Movies Tim Burton Should Have Made
My Danny Elfman Page

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
The feature film that introduced us to the brilliant imagination of Burton is still one of the funniest 'children's films' ever made. And the most enjoyable search for a lost bicycle tale, of course.
The road movie storyline is as basic as you can get, and mainly serves as the framework for a series of sketches and character vignettes. Paul Reubens plays the eponymous child/man Pee-wee Herman and manages to be far less annoying than you'd expect. As he travels across America we are treated to gentle satire on various character clich�s (escaped criminal, lovelorn waitress) and cartoonish visuals, perfectly accompanied by Danny Elfman's fun score. Naturally, there's no message to this movie, but the humour is never condescending. Burton gently weaves in the sick and twisted attitude that would become one of his trademarks. The film also manages to mock Hollywood (the drive-in finale is priceless) and offers plenty of great visuals along the way.
As enjoyable as the movie is, the main interest is in spotting the outsider and alienation themes that would be handled much more maturely in Burton's later works.
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Beetlejuice (1988)
Burton's second film improves on his memorable debut by creating a classic and extremely original ghost comedy.
Although the plot is slightly more in evidence than before, it still remains secondary to the characters and visuals. The film broke almost every rule of moviemaking to become a huge hit. Starting out as a gentle comedy it springs its first surprise by killing the main characters within five minutes. There is then a slow build-up of insanity in the afterlife until the Maitlands are forced to call in renegade bio-exorcist 'Betelguese' to deal with a crass family that have moved into the deceased's home.
Playing like a sick live-action version of a Warner Bros. cartoon, the film is so full of weirdness and visual invention it puts even Pee-wee to shame. Its main strength is surprise, but the script is also hilarious. Elfman's music is the perfect complement to the wonderfully cheesy effects, and there is always something interesting on-screen. Of course, none of this could work without a good cast, and the people assembled here are perfect.
Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are extremely likeable as the troubled ghosts and Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara make suitably annoying New Yorkers. Winona Ryder, in one of her earliest screen roles, is also excellent as the gothic daughter Lydia. But all of them are outshined by Michael Keaton's performance. Manic, disgusting, hilarious and scary all at once, it is a classic comic performance, unrecognisable behind the familiar white-face make up used in most of Burton's films. As good as the previous afterlife scenes are, the film comes alive when Keaton is on screen. So why wasn't he nominated for an Oscar?
This is the film that defined Burton's style, and it still holds up very well to his later works. It's only a shame that too much time has passed for a sequel.
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Batman (1989)
Burton's most financially successful film is also his least personal. As blockbusters go, it's still pretty good, even with its many flaws.
Taking its main influence from the Dark Knight Returns, the film brings the dark power and gothic mystery back to the Caped Crusader. The muddled plot follows Bruce Wayne as he romances Vicki Vale, tries to keep his secret identity under wraps and faces a new menace in The Joker, who is symbiotically linked to Batman in more ways than one.
The good points: Michael Keaton overcomes the doubts about his suitability and is excellent in his dual roles. The visuals are as stunning as expected (apart from some tacky model work) and Elfman provides yet another great score. The images of the Batwing swooping up in front of the moon, or Batman gazing down on the city are awesome. I enjoyed the 60s TV series, but it wasn't Batman. This was how it was meant to be done.
The bad points: The cast, aside from the two leads, is competent at best. Kim Basinger, who is only required to look pretty and scream, is very annoying. The storyline makes no sense, but that's a given. Prince's songs are a pointless intrusion, too. The fact that the film is weighted more towards the villain meant that Keaton's performance was criminally underrated. However, the Batman's big entrances are all the more impressive for being used sparingly. Jack Nicholson is never less than entertaining as The Joker, but he does lose some of his menace by capering around so much.
In conclusion, this hasn't aged as well as some blockbusters, but it's still an interesting counterpoint to Superman: The Movie.
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Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton's masterpiece is one of the most beautiful and original fairy tales put on screen. There is so much to be got out of this film that it's hard to describe it in one review. More than any of Burton's other films it improves with each viewing, as you discover more and more details.
