Sweeney Todd

Depp Domain » Depp Cinema » Sweeney Todd
http://gotdepp1.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=film&action=display&thread=96

Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 10, 2006, 9:14pm

Although I still have mixed feelings about this film, I thought we should have a thread for it in order to post news, photos, rumors, etc.

My first order of business here is actually exciting for both Depp and Potter fans! I so hope it's true:

Alan Rickman Cast as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd Film

Stage and screen star Alan Rickman will play the villainous Judge Turpin in the upcoming DreamWorks film version of Sweeney Todd.

He joins the previously announced Johnny Depp in the title role, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett and Sacha Baron-Cohen as Pirelli.

Rickman, who is known to audiences worldwide for his work as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, is a London theatre veteran twice Tony-nominated for his Broadway work in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Private Lives. His other film credits include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Love Actually, Dogma, Michael Collins, Sense and Sensibility, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Die Hard.

The film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton, will begin filming in February of 2007.

Sweeney Todd, which will be a co-production with Warner Bros., marks the 6th collaboration between the Depp and Burton. The previous Burton-Depp films have been Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow.

Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will partner with Richard Zanuck and John Logan to produce the screenplay adaptation which was written by Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator). A late 2007 release is planned. Paramount will distribute for DreamWorks domestically and Warner Bros. internationally.

The Broadway production of Sweeney Todd, with Sondheim's music and lyrics and a book by Hugh Wheeler based on the play by Christopher Bond, opened in 1979 and won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. "Its mix of the comic, the dramatic and the macabre held together by Sondheim's movie-like score has had hundreds of productions throughout the world," according to press notes. John Doyle's highly acclaimed revival (for which he won a Tony) recently played the Eugene O'Neill Theatre; Michael Cerveris and Patti LuPone starred.

The story of Sweeney Todd is of a wrongfully imprisoned barber in Victorian England who sets out to seek revenge on the judge who imprisoned him. He is helped by Mrs. Lovett, who bakes Sweeney's victims into "the worst pies in London."

source: http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=14298

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by cathyp on Dec 10, 2006, 10:46pm

I had heard this news and am very excited. I love how he portrays Snape and can't wait to see him in another role.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Dec 10, 2006, 11:12pm

*sigh*

It's just too much for me!

I love Alan Rickman almost as much as I love Johnny! He's such a great actor and theatre preformer, he is perfect for this movie! I can't wait! Absolutely loved him in Dogma, voice of god? talk about perfect casting

At first, I too Anna had mixed feelings about it. Mainly because Johnny talked allot about being uncomfortable dancing\singing and such in films. But I'm glad he's taking chances and doing different things that he hasn't really done before! Takes loads of courage! I try to keep an open mind about movies and such, so I'm really excited to see how this turns out.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 11:27am

I just can't feel good about this next step. I feel like it's just wrong, wrong, wrong.

It's too far over into predictablity territory for both Burton and -- through Burton, for him: it's everything Burton is criticized for by people who don't like him, and J. usually avoids "tagging along" with him that way: he says he'll do anything Burton asks him to, but really -- does what appeals to him, and lets Burton do the rest without him.

The subject matter is dark, yeah, yeah. Musicals don't have to be No No Nanette, yeah, we know. When it came out, okay: shock for the sake of shock, but now -- I dunno. Call me a poop, but I think J. is miscalculating its significance -- or if not, its entertainment value. Why do this, now? Burton likes the macabre; so does J. But it seems like a miscalculation.

There's no lack of macabre entertainment, out there. Sondheim's big bellowing spectacle is "done" already -- a critical success, and fine as it stands right now. I can't think of a single reason to make this film.. I think it is a colossal waste of time and talent with the two of them, and just wrong, wrong, wrong.

You mileage may vary, of course. None of this opinionating is meant as an attack on either of them: but between friends, here -- that's my take on it. I hope we can still retain the ability to think critically about J. and what he does. If we respect and admire him and his talent, it seems logical to be able to question him, too. I'm afraid of getting in trouble with some of the folks, for saying so, though. I'm not taking a belligerant, "I don't care what anybody thinks" stand, because I do care, very much, what you guys think.

Still, the interested, devoted, thoughful fan in me is troubled by this move.

Blue

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 11, 2006, 12:10pm

I'm over the moon that Johnny is doing another movie, another Burton movie, and that it's the stuff that scares and challenges him.
I see nothing at all "wrong" with it.
I know nothing of Sweeney Todd save it's basic plot and the fact that folks burst into song as they go about their demented business.
And I plan to be surprised by what I see, and therefore delighted, hopefully.
Why do this film?

Why NOT????
Let's not forget they were saying these same sort of things about re-doing CATCF, no?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sddeb on Dec 11, 2006, 1:10pm

I have mixed feelings about it really...on one hand I am looking forward to seeing Johnny do something different—something that he has never done before. On the other hand the subject matter gives me the creeps.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 5:44pm

Well, Deb -- that's completely fair. I haven't seen everything he's done, myself, for personal reasons. Some of the others here feel the same way -- for personal reasons.

I think it's important to be able to speak up about our opinions of things he does. It's healthy. It lets in valuable oxygen. Otherwise, after a little while -- well, for one thing, it's boring. But too much of a muchness in every response starts to seem like you can't really say much of anything, because it's so easy to be misunderstood, or because you don't feel you can come up with the creativity to defend your opinion, kindly.

I look back over the last weeks, and realize I've posted a few things sort of "questioning his powers", one way and another -- and inviting discussion about his career, his choices, warts and all. It must be on my mind: maybe particularly now, when he is at the very eye of popular-culture.

I guess I've digressed from the topic of Sweeney Todd, but it's going to be an interesting one, if it happens. Let's not be silent -- his performances are always interesting. But at the same time, let's be intelligent enough to question him, too, to expect what he does to be worthy of him. Nobody needs to remind us to cheer louder to drown out any criticism. As a very respectful fan, I may very well be doing the criticism, sometimes.

But I still like him. :-*

Thanks again, Deb.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by cathyp on Dec 11, 2006, 5:59pm

Maybe I am in the minority, but I have not felt compelled to see everything that Johnny Depp has played because, frankly, some of the choices he has made do not interest me.

I do not think less of him for taking those roles...they are just not something I would watch for entertainment purposes.

Does this make me a fair weather fan? I do not think so. I have spent countless hours of my life writing about this man's ability to transform into the eclectic collections of characters he has portrayed.

I may or may not see Sweeney Todd. I happen to really like Tim Burton so I may see it for that reason. But chances are I will not.

Will I feel like I am less than a fan for doing so? No, not at all. I do not purport to like everything about anyone, including my spouse. This does not mean I do not love him, just agree to disagree about things.

Disagreeing about a role Johnny chooses to take does not mean you do not admire and respect him for that choice. It just isn't your cup of tea.

My 2 cents...for what it's worth.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 6:14pm

Quote:

Maybe I am in the minority, but I have not felt compelled to see everything that Johnny Depp has played because, frankly, some of the choices he has made do not interest me.
(snip)

Disagreeing about a role Johnny chooses to take does not mean you do not admire and respect him for that choice. It just isn't your cup of tea.

thanks, Cat -- that's very true. I'm not sure -- yet, whether it IS my cup of tea, because well -- heh heh -- it hasn't come out yet...

but I do know I have an opinion about whether it's worthy of him, or that I think it's kind of a contrary sort of in-your-face thing, and that seems like something to talk about. That's in the "why" category. I'd like to ask him that. Why make this movie? I can't pretend to be able to answer that. Again, "why not" just closes the discussion, so intelligent discourse says, that doesn't count as an answer.

I know he'll do whatever he wants to do, which is as it should be, certainly. But I think this next move of his has set off a question in me about the trajectory of his fame -- it is limitless? Will this drag him down? Is there really "nothing beyond him"? Come on: really??? Nothing??? And also it seems to have stirred up a senstitivity to the question of whether any of us are "worthy" to discuss his choices. I'd say we are. so be it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Dec 11, 2006, 7:19pm

You make very good and very valid points Blue.

In my opinion, whatever Johnny does I will either be very happy about; or at least pretend to be

<< That meaning I will respect his choices to do movies that aren't really what I would watch - I would give them a chance, because being the Libra I am lol I am fair and balance.

So I will watch, but I wont and may not like it. Like with Astronauts Wife. I watched it, but just because I sat through it all doesn't mean I cared for it. It was good performances throughout the movie, but ...It just wasn't that interesting to me.

