FILM 1949: FRANKENWEENIE

FILM 1949: FRANKENWEENIE

TRIVIA: This is Tim Burton's first film since Big Fish (2003) not to feature Johnny Depp, his first since Sleepy Hollow (1999) not to feature Helena Bonham Carter and his first since Mars Attacks! (1996) to feature neither of them.

One of Tim Burton's regular actors, Christopher Lee, did not take part in this film, but archive footage of him in Dracula (1958) is watched by Victor's parents on television.

The mayor of the town is Mr. Burgermeister, which means "mayor" in German. His name/appearance is also a homage to Burgermeister Meisterburger, the antagonist of the stop-motion film Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970).

A turtle named "Shelley" is buried in the pet cemetery. Mary Shelley wrote "Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus," the novel on which this film is loosely based.

Winona Ryder did her own singing. She agreed to do it when Tim Burton said the singing had to sound imperfect.

Tim Burton created the Weird Girl ("Staring Girl") in his book "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories" (1997).

This film is loosely based on a live action short film of the same name, written and directed by Burton in 1984.

FILM 1948: PLANET OF THE APES

FILM 1948: PLANET OF THE APES

TRIVIA: Mark Wahlberg joined the film after meeting with Tim Burton for only five minutes. He was so anxious to work with Burton that he agreed to play any part. Wahlberg dropped out of the role of Linus in Ocean's Eleven (2001) to do this film.

Michael Clarke Duncan had sprained his ankle during filming, and was forced to go to the hospital in his full gorilla make-up.

In order to star in the film, Tim Roth declined the role of Professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001). Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Ari in this film, would go on to play Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter franchise.

One of the things Rick Baker enjoyed doing was making himself up as an ape and scaring people at a drive-in theater showing the original Planet of the Apes (1968).

Tim Burton said that he would rather jump out of a window than direct a sequel to this film.

In an interview with MTV, while comparing this film with Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011), Mark Wahlberg blamed 20th Century Fox for screwing the film up, saying, "I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it was pretty damn good. Well, ours wasn't. It is what it is. Ours wasn't. They didn't have the script right. Fox Studios had a release date before Tim Burton had shot a foot of film. They were pushing him and pushing him in the wrong direction. You have to let Tim do his thing."

During filming, Tim Roth held a grudge against Charlton Heston, due to his associations with the National Rifle Association. He said, "It was very difficult for me. On one level, there's the man, and he's my dad. But on the other level, the whole NRA thing is what it is now. I'm so against it, very vocally so. But it was inappropriate for the workplace. If I'm going to talk to him, I'll talk to him outside the workplace. So it was just two guys in make-up doing a scene." Roth later claimed he would not have appeared in the film had he known he would be sharing a scene with Heston.

WILHELM SCREAM: From Tival during the final battle.

FILM 1946: SLEEPY HOLLOW

FILM 1946: SLEEPY HOLLOW

TRIVIA: Johnny Depp adopted Goldeneye, the horse that played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's horse in this movie, when he heard it was going to be put down.

It was only after being cast as The Headless Horseman, that Christopher Walken admitted to Director Tim Burton that he actually did not know how to ride a horse.

Johnny Depp initially found the idea of Christina Ricci being his love interest in this movie, to be rather odd, seeing as he's known her since she was nine-years-old.

Historically, Ichabod Crane was a very unattractive man. Johnny Depp offered to add prosthetics to his face to make himself look ugly, but Director Tim Burton wanted to base the character on Crane's more unattractive personality traits, his reported squeamishness and eccentricity.

This movie was almost entirely shot with a blue filter. So, for the blood to appear red, the liquid used had to be bright orange.

(At around fifty-seven minutes) At the start of filming the three-way axe battle with Ray Park, Johnny Depp, and Casper Van Dien, Van Dien broke the index finger of his left hand. Although it was extremely painful, he carried on without telling anyone, as he didn't want his part cut short.

The cast and crew often said "The feeling one had walking around Sleepy Hollow's sets, and in particular the town at Lime Tree, was almost as if you were walking around the inside of Tim Burton's head."

Michael Gough came out of retirement to play Notary Hardenbrook.

Tim Burton included scenes as an homage to Disney's animated version of the Sleepy Hollow tale (featured in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)). These include the scene in which Ichabod Crane crosses the covered bridge and hears the frogs underneath croaking "Ichabod" and "Headless Horseman", the following chase sequence where Ichabod is run down and unhorsed, apparently by The Headless Horseman, and the moment in the climactic chase scene in which Ichabod runs into a tree limb, and, thrown through the air, ends up landing on the Horseman's horse backwards.

