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Villains We Love: Sweeney Todd

Filed under: Horror », Music & Musicals », Fandom », Johnny Depp », Scenes We Love »


If you pressed me to pick my favorite slasher, I would pick the one who wears a cravat and sponsors a recycling program. He may not be as physically terrorizing as Jason, Freddy, or Michael Myers, but Sweeney is just as ruthless. Once he decides that revenge is best served in a hot crust, no one is safe from his blade. Perhaps he's not as creative with his kills as Jason or Freddy is, but he's a lot more poetic. Few slashers are both a serial killer and a Byronic hero, and few horror movies feature a hero who moans over his lost daughter as he opens another jugular.

The blend of the romantic and the horrific is what makes Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street such a delicious story. At its twisted center, the story is all about love. Sweeney is motivated by the loss of his wife and child, Mrs. Lovett assists him because she's always loved him, Judge Turpin is twisted by love and lust for Johanna, and the tender romance of Johanna and Anthony helps bring it all to an even bloodier denouement.

Combine its Gothic romance with its cheery tunes (cannibalism, rape, child abuse, alcoholism, and insanity have never been so catchy!) and historical / social commentary, and you have a pretty demented little tale. Am I the only one who watches it, and hopes every single time that once Sweeney dispatches Judge Turpin to his gravy, he and Mrs. Lovett will flee London, make a new life together and enjoy lifelong success running a meat pie shop by the sea? I know he and Mrs. Lovett deserved their ugly ends, but Sweeney's seems especially bitter. He may have put a lot of innocent men into pies, but did he deserve such a personal twist of the razor? I think even the Greek playwrights would find that one cold.

Check Out These Images of Tim Burton's 'Wonderland'!

Filed under: Classics », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Exhibition », Family Films », Remakes and Sequels », Images »

This week we've got more to look forward to than just Public Enemies. According to USAToday, a collection of concept art and publicity images for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland will start wallpapering movie theaters. And they're a lot better than the blurry Hatter pic and first concept pieces!

Luckily, we won't have to die of impatience to see them, because the site included all the images -- a bunch of huge concept pictures that you can drag your mouse around to explore (like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum), our first official peek at Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, plus our beloved royalty: Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen and Anne Hathaway's White Queen. The leaked Hatter pic doesn't do the full-color version justice, with Depp rocking a killer clown look, and Hathaway looks excellent. But Bonham Carter really takes the cake (and coolest bobblehead ever prize) with her digitally swelled noggin and heart-pursed lips. (Check it out in the gallery below.)



In this incarnation, Alice is a 17-year-old girl who flees a snooty party when she learns that she's about to be proposed to. She follows a white rabbit down a hole, and re-enters Wonderland. It's been ten years since that first visit, and she doesn't remember a thing.

Alice in Wonderland is scheduled to hit screens on March 5, 2010. Excited yet?

UPDATE: Movies.ie discovered the first image of Matt Lucas as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Check it out in the gallery above and in larger form over at Movies.ie. [via Slashfilm]

Hathaway and Bonham Carter Join 'Alice in Wonderland'

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Remakes and Sequels »



Once word hit that Tim Burton was taking on the world of Alice in Wonderland, two things were so very inevitable. One: Johnny Depp would get a role, and he nabbed a perfect one at that -- Mad Hatter. Two: Helena Bonham Carter would get one as well. I am not sure why it took so long to release the info, but here it is: The Hollywood Reporter posts that Burton's main squeeze will become the Red Queen, the woman who loves to screech "Off with their heads," while Anne Hathaway will balance her radical redness as the benevolent White Queen, who gets deposed and banished.

Taking a cue from the initial images of Mia Wasikowska as Alice, I'm dying to see what Burton does. Johnny and Helena, Michael Sheen, Matt Lucas, and Ms. Hathaway -- it's one of those mixtures that should thrive under the eye of Burton. Now we just need to get Burton to cast Danny Huston as the Chesire Cat. (He's made for that role!)

What do you think of the cast so far? Is it time for Johnny and Helena to not be in a film together, or are these the perfect roles? How about Helena and Anne as sisters? Weigh in below!