Sweeny Todd... It's really hard to say what it's going to be like. When you have pretty much the same cast (Johnny and Helena) that is in almost every Tim Burton movie, there are certain things to be expected. But yet when you have the other half (Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen) it kind of contradicts the subtle normaily and repetitiveness that you would expect from Tim and Johnny. Plus with no teaser trailers or clips, we can't really judge on how the cast acts within such a script and atmosphere.

It's certainly different, and it's certainly "out there" in a sense. But you have to admit, whether it fails or sky rockets. It's going to be one hell of a movie.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by cathyp on Dec 11, 2006, 7:22pm

I am under the impression that whether or not this movie "drags him down" is not in his consideration for taking the role in the first place. Johnny does not seem to care or worry about whether his roles will be popular with mainstream audiences...in fact, given the position he is in, he is finally able to make these decisions without regard to monetary return.

The man is finally able to make his "off the beaten path" movies as he wishes...without concern for the $$ they return.

But, being Johnny...he will give his 110% as always, so that no director or producer need worry about their star doing elsewise.

He has integrity. Isn't that why we love him?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 7:48pm

Quote:

I am under the impression that whether or not this movie "drags him down" is not in his consideration for taking the role in the first place. Johnny does not seem to care or worry about whether his roles will be popular with mainstream audiences...in fact, given the position he is in, he is finally able to make these decisions without regard to monetary return.

The man is finally able to make his "off the beaten path" movies as he wishes...without concern for the $$ they return.

But, being Johnny...he will give his 110% as always, so that no director or producer need worry about their star doing elsewise.

He has integrity. Isn't that why we love him?

Oh dear -- when I said, "drags him down" -- I didn't mean anything about the mainstream. Not sure how I gave that impression. I think I meant that if it's going to be one of those Planet of the Apes-Level flops -- it could link his name with Flop-dom at just the point "the mainstream" might be starting to get enough of him -- and if that happens, we better believe it will limit his freedom to do "anything".

Not even Brando could do "anything", after a point. He was the first one to say serving the Hollywood mainstream all just BS, anyhow, but even he knew he was subject to public opinion. He just chose to withdraw from it.

That J. can do anything forever, regardless, is just, well: a fool's paradise, at least in the bizarro-world of popular culture. I'd love to think he could do anything, forever. I think that's one of the reasons this movie is bothering me so much. LIke it or not, I think his incredible, unprecedented world-class "approval-rating" -- "mainstream", critical and in even in the cineaste world, while it seems so obviously-deserved to us -- is a fragile thing. He knows it. And he has to know that sleeping with the dogs at Disney is going to make him subject to that particular variety of fleas, too.

I'm not saying he CARES. I'm saying, I CARE.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by cathyp on Dec 11, 2006, 8:17pm

I do not agree that Johnny was "sleeping with the dogs" when he chose to do the Disney films. In fact, besides bringing him into the mainstream of everyday movie viewers...he also did something that he could relate to his children with...and all the other children out there.

I am really sick and tired of the disparaging remarks about him doing a Disney flick.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 9:14pm

oops, sorry.

Well, I'll retract that. I didn't meant to divert into an irritating area -- I don't anybody but me has even brought it up, before here, so I apologize -- guilty as charged. It's just a fact that he's made that affiliation what it "means"(if anything) is open to interpretation.

Go ahead --

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 11, 2006, 9:49pm

Quote:

I am really sick and tired of the disparaging remarks about him doing a Disney flick.

I think that it's for this very reason that he chooses to do films like Sweeney Todd. It is a reminder to film goers that his affiliation with Disney was not about sleeping with the enemy. It was his choice...such as his choice to continuously work with Burton is. I have said it before...I don't think there would be such a fuss over his motives for playing pirate had it been a no name film company backing the project.

As I have said before, I have mixed feelings about him doing this film, but I agree with Depply Involved, it is the challenge that drives him. I do also think that we are going to see a more comedic than macabre theme flow through Burton's rendition of this story. Consider, if you will, the significance of violence in any of Tim Burton's films. It is never done simply to instill great fear in the viewer. It is done with a clear purpose to the story and usually counterbalanced quite well with more lighthearted moments. For this reason I will trust in Burton enough to watch with an open mind.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by blue on Dec 11, 2006, 10:02pm

Anna, that's very perceptive. Burton's "take" on violence -- filtered through his own movie-lover sensibility seems to give it that stylized, nearly-fake quality that always, always seems to work. (My chicken-hearted other-side is clamoring right now to argue about certain scenes in Sleepy Hollow, but I've muzzled it, using both hands.) I'm going to keep repeating that to myself, and hope that J.'s own unique perspective (and the way he works with Burton) will make this incredible, instead of overdone and in-your-face. Thanks for that --

...and really, that was a cheap shot, before, about Disney and fleas. Sorry. Bad me.

I guess I'm still annoyed that they wouldn't let me on the new Pirates ride when I was right there in line, the very day it previewed...! >:(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sddeb on Dec 12, 2006, 1:03am

There is a comment by Tim somewhere that said something to the effect that the scariest thing in Sweeny Todd may be Johnny's singing...I wish I could find where I saw it...

I agree that it is probably going to be more on the humorous side of things. At least I hope so.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 12, 2006, 7:46am

Quote:

I think it's important to be able to speak up about our opinions of things he does. It's healthy. It lets in valuable oxygen. Otherwise, after a little while -- well, for one thing, it's boring.

You've got that right!

I'm not being agreeable about ST just to be agreeable---y'all should know that about me already.
I actually have that same fascination with the morbid that Tim and Johnny seem to have, and I love that sort of twisted, sick humor.
I of course do have my limits; for example, I tend to shun the horror genre in general. Gruesome for it's own sake is just not for me, so I can understand where you are coming from.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 12, 2006, 2:19pm

Yeah but Tim isn't really the gorey in your face slasher pic type of guy. He has his moments, I'll admit, but he doesn't do it just to scare the pants off of you. I think he's so obsessed with the way classic horror movies were done, that he tries to pay homage to the genre in each of his films some way. Even CATCF. That whole flashback thing when Willy was a boy wearing that horrifying brace contraption creeped me out. And there wasn't a drop of blood spilled. So it's all interpretation if you ask me.

So I'm cool with Sweeney Todd and I think it'll be better than people expect.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 13, 2006, 8:04am

I just love Tim's vision, always have, before JDOCD hit me.
I look forward to Sweeney Todd and am trying to avoid spoilers for a change.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 18, 2006, 11:53pm

I was just about to log off for bed but I am ecstatic and had to post my news quickly!

I just found out that Anthony Stewart Head (Giles for you Buffy fans!) is going to be involved in the project. I am beyond excited to hear this news and sincerely hope this is true. He is such an amazing actor and no one really knows that. This is his chance to display his talent in a more mainstream sense.

First Professor Snape, now Giles! I don't know how much more I can take!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 19, 2006, 8:21am

Quote:

I was just about to log off for bed but I am ecstatic and had to post my news quickly!

Head is that Maxwell House coffee dude from the 90's, right?

I am getting more and more pumped for ST mysel.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 19, 2006, 9:37pm

It's all I can do not to giggle like a schoolgirl. I'm so excited about this that I can't contain myself!

I've been telling anyone who will listen - including people who don't care one bit.

YAY!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 27, 2006, 9:29am

WOW! Is it your birthday or something Anna? I can't believe all four guys are rolled into one film project. Exciting and now I'm even more intrigued about this movie. I can't wait to hear Gilesy sing. And Alan Rickman!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 1, 2007, 10:00am

Quote:

WOW! Is it your birthday or something Anna?

I was thinking the same damn thing when I heard the news. I mean have any of you ever seen Anthony Head as Frank in the stage version of Rocky Horror? Swoon!

I've never been more excited about seeing someone sing and dance and kill all at once!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 1, 2007, 10:27am

The cast is really shaping up. Less than 2 months till the cameras roll! Pics galore--and I'll look at them, but spoiler clips will be avoided, methinks--a lilttle New Year's gift to myself.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by samsgirl on Jan 2, 2007, 8:48am

Quote:

I've never been more excited about seeing someone sing and dance and kill all at once!

Hey Arnelle, good luck with the spoiler free attempt. I don't think I could ever do that! :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 9, 2007, 10:40pm

I keep thinking about what his portrayal is going to be like for this film. I'm excited to see what his influences are going to be in terms of characterization.