Burton mixes classic fairytale themes to create an original and touching character in Edward. Taken from his gothic castle to a colourful and romanticised sixties suburban neighbourhood he changes the lives of the townsfolk forever. The first half of the film is very funny, full of subtle physical comedy and gentle satire on suburban life. Edward brings his artistic skill to the town and the people almost ignore his bizarre appearance. Then he begins a longing romance for Kim, the girl he lives with but who seems to want nothing to do with him. He eventually wins her love, but is exploited by and then violently turned out by the townspeople.
The film is made with a skill far exceeding Burton's previous works. The unforgettable images and Elfman's haunting score make this one of the all-time fantasy greats. Every performance is perfect. Johnny Depp brings a feeling of tortured emotion to his almost silent character that lingers long in the memory. I literally forgot who's playing the part. Dianne Wiest and Alan Arkin are, respectively, touching and amusing as the parents who adopt him. Winona Ryder brings warmth and beauty (in a blonde wig) to her supporting role as the object of Edward's affectations, who comes to love him for his artistic vision. Anthony Michael Hall is suitably menacing as the jealous jock who eventually gets his come-uppance, and Kathy Baker funny as the sex-starved, Tom Jones-listening housewife. Finally, Vincent Price, in his last feature film role, brings extra resonance as Edward's inventor.
Some criticisms of the film point out the supposed plot holes - such as why does he have scissors for hands and where did he get the ice? They are missing the point, as this fairytale bears no relation to the real world, except in its themes. You have to suspend your disbelief. That's why the timeless setting could be anywhere from the fifties to the present. Another criticism is that the violent ending was unnecessary, but without that the film would literally have no point. Edward is the most normal person in the movie and it is the twisted townsfolk who are the true monsters, resulting in his loss of innocence.
Semi-autobiographical themes are worked in by Burton and screenwriter Caroline Thompson, but not overdone. Edward represents, among other things: the unconditional love of an animal; a childlike sense of wonder; an adolescent's clumsiness and someone who longs to touch others without hurting them. The beautiful scene where Edward makes an ice-sculpture as Kim dances in the snow is the ultimate representation of the artist communicating his feelings through his work. This film is almost perfect in its own way, even with the unfortunately sad ending. Unlike most Christmas films, though, this is refreshingly free of schmaltz.
To sum up, I believe Burton will never make anything approaching the depth and emotion of this again. It's funny, sad and visually striking. What more could anyone want from a movie?
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Batman Returns (1992)
Burton's underrated bat-sequel is one of the best superhero movies ever, and greatly improves on the original. Although some people found the sequel boring, the visuals and four lead performances cannot really be faulted.
The plot is still unessential, but this does have a better script than the first one, thanks to Heathers scribe Daniel Waters. Burton weaves a dark fairytale about a group of freaks running amok in Gotham City. Unusually for a blockbuster, it is character-driven, not story-driven. It's a great exploration of animalistic personalities, not the feel-good comic adventure some people were expecting. This time Batman faces three enemies, which may seem like overkill but each one represents a different facet of the Caped Crusader's personality (that's the pretentious take on it, anyway).
The Penguin is the bitter outsider/freak that Bruce Wayne could have become under other circumstances - both have lost their parents. The perverted mutant is a perfect role for Danny DeVito, who even manages to bring some pathos to the role, which was what the Joker lacked.
Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent as Catwoman/Selina Kyle. She manages to be believable as a mousy secretary who becomes a sexy, feminist avenger after being thrown out a window and revived by cats (the best scene in the movie). She is the dark side of Batman, a costumed crime fighter whose goodness is undermined by her violent nature. She also represents his perverse relationship with the opposite sex. In a brilliant touch, her costume becomes more frayed and ragged as her sanity unravels towards the end.
