Sweeney Todd

Kizzume · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:50 am Post subject: Sweeney Todd

This is a movie I really want to see. I normally don't like musicals, but I've heard parts of even the broadway version of this, and it is VERY VERY dark. I think the combination of actors, particularly Depp, and Tim Burton, along with this dark script and dark music, will make this a hauntingly strange experience.

debateman · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 349 Location: New Mexico

Might be a good one Kizz, I would like to see it myself but I have a strict "Non-Theater" attending policy. Must wait for the DVD.

Kizzume · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:41 am Post subject:

debateman · Joined: 05 Dec 2007 Posts: 349 Location: New Mexico

There are dozens of reasons I don't go to the theater, but here are a few.

1) If I want to get up to go to the restroom, I don't want to miss anything.
2) I don't want to hear people's screaming kids.
3) I don't want to hear people's quiet kids rolling everlasting gobstoppers down the gradient.
4) I don't like lines.
5) I don't like paying to get in.
6) I don't like paying for the food there.
7) I don't like not being able to take my own snacks in.
Cool

I don't like the years of commercials before the show.
9) I don't like the sticky floors.
10) I don't like people trying to fight me for an armrest.

And again, those are just a few. I'm not a crazy person who hates people, but for me watching a movie is an event. If I'm going to take my time to set down and watch something I don't want any distractions. Well, distractions that don't lead to other entertaining events anyway.

Kizzume · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:09 am Post subject:

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1089

Kizzume · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject:

Wow--we have radically different opinions on Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp and Gary Oldman are my favorite actors of all time.

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1089

Kizzume · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:01 pm Post subject:

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1089

I take back what I said. From the previews anyway, he looks spectacular for the part. I will probably be seeing this movie in the next 2-3 days and am VERY excited for it.

tristanrobin · Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 141 Location: New Haven, CT USA

We saw "Sweeney Todd" on Christmas day. It was terrific...and that's coming from a real "Sweeneyphile" - saw the original Broadway production, the BAM revival, and the recent Broadway revival with Patti LaPone, as well as being involved in two regional productions. I know this play LOL.

It is perfectly cast. Depp, Carter, Cohen, Rickman - all spot on. I have a tiny bit of an issue with the ages of Toby, Johanna and Anthony ... but they're all very good. And I have a bit of a problem with one character who is important to the plot, but whose screen time in this has been cut to almost nothing. But I guess something has to be cut to fit into a normal 2 hour movie slot. They didn't cut too many songs - though they did cut quite a bit of music from the interior of songs (only 2 verses instead of 4 - not as many repetitions of the chorus melodies, etc.). I love all the music, but the cuts were judicious and kept the movie clipping along. They also lowered the keys in most of the music, but that sort of thing doesn't bother me. They did make almost everybody except Depp and Carter kinda normal, so it's a different quality than the play's - where everybody is a total lunatic wackjob. LOL Even the villain in this (Rickman) was sort of ordinary evil - unlike in the play, where he sings a song while nude and flagellating himself in front of a mirror. The tone is lighter here - though hardly anywhere near that of "Hairspray" "Dreamgirls" "Chicago" variety of musical.

Go see it!

Kizzume · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:49 am Post subject:

I need to find someone to see this with. The people around me around interested in seeing it. Sad

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1089

Saw it last night.

I didn't like it as much as the play. The singing was (well, of course) not as good (though it was good it just wasn't spectacular), and as Tristan says, the other characters weren't as loony as maybe they should be. (They were a lot loonier in the play.) Also, it was hard for me to not look at the other barber as Borat. He seemed like Borat to me (Same actor.)

I also thought it was about 5 songs too long. This is a problem I have with almost every film version of a musical. It always seems like they try to pack too much into it. IT was ESPECIALLY the case with "Dream Girls" but less so with Sweeney Todd.

However, having that said: Johny Depp had a really good performance. And Helena Bonham Carter (Who I haven't seen in a movie since fight club) did a stellar acting job. Aside from Borat, (Who in all fairness really wasn't bad, I just didn't believe his character,) everybody had a good performance. And the visuals, as always with Tim Burton, were very good.

The overall visual darkness was like a hybrid between Batman and The Nightmare before Christmas. The photography was really magnificent. As for the visuals, there were always plenty of laugh out loud moments, and PLENTY of cringe moments which kept the story alive pretty much the whole way through.

I did think it was a bit too long, but not "Dream Girls" too long. I'd say more like 15 minutes too long, but not long enough to ruin the experience for me.

It really is a gruesome story, and certainly won't be for everybody. But the songs like "Joanna" will be stuck in my head for a long time, the acting was very very good between the two lead actors (and most of the others,) and despite being a bit too long, I felt there were enough funny parts and gruesome visuals to keep the story moving along through the end.

I'd say 3/4. But I am an easy grader.

Kizzume · Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:28 am Post subject:

Man--I wish I would have been in the area--I need to see this with someone--I hate going to movies alone...

Did you go with anyone?

jq · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 1089