Director Tim Burton says the movie was inspired by the Gothic horror movies of Mario Bava and Hammer Film Productions. Burton brought Hammer veteran Michael Gough out of retirement for a small role, and recruited Sir Christopher Lee, a veteran of both Hammer and Bava's movies, for a cameo.

This is the first adaption of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" that doesn't involve the actor playing the Headless Horseman having to conceal his head in the cloak, thanks to advancement in technology. The head of the actor was covered with a blue mask, that was deleted by means of computer graphics. The collar was also created with CGI, to match the flow of the robe.

The Western Wood was built on a soundstage, so everything, including the weather and light, could be controlled.

Crane's final line in this movie, "the Bronx is up, but the battery's down" is in reference to the song "New York, New York".

Christopher Walken (The Headless Horseman) played a schoolteacher in The Dead Zone(1983), in the beginning of which he tells his class to read "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".

Johnny Depp's third collaboration with Tim Burton.

Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken appeared in Nick of Time (1995).

Ichabod's mother in the flashbacks, played by Burton's then-wife Lisa Marie Smith.

DIRECTOR TRADEMARK (Tim Burton): (distorted female face): The Crone's Medusa-like appearance.

FILM 1941: MARS ATTACKS!

FILM 1941: MARS ATTACKS!

TRIVIA: The writers weren't sure what the Martians should sound like, so the script read "ack, ack, ack, ack" for all of their lines of dialogue. This became the actual words spoken by the Martians in the film.

The Martian Girl costume had no zipper or buttons (to make it as smooth as possible), so Lisa Marie had to be sewn into it every day.

Although supposedly taking place in the 1990s, the U.S. Army's uniforms, tanks, Jeeps, artillery, et cetera, all date from the 1950s, when the movies being spoofed were made.

When people had their flesh vaporized from their bones, the remaining skeletons were either red or green. Tim Burton explained this had been done because the movie had been scheduled for a Christmas release. Also, the red and green skeletons were first seen in Beetlejuice (1988). When Barbara and Adam were in Juno's office, you can see them with other ghouls looking at the screen. 

Tim Burton pitched the idea of the film to Warner Brothers by showing them the Topps trading cards that inspired the screenplay.

The little dog owned by television hostess Nathalie Lake (Sarah Jessica Parker), is actually owned by Lisa Marie (Martian Girl).

Tim Burton had wanted the Martians brought to life via stop-motion animation, but finally went with CGI. The animators told Burton they could animate the Martians without motion blur to make them look more "stop-motiony," but Burton decided against that.

The Martians land in Pahrump, Nevada, home of radio talk-show host Art Bell. Bell is well known for featuring guests who are involved, in one way or another, with the subject of outer-space life forms. This ranges from scientists investigating the possibility of extraterrestrial life, to people who claim to have been contacted, kidnapped, examined, or impregnated (sometimes all at the same time) by space aliens. 

Martin Amis worked on the script for this movie. He said, "I rather liked the film, though it contained not a word I wrote."

DIRECTOR TRADEMARK (Tim Burton): (cast): Features many actors and actresses who appeared in previous Burton films: Sylvia Sidney from Beetlejuice (1988), Jack Nicholsonfrom Batman (1989), O-Lan Jones from Edward Scissorhands (1990), Danny DeVito from Batman Returns (1992), Sarah Jessica Parker, and Lisa Marie Smith from Ed Wood(1994).

DIRECTOR TRADEMARK (Tim Burton): (music): Music by Danny Elfman.

FILM 1940: ED WOOD

FILM 1940: ED WOOD 

TRIVIA: This film cost more to produce than all of Edward D. Wood Jr.'s films put together.

Martin Landau's Academy Award for "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi marked the first time in Oscar history that a performer in any category won for playing a movie star. A decade later, Cate Blanchett won a "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" Academy Award for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator(2004).

Initially, Bela Lugosi, Jr. didn't want to see the film because he thought it wouldn't portray his father correctly, but upon further persuasion, he saw the film, and agreed that Martin Landau honored his father in the performance. The two later became friends.

Tim Burton said that he was drawn to the story because of the similarities between Edward D. Wood Jr.'s relationship with Bela Lugosi, and his own friendship with Vincent Price late in the actor's life.

Unhappy with Vincent D'Onofrio, Tim Burton had his voice dubbed by Maurice LaMarche.

The first film by Tim Burton to not feature Danny Elfman's music score.

Johnny Depp said that his characterization of Edward D. Wood Jr. was a mixture of "the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, the enthusiasm of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz(1939), and Casey Kasem."