I've read a few synopses of the general plot and after having some reservations about this film, I can now completely see why Johnny chose to take on this role. Sweeney Todd has layers. Tons of them! He's not just a killer. He's a man with a past - prison, father issues (a hot topic with both Johnny and Tim) , love, anger (bubbling under the surface and finally spilling out everywhere), etc. The dancing and singing will be a bonus! As always, he chooses an incredible challenge and he never fails to live up to the task. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter what the story, Johnny is going to make Sweeney Todd likeable!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Jan 9, 2007, 11:52pm

I love reading other perspectives like this. It gets me uber-excited to see the end product. Seriously though, when has he ever really disappointed? There is no way I expect anything less than amazing. Even the singing - he will do it till he gets it right (in his own eyes). Watching him turn into Sweeney Todd is going to be funny, scary and exhilarating all rolled into one!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 10, 2007, 8:27am

Quote:

I keep thinking about what his portrayal is going to be like for this film. I'm excited to see what his influences are going to be in terms of characterization.

I've read a few synopses of the general plot and after having some reservations about this film, I can now completely see why Johnny chose to take on this role. Sweeney Todd has layers. Tons of them! He's not just a killer. He's a man with a past - prison, father issues (a hot topic with both Johnny and Tim) , love, anger (bubbling under the surface and finally spilling out everywhere), etc. The dancing and singing will be a bonus! As always, he chooses an incredible challenge and he never fails to live up to the task. I have no doubt in my mind that no matter what the story, Johnny is going to make Sweeney Todd likeable!

Remember the old The Hulk?
I would like Johnny when he's angry..thank you very much.
I'm excited by the fact that we may be treated to 2 Depp films in 2007. :-*

booyah!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 10, 2007, 2:48pm

The hulk!

I love it!

Hey Arnelle, wouldn't it be cool if that dude in your neighborhood fixed his theatre up in time for a double feature? :-X

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 10, 2007, 9:44pm

Quote:

Remember the old The Hulk?
I would like Johnny when he's angry..thank you very much.

Ha! Not to go on a complete tangent but I always felt bad for Bill Bixby. I was pretty young when the show aired and there were times when I would cry as he'd walk out of town once again, with that bag slung over his back, tragic piano music playing in the background. It was too much! :-[

Okay. Focus. Johnny. Angry. Angry Johnny being really angry.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 12, 2007, 9:15pm

Quote:

Not to humiliate you any further than you already have yourself, but this is exactly the sort of stuff I love to store in my vault for blackmail at a future date.

You make it too easy.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 16, 2007, 10:09pm

Quote:

Not to humiliate you any further than you already have yourself, but this is exactly the sort of stuff I love to store in my vault for blackmail at a future date.

You make it too easy.

I fear nothing. Do your worst. Besides I have a vault too.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by bravelynn on Jan 19, 2007, 10:04pm

What an outstanding group of actors working together for this film project! I can understand the overall excitement of the fans and can see how expectations will be high considering this group of talent. Can't wait to see it!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by samsgirl on Jan 24, 2007, 2:14pm

I had heard that Sacha "Borat" Baron Cohen is cast in the film. Is this true? If it is, just kill me now. ::)

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 24, 2007, 8:43pm

It is true. I take it you aren't too happy with him. Trust me, he'll be great. The entire cast is wonderful so far.
IMHO

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 24, 2007, 10:46pm

I heard that they're having some issues with his singing abilities so they may have him just speak his lyrics in a sort of rap like style. I wonder how that's going to play out. Who is he going to be in the film? Anybody know?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 25, 2007, 8:30am

I believe he plays Pirelli, the professional competion -but I am no ST expert and I am trying to stay that way for the WOW factor.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 7, 2007, 7:54am

ST ad scan---cool!
http://z11.invisionfree.com/JohnnyDeppReads/index.php?showtopic=1111&st=0&#last

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 7, 2007, 9:32pm

Exciting! I see that Christopher Lee has been listed as a cast member too.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 7, 2007, 9:38pm

If Vincent Price was still available he'd be in there somewhere too, no doubt. :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 7, 2007, 9:44pm

Now that would have been something. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 8, 2007, 9:11pm

When is the movie being released?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 9, 2007, 9:45am

Good question. It's just started filming, so I'm hoping it will be released by the end of this year. Tim has never had a problem getting his films widely released.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Feb 9, 2007, 5:59pm

I can't wait for this movie!!! It's gonna be............something.

I can't say great, and I can't say bad. Because frankly, I don't know... But it's going to be out there!

Does anyone else have this really... what I wanna call it; an overprotective feeling when it comes to this movie and Johnny?

I just feel kind of nervous and anxious to see how everyone else (outside the depp community) will veiw this movie. And how they will veiw Johnny afterwards. Of course, it doesn't matter to me how they veiw him but... I just have that feeling yanno?! It's a worried\excited\oooh this will be interesting feeling.

I don't want people to make this movie define Johnny if it's bad. If it's good, well all the more props to him!! It's just that with some people, when they see an actor take chances and, more or less fail, they tend to not like the actor so much rather than respect him for taking a chance and doing something he thinks is good.

Know what I mean?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 9, 2007, 8:51pm

I understand where you are coming from, DI but..

I think Tim and Johnny can take the heat if it bombs--shake it off, you know how they love to dance on professional thin ice. No worries--he took it on the chin with the Libertine and he lived through the debacle of The Brave. I think he can sing well enough not to embarrass himself. (too much)
As long as he's having fun right now, that's what I care about. I want my Johnny to be happy, healthy and have fun doing his thing. That's what keeps me going.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by bravelynn on Feb 9, 2007, 10:36pm

I guess that's why this is such a big worry for many Depp fans. As always he is managing to do something in a film that he hasn't yet done. Singing is a big deal. Look what America does to the singing talent on American Idol. They'll stop at nothing to shred him to pieces over his singing even if the film is spectacular. It's to be expected and as amp said, he'll get through it just like he did his other criticized performances. When hasn't there been one really?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 14, 2007, 9:39pm

Seriously. It's like no matter what he does, he's either criticized or ignored for it. Honestly there are time when I just want to slap the critics, his peers and tons of other people upside the head for being so ignorant about his fearless confidence. Thta's why he's so damn good at his job. He should be praised for it. But no one's ever happy with what he does. I think it's all jealousy because he'll do anything, try anything, etc. How man people really live their life/career that way?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 27, 2007, 9:29am

Thanks to MadScntst for keeping up with these!

Here's an article from Yahoo about the start of filming of Sweeney Todd. It doesn't have much information we haven't known before, but to my knowledge it's the first official listing of the cast all in one place. There are some more details about the crew, as well. It is VERY NICE to see such a positive comment from Stephen Sondheim himself

Nice to see official confirmation that Timothy Spall will play Beadle Bamford- his name appears on the Variety ad from a few weeks ago and this was the character he was being speculated to play, but I don't think it was official before now. One name not mentioned here is Anthony Stewart Head, whose website confirms his involvement but states that the details of his character could not be divulged. The Stephen Sondheim Society has claimed that he will play a ghost.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070226/lam076.html?.v=82

Press Release Source: DreamWorks Pictures

'Sweeney Todd' Starts Principal Photography. Johnny Depp Stars. Tim Burton Directs.
Monday February 26, 2:05 pm ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Principal photography has begun in London on "Sweeney Todd"; starring Johnny Depp in the Tim Burton directed screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical thriller.

The DreamWorks Pictures and Warner Bros. co-production presents Depp as Sweeney Todd, a man unjustly sent to prison, who vows revenge not only for that cruel punishment but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, he becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who "shaved the heads of gentleman who never thereafter were heard from again."*

"I've always wanted to do a musical and 'Sweeney Todd' is my favorite," said Tim Burton. "Stephen's blend of humor, horror and emotion is something that has always connected with me."

"Sometimes a story or stage production has to wait a long time until the right people come together to turn it into a motion picture," said Stephen Sondheim. "That's what has happened with 'Sweeney Todd' and I'm excited as well as confident that it will be a first-rate and startling movie."

This will be the sixth collaboration between Depp and Burton who worked previously together on Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow. Depp comes fresh from completing the third Pirates of the Caribbean film in the Academy Award nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow.**

Also starring in the Parkes/MacDonald and Zanuck Company production is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett who creates her diabolical meat pies while becoming Sweeney's amorous accomplice. Alan Rickman is the evil Judge Turpin who sent him unfairly to prison, thereby sowing the seeds of Sweeney's vengeance. Timothy Spall plays the Judge's wicked associate Beadle Bamford. Sacha Baron Cohen is a rival barber, the flamboyant Signor Adolfo Pirelli, and Christopher Lee takes on the role of the gentleman ghost.

Rounding out the cast are Jamie Campbell Bowen as the young sailor Anthony, Jayne Wisener as Johanna, Laura Michelle Kelly as the beggar woman, and newcomer Ed Sanders plays Toby.