Countdown: Two Photos of Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'

Filed under: Fandom », Johnny Depp », Images »



Back when I was in London, word had it Tim Burton was in pre-production on his Alice in Wonderland -- but it seems the director has begun shooting some of his live-action scenes for the film, and a bunch of spy photos featuring Mia Wasikowska (Alice) have arrived online via INF. The images also include shots of Burton's main squeeze Helena Bonham Carter whose baby is all dressed up in period garb ... preparing for a cameo, perhaps? Of course, Johnny Depp was just officially announced as the Mad Hatter, and the final product will be a mix of live action and motion-capture animation. One imagines the scenes featuring Alice before she arrives in Wonderland (ie: these two photos) will be shot in live action, with the majority of the Wonderland stuff all in motion-capture. Oooh, this flick is gonna be freaky ...



This Week on Countdown

Five Fall/Winter Trailers to Watch
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[via Slashfilm]

Helena Bonham Carter Hints at 'Terminator: Salvation' Role

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »

Helena Bonham Carter gave a few hints on her surprising Terminator: Salvation role to Sci-Fi Wire -- and surprise surprise, it's not a cuddly one! "I kind of play a baddie, definitely a baddie. I don't know how much I'm allowed to say, but I'm a very bad person."

Now, I know there's readers out there who are more up on their Terminator mythology than I am (and it feels weird to even refer to it having a mythology), but were there bad humans? Turncoats who helped the machines? Evil scientists from Skynet? I feel certain this was discussed somewhere in a Kyle Reese monologue, but I may just be filling in gaps. Of course, Bonham Carter could be playing a Terminator (Summer Glau has proved you can be tiny and lethal), but I'm trying to keep all options open.

Given Bonham Carter's late in the game casting, it turns out she was replacing another actress -- Tilda Swinton, who I now want to pop up as a Terminator at some point. (I think I would instantly surrender.)

As for Bonham Carter's own interest, it turns out it was all due to her other half. "Tim [Burton] would have killed me if I hadn't done it, because he's such a Terminator fan. I've been in big movies before ... but I've never been in this kind of big popcorn action movie, a male one, an action one." And honestly, I like that she is in one. I continue to be amazed at the talent who has been attracted to this film, and like the rest of the world, I'm excited to see what becomes of it.

Terminator: Salvation
opens May 22, 2009. We must try not to get overdosed on it ... and that's going to be really hard.

Helena Bonham Carter Joining 'Terminator Salvation'

Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Sony », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels », War »

The script for Terminator Salvation must be all kinds of magic, because it's attracting the most unlikely of people. The Hollywood Reporter announced today that Helena Bonham Carter is in talks to join the cast, which already includes some pretty fine actors. Exactly who or what she will play is not mentioned, merely that her part is "small, but pivotal."

So, let the speculation begin! As Sarah Connor has morphed to a lovely brunette Lena Headey in The Sarah Connor Chronicles, perhaps she will be playing her in a flashback? (I know, the television show is on a separate mythology/timeline as the films, but I have to consider all the possibilities.) Could she be a Terminator model, despite her petiteness? A vital designer of SkyNet? A baker who comes up with an industrious way to dispose of fallen soldiers and feed what's left of humanity? I'm at a loss here.

Bonham Carter has certainly moved away from her Merchant and Ivory days. Who would have ever thought the adorable Lucy Honeychurch was going to be Bellatrix Lestrange, let alone go post-apocalyptic? Oddly, her attachment interests me far more than even Christian Bale's. And there, I have to hand it to McG -- every time I think my vague interest in this movie is dead, he finds a way to stir it up again.

Terminator Salvation is aiming to hit theatres on May 22nd, 2009. That is going to be one enormous summer, isn't it?

EXCLUSIVE: 'Sixty Six' Poster Premiere

Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Independent », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Posters »



Now if only my parents made up a poster like this for my Bar Mitzvah, the rest of my adult life probably would've gone in a completely different direction. Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Sixty Six (click to enlarge), starring Eddie Marsan, Helena Bonham Carter and Gregg Sulkin. Directed by Paul Weiland, Sixty Six is an adorable little indie from across the pond about a boy who's life gets turned upside down when his Bar Mitzvah just happens to coincide with the classic 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany. It was supposed to be the most important event of his life. Unfortunately for him, it clashed with one of the most important events in the history of his country.