Finally we have Max Shreck (another brilliant performance from Christopher Walken) who is the true villain of the piece. Beloved by Gothamites, he is Bruce Wayne without the conscience. In an example of the cleverness of the film, Walken's character is named after the actor who played Nosferatu. Aside from emphasising the German Expressionist feel of the film, it also fits with Shreck's vampiric plan to suck power from Gotham City. Keaton himself is still underused, though he brings more humour and introspection to his dual-character this time. Michael Gough is amusing as Alfred the butler.
Elfman's score is even better than last time, the visuals are more arresting, and instead of Prince music we have a Siouxsie and the Banshees song. There are moments that drag, and not everything works, but this is probably the first $80 million art movie. Where else do you get a comic book movie that begins with a deformed baby being thrown into a sewer (and outraged McDonald�s family customers to boot)? Like Edward it improves on repeat viewings and there are some interesting psychological statements amongst the gadgets and costumes. It�s strange that some people can�t accept surrealism in what is obviously a fairy tale.
It would have been interesting to see what Burton could have done with the series next but instead we got the pathetic (but surprisingly popular) Batman Forever. The Joel Schumacher who made The Lost Boys and Falling Down probably could have made a good Batflick. Unfortunately, BF seemed to be made by the same man who did Dying Young.
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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Okay, so Burton didn't direct this one. But it has his name (and his style) stamped all over it.
This musical stop-motion extravaganza concerns the adventures of Jack Skellington - the King of Halloweentown. In classic Burtonesque outsider style he longs to try something different from running Halloween, and what could be more different than Christmas? There isn't much more plot than that, but who cares when the visuals are this great? The voice talent is top notch and Elfman's numerous songs serve the plot as well as being hummable.
This is certainly not your standard Disney animation. While some parents thought it was too scary, it's certainly no worse than any Brothers Grimm tale. And it all ends happily. It's possible that the film might have had more emotion and humour if Burton had directed, but Henry Selick does a great job nonetheless. Burton has created yet another perennial holiday classic.
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Ed Wood (1994)
The director's second film about a guy called Ed is a funny and touching tribute to the worst director of all time. It's ironic that Burton's most critically acclaimed film was his first to fail at the box office. It's different in that it dispenses with some of his usual exaggerated visuals in favour of a more realistic approach.
The storyline (all based on 'sworn testimony') follows Wood, Jr. in the making of his three most infamous films. He gathers around him a bizarre collection of characters and proceeds to shoot his films in a series of hilariously inept sequences. His passion for women's clothing drives his girlfriend away, but he develops a symbiotic relationship with ageing horror star Bela Lugosi. When Bela dies, Ed completes his 'masterpiece' Plan 9 From Outer Space and finds true love with his future-wife.
Johnny Depp is entertaining, playing an extroverted outsider for once. Sarah Jessica Parker is convincing as the worst actress ever, and Bill Murray brings laughs as Ed's trans-sexual friend. Lisa Marie does a convincing impression of horror-queen Vampira, and Vincent D'Onfrio does the same for Orson Welles in a fictional encounter. Best of all is Martin Landau as drug-addicted Lugosi, deservedly winning an oscar for the role.
The black and white visuals make this almost like a biopic made in the style of Ed Wood himself (if that director had talent.) The opening title sequence is another classic, based on the actual opening to Plan 9. Howard Shore's score is fun, if not up to the standard of the usual Elfman/Burton collaborations. This probably has the best script of any Burton film, although it could be argued that the attention paid to such a worthless character is pointless. In fact, Wood was ahead of his time with some of his ideas, it's just a shame that he never allowed bad filmmaking to get in his way.
This is one of Burton's most accomplished films, even if it doesn't quite have the emotional power of Edward Scissorhands.
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Mars Attacks! (1996)
It's a sad fact that, as Tim Burton's films have become more interesting post-Batman, they've been increasingly less successful at the box office. MA! continues that trend, as well as Burton's love-affair with Ed Wood. It's his first attempt at wild and crazy comedy since Beetlejuice and while it's not quite as good as that film it's certainly not a failure. There's no reason why it couldn't have made a lot more money in the U.S. if the marketing people hadn't screwed up. It did do better in Europe, though.