All the stars will do their own singing from Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics.

The film is produced by Richard D. Zanuck, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, and John Logan from a screenplay by Logan. The original Broadway production had Sondheim's music and lyrics and a book by Hugh Wheeler based on a play by Christopher Bond. It won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Its mix of the shockingly macabre, comic and dramatic, supported by Sondheim's movie-like score has had hundreds of productions through the world, most recently a highly acclaimed production on Broadway. What once might have been taboo and ghoulish became deliciously entertaining.

Joining Burton at Pinewood to create his vision is director of photography Dariusz Wolski (Pirates of the Caribbean I, II, III), production designer Academy Award winner Dante Ferrati (The Aviator), costume designer two time Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago), hair and make up designer Academy Award winner Peter Owen (The Lord of the Rings), and editor Chris Lebenzon.

The film will be distributed domestically by Paramount for a late 2007 release and distributed internationally by Warner Bros.

* From the opening lyrics of the score for the original Broadway show.

** Pirates of the Caribbean, Curse of the Black Pearl

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sddeb on Feb 27, 2007, 1:24pm

Wow. Thanks Arnelle. I can't wait!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 27, 2007, 10:39pm

Late 2007? That's sooner than I expected. Great news!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Mar 11, 2007, 2:03pm

I know not that many people like Sacha Baron Cohen, but.... COME ON PEOPLE.

With Johnny we can distinguish between his characters and how he is in real life. Why can't people do the same with Sacha? Sure his characters are annoying and cruely rude but in the end... they are just characters. Is it because he doesn't do any nice and charming roles? or is it because he's just not a typical "actor"?

I confess I haven't seen anything he has done regarding Borat and what not but still, it's just a character. I'm really tired of hearing about how Sacha will ruin this movie because of what he has done in the past... That's in the past. It's not like he's Borat ALL THE TIME. I mean, that's like saying Johnny is Raul Duke all the time, doped up and seeing bats.

It's just a character, people can see the difference between Johnny and his characters...Why can't they see it with Sacha? Again, is it because his roles are always rude and arrogant? Or is it because he doesn't do that many interveiws and is pretty much a very private guy, so not many people know what he IS like?

*sigh*

Sorry I just had to rant for a moment, and I wasn't sure on if I should make a new topic for this or not. It's just been playing on my mind. Everyone at all the other JD forums are up in arms about him, and I just don't personally see what the big deal is.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 11, 2007, 5:19pm

Quote:

I know not that many people like Sacha Baron Cohen, but.... COME ON PEOPLE.

With Johnny we can distinguish between his characters and how he is in real life. Why can't people do the same with Sacha? Sure his characters are annoying and cruely rude but in the end... they are just characters. Is it because he doesn't do any nice and charming roles? or is it because he's just not a typical "actor"?

I confess I haven't seen anything he has done regarding Borat and what not but still, it's just a character. I'm really tired of hearing about how Sacha will ruin this movie because of what he has done in the past... That's in the past. It's not like he's Borat ALL THE TIME. I mean, that's like saying Johnny is Raul Duke all the time, doped up and seeing bats.

There are just sooo many simple minded morons in the world who just don't get it. It brings to mind the old saying, "Empty barrels make the most noise."

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 13, 2007, 9:13pm

A lot of people get tunnel vision and they can't shake it. I'm not a big fan of Borat, but I highly doubt he's going to harm the integrity of the film in any way.

Sometimes people take things way too seriously.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Mar 13, 2007, 11:10pm

Well said Anna and amp.

I mean isn't the whole idea of filming a movie, is to have actors from all genres? If one did a character or a bad movie in the past, doesn't mean that they will do the same with their current work.

I just don't understand how some fans of Johnny can sit there and talk about how some of the people they meet don't like Johnny because of a role that he played. Then talk about how that's so narrow minded and what not, then turn around and do that with another actor!!! It's just mind bottling.

I haven't seen all of Borat but I've seen some clips. I don't hate it, I don't like it. It's just not for me. That doesn't mean I don't like SBC, it just means I don't like that character he played. Just like with how some people didn't like Johnny in FALILV because of all the drugs and such, it doesn't mean they don't like him, just his character.

I will never get people, but I would like to try and understand their warpped world once in a while.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Mar 14, 2007, 12:53pm

Quote:

I will never get people, but I would like to try and understand their warpped world once in a while.

I guess it keeps life interesting doesn't it?

I can't really believe that this dude would mess with the balance of this film. I mean, how big is his role anyway? I'm shocked that people are focusing on this instead of the man behind Sweeney Todd. Everything is going to be just fine.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Mar 14, 2007, 3:00pm

Quote:

Quote:

I will never get people, but I would like to try and understand their warpped world once in a while.

I guess it keeps life interesting doesn't it?

I can't really believe that this dude would mess with the balance of this film. I mean, how big is his role anyway? I'm shocked that people are focusing on this instead of the man behind Sweeney Todd. Everything is going to be just fine.

Sad, but true. People sit there and chime in about how they don't want SBC taking away from everyone else that is involved in Sweeny Todd, but yet, they can't stop talking about him and are making a BIGGER deal about him than anyone else.

I'll tell ya right now though, that man sure knows how to keep people talking about him. Long after he's out of the spotlight.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 14, 2007, 8:24pm

What I think the fans should be focusing on right now is that production has been put on hold in order for the Depp family to care for their little girl. Family comes first.

Just got this in my inbox:

Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd" On Hold
Wednesday, Mar. 14, 2007, 12:29 PM

RT-News writes: "Production Tim Burton's adaptation of "Sweeney Todd" has been put on hold as star Johnny Depp cares for his daughter.

According to British tabloid The Daily Mirror, the star's four-year-old daughter, Lily Rose, is stricken with an illness, and as a result, Depp has decided to postpone work on the tale of the demon barber of Fleet Street until she recovers.

However, the production staff may lose their jobs if Depp doesn't return to the set soon.

Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

"He does not want to come back until Lily-Rose gets the all-clear," said an unnamed source. "The plan is to re-employ everybody when she gets better."

"Sweeney Todd" tells the story of an English barber/serial killer. The tale was adapted into a popular musical by Stephen Sondheim.

Burton and Depp have enjoyed a fruitful working relationship over the years. They last collaborated on "Corpse Bride" in 2005. Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Alan Rickman are also slated to star in "Sweeney Todd."

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=407379

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on Mar 14, 2007, 9:10pm

Quote:

the star's four-year-old daughter, Lily Rose

Wow, I didn't know an illness made you lose 3 years of your age. Isn't she seven? lol

I'm glad Johnny is taking time off to care for Lily-Rose. I hope she gets better soon. Even though I don't know what she has or the degree of it. I know what it's like to be really ill. Especially in the hospital with all their needles and whatnot. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 15, 2007, 6:59am

The production staff will be put on temporary unemployment.
They won't "lose their jobs".
Semantics. >:(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 15, 2007, 12:58pm

Quote:

The production staff will be put on temporary unemployment.
They won't "lose their jobs".
Semantics. >:(

Well you know they have to make it sound more dire than it actually is. Ugh.

Quote:

Quote:

the star's four-year-old daughter, Lily Rose

Wow, I didn't know an illness made you lose 3 years of your age. Isn't she seven? lol

Shoot, I didn't even notice that!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Mar 15, 2007, 7:57pm

If they're shutting down prooduction, then whatever happened to their little girl was more serious than just some rusty nail. I really hope she's okay. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Mar 21, 2007, 8:27pm

Well they went back to work so I guess his little girl is okay. Woo! Good news! :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 27, 2007, 2:49pm

First look at Sweeney Todd
coming
[image]

and going

thanks to chris and Fred's Angel and bonnie
http://www.deppography.proboards105.com/....427407&page=139
scroll down for the rest

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppstergal on Mar 27, 2007, 3:32pm

This is very welcome news indeed! So pleased to know things are getting back to normal for the Depp family. Still keeping Lily Rose in my prayers, but I feel better knowing Johnny's back at work.

I have to say Sweeney Todd is not a favourite of mine, don't really like Sondheim's music, but I will still see it because Tim and Johnny together usually equals something pretty special. Glad things are going better and I have to say that butt shot in those striped pants certainly brought a smile to my face.