Martin Landau's face had to be painted unnaturally white in order for the black-and-white film stock to record it properly.

One story claims that the producers decided to make the film in black and white because no one could decide how Bela Lugosi should look filmed in color. 

Johnny Depp developed a love-hate relationship with angora sweaters. He jokingly told MTV that he learned too much about women's clothing while making the film. Because angora sheds profusely, Depp joked that in certain scenes, he may have "inhaled more angora than oxygen."

In order to imitate Bela Lugosi's voice and mannerisms, Martin Landau watched approximately 35 Bela Lugosi movies, and purchased Hungarian language tapes. With the tapes, he would "literally practice the language and see where the tongue would go." When Hungarian-born director Peter Medak saw the film, he called Landau to praise him. Medak said that Landau's accent sounded spot-on, because, "You are not an actor trying to do a Hungarian accent, you're a character trying not to do (one)."

John Breckinridge originally had very little dialogue. His role was greatly expanded when Bill Murray was cast.

Director Tim Burton's favorite of his films.

During the bar scene with Wood, Orson Welles complains that the finances keeps falling through for his Don Quixote picture. In August 2000, Johnny Depp took part in filming The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), with Terry Gilliam directing. After years of delays the film was finally released in 2018.

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Patricia Arquette and Martin Landau; and two Oscar nominees: Bill Murray and Johnny Depp.

Rick Baker was very concerned about the casting of Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi, seeing how they didn't share any similar facial features. Baker, being a very big fan of Lugosi and who had known Tim Burton before the film, persured the job as makeup designer fearing that a lesser makeup artist would do too much. Baker designed and created subtle appliances that would alter Landau's features to make him more resemble Lugosi (a set of a ears, a nose, a chin, and an appliance to cover the fullness of his upper lip) that Ve Neillwould apply on a daily basis. Landau, Baker, and Neill would all eventually win Academy Awards for their work.

FILM 1938: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

FILM 1938: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

TRIVIA: The idea for the movie was inspired by a drawing Tim Burton had done when he was a teenager. The drawing depicted a thin, solemn man with long, sharp blades for fingers. Burton stated that he was often alone and had trouble retaining friendships. "I get the feeling people just got this urge to want to leave me alone for some reason, I don't know exactly why."

Winona Ryder dropped out of The Godfather: Part III (1990) to appear in this film. Reportedly, it was Johnny Depp who actually convinced her to do so.

Edward says only 169 words in the film.

The role of The Inventor was written specifically for Vincent Price.

Vincent Price's role was intended to be larger, but the veteran actor was very ill with emphysema and Parkinson's disease, so his scenes were cut to a minimum.

Tim Burton has never intended to make a sequel as he said it would rob the film of its "Purity".

The entire story is meant to be seen through Edward's eyes, which is why the neighborhood looks so "fantastical."

Although Tim Burton said this isn't his greatest film, he said it is his favorite of all his films, and the score is Danny Elfman's favorite of all his soundtrack compositions.

Johnny Depp had to lose a reported 25 pounds for the role of Edward Scissorhands.

Johnny Depp stated that he "cried like a baby" when he first read the script.

The little blonde boy on the Slip 'N Slide, at the beginning of the film, is Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys. Though uncredited in the film, Carter himself has confirmed this in several interviews.

O-Lan Jones arranged and actually played the organ music her character Esmeralda performs on-screen.

Edward's hair is based on Robert Smith of The Cure's hair.

This film marks the first time that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp worked together. They ended up becoming good friends since this film.

Gary Oldman was offered the title role, but he turned it down.

Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder dated throughout filming of this movie, and became engaged during the same year (1990).

Alan Arkin (Bill) says when he first read the script, he was "a bit baffled. Nothing really made sense to me until I saw the sets. Burton's visual imagination is extraordinary".

Tim Burton hired Caroline Thompson, then a young novelist, to write the Edward Scissorhands screenplay as a spec script. Burton was impressed with her short novel, First Born, which was "about an abortion that came back to life". Burton felt First Born had the same psychological elements he wanted to showcase in Edward Scissorhands. "Every detail was so important to Tim because it was so personal", Thompson remarked. She wrote Scissorhands as a "love poem" to Burton, calling him "the most articulate person I know, but couldn't put a single sentence together".

During the scene where Edward is cutting the neighborhood ladies hair, the song playing is from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Johnny Depp would later go on to play Sweeney Todd in another collaboration with Tim Burton.

When Peg looks in her rear view mirror at Edward's castle for the first time, the castle she sees is a small study model from the art department, held up on a C-stand.

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

Caroline Thompson wrote Peg based off her own mother, who used to bring home strangers. She based the women in the neighborhood off people she grew up around.