The convoluted plot manages to imitate Independence Day (even though MA! was started before) with it's alien invaders attacking a culturally broad range of characters across America, led by the President. The opening credits invite us to the sight of '50's style flying saucers converging on Earth in a scene that, like the rest of the movie, manages to be awesome and tacky at the same time. The first half-hour is slow, but not too boring. When the aliens finally land, and vaporise everyone present, the film kicks into overdrive and we are treated to hilariously inventive scenes of world-wide destruction, totally unnecessary experiments on human captives and cruelty to animals. The ending is extremely silly, although not as illogical as ID4's Mac-compatible alien computers.
Visually, this is as good as anything Burton's done, even if it is deliberately tacky-looking in places. The Martians (the best thing in the movie) are brilliantly computer animated 'toons that are surprisingly likeable in their callous mayhem. All we ever hear them say is 'Ack-ack!' and the reasons for their invasion is never given. Misunderstanding, hatred of humans - who cares? Compared to them, the humans are so boring and/or obnoxious that they deserve to get fried.
The big stars are mostly wasted in their cardboard parts, though it is fun seeing them killed in a variety of ways. Sensibly, in a Burton film, the eventual heroes who save the world are the outsiders and misfits (and Tom Jones!). Jack Nicholson is good as the President with a fondness for making impassioned speeches. His second role, as a Las Vegas real-estate dealer, is notable only for what seems to be an impression of Beetlejuice. Of the remaining cast, the standouts are Pierce Brosnan and Sarah Jessica Parker (as, respectively, a pompous scientist and dumb reporter who end up in a 'heady' romance); Annette Bening, as a hippie chick; Natalie Portman, playing the Winona Ryder role as the President's daughter; Lisa Marie as an alluring Martian Girl and Lukas Haas as the long-haired misfit who discovers what kills the Martians.
The suitably creepy music marks a welcome return from Danny Elfman, and the script has some good ideas, even if the dialogue isn't up to much. It's the visual gags that made me laugh.
Like Ed Wood, it's clear that Burton doesn't have a clue how to make a normal Hollywood movie (although he does have the benefit of working with better actors and technical people than Wood ever could). Plot and structure are totally unimportant, he's into visual storytelling, which is what movies are about, after all. MA! is no ID4, and doesn't pretend to be. It's a shame that it followed in the wake of that awesome entertainment. As flawed as it is, Mars Attacks! is another shining example of how Burton cannot make a bad movie even if, as here, he tries to. And how can anyone really hate a movie that includes such visual delights as destroying a dog, Martians inhaling a nuclear blast, and the Houses of Parliament being blown to smithereens?
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Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Tim Burton's first true horror film is a gothic near-masterpiece.
Based loosely on the classic American folklore tale, this tells the creepy tale of a ghostly headless horseman believed to be responsible for several beheadings in the small town of Sleepy Hollow. The plot is surprisingly complex for a Burton movie (some would say too complex - the final revealing of the villain's plot is almost impossible to follow!) but it also has all his usual ingredients.
The cast is excellent, as you would expect. Johnny Depp turns in another inspired performance as Ichabod Crane. He manages to be camp and heroic in equal measure, and provides most of the film's laughs (the scene where he is found cowering in bed after his first sighting of the Horseman is a classic). Christina Ricci is bewitching (sorry) as the love interest. The supporting cast is mainly made up of talented British character actors such as Miranda Richardon and Michael Gough. Lisa Marie and her incredible cleavage also appear again. One of the coolest things about the cast (apart from Christopher Walken's cameo) is that three (count em, three) Sith Lords appear in it. Christopher Lee (Darth Tyranus) has a superb cameo at the beginning, and Ian McDiarmid (Darth Sidious) has a small role as the town doctor. But you'd be hard pressed to recognise Darth Maul (Ray Park) without his head.
Technically this is up there with Burton's best. Elfman's score is lush and haunting, and the visuals are as creepy as you'd expect. The action and sword play are impressive, as well as the special effects. This certainly is the ultimate film for fans of beheadings. Burton also puts in some more serious stuff, such as commentary on the justice system pre-20th Century century and the persecution of Crane's mother by her religious zealot husband (revealed in haunting dream sequences). Mostly though, this is just crowd-pleasing fun, even if the plot does lose momentum towards the end. It also marked something of a comeback for Burton, earning $100 million at the US box office.
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MOVIES TIM BURTON COULD HAVE MADE