Thanks to Bonnie, Ana Maria of the Zone and anyone else who helped get these pics posted. These pictures sort of mean more than just the chance to catch a first glimpse of Johnny playing a new character. I looked at them with a sigh of relief because I guess seeing them reminded me about the role Johnny treasures more than any other.....being a good Dad to his kids.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 27, 2007, 4:05pm

Quote:

These pictures sort of mean more than just the chance to catch a first glimpse of Johnny playing a new character. I looked at them with a sigh of relief because I guess seeing them reminded me about the role Johnny treasures more than any other.....being a good Dad to his kids.

indeed

and I have a special place in my libido for that fine looking caboose.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sddeb on Mar 27, 2007, 6:41pm

Wow. I must be losing it...I just noticed he is now clean-shaven. He reminds me of Edward Scissorhands in those pics.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 27, 2007, 8:29pm

Quote:

and I have a special place in my libido for that fine looking caboose.

Damn if you can't bounce a quarter off that tush.

I like the look. That white streak of hair lends a spooky aura to him, which is what I'm sure the character needs. Although there is a resemblance to Edward Scissorhands, he looks like the anti-Edward.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 27, 2007, 9:30pm

Quote:

Quote:

and I have a special place in my libido for that fine looking caboose.

Damn if you can't bounce a quarter off that tush.

The "Bizzaro" Edward!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 27, 2007, 9:37pm

Exactly! Like an evil doppleganger.

You know, the more I look at that white streak and his make up, the more I keep seeing the Bride of Frankenstein in my head.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 27, 2007, 10:05pm

That big white streak represents a shock to his system, methinks.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Mar 28, 2007, 8:15pm

The hair is very Burtonesque ... and gothic, not surprising. I can't wait to see the rest of the cast!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 29, 2007, 8:19am

from IMDb; thanks to Mrs. Sands
[image]

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Mar 29, 2007, 8:07pm

Those pants are so...fitted. I can't look away.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Mar 30, 2007, 1:13pm

He relaly does look amazing. Maybe a little too thin, but still no worse for the wear considering all that he's been dealing with lately with Lily Rose.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Mar 30, 2007, 2:58pm

Others as well have commented he looks too thin, but I strongly disagree. He looks exactly the same to me. Maybe he's dropped a bit of his muscle "bulk". He looks like he's at his normal "setpoint". Healthy, skinny wiry white boy.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by dreamsofdepp on Mar 30, 2007, 3:20pm

Quote:

Those pants are so...fitted. I can't look away.

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!! they are nicely snug I have to say LOL

I noticed that he is wearing his belt buckle to the side, I wonder if that is just a habit since he wears it that way in everyday life? or if wearing it that way for this film was "approved" ....Hmmm this might be something to do a little research on....and damn, I really hate to have to look through pic after pic of Johnny's pants.....but ya know, I guess somebody has to do it

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Apr 2, 2007, 8:32pm

Oh the torture, dreamsofdepp.

Quote:

He looks like he's at his normal "setpoint". Healthy, skinny wiry white boy.

Aptly put and, damn if I don't love me a skinny wiry white boy (hell I married one). If he was overly thin, I thought he seemed so during the second pirates installment.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Apr 3, 2007, 8:32pm

Yep he definitely looked like he could use an extra sandwich or two in potc 2. He looks like he filled out a little. Not much. But it's there. It's all good.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Apr 26, 2007, 10:20am

found at JDR; posted by johnnydepplover

Quote:

as posted by emma @ JDZ

Quote:

Filming was completed on Friday, 20 April, 2007

Source Variety Film Production Chart

Title: SWEENEY TODD
Last Updated: Wed., Apr. 25, 2007 1:23pm

Studio: DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. (100 Universal City Plaza, Building 477, Universal City, CA 91608, 818-733-7000)
Production Start/End: February 5, 2007 / April 20, 2007
Status: Post-production / Filming Outside U.S.
Location(s): London

Distributor: Paramount
Foreign Distributor: Warner Bros.

Primary Actors: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Jamie Bower, Jayne Wisener, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ed Sanders, Michael N. Harbour, Peter Bowles, Anthony Head, Ian Burford
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald, John Logan
Associate Producer: Derek Fry
Director: Tim Burton
Screen Writer: Logan
Cinematographer: Dariusz Wolski
Editor: Chris Lebenzon
Production Designer: Dante Ferretti
Set Director: Francesca Lo Schiavo
Costume Designer: Colleen Atwood
Visual Effects: Joss Williams
Choreographer: Francesca Jaynes
Composer: Stephen Sondheim
Publicist: Sarah Clark

If it's really finished shooting then I hope that Johnny can have some rest now

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Apr 30, 2007, 8:47pm

Quote:

If it's really finished shooting then I hope that Johnny can have some rest now

I doubt the word "rest" is even in his vocabulary. He doesn't seem to stop. Ever.

That's good!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on May 14, 2007, 3:27pm

Wow. I'm sorry if I'm a little late in posting my opinion.
I'm very excited. I'm glad he keeps collaborating with Burton, because their movies are always worth while. Always dark and lovely. I love lots of kinds of movies, and these are one kind. I don't know much about Sweeney Todd, but I can't wait to find out when I see the movie! It will be interesting to see Johnny singing, oh god! Such a new thing for him. He might be okay, we know he has musical talent.
Also, Alan Rickman and Christopher Lee are two actors that you know will also make the movie wonderful.
He has a cute smile here.
[image]

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on May 17, 2007, 10:52am

I think a lot of us are pretty excited to see what he can do with his vocal talent. For the life of me I can't even pretend to imagine what his voice is going to sound like in song. I can't wait!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on May 19, 2007, 11:19am

It might be a little funny to some of us...lol

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depplyinvolved on May 22, 2007, 3:42pm

I think I just might be viewing this movie between my fingers. I'm not sure how it's going to work out, but I do know that it will be very interesting.

But then again isn't everything Johnny does 'interesting'.

My dad had to ask me twice if I was sure Johnny was going to sing in the movie; he just couldn't believe it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on May 22, 2007, 4:42pm

I think it will go well..and be very quirky.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on May 29, 2007, 1:01pm

When I went to see the Pirates movie on the weekend I picked up one of those free magazines (Johnny on the cover) ... I don't have a scanner so I will just type of the part of the interview that talks about Sweeny Todd.....

Your doing an adaptation of the Tony-winning, Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeny Todd with your old friend Tim Burton. What will that film be like?

"All I can say is that I gave it the old college try, and did my best on it. I had a fantastic time doing it. How did I do? Well, you and the rest of the world will have to decide if I should ever do musicals-or even sing in public-again."

How did the idea of doing Sweeny Todd come about?

"Tim and I sort of talked about the idea years and years ago, and we've been speaking about it, here and there, more recently, and the sucess of Charlie kind of helped it happen."

Did you take voice lessons?

"Oh boy, that was a requirement- that I insisted on. I told Tim, 'I think that I will have to have as many lessons as I can squeeze in before we start filming.'"

Was it nerve-racking or are you a singer at home?

"God, no. Never. I think, again, for an actor it's so important to challenge yourself, and I believe it's important to be potentially teetering on the brink of absolute flopdom because, otherwise, you're just sort of there... Who knows, I might be a horrible singer, but that might work for the character. You never know."

Source ~Famous May 2007 issue

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on May 29, 2007, 7:41pm

Quote:

When I went to see the Pirates movie on the weekend I picked up one of those free magazines (Johnny on the cover) ... I don't have a scanner so I will just type of the part of the interview that talks about Sweeny Todd.....

Your doing an adaptation of the Tony-winning, Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeny Todd with your old friend Tim Burton. What will that film be like?

"All I can say is that I gave it the old college try, and did my best on it. I had a fantastic time doing it. How did I do? Well, you and the rest of the world will have to decide if I should ever do musicals-or even sing in public-again."

How did the idea of doing Sweeny Todd come about?

"Tim and I sort of talked about the idea years and years ago, and we've been speaking about it, here and there, more recently, and the sucess of Charlie kind of helped it happen."

Did you take voice lessons?

"Oh boy, that was a requirement- that I insisted on. I told Tim, 'I think that I will have to have as many lessons as I can squeeze in before we start filming.'"

Was it nerve-racking or are you a singer at home?

"God, no. Never. I think, again, for an actor it's so important to challenge yourself, and I believe it's important to be potentially teetering on the brink of absolute flopdom because, otherwise, you're just sort of there... Who knows, I might be a horrible singer, but that might work for the character. You never know."

Source ~Famous May 2007 issue

thanks Sheree!

Sure, as this is a horror story, a horrible singer could very well work.
Oh, Johnny, you worry too much.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on May 30, 2007, 9:20am

Quote:

Sure, as this is a horror story, a horrible singer could very well work.

