even dream of being even half as good as the original. And many just don't seem to get it -- preferring to keep the name and ravage both the story and the spirit of the original, rather than just using it as a jumping point for inspiration.

And while it may be a bit premature, the trailers for Alice Wonderland have a definite sense of getting it. A new trailer aired during the Scream Awards (check it out after the jump), and while it's really Mad Hatter-centric again (I want more of the Queens!), it's got the feel of the subject. Sure, we've all got our favorite Alice incarnations and ideas on how it should be, but Tim Burton seems to have a definite sense of how to evoke the same whimsical feel within his vision. It's not copycat, nor wildly diverging from what we're used to.

The FX flow beautifully, that sense of fun is in every scene, and within the first few moments, I actually started imagining some of my favorite mystical films getting a similar treatment. I would never want Labyrinth without Jim Henson and David Bowie, yet I can't help but imagine the film updated with today's technology. This is what these films should do -- warm you to the idea because they're good -- because they understand their subject and know how to invoke the same passion.

Has Burton charmed you with his vision?

Ever since The Dark Knight, we've become obsessed with making things darker. Little Red Riding Hood? Make it darker! The Wizard of Oz? Dorothy should be cutting up the wicked witch with a chainsaw! Alice in Wonderland? Alice should be a meth-addicted stripper who's afraid of big hats! (Note: Don't fret, Alice is not a meth-addicted stripper in Tim Burton's upcoming adaptation, though I bet she exists somewhere in that form.) Thankfully we still have Disney and their arsenal of cute, charming, cuddly princesses. And since Disney would never in their right minds turn one of their beloved princesses into some sort of trashy, blood-thirsty sexpot, those of you who'd like to see what something like that would look like can now check out Jeffrey Thomas' pretty fantastic collection of Twisted Disney Princesses.

Out of all his images, I think Snow White is my favorite -- but only because she comes equipped with seven nasty looking dwarf-trolls, all of whom would probably make up the greatest horror-comedy in history if anyone was ever a allowed to throw something like that together. I can picture it now: There's Sleepy passing out just as he's munching down on the severed head of his latest victim. Oh, and there's Dopey getting blood all over Snow White's brand new white leather sofa ... again!

Check out some of our favorites below, and the rest over at Jeffrey's page.



[via Neatorama, via ScarletScribe's Twitter]

At Comic-Con, legends come a dime a dozen, and those are just the ones on the printed pages of the comics on the exhibition hall floor. But in Hall H, the epicenter of the convention's surprises, revelations and exclusives, true groundbreakers and history-makers are in comparatively short supply. This year, however, there were several, including James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Hayao Miyazaki, and Terry Gilliam; but even in such rarified company, Tim Burton stands head and shoulder above in terms of providing memorable, specific, and ongoing inspiration to the folks who like to look up at these filmmakers' latest projects.

Suffice it to say that a checklist of his most iconic films would be redundant, since virtually all of them qualify, either because of their source material, or his interpretation of it. But the filmmaker has two high-profile projects coming out in the next year or so, each of which applies his inventive style in different ways: first, there's 9, Shane Acker's computer-generated post-apocalyptic odyssey, which Burton is producing; and in 2010, there's Alice in Wonderland, his adaptation of the classic novel by Lewis Carroll.

In between Hall H panels, Cinematical caught up with Burton to discuss his work on 9 and Alice in Wonderland. In addition to talking about the technological opportunities and challenges presented on both films, he offered a few secrets about the forthcoming spectacle of Alice, and reflected on the filmmaking style – and substance – that has made his idiosyncratic body of work a happy home for outsiders and mainstream audiences alike.

Disney's viral marketing was the buzz of Comic-Con, and pretty much the coolest thing to ever hit the convention outside of Hall H. Both events were viral, and you couldn't find out about them unless you were in the right place at the right time, and in some instances decoding cryptic messages with mysterious information on them.

For Tron: Legacy, they built an entire 1980s version of Flynn's Arcade, complete with a secret entrance that would take you into the world of the film, and also an entire recreation of the Mad Hatter's tea party, which is part of Alice in Wonderland: The Touring Exhibition, which will be heading around the globe after leaving Comic-Con.

Fans received information that told them: "Tea Party will be held at 7th ave, between J & K st. Invitations are required." They had to head to the same location, where they were handed little invitations, complete with tiny keys attached to them. Inside, the fun really began as you headed down the rabbit hole to Wonderland, and were treated to props, costumes, and set pieces from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, right down to Johnny Depp's frizzy orange wig.

Read on beyond the jump for our full breakdown of what the tour consists of. According to an insider we spoke to, this tour will be heading around the globe after it leaves San Diego, and might not be open to the public. So, catch it here in pictures while you can!

Alice In Wonderland
Tim Burton's take on the classic Lewis Carroll book is just as creepy as you might expect. Johnny Depp is the stand-out as The Mad Hatter, but Tweedledum and Tweedledee will give you the willies too and the Cheshire Cat has more teeth than could possibly fit comfortably in his mouth. This may be the movie Burton was born to make. The tumble down the rabbit hole begins on March 5.

The Book of Eli
This trailer basically shows Denzel Washington being a bad ass in a bleak post apocalyptic future set thirty years after a global war has wiped out most of the population. Washington's character is walking across the wasteland carrying a book that can somehow save humanity. Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis also star. Look for this on January 15.

