Tim Burton is a master of gothic movies. We have also seen he can add musical numbers to his movies in "nightmare before christmas". That being said I was still unsure if he could pull off a live action musical with his usual dark twist.
Most know the story of Sweeny Todd or have itleast ... Read review
It was surely only a matter of time until Tim Burton turned his dark attentions to the ... more
19th century tale of Sweeney Todd, the cutthroat barber whose tales of murder and most grisly commerce on the streets of London became the stuff of an award winning 1979 musical. Here, a cast including longtime Burton collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter--plus Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sasha Baron-Cohen-breathe new life into Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheelers musical tale with a special gothic relish for the simmering horror within. Depps accomplished, haunted "No Place Like London" sets the scene for whats to come, the nations capital introduced as a moral abyss ("There's a hole in the world like a great black pit/And the vermin of the world inhabit it"), while Bonham-Carter brings Cockney energy and a squirt of sauce to the "The Worst Pies in London". A neat comic turn, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Baron-Cohen, who plays the role of Italian barber Adolfo Pierelli-inventor of a fraudulent anti-balding lotion-with humorous gusto ("The Contest"). -Louis Pattison
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It was surely only a matter of time until Tim Burton turned his dark attentions to the ... more
19th century tale of Sweeney Todd, the cutthroat barber whose tales of murder and most grisly commerce on the streets of London became the stuff of an award winning 1979 musical. Here, a cast including longtime Burton collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter--plus Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sasha Baron-Cohen-breathe new life into Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheelers musical tale with a special gothic relish for the simmering horror within. Depps accomplished, haunted "No Place Like London" sets the scene for whats to come, the nations capital introduced as a moral abyss ("There's a hole in the world like a great black pit/And the vermin of the world inhabit it"), while Bonham-Carter brings Cockney energy and a squirt of sauce to the "The Worst Pies in London". A neat comic turn, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Baron-Cohen, who plays the role of Italian barber Adolfo Pierelli-inventor of a fraudulent anti-balding lotion-with humorous gusto ("The Contest"). -Louis Pattison
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The Best of British CollectionOdeon Entertainment is proud to release some of the ... more
forgotten classics from the Golden Age of British Cinema. Comedies, thrillers, murder mysteries and films that entertained the post-war generation will be available on DVD for the very first time.The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetIt is England in the 1830's. London's dockside is teeming with ships and sailors who have made their fortune in foreign lands. Sweeney Todd, a Fleet Street barber, awaits the arrival of men whose first port of call is for a good, close shave. For most it will be the last time they are seen alive. Using a specially designed barber's chair, Sweeney Todd despatches his victims to the cellar below, where he robs them of their new found fortunes and chops their remains into small pieces. Meanwhile, Mrs Lovett is enjoying a roaring trade for her popular penny meat pies.
Production Year: 1999 - Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Donny Osmond, Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough
Advantages: A good Tim Burton movie Disadvantages: Too much singing
Tim Burton is a master of gothic movies. We have also seen he can add musical numbers to his movies in "nightmare before christmas". That being said I was still unsure if he could pull off a live action musical with his usual dark twist.
Most know the story of Sweeny Todd or have itleast heard the name. In this version we find Sweeny arriving back in London after being flasly accused of a crime 15 years before. He was known ... ...with great skill. He also had a beautiful wife and baby daughte. However the jealous judge Turpin (played by Alan Rickman) wants Barkers wife Lucy to himself and sends him to Australia. When Barker escapes and returns and meets with Mrs Lovett the pie maker (Helena Bohnam Carter - Tim Burtons partner).She tells Barker (now under his alias sweeny todd) that his wife killed herself sometime after her husbands dissaperance. Turpin has adopted Todds ... more
Tim Burton is a master of gothic movies. We have also seen he can add musical numbers to his movies in "nightmare before christmas". That being said I was still unsure if he could pull off a live action musical with his usual dark twist.