Yes he does worry way too much, but the fact that he does is what makes him the best damn actor out there. And I bet his singing is phenomenal. He's more of a perfectionist than he thinks.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on May 30, 2007, 8:30pm

Honestly, considering the insanity that surrounds Sweeney Todd and his murderous rampages, I think it best if Johnny's voice is raw (which is what I think it will be-what it should be). Perfection aside, I hope that his singing is loaded with passion more than anything else. That's what this character needs, IMHO.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jun 2, 2007, 8:27am

Quote:

I think it best if Johnny's voice is raw (which is what I think it will be-what it should be). Perfection aside, I hope that his singing is loaded with passion more than anything else. That's what this character needs, IMHO.

Like your new love interest Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera? That dude took so much heat for the way he sang in that film and I thought he was freakin awesome. You know that no matter what JD does for Sweeney, the critics are going to rip him apart. Damn them.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jun 2, 2007, 6:43pm

Quote:

Quote:

You're probably right, but maybe not. We shall see.
I dont think he's really bothered by any of that any more.
We are, though. I don't really care what critics say if I really want to see a film because I know it interests me. If I am on the fence about it, a few bad reviews can sway me.
I wish I had a dime for every critically acclaimed film I saw because it got rave reviews only to find I hated it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jun 3, 2007, 8:39am

Isn't that always the case? The film critics always pick the worst movies as their darlings. I'll never understand it. I don't know what they're looking for in a film. I guess it must be boring, very long and boring with the most boring actors involved. Those are usually the factors involved whenever a film critic raves about a movie.

No matter what the critics say about our boy, I am so anxious to see what he does with Sweeney. Not to mention the cinematography - I can't wait to see what sort of visual feast Burton lays down before us this time.

And I thought Gerard Butler did an awesome job as the phantom. But I'm biased. And not a critic.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Jun 5, 2007, 10:20am

Quote:

Isn't that always the case? The film critics always pick the worst movies as their darlings. I'll never understand it. I don't know what they're looking for in a film. I guess it must be boring, very long and boring with the most boring actors involved. Those are usually the factors involved whenever a film critic raves about a movie.

Too funny. And true unfortunately. Films that win with the critics usually star people like Hilary Swank or Nicole Kidman.

You like Gerry Butler? The fiery Spartan? Oddly enough, he's supposed to star opposite Hilary Swank in some film cmoing out late 2007. I'm sorry.

Johnny singing. Johnny killing people. Johnny working with Tim again. All very good things. After all, we are the true critics and I think the only people that Johnny cares about pleasing (that sounded absolutely decadent in my head).

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jun 5, 2007, 10:00pm

quote author=absinthe board=film thread=1165803242 post=1181056838] the only people that Johnny cares about pleasing (that sounded absolutely decadent in my head).

[/quote]

Yep and my head agrees with yours.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 10, 2007, 2:10pm

I'm so excited to see this Johnny movie it's going to be amazing

I mean it's a Johnny Depp + Tim Burton= brilliance!

I've never been so excited to see a Johnny movie as I am now for Sweeney Todd.
Bring on Sweeney Todd: The demon barber of fleet street

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jul 10, 2007, 2:14pm

I was talking about this today, in fact. I imagine comic book levels of spurting bright day-glo blood all over Johnny. Even more than in Sleepy Hollow.

Found this at JDR~~

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story...1-15803,00.html

Plenty of blood after barber cuts
REEL TIME
Sandy George
July 11, 2007

"IT has got a lot of blood in it and that's fine by me," says Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim of director Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd. The film version of Sondheim's musical about the demon barber of Fleet Street finished filming in Britain a couple of weeks ago.

A self-confessed movie buff, Sondheim says writer John Logan asked him for his opinion on the screenplay. He understood that filming the whole musical would make the film too long: some of the cuts were judicious and some not. "There are songs that have been cut, and cuts within some of the songs, but generally it is pretty much the score," he says. He was speaking at Sydney's Theatre Royal last Friday. "The plot is very little changed ... It is pretty faithful." Johnny Depp sings his way through the title role: the actor played in a rock band before becoming a star of television, then film. The cast includes Helena Bonham Carter (as Mrs Lovett), Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin), Timothy Spall (Beadle Bamford) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Signor Adolfo Pirelli). Sondheim says he has never been tempted to write for film: "Film is a director's medium and I would not have the patience to direct even if I had the talent for it."

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 10, 2007, 2:30pm

Thanx for that, amp! I'm glad Sondheim approves of the movie and how it is going. It's nice to know he's good with it.
I'm very excited. I have a feeling I will be doing something very huge to get ready for it. But I don't know exactly what.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 10, 2007, 2:40pm

Thanks for that Arnelle, I'm also glad that Sondheim is satisfied with how Sweeney Todd is going and how it has been finished and with the singing and stuff

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 12, 2007, 9:49am

I'm glad Sondheim isn't a jerk, haha.
I'm excited to see more pics of the movie, and a preview. I went to see the new Harry Potter yesterday, and they were showing some previews for next year's movies! I want them to show Sweeney Todd!
Oh well..I better give up.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 12, 2007, 10:52am

I'm pretty sure and also hope that they are going to show a preview of Sweeney Todd and the Comic Con

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 12, 2007, 11:03am

I hope soon! It's killing me here!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 12, 2007, 12:46pm

Quote:

I hope soon! It's killing me here!

Me too, I heared they are going to show it this month, please, please, please!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 13, 2007, 9:32am

Oh, that would be great. But I hope I go to the movies again by then.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 13, 2007, 12:35pm

Quote:

Oh, that would be great. But I hope I go to the movies again by then.

I hope so too *fingers crossed*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 13, 2007, 6:24pm

There's not much out that I want to see. But I am going to the drive-in today just for something to do..so hopefully...! And it's Friday the 13th and sometimes, weirdly, I think it's good luck. It switches on me sometimes.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 13, 2007, 6:42pm

We will just have to hope something new of Sweeney Todd will come this month

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 14, 2007, 9:50am

It didn't preview, sadly. But I still have hope. hehe.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Jul 14, 2007, 10:06am

Yeah me too as long as we have hope then I think everything is going to be just fine :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jul 14, 2007, 10:09am

Yep. I have huge hope for the movie itself. It's going to be great. Johnny and Tim Burton always make awesome movies. Plus it's a musical. It's like I've been waiting forever for Johnny to do something like this.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppstergal on Aug 10, 2007, 12:52pm

A new Sweeney Todd picture to tantalise and torment!

[image]

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Aug 10, 2007, 7:03pm

Quote:

A new Sweeney Todd picture to tantalise and torment!

[image]

Sweet rapturous torment! Oh, my goodness...goodness had nothing to do with it.

Thanks, deppstergal. More should be leaking out soon..pun intended.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Aug 11, 2007, 1:35pm

Wow it looks like she came fresh off the set of Harry Potter and walked straight into Sweeney Todds. And I can't even comment on him without being incoherent so let me just say thank you for the pic and that I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS FILM!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by dipshit101 on Aug 11, 2007, 1:36pm

OMIGAH!!! They look so amazing!! I can't wait till X-MAS! lol Thanks so much for this

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppstergal on Aug 12, 2007, 11:12am

Check this out! My brother who knows I'm nuts about Johnny, sent me this image by e-mail this morning, and what a way to start the morning. Sadly, he doesn't know who created this fabulous image, but whoever it was, WELL DONE! It's amazing!

[image]

Here is the link to download in the original size which maybe too big for the board.

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s168/deppstergal/?action=view¤t=SweenyToddcollage775.jpg

Hope you like it, I love it!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Aug 12, 2007, 11:55am

OMG! I can't breath I already saw the Sweeney picture on the other Depp boards but I need to comment on it again.
I'm so excited to see this I have no words for it thank you so much for sharing!

I can't wait to see Johnny in Sweeney Todd, Bring on Sweeney Todd!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Aug 20, 2007, 12:16pm

Man he looks really angry in that pic. Fun!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Aug 20, 2007, 8:56pm

Now that is a face I'm curious to find out about. He does look angry, yes. But there's also a blatant disgust on his face. What got him there. How did he turn into the monster he became? Imagine the characterizations we'll be able to do on this character.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Aug 21, 2007, 9:18pm

Marina, I am so looking forward to seeing this movie and figuring out how he molds this role to suit his method. I feel like such a geek but YAY!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Aug 22, 2007, 9:15pm

What a 180 from CJS.

I'm getting pretty exicted too, and it's going to be very difficult to avoid spoilers, as I know little about ST save for the basic plot.
I know I'll cave - I'm weak.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Aug 22, 2007, 9:31pm

You might be able to hold out. Didn't you go cold turkey for POTC 3?

