Sweeney Todd; Filmimg starts feb 5th- Page 2

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:10am

For the love of G-d, what the f*ck does "emo" mean?

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:36am

It's short for emotional. If you subscribe to the emo pop culture, you wear tight pants, small shirts and funny belts and bangles. You wear your feelings on your sleeve and read juvenile literature designed to exploit your feelings even more. The merest sight of daisies, butterflies, or the inherent tragedy in a newborn's smile can move you to tears. You quickly grow out of this phase when you realize nobody is really paying attention to you besides your girlfriend who thinks you're cool and you move on to a despondent and lazy early 20s. Prepare to listen to a lot of Bright Eyes CDs.

I agree with Margo that the necessary changes should be made to make a movie that is cinematic rather than a filmed play. But Burton has an eye for operatic set pieces and an apparent fondness for telling story through song so I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the music was retained. I think this will be a very stylish, grotesque Sweeney Todd.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:43am

I know it's still gonna be fantastic b/c Sam Mendes is involved

He is?

Honestly, even if Johnny Depp isn't a terribly skilled singer, it seems to be consensus that he CAN sing; and it's film, so it's all *going* to be tweaked anyway. It'll be fine.

He can play anything, I have full confidence that he'll be wonderful, and that his take will be unique, yet right.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 12:59am

Sam Mendes is still credited as being a producer on the film. Now, I don't know if that means he is still an active producer or if he will retain that credit for the work he did on the film and the script when he was attached to direct. Robert DeNiro, for example, retained a final producers credit on the movie of RENT even though he hadn't had any involvement with the project in close to ten years. Ditto Oliver Stone on EVITA.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 1:03am

I kind of wish he was still directing...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 1:07am

I kind of do too. I love his early stuff, but for the last decade, Burton has become all style over substance and his kind of smarmy whimsical style isn't the direction I would go for a film SWEENEY. I think Mendes would have made the film scary; Burton will probably make it cartoonish.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 1:08am

I think Burton can do scary, but it's a fantastical scary, not a dark, gritty, gloomy scary like I imagine Mendes would go for. Ah well.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 2:18am

"Hot Topics? I certainly hope this movie doesn't become the next emo trend instead of the brilliant piece of musical theater it is"

It's what ruined NIGHTMARE, DONNIE DARKO, and, to a degree, OFFICE SPACE. Let us hope that it's not going to happen to this. Ugh. I hate Johnny Depp's fanbase so much....

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 3:16am

Margo Channing makes a really good point!

Still, just the same, I want it to be very similar to original!

At any rate, we should be grateful that a film version of the original stage production does exist and captures Angela Lansbury and George Hearn (yes I know he did originate the role) and other original cast members on film!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 7:36am

Here's my question:

The story of Sweeney Todd is an old story dating back to the 1800's. It was not made up by Sondheim for Broadway. Why not go back to one of the original stories (and there are several different versions) and create a movie from scratch. Why are they using Sondheim's version and cutting out what they don't like?

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 07:36 AM

[Kungaloosh1937]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:11am

I would assume because Burton wants to make the musical.

[cooperross]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:41am

um..MTVMANN? George Hearn didn't originate the role of Sweeney..it was Len Cariou.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:48am

I see Hot Topic brand pies in out future.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 9:59am

Gothampc --- The story actually goes back to the mid-1700s. Sondheim used the Christopher Bond play as his source, because it introduced a sympathetic motive for Sweeney's actions. They moved the story a hundred years later to the mid-1800s, to tie it in viscerally with the Industrial Revolution. (It adds to the idea of a symbolic meat pie "factory" and the loss of humanity to these new giant machines.) The (many) previous theatrical and movie incarnations had made Sweeney a blood thirsty killer with greed as his only motivation for the crimes. This one used revenge instead.

I agree wholeheartedly that the movie will need to work on its own terms, as a stand-alone film, and that a sung-through score won't likely do the trick. But I'm not looking for it to be "successful" at all costs (as MB is suggesting?). I want a GOOD film (worthy of artistic praise), not a cheesed-out, creatively bleak "blockbuster."

Unfortunately, I think Hollywood would be happy as a clam with only the latter.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 09:59 AM

[2]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:18am

I hope and pray for once Burton brings new blood into his movie, that can sing. I loath Johnny Depp's new-ish fans, the OMGJOHNNYDEPPISSOOOOOOOOHOT!!!!!111one ones because they clutter the Johnny Depp boards that I want to talk about he actually acting on. Now, they are going to go on about how he's a musical genius even if he's just good....oh, God, please, let Patti get Lovette!!...sigh

Oh, and can anyone PM me that script everyone's talking about?

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:25am

Lolita2 --- If this movie is to be a real success, it's going to have to work for the "OMG Johnny!" fans just as much as the Big Apple "old school" theatre snobs.

It has to tap into both audiences and appeal to everyone.

No easy task, either.

