Sweeney Todd

[yendi]

I liked it.

Even if they didn't use "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd."

This was not the "makes movies so bad that getting your eyesocket fucked by John Holmes would be less painful than watching" Tim Burton behind Planet of the Apes, thankfully. It wasn't the utter genius behind Big Fish, either. This was the quirky, flawed, but watchable one who gave us Corpse Bride, Mars Attacks, and Batman. I'm okay with that.

Basically, this was a fun film, with a surprisingly great performance by Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's current nepotistic casting choice), and Johnny Depp offering a slightly less loopy and more homicidal version Jack Sparrow. The Sondheim lyrics are still wonderful (although fans of Lloyd Webber shouldn't listen to them, as they might experience an epiphany and punch themselves in the balls sixty-two times to atone for their musical sins). We get Wormtail and Snape as the villains, which is always fun. There's also a minor (and, frankly, pointless) Anthony Stewart Head cameo. The gore isn't aimed at the horror audience, so once you get past that and accept it for thin, theatrical corn syrup, it's entertaining. And you do get to see Borat killed.

My only real complaint (other than the aforementioned omission of TBoST) is that there's no marketing tie-in with, say, Hot Pockets for a Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies product.

Comments

[smallerdemon.livejournal.com]

WE saw this at Butt-Numb-A-Thon 9 this year, and indeed the waiters went around passing out little Styrofoam bowls just before the massive bloodletting in ST started. Turns out they were delicious little meat pies. :)

[yendi]

Perfect!

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

The Sondheim lyrics are still wonderful (although fans of Lloyd Webber shouldn't listen to them, as they might experience an epiphany and punch themselves in the balls sixty-two times to atone for their musical sins).

*splorfle* Oh, amen to that, brother.

[yendi]

When I am King, I'll pass it as a law.

[tattermuffin.livejournal.com]

My brother's report on it last night was "There is a child in peril, so Ailsa won't like that, it's extremely gorey, so Mum won't like that, and Helena Bonham Carter sings flat, so Dad won't like that. Other than that, it's great." Heh.

[yendi]

Hee!

[laurel]

Over the holidays my father and brother were watching the WGN news on cable (my bro used to live in Chicago) and when the WGN "entertainment critic" did a roundup of holiday movies, I heard him say that Sweeney Todd was "based on the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical" of the same name.

Yes, really.

kaustin and I both looked at each other and boggled and exclaimed a fair bit.

[yendi]

Oy. Because, you know, there simply are no other Broadway composers. Or something.

[dustyskinandall.livejournal.com]

although fans of Lloyd Webber shouldn't listen to them, as they might experience an epiphany and punch themselves in the balls sixty-two times to atone for their musical sins

Amen to that!

[unwilly.livejournal.com]

The tie in would not work, as people would realize, due to the increase in quality, that Hot Pockets were now made of people.

[yendi]

As long as they stayed cheap, what's the problem?

drafthouse

[litch.livejournal.com]

so when you come to austin you really must go to the drafthouse (http://originalalamo.blogspot.com/2007/12/sweeney-todd-now-playing-at-lamar-with.html), because check out the meat pies they are serving with sweeny todd (http://originalalamo.blogspot.com/2007/12/sweeney-todd-now-playing-at-lamar-with.html)

Re: drafthouse

[drshoggoth.livejournal.com]

Well, is their shepherd's pie peppered with actual shepherd on top?

Re: drafthouse

[yendi]

Duck pie? Man, I need some of that.

[underpope.livejournal.com]

This was not the "makes movies so bad that getting your eyesocket fucked by John Holmes would be less painful than watching" Tim Burton behind Planet of the Apes

That's gotta be my favorite quote of the day.

Whenever the local theater company in Davis, CA does Sweeney Todd, they always have the Scottish Meat Pie Company from neighboring Dixon provide meat pies during the intermission.

[yendi]

That's gotta be my favorite quote of the day.

Thanks!

And I love the idea of actually getting meat pies during a performance!

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

'Burton's current nepotistic casting choice'

D'ya think if he'd made the film 10 years ago he'd have cast Lisa Marie?

Interestingly, DreamWorks' first choice for the role was Toni Collette.

[modpixie.livejournal.com]

toni collette would have made an amazing mrs. lovett.

[yendi]

Burton's nepotistic, but not stupid. Lisa Marie would have played a random strumpet in the crowd scene, or a customer in the meat pie store.

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

She was used so perfectly in her Sleepy Hollow cameo. Red sex in a dress. Yum.

And you're probably right.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Or one of the razors.

[yendi]

*snort*

[montykins.livejournal.com]

Anthony Stewart Head is in there because the Ballad of Sweeney Todd was going to be sung by the ghosts of the victims, including him and Christopher Lee. Then they cut the song, but I'm really hoping it shows up as an extra on the DVD.

[yendi]

Thanks! The cameo makes more sense now. Here's hoping for that extra on the DVD.

[bec76.livejournal.com]

I missed TBoST too! I had to sing it to zodarzone immediately after leaving the theater today. I waited through the first five or so minutes for the steam whistle to sound, and was slightly disappointed it wasn't there. After all, that's how it always starts!

One thing I found very interesting was the casting of Joanna, Anthony, and Toby. I found it refreshing that actors more-or-less the same age as the characters were used in those roles. In almost all the productions I've seen, those roles have been played by much older actors, and it always vaugely bothered me. Change is good!

[yendi]

I've usually seen Joanna and Anthony as the right age, but Toby's often been too old. Here, he was right.

[cissa.livejournal.com]

*choke* I would probably buy a Hot Pockets Lovett's pie. Especially if it were in the Lean Pockets line.

[yendi]

That would be the Pauper flavor.