I never go spoiler free. Finding out bits and pieces of info before it even gets here just gets me more excited to see it. And by the time I actually see it, I forget what spoilers I read anyway so it's all still a big surprise to me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Aug 23, 2007, 7:21am

Quote:

Didn't you go cold turkey for POTC 3?

CJS voice: "I did not!"

WW voice: " No way."

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Aug 25, 2007, 7:02am

The second new Sweeney Todd poster is here and it is looking AWESOME!

Thanks to Eroz from Deppography

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Aug 25, 2007, 8:00am

YAY Thank you for passing it along! It's getting closer and closer...

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Aug 25, 2007, 12:17pm

I know can you imagine that in 10 days we maybe get the Sweeney Todd trailer

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Aug 26, 2007, 9:36am

Still, I wish they would release this during the Halloween season. A Tim Burton murder/sing and dance movie just screams October 31st to me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Aug 27, 2007, 7:24am

Yes but there's also nothing like an all out killing spree during the most joyous season of the year. Puts things in perspective you know.

Seeing him walking away so menacingly in this newest pic is really making me hungry to see him do Dark Shadows.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Aug 27, 2007, 8:45am

Quote:

Yes but there's also nothing like an all out killing spree during the most joyous season of the year. Puts things in perspective you know.

yeah you betcha.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Aug 28, 2007, 10:08am

Yes people she's crazy, but she's my friend so I will walk this long road of insanity with her and try not to let any of it rub off on me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by midnightmuse on Aug 28, 2007, 1:18pm

I know the story and got thew DVd of the stage version with Angela Lansbury as Mrs Lovett, and discovered I just adore this musical, normally I hate them, but Sweeney Todd isnt your usual musical
I can understand the desire to keep spoiler free, but I am glad I got to enjoy Sweeney Todd and understand why it is so perfect for Burton and Depp . It just makes it something I anticipate all the more

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Aug 29, 2007, 8:06am

I've never seen any version of it so I am going in blind. But I want it to be that way because I'm interested in seeing his performance first, then perhaps exploring others and comparing. I doubt I will be disappointed, I'm sure.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Aug 29, 2007, 4:31pm

Quote:

I've never seen any version of it so I am going in blind. But I want it to be that way because I'm interested in seeing his performance first, then perhaps exploring others and comparing. I doubt I will be disappointed, I'm sure.

Agreed.
For once I will have no expectations and I'm trying to avoid major spoilers.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Aug 29, 2007, 6:50pm

Quote:

I absolutely agree :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Aug 30, 2007, 7:13pm

WOW

that poster just sets the right mood

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by samsgirl on Sept 1, 2007, 7:23am

I really can't wait to see this film! What a great Christmas this is going to be. Woo!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 6, 2007, 8:08am

posted yesterday at Deppography by Cassady~~

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's from Variety! thanks to eroz for giving me the link. this is final proof for the doubters (not here, but on other forums) who are worried that johnny can't sing:

Tim Burton held court Thursday at the Venice Film Festival, where he got a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement and unspooled an eight-minute sneak peek of his "Sweeney Todd" adaptation.
The clips, in sharp desaturated color, consisted largely of a key scene in the Stephen Sondheim musical in which Todd, played by Johnny Depp, is handed a razor case by Mrs. Lovett, played by Helena Bonham Carter.

Singing "My Friends" Depp proved he can carry a tune, dueting delightfully with Bonham Carter, herself debuting as a chantoosie.

A white streak in his hair, a mad twinkle in his eye, Depp -- in his sixth Burton pic -- seemed in fine form in the quick sneak, which, while entertainingly eerie, displayed no violence. Pic is reportedly headed for an "R" rating.

"I am just trying to make an old-fashioned horror movie with music in it," Burton said at the presser.

He added that pics with "people like Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre" are among vintage scary works he drew on for inspiration.

"It's quite uncharted territory. I don't think there are that many horror movie musicals out there these days," Burton noted. "It will be interesting to see what happens with it."

Paramount and DreamWorks have a lot riding on "Todd," which they will rollout Stateside in December, just as Warner Bros. will be outing the pic worldwide.

As for his Lido prize -- handed to him by Depp -- Burton said it was "the best honor I've ever received."

Asked about how the Venice Golden Lion compares to an Oscar -- a nod that has eluded Burton so far -- he joked: "It's actually a lot better-looking than a bald naked man. It's very special to me."

Said Depp as he handed Burton the Lion: "Tim is a rare breed in today's cinema: he is a true original, a true artist, a true auteur. He's my favorite director and friend. So ... let's give him the thing, man."

Concluding the gala evening was Disney's 3-D version of "The Night Before Christmas," which the studio is planning to re-release Stateside in October.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 6, 2007, 8:20am

spoilers

Found this link to AICN at JDR:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33917

this man was impressed as hell with Johnny's voice in the clip!

You know I am going to sing this at work, and mimic Depp's performance

(to the best of my humble ability)

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 7, 2007, 8:06am

I'm so happy that so far it's positive. But then again did any of us expect anything less with this amazing man? He never disappoints. On a side note, exciting news about the 3D Nightmare Before Christmas. I feel the same way that JD does about Burton. He is a rare gift in the world of directing.

Arnelle thanks for posting this stuff here or I'd be out of the loop on it all! :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 7, 2007, 8:06pm

I've loved Tim since Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. It was really Tim who I can thank for putting Johnny on my radar as an actor via Edward.
I'd love to see TNBC in 3-D!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 9, 2007, 7:23am

Pee Wee's Big adventure was one of my favorite films as a kid. I knew nothing about who directed I just knew that I loved it. My parents would rent it out at the local video store for me and sis almost every weekend for quite a long time. How can you not love the quirkiness of a movie when they've got some guy pedaling right through a Twisted Sister video.

That was the day my life entwined with Burton. I never knew how much of an impact he would have on me then.

The fact that he wound up teaming up with Johnny became an ultimate dream come true for me as I got older. I swear if he didn't love Vanessa so much, I'd totally approve of a marriage between them.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Sept 10, 2007, 8:49am

Well I guess in a way they kind of are married. A marriage of the minds, if you want. It seems like they'e always been on the same wavelength about things.

I think I had read somewhere that they can finish each other's sentences meanwhile no one else can understand what the hell they're even talking about?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 10, 2007, 8:01pm

And they both do a killer George E. Jessel imitation.

and boy doesn't THAT date them, and me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Sept 11, 2007, 7:03am

Well I didn't know who that was (sorry

) but I looked him up and saw that he was in the movie Valley of the Dolls which I've seen. But now I'm itching to hear their impression of him. Must be a hoot.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 11, 2007, 2:35pm

I'll ask around and see which uber-obsessed fan remembers the tv interview clip that I hear Johnny and/or Tim doing it.

I remember George E. Jessel from his frequent Ed Sullivan visits and back in the late 60's there were a few impressionists (Rich Little, Frank Gorshin) doing him like people do William Shatner today.

Jessle had a very strange way of speaking, like he always had something in his mouth and his nose was plugged up.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 12, 2007, 8:59am

Well sure, why wouldn't they want to do an impression of him.

I'd love to hear it too. I swear, even after all this time, I still find new things about him. YAY!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 12, 2007, 5:02pm

here are the Charlie Rose clips w/ Johnny doing George E. Jessel

http://www.yousendit.com/download/ZWJVUGhRT016NEkwTVE9PQ

thanks to deppobsessive at JDR

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 13, 2007, 8:19am

Holy crap, I have that interview-how did I miss that? I have no brain left. I need some of that gingko biloba stuff. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 13, 2007, 9:29pm

ST script review

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by samsgirl on Sept 16, 2007, 7:32am

Can Tim Burton direct real drama? Has this person seen Edward Scisshorhands?

I think it's gonna be great. It always is when Tim and Johnny hook up. :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Sept 20, 2007, 6:29pm

I think Tim can pull it off.
There are some serious parts in his movies. Like Ed Wood...some of the Bela parts. I just know he can do it!
But i didn't know ST was so serious! Wow.
Atleast it has laughs too.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 22, 2007, 7:36am

He can absolutely pull it off. There are dramatic moments in all of his films. We can even find one in Pee Wee's Big Adventure for god sake! It's just another example of how underestimated Burton is as a director. He can blend humor and drama right into the same scene and I think that's why sometimes it goes unnoticed to those who aren't really getting what he's trying to do. How brilliant is that?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Sept 22, 2007, 12:43pm

It's very brilliant. People need to just notice him more. He is too underestimated.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by beautifulmidnight on Sept 25, 2007, 10:42pm

I found another pic from Sweeney Todd.

This one is a little... umm... creepy.