Whiteout
Kate Beckinsale stars as a U.S. Marshall stationed at an Antarctic research base who must find a murderer before the sun sets for six months. Based on a series of graphic novels, this kind of reminds me of 30 Days of Night mixed with elements of The Thing. This will be out on September 11.

UPDATE: We told you the trailer was returning. Check it out after the jump or over on Moviefone in glorious HD.

The first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has arrived online via Moviefone, and the thing just looks bloody brilliant. Of course they save the best parts for the end, including a re-introduction to the Mad Hatter -- played this time by Johnny Depp, doing his best whimsical British accent. Starring Depp, Anne Hathaway (as the White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (as the Red Queen), Alan Rickman (as the Caterpillar), Michael Sheen (as the White Rabbit), Stephen Fry (as the Cheshire Cat), Christopher Lee (as the Jabberwock), Crispin Glover (as the Knave of Hearts) and Matt Lucas (as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum), this version of Alice in Wonderland picks up ten years after Alice's original visit. This time she's a 19-year-old who decides to return for another magical adventure and embarks on a journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Burton really looks like he was in his element with this one, and after watching this trailer and looking at all the images and concept art, I think I'm anticipating Alice in Wonderland more than his last few big-screen efforts. What about you? Did Burton succeed here, or does it look like the film spent too much time making itself pretty instead of focusing on story and substance? Check out the teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think.

Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5, 2010.

UPDATE: The trailer will return online tonight (7/23) at 10pm EST where Moviefone will be among only a handful of sites debuting it in full, glorious HD fashion. We'll return at that time and bring it back to you ... so stay tuned ...

The first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has arrived online via IGN, and the thing just looks bloody brilliant. Of course they save the best parts for the end, including a re-introduction to the Mad Hatter -- played this time by Johnny Depp, doing his best whimsical British accent. Starring Depp, Anne Hathaway (as the White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (as the Red Queen), Alan Rickman (as the Caterpillar), Michael Sheen (as the White Rabbit), Stephen Fry (as the Cheshire Cat), Christopher Lee (as the Jabberwock), Crispin Glover (as the Knave of Hearts) and Matt Lucas (as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum), this version of Alice in Wonderland picks up ten years after Alice's original visit. This time she's a 19-year-old who decides to return for another magical adventure and embarks on a journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Burton really looks like he was in his element with this one, and after watching this trailer and looking at all the images and concept art, I think I'm anticipating Alice in Wonderland more than his last few big-screen efforts. What about you? Did Burton succeed here, or does it look like the film spent too much time making itself pretty instead of focusing on story and substance? Check out the teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think.

Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5, 2010.

Though it's still months away from release, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has already generated considerable interest. Johnny Depp's star power can properly be credited -- who doesn't want to see him play The Mad Hatter? -- but I think most people would concede that the project wouldn't be 1/10 as promising if it wasn't Tim Burton at the helm. Burton has created more fantastical, wildly different worlds than most any other filmmaker, so the prospect of him unleashing his imagination on the world of Lewis Carroll is enough to make me giggle like a little boy.

All that to say that the official site for the filmmaker has a teaser gallery for The Art of Tim Burton, a massive book coming this fall that will provide "a comprehensive look at the personal and project artwork of Tim Burton," featuring more than 1,000 illustrations and 400 pages. A host of collaborators and friends, including Depp, Winona Ryder, and Christopher Lee, are contributing text to the book, which will have a number of fold-outs. Both standard and deluxe editions are promised.

In the meantime, you can look at a few of the pretty pictures in the gallery below, and then head to Burton's site to check out all the samples -- and you get to move Stain Boy around! It's a bit cumbersome, but cute. And the lovely, evocative images (Sleepy Hollow, Batman, and on and on) are a timely reminder that Burton began his career as an artist and animator, a key reason why he's developed into such a distinctive filmmaker.

Next week's San Diego Comic Con is being pitched as a battle between the geeks and the girls -- at least on Thursday, when a panel for The Twilight Saga: New Moon is expected to draw thousands of teen girls, while a panel for James Cameron's Avatar is expected to draw thousands of geeks of all ages. I'll be watching from afar. In the meantime, new images have been released to whet your appetite.

The Los Angeles Times reports from the New Moon set in Vancouver, Canada, describing green screen moments and heartthrob murmurings, courtesy of Robert Pattinson. Of course, he's not in the pic, which shows Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner) sharing an intimate moment in a car. (Jacob, you sly devil! Make your move, dude!) The money quote comes from director Chris Weitz in regard to visual effects: "That's not my thing." Weitz will be at Comic Con to show new footage from the film -- an action sequence and a love scene.

Entertainment Weekly has sneak previews of 17 movies and TV shows that will be highlighted during Comic Con, including Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash in Iron Man 2, Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, plus pics from Ruben Fleischer's Zombieland, Roland Emmerich's 2012, Shane Acker's 9, Christian Alvart's Pandorum, Park Chan-wook's Thirst, Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass, Nicholas Jasenovec's Paper Heart, and the animated Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Check the gallery below for a taste, then hit EW for a complete set of images.

Update: EW has also released the first image of Jake Gyllenhaal in Disney's Prince of Persia. Check that out below as well.