These are all films Burton was rumored to direct at one time, and it would have been interesting to see how they turned out. His next film will be the Southern fable Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney and Billy Crudup, among others. But maybe he could decide to return to one of these projects after that. I can dream, can't I?

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT (Batman 3)

The film that should have been made in 1995, instead of that Schumacher crap. The end of the trilogy.
The plot centres on Bruce Wayne considering retirement, when two rival villains appear to threaten Gotham. Commissioner Gordon is kidnapped, and Batman has some unexpected help in the form of a female Robin. The Bat's enemy is Two-Face (who blames him for his acid injuries at the hands of Crime Boss Maroni) and the Bird's foe is the aptly-named Scarecrow. It all ends in a scary confrontation on Halloween night, where Bruce loses someone close to him. One villain will die, the other will be imprisoned in Arkham Asylum. Final teaser scene is for the Catwoman spin-off.

Starring: Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Jim Carrey (The Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane), Billy Dee Williams (Two-Face/Harvey Dent), Winona Ryder (Robin/Carrie Kelly), Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon), Michael Gough (Alfred Pennyworth). Cameo from Adam West as the disgruntled Mayor.

BEETLEJUICE II

The crazed bio-exorcist returns along with special effects that out-mask The Mask.
The anarchic plot concerns Beetlejuice trying still trying to woo a now grown up Lydia, and going on vacation to Hawaii where he encounters ghouls that are even nastier than him. The B man loses his mojo and becomes a good guy, if only temporarily.

Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder.

The feline avenger from Batman Returns goes solo. Based on Daniel Water's script.
Selina Kyle has relocated to a desert town populated almost entirely with superheroes. She tries to blend in, but soon becomes disgusted with the laziness and corruption of the other costumed freaks. When the evil superbeings, led by Captain God, threaten her freedom, Selina dons her skin-tight PVC suit once more. Batman & Robin may make cameos.

Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer (Catwoman/Selina Kyle), George Clooney (Captain God).

Mars Attacks! meets Jurassic Park with an all-star cast.
When a team of explorers are sent to, or shipwrecked on, Monster Island they are amazed to discover living, breathing dinosaurs that have somehow survived extinction. The creatures are contained, after some bloody conflicts, and brought back to the mainland. An evil businessman wants to show them off in his zoo. Predictably, the dinos escape, and the various species rampage throughout middle America. It's up to our heroes to find a way to put them to sleep before they destroy everything. The Martians, who set up the dinosaur preserve millions of years ago, also put in an appearance.

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, John Cleese, Johnny Depp, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Jones. Lisa Marie, Jack Nicholson, Catherine O'Hara, Ariana Richards, Paul Reubens, Alexandra Wentworth.

Burton does his take on truth, justice and the American way. Not sure if it would've worked, but I'd have seen it anyway.
Superman is apparently killed in battle with his greatest foe. While the public and his superhero pals mourn the loss, the supervillain starts to take over the world. Only one man can stop him. But will the Man of Steel be able to escape from the ultimate prison?

Starring: Nicolas Cage (Superman/Clark Kent), Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor), Sandra Bullock (Lois Lane), Michael Keaton (Batman cameo at Supes' funeral).

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