Sixty Six already debuted in the UK, but now it's finally making its way to the states and will arrive in theaters on August 1.

New DVD Pick of the Week: 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

Filed under: New Releases », DVD Reviews », New on DVD », Home Entertainment »

Slim pickins this week, no joke!, but at least there's one solid choice:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
For some it's Stephen Sondheim's classic musical. For others, it's that super-sweet scene from Jersey Girl, and now, for many, it's the slicing and dicing Tim Burton adventure. Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is an ex-convict who was wrongly imprisoned. After many years in a penal colony in Australia, he's back in London as Sweeney Todd -- all to get his revenge against Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), the man who sent him away and ruined Barker's family. Teaming up with Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), he whips up some rather unique meat pies and prepares for revenge. It's just the sort of thing that Burton could bring to life on the big screen.

Sure, the film has the usual Burton players, but this is classic Burton material, and Depp and Bonham Carter know the score. (The same cannot be said for their singing, but sometimes, that can be forgiven.) With added helpings of Timothy Spall, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen, it's hard not to at least fall for the talents within the film.

Cinematical Picks: The Golden Globe Winners -- Best Actress (Musical / Comedy)

Filed under: Awards »

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)

Nominees:

Amy Adams -- Enchanted

Nikki Blonsky -- Hairspray

Helena Bonham Carter -- Sweeney Todd

Marion Cotillard -- La vie en Rose

Ellen Page -- Juno

Predicted Winner: Ellen Page -- Juno


Although screenwriter Diablo Cody is clearly the "breakout" star of the Juno story, I'm sure she'd admit that without Ellen Page, the movie wouldn't be quite so special. Movie fans first took note of the diminutive gal's talents in the chilling Hard Candy, and the blockbuster fanboys fell for her hard in X-Men: The Last Stand -- but it's pretty safe to say that Juno is her "star-making" role -- and it couldn't happen to a cooler girl. We predict a Globe win, an Oscar nomination, and ... well, let's not jinx the woman!

Now it's your turn to vote ...

Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)


Review: Sweeney Todd -- Kim's Take

Filed under: Music & Musicals », New Releases », Paramount », Theatrical Reviews », Johnny Depp »



As everyone's been saying for months now, there are going to be two basic camps of people seeing (and talking about) Tim Burton's screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd: those who've seen and love the musical on stage (and/or those who generally go into orgasms of ecstasy for Stephen Sondheim in general), and those who've never seen the stage version, but who generally go into orgasms of ecstasy for all things Burton. There are, no doubt, those who loathe Burton, but if you loathe Burton, why would you go out of your way to see one of his films anyhow?

At any rate, I fall into the second camp -- love Burton, never seen Sweeney Todd on stage. I went into the film knowing only the basic storyline, and that it was gory, and that it was directed by Burton and stars Johnny Depp. That was enough for me to want to see the film, and I wanted to see it not knowing more than that, so I've been avoiding as much as possible all the buzzing about the film on other sites. I even set aside the cool hardcover Sweeney Todd production book that arrived in the mail last week to savor after the screening, so I'd go into the film with as fresh an eye as possible.

The film opens with rivers of bright red blood flowing through the cobblestone cracks of a London nearly as dismal as the Paris we met in the opening of Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (one of my favorite films of last year). Much as Sweeney Todd is going to be compared to Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands, for me, right from the opening credits, it evoked Perfume more. After zooming us through a cramped, filthy, dismal London, Burton takes us onto a ship arriving in London, where we meet the beautiful and aptly named young sailer Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower, who's almost -- but not quite -- prettier than Depp), singing "No Place Like London," in which he's joined by his friend Benjamin Barker (Depp), freshly escaped from an Australian prison and returning home to a London he views with a far darker and cynical eye than the fresh-faced sailor. From the first words Barker sings -- and more, from the way Depp acts the part -- we get a sense of just how dark his story is going to be.
 
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