DIRECTOR TRADEMARK: Tim Burton: [music] Music by Danny Elfman.

FILM 1918: PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

FILM 1918: PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE

TRIVIA: Tim Burton and Paul Reubens brought on Danny Elfman as composer after Burton had attended concerts by Oingo Boingo, of which Elfman was lead singer and songwriter. Elfman was originally apprehensive, having no formal music training, but he was assisted by Boingo guitarist Steve Bartek as orchestrator. Elfman later said that hearing his music performed by an orchestra for the first time was one of the most thrilling experiences of his life.

Jan Hooks improvised the dialogue for her scenes as the Alamo tour guide.

This was Tim Burton's directorial feature debut. He had previously directed some short films.

The Drive-in sequence was filmed at the Studio Drive In, formerly located in Culver City CA. The Studio was built in the 1930s, and was the first Drive-in Theatre constructed in California. It served as a set for several films, including Grease (1978). It was closed in 1993 and demolished in 1998. No trace of this Drive-in remains.

The rock band whose video shoot Pee Wee rides his bike through is Twisted Sister.

During the magic shop scene, Mario shows Pee-wee heads of different sizes. The largest head that he shows Pee-wee last is actually Aleister Crowley.

The Mr. T cereal eaten by Pee-Wee actually existed. It was not something made up for the film.

Elizabeth Daily (Dottie) would later go on to provide famous cartoon voices such as Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)

CAMEO: Cassandra Peterson: (a.k.a. Elvira) Biker Mama at the Biker Bar.

CAMEO: Tom Berenger: Patron that turns around in the diner after the Large Marge sequence.

CAMEO: Phil Hartman: reporter interviewing Francis at the drive-in is "Captain Carl" from Pee Wee's TV shows.

DIRECTOR CAMEO : Tim Burton: the thug who accosts Pee-wee just before he enters the fortune teller's studio.

FILM 1725: BATMAN RETURNS

TRIVIA: Michael Keaton was alleged to have earned eleven million dollars for reprising his role as the Caped Crusader. The Warner Brothers executives were very uneasy with this. However, Director Tim Burton stated that he personally believed Keaton deserved it.

Michelle Pfeiffer went through sixty catsuits during the six month shoot, at a cost of one thousand dollars a piece.

The first film made in Dolby Digital.

The production wanted to use King Penguins, but the only tame ones in captivity were at a bird sanctuary in the Cotswolds, deep in the English countryside. So the birds were flown over to the States in the refrigerated hold of a plane, they were given their own refrigerated trailer, their own swimming pool, with half a ton of fresh ice every day, and had fresh fish delivered daily straight from the docks. Even though the temperature outside frequently topped one hundred degrees, the entire set was refrigerated down to thirty-five degrees. The birds also had an around-the-clock bodyguard. Clearly the birds enjoyed the experience as, following their stint in Hollywood, most of them had mated and produced eggs, the sure sign of a contented penguin.

Burgess Meredith, who played The Penguin on Batman (1966), and in Batman: The Movie (1966), was asked to play the Penguin's father in the opening of the film, but illness prevented him from it.

Warner Brothers had to constantly submit new Catwoman posters for various cities, as many of the bus stop ads were being stolen. It got so bad, that police officers had to patrol bus stops in order to catch perpetrators before they could break the Plexiglas containers. Today, the large scale Catwoman bus ads are worth a great deal of money.

When asked during a 2007 talk show appearance if she ever felt nostalgic and put on the cat suit to amuse her husband, Michelle Pfeiffer stated that once filming was over, she never wanted to see the costume again for as long as she lived.

Annette Bening was cast as Catwoman, but was replaced by Michelle Pfeiffer when she became pregnant. Pfeiffer's three million dollar salary was two million dollars more than was offered to Bening.

The final Christmas ball scene is quite symbolic: since it is a masquerade party all the guests are in disguise. The only two guests there who actually aren't wearing masks are Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. This implies that their real personalities are Batman and Catwoman respectively, and that their public appearance without a costume is just a disguise for society.

DIRECTOR TRADEMARK: (Tim Burton): [music]: Music by Danny Elfman.

When Bruce Wayne meets Selina Kyle for the first time at Schreck's office, he says that they've met. When Selina asks how they met, he says "I'm sorry. I mistook me for someone else", in which she corrects him by saying "You mean you mistook me". Despite Selina's correction, Bruce is actually referring to the night he saved her from the clown with the stun gun as Batman, and was referring to his superhero ego. That's why he told her that they've already met, but mistook himself for somebody else (Batman) instead of her.