It's too soon to tell, but so far (based on early buzz), I'd say "Dreamgirls" is managing to do just that. It seems to be working for everyone in the early test screenings, regardless of their previous history and familiarity with the Broadway show.

That should be the goal for "Sweeney" as well.

I sure hope it is.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 10:25 AM

[Jyn326]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:27am

I agree that the movie shouldn't be made with the sole purpose of making a lot of money. It should do the the musical justice. And just because Johnny Depp is in it, it doesn't mean that this movie is going to make tons of money, anyway. I could be wrong, but I don't think The Libertine made an awful lot. I kept hearing about this movie but never even heard it was released in the theatres. Then suddenly it was on DVD. And this was after the first Pirates, of course. Granted, the success of the second Pirates gave Depp an even higher profile.

My usual opinion of movie musicals applies here. As someone who lives in a small southern town, movie musicals were my first introduction to Broadway. And they are much more accesible then tickets to a bigger city to see a live show. This will undoubtedly be the first introduction for several people (young and old) to Sondheim. Perhaps it'll inspire them to look into the stage production at some point in their lives. Maybe they'll be more open to looking more into Broadway, in general. I think a few Hot Topic shirts are a small sacrifice for creating some more Broadway fans who will eventually buy tickets to shows and help out the theatre community.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:39am

It seems like he also has a lot of really intelligent, thoughtful, tasteful fans, too, though, because there are a lot of people who appreciate how much devotion goes into his work, and not just that he's really hot. So, it could be way worse.

[GreenGirl22406]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 10:47am

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Depp's range of work and I have faith in him to bring at least an interesting character to the screen, and I couldn't think of a better director than Burton, despite some of his flaws. I'm always a little scared of musical movies and the world kind of going into a broadway frenzy for awhile, because I'm usually the one they come to for information about musicals

Either way, it may not be a faithful adaption to the play, but at least it has a chance of being good.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:03am

"I agree wholeheartedly that the movie will need to work on its own terms, as a stand-alone film, and that a sung-through score won't likely do the trick. But I'm not looking for it to be "successful" at all costs (as MB is suggesting?). I want a GOOD film (worthy of artistic praise), not a cheesed-out, creatively bleak "blockbuster."

I agree with that. I look at the ALNM movie and think Sondheim's work deserves better. Of course there will be cuts to the score (I wouldn't miss "Green Finch & Linnet Bird"). I'm just not liking the choice of Depp for the role.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:11am

Gothampc --- I agree. They cut all the wrong things in the Night Music film. They NEVER should have taken out the lieder-singers (who set the tone for the entire musical) or The Miller's Son. Or moved the damn thing to a different country! (Or cast Elizabeth Taylor... I could go on and on...)

...And what the HELL was Henrik doing with his cello up in a TREE? Good. God.

This is why Hal Prince wasn't allowed anywhere near celluloid again.

As far as Depp, I'm with you again. But he has surprised me several times in the past (in a very good way), and for that reason alone I will go into the movie theatre with an open mind and see what happens.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 11:11 AM

[insomniak]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:28am

I've been sitting on my feelings about this, and I haven't found any more optimism.

Everything about Burton is wrong for this project. I love his work, I really do, but he makes cutesy-goth cartoons. Because it's a musical, people will already have a tough time taking Sweeney seriously, and Burton's tone will only make that worse.

Johnny could honestly act his way out of a paper bag. I think he'll be good, but not great because he'll be doing it with a Burtonesque mentality.

Sleepy Hollow is the closest Burton ever came to being frightening, and even that was more a satire of horror films than an actual scary movie.

It's like all the stress that went with watching Rent The Movie be born is back. I hope this movie doesn't kill my love for the musical as much as the Rent fiasco did.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:44am

I keep thinking of Sondheim's original intent when he agreed to work on Sweeney Todd...

...he wanted to see if audiences could be genuinely SCARED by a musical.

Hopefully the film makers won't forget that essential ingredient and approach the film the same way.

How they get there, and what they choose to keep or cut along the way is secondary to the "musical thriller" approach.

(Which is why I wish Condon was doing this film, since he has BOTH musical and horror films under his belt already.)

I'm sure with Burton the film will be stylized. Hopefully not so much as to kill its impact, though.

Updated On: 8/17/06 at 11:44 AM

[insomniak]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:46am

Burton's visions are quite singular and entirely one-note. So far all of his films have taken the same approach and I don't have a lot of faith in his ability to collaborate.

What's this about Danny Elfman? How does he factor in? This is a SONDHEIM musical. They don't need any more music. I know that the DeppBurtonElfman orgy has been going strong for sixteen years, but it's time to give it a temporary break.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 8/17/06 at 11:50am

I understand that Burton definitely has his own unique style and trademarks...but can't we give him the benefit of the doubt?

He dropped an upcoming project with Jim Carrey to do SWEENEY TODD and maybe this is his attempt at something new.

Maybe he wants to try a new approach and show audiences that he can master horror. I say give him a chance.