Most know the story of Sweeny Todd or have itleast heard the name. In this version we find Sweeny arriving back in London after being flasly accused of a crime 15 years before. He was known as Ben Barker back then and he was a barber with great skill. He also had a beautiful wife and baby daughte. However the jealous judge Turpin (played by Alan Rickman) wants Barkers wife Lucy to himself and sends him to Australia. When Barker escapes and returns and meets with Mrs Lovett the pie maker (Helena Bohnam Carter - Tim Burtons partner).She tells Barker (now under his alias sweeny todd) that his wife killed herself sometime after her husbands dissaperance. Turpin has adopted Todds daughter and is thought to be the reason for Lucy's suicide. Todd is hellbent on revenge and sets about getting it, taking many others aswel. I wont go too mcuh more into the plot but thats the general synopisis!
Johnny Depp is pretty good as Todd. He sings rather well for someone not known for it! His duets with Carter work well and their on screen chemistry is as good as ever. He gives a dark and slightly comedic representatin of Todd. It may not be intentionally comedic but after the pirates movies it is harder to take him seriously! I thought I would feel no fear of Depp due to him being Sparrow but dont worry as I was wrong, he is eerily scary in some scenes. As i have said Carter is good too. Her singing is not the best and can be annoying but overall she gets a tumbs up! Alan Rickman cant do anything wrong in my opinion as he features in Diehard (which rules). He isnt the best singer again but he doesnt do too much. There are a few oter decent supporting roles from the likes of Sacha baron Cohen but none worth nominating for an oscar!
The music is good. It sets the tension well and can be enjoyable. The singing is my main problem as I find it far too frequent. With nightmare before Crimbo the songs were here and there. In this movie they are every 10 seconds and it soon becomes annoying. I found it hard to take in all that they were saying and so didnt enjoy the plot progression as much! The lyrics are good if you listen hard but the songs themselves are not too memorable, which is unfortunate as fans on the Nightmare movie all remember the Jack skeleton song: "Whats this,Whats this theres something over there"etc!
The effects are amazing. Im pretty sure that everything is done using supreb make-up and stunts and props! As you can imagine there are many throat cuts. You see these in great detail and I was very impressed by how realistic they were!
The sets are great, its old school London but everything reminds me of Gotham city from burtons Batman.It feels as if everywhere is haunted! A great atmosphere develops due to this and it helps to bring the audiance into the movie!
There are some great camera tricks used in this movie that I wont spoil for you but its worth keeping an eye out for when the camera pans over scnery or up to the sky!
Tim Burton does a great job with the direcion, everything flows very smoothly and the scene changes just work exceptionally allowing a very pleasent watch. The script too is good as I have said and this is very good adaptation!
The DVD isnt worth getting until it falls a bit more in price. I reckon it will be £5 before christmas so you might aswel wait for that. Anything more and I simply don't think its worth it. The two disc edition offers quite a few decent special features. You get a look at the history of Sweeny Todd which is very interesting. You also get a look at recreating Fleet Street, as I have said I enjoyed the scenery and props so I liked this but I could understand someone finding this rather boring! I would not buy this DVD for the features however as they are not the greatest. A simply commentry by Burton of Sounheim would have been nice!
A good move, not an oscar winner in my view, not even Depps performance. This i worth a rental before you buy as it is a bit like marmite. Whilst I enjoyed it my girlfriends wasn't too thrilled by it and especially hated the singing, which if musicals arn't your thing are going to annoy you!
Advantages: Great acting Disadvantages: Unimaginative song writing
...brilliant cast Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs Lovett, Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin and Timothy Spall as Beadle. However it is not the acting that was in question. I have seen other Tim Burton musicals, Nightmare Before Christmas the more popular which most people know, and in comparisson to this Sweeney Todd's songs were very repetitive. Yet songs aside, the interpretation of Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street ... ...been a more perfect person to direct this movie, Tim Burtons twisted imagination is the essence of this movie, with a Sleepy Hollow like effect with the blood and gore, more is better.
