Tim Burton fans await 'Corpse Bride'

By Amanda Chamberlain

From Salt Lake Community College News Friday, September 2, 2005

He's morbid. He's fantastical. He's creepy. And he's at it again.

"I love Tim Burton; I really just love the guy," said 24-year-old Luke Meadows.

Tim Burton, the original Pumpkin King, has already been around for years making movies and producing film. Back in the 90's, everyone with a VCR witnessed a Halloween Town-native, Jack Skelington, nearly destroy Christmas and a half-household-item/half-human misfit learn what life is like outside his creepy neighborhood castle. More recently, Burton has flashed his creative twist on family films at modern audiences with the release of ethereal "Big Fish" and his wacky version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." And now, once more, he's going to either dazzle, or scare the hell out of, little boys and girls everywhere with his next "family" film.

The title of "Corpse Bride" makes it a little hard not to go into the film with some sort of pretense, but the storyline of Burton's new film proves remarkably sweet. The story (screenplay by John August and Caroline Thompson) is set in a grey, bleak village in nineteenth century Europe. The cast's main man, Victor (played by Johnny Depp), is approaching a nerve-wracking marriage to his proper lady Victoria (Emily Watson). But things take a turn below when by Victor falls into the underworld and marries a fun-loving, whimsical dead maiden, the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter). But world of the living calls Victor's name when he begins to yearn for his true love, Victoria, sending a certain "don't try to be somebody you're not" moral into play.

Burton's feel-good plots aren't the only element reeking of Burton-film past. The veteran director is no stranger to similarity. He repeatedly casts the same group of actors in a plethora of Burton roles. For instance, Johnny Depp starred in Edward Scissor hands, Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Helena Bonham Carter was spotted in Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You get the picture.

"Corpse Bride," also directed by Mike Johnson, takes on an image that's also not unlike his previous film, his classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas." The cult-gathering stop motion production style for this film came to life from an alliance with previous "Nightmare Before Christmas" comrade, Director of Photography **** Kozachik. Kozachik's work on "Nightmare" undoubtedly showed Burton that he's more than capable of creating just the right amount of eerie special effects and cinematography.

And being how the eerie but humorous "Nightmare Before Christmas" created a massive movement of gothic, Halloween darklings and increases in Hot Topic frequenting, "Corpse Bride" is already steadily awaited by Burton fans.

"'Nightmare' was really good so I'm going to see 'Corpse Bride,'" said SLCC student Bret Peters, "I'm looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp in this one."

Burton fans are hoping for a movie worthy of plastering all over merchandise, and one possibly worthy of adding to their cult list of top Burton films. And with the anticipated star cast, undeniably stable score by Burton-film alumnus Danny Elfman and intriguing plot, fans and non-fans alike are bound to take a unique, humorous and above all, entertaining ride into the Land of the Dead with "Corpse Bride."

This film is rated PG for scary images, action and mild language.