This is another reason why the creative partnership between Depp and Burton works so well. This recieved 3 stars from me, even though the acting and directing was first rate, it could not make up for the fact that the songs were deffinetly lacking. ...
Tozlator 27.01.2009
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Advantages: Johnny Depp Disadvantages: Dull film with just as dull music
SweeneyTodd does not avail as a good musical. I believe that without the music this could have been a half decent film if a couple of other changes were made but sadly this film isn't one that I would ever want to see again. Apart from that one song I mentioned earlier (that I embarrassingly ended up downloading) I can't find any redeeming features about this film and I think it's a shame because Johnny Depp is such a fantastic actor and deserves to be given the best types of films to work with instead of this type of tripe.
If you're crazy enough to have bought this terrible film on DVD then the special features you will have will be:
Commentary By Tim Burton
Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's SweeneyToddSweeneyTodd Is Alive: The Real History Of The DemonBarberSweeney's London
Recreating FleetStreet
Grand Guinol: A Theatrical ...
Advantages: Nice gothic production design and dark humour. Disadvantages: Big name actors that can't sing and a lack of narrative.
Innocent barber Benjamin Barker is unjustly transported to Australia by evil Judge Turpin and his henchman Beadle Bamford so Turpin can try to seduce his wife. Barker returns in the guise of SweeneyTodd, setting up a barbershop in FleetStreet, above the premises of the worst pie shop in London, owned by Mrs Lovett. Sweeney vows revenge not only for the unjust punishment meted out to him but also the devastating consequences visited on his wife and young daughter. With the aid of the amorous Mrs Lovett, he cooks up a diabolical business as the DemonBarber of FleetStreet ?[shaving] the heads of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard of again?. In the meantime Mrs Lovett?s business takes off with her unusual meat pies?
Apparently Tim Burton has wanted to make a film of Stephen Sondheim?s musical ?SweeneyTodd? ever since he saw it ...
Advantages: Everything about the film Disadvantages: None for me
SWEENEYTODD: THE DEMONBARBER OF FLEETSTREET
2007
FILM ONLY REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Tim Burton makes fantasy movies.
Stephen Sondheim writes stage musicals.
Tim Burton deals mainly in the land of the gothic and the grotesque, turning comic books and children's tales into scary, nightmarish shadow plays.
Stephen Sondheim wrote a dark stage musical about SweeneyTodd.
Add to this mix one of the most versatile and daring young actors around and some wonderful characters and you end up with one incredible musical film.
"SweeneyTodd: The DemonBarber of FleetStreet," Mr. Burton's film adaptation of Mr. Sondheim's musical, is dark and terrifying
It is in fact as much a horror film as it is a musical.
This is the film version of Stephen Sondheim's musical that debuted ...
Musicals & Music Films - Musicals & Other Music Films
Classification
18 years and over
Production Year
2007
Official Website
www.sweeneytoddmovie.com
Consumer Advice
Contains strong bloody violence
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United States of America
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WARNER HOME VIDEO; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Sound
Dolby Digital
Professional reviews
Review
A bleedin' masterpiece (Daily Mail, 19/03/2008)
The show couldn't have fallen into better hands (Hollywood Reporter, 29/01/2008)
Sweeney Todd is as much a horror film as a musical. It is also something close to a masterpiece (New York Times, 29/01/2008)
Sweeney Todd is a thriller-diller from start to finish: scary, monstrously funny and melodically thrilling. And Depp is simply stupendous (Rolling Stone, 29/01/2008)
This represents one happy instance of a film made by a director without stage experience that genuinely serves the intentions of the original piece (Variety, 29/01/2008)
DVD Description
Tim Burton brings his trademark sense of dark whimsy to this stage-to-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's classic musical. Johnny Depp reteams with the director to play the titular Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen as his co-stars.
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