Johnny is the one circled.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 26, 2007, 8:36am

I don't think I've ever seen him look quite that way. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Sept 26, 2007, 3:41pm

Oh my goodness. That is a little creepy, and I haven't seen him that way either.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 27, 2007, 7:46am

The closest we've seen him to sinister has been Spencer. Mort didn't give me the heebie jeebies as much (well until he started turning people into corn). But I think Sweeney is going to be the most evil/scary/shocking part he has played up to date.

Total opposite of a goofy pirate, eh? I swear I think the man is trying to go through every personality type before he retires from the movie biz. YAY!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Sept 27, 2007, 2:47pm

Woo. I hope he goes through every personality. He's getting there.

Mort wasn't creepy, he was just plain awesome. But I bet Spencer doesn't even come close to Sweeney either. We'll see what happens in a few months!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 28, 2007, 8:10am

Mort creeped me out when he stabbed her in the leg. Then when he was smiling with the shovel in his hand - that got me all ascared. :-[

But Spencer, sigh....he's a good scary. Most of the time. It was on cable last night so of course I took the opportunity to watch my favorite scenes. The torture....

It seems like all of a sudden time is slowing down because I'm anticipating this film so much. Everytime Tim and Johnny do something together it just gets more amazing.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Sept 28, 2007, 2:20pm

Ha! It was sort of the opposite with me! I thought Mort was so cute during the whole movie. Yeah, he was insane, but (call me crazy) something in my brain loved it all, lol.

But you are right about Spencer. His scariness is beautiful.

Okay, okay. I tend to love villians in most movies. lol.

I know! Time is going so slow!!!! Why? Err. It angers me. I'm waiting for so many things to happen, Sweeney being the most exciting, and it's taking forever.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Sept 29, 2007, 7:33am

Quote:

But you are right about Spencer. His scariness is beautiful.

Okay, okay. I tend to love villians in most movies. lol.

I love villains too. And yes Spencer's scariness is beautiful. I've never thought of putting it that way, but you're right. There's something about a hot guy going off the deep end in movies that just makes my tummy all floopy.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Sept 29, 2007, 8:54pm

Villians have all the fun. Everybody knows that.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 1, 2007, 9:41am

I hear a little bit of Wonka in your voice...

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Oct 1, 2007, 2:50pm

Quote:

Villians have all the fun. Everybody knows that.

Definitely true!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Oct 4, 2007, 6:18pm

TRAILER!!!!!!!!

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834155/video/4367764

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 4, 2007, 9:17pm

"I will have vengeance. I will have salvation." The passion in his voice...gah!

I will have a heart attack when I see this film in the theater.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Oct 5, 2007, 5:19am

I have said this on the other JD boards too, but I still can't believe we have a Sweeney Todd trailer I must have watched it over 50 times now, and the way Johnny looks, sings, acts is just amazing I couldn't believe my eyes and ears god what a man!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Oct 5, 2007, 6:51am

They should have the ushers standing by with paddles. "Clear"

I sent the trailer to my whelp in college and she said, "They had me at Rickman". Something for everyone. I love Alan too, btw. Who better to put the desire for vengeance into Barker? :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Oct 6, 2007, 10:37am

Oh my goodness!
I am speechless right now. Its....beyond words at the moment.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 7, 2007, 7:49am

Quote:

They should have the ushers standing by with paddles. "Clear"

This is why I always recommend that anyone who is a fan of JD carry their insurance cards with them wherever they go. You never know what can happen.

Arnelle, Iknew that Alan Rickman was going to be in it but was pretty excited to actually see him in the trailer doing his thing. He's so good at being bad. Then I also noticed another actor from Harry Potter. The guy that plays Peter Pettigrew. I'm wondering if the cast came together because Helena recommended them to Tim. Whatever, I'm very excited and can't wait to see Johnny be so angry and evil!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Oct 8, 2007, 11:09am

I just finished watching the trailer over at youtube

Here's a link for that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNjhxNAKKMg

I hear a bit of Jack Sparrow and Abberline in his voice

- this film looks FANTASTIC!!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Oct 8, 2007, 8:46pm

Indeed. Maggie at Deppography pegged it: Scary, sexy; talks like Jack, sings like Bowie!

WOW....

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 9, 2007, 11:03am

I am so not going to be spoiler free for this one.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Oct 9, 2007, 3:45pm

Me either Anna. Just can't help but look!
He definitely sounds like Jack. That character will never be fully out of him.
But I have a feeling he doesn't speak like that before he becomes Sweeney..when he's Benjamin. So excited to know.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 10, 2007, 9:58am

I did hear a bit of Jack when he was grinding some of the words out in the song. But I doubt there will be any trace of the pirate in this character. At least I hope not. Two different worlds.

I'm thinking Benjamin probably speaks using the soft tones Johnny used when he played JM Barrie. Le sigh......

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Oct 10, 2007, 8:39pm

All day at work I kept replaying over and over and over and over the part in the trailer where we hear Johnny sing.

I can't wait to see this!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Oct 11, 2007, 2:54pm

I can't wait either. Woo.

Ooo, I think Benjamin will talk like JM Barrie too...that would fit.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 11, 2007, 9:36pm

I can't stop watching the trailer. I love the scene where he's singing and he holds the note on n in the word vengeance. He looks so intense and all his teeth are exposed. It's so...primitive. YAY!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Oct 12, 2007, 6:52am

Quote:

I can't stop watching the trailer. I love the scene where he's singing and he holds the note on n in the word vengeance. He looks so intense and all his teeth are exposed. It's so...primitive. YAY!!!

Oh, yes, primal! Heats the blood to white hot!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Oct 12, 2007, 3:56pm

Oh, that is the best part!
His singing is so..exilerating...ah.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Oct 13, 2007, 2:34pm

Quote:

I am so not going to be spoiler free for this one.

I give up, too. I really don't want or need to see the original, though.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Oct 15, 2007, 8:47pm

I have a friend who was a big fan of the original and she recommended that I see it but I'm not sure if I want to do that before or after I see Tim and Johnny's interpretation. I think I need to see Johnny do this first before I watch it because I'm too excited and don't want to have anything else to compare it to. I just want to enjoy it for what it is at that moment.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 2, 2007, 7:48pm

SPOILER ALERT!

Posted @ Deppography by MadScntst:

There is an amazingly positive review from Harry of Ain't It Cool News. Bear in mind that this guy seems to be a film buff as opposed to a critical reviewer, and he just seems to be basking in his enjoyment of the film. In other words, he doesn't even seem to be trying to be objective or impartial- just a fan. But that works for me

Published on Friday, November 2, 2007 - 5:42am
Harry loves the delicious meat pies of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET - that Burton is some cook!

SWEENEY TODD is Tim Burton’s best film since ED WOOD – which I consider to be his very best film to date. That said, upon multiple viewings it is possible this film will become my favorite Burton film.

It is that perfect subject matter for him… a hybrid of Disney and Bava and Corman. In structure it is a sweeping love story between a young innocent man and a caged would be Repunzel… but then there’s that rare character that you never see in a Disney fantasy musical. A bitter psychopathic father figure that is out to revenge the horror of his own life. I would call this Tim Burton’s Grimmest Fairy Tale.

and the rest: do not read if you don't want to know..........

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34665

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 4, 2007, 7:33am

Now that was detailed and I am even more excited now than I was before! I'm so happy to be spoiled!

I don't think this next statement is a...

S
P
O
I
L
E
R

...but, to me, in a sense it is because I just needed this to be reaffirmed for me before even seeing the film:

Depp’s SWEENEY TODD is not the showy work of Jack Sparrow, he isn’t playing a character that can even be compared. Sparrow is about openly speaking and wanton physicality. Sweeney is a man boiling on the inside, he has experienced torture and confinement for years… he lost his wife and child and the center of his rage is upon the man that did him that wrong.

Now I know for sure. Rage? Rage? Did you see that? He's going to be enraged.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 5, 2007, 10:01pm

Three more articles/interviews, both discovered by me at Deppography. but I'm so sure that almost any other active Depp site has these posted. Now Got Depp? has 'em too.

Thanks to sylarwantsbraaainz~
EW 1

Thanks to FANtasticJD~
EW 2

Thanks to Cassady~
NY Times

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 6, 2007, 11:26pm

Thank you Arnelle. The store where I usually get my mags doens't have it yet (it arrives this Thursday they said-I hate them for making me wait!) so this should hold me over till then.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 12, 2007, 4:33pm

An article posted by Fredsangel @ Deppography

Heres the Flim Review Article type up by me

By James Mottram

From Edward Scissorhands to Sleepy Hollow’s Ichabod Crane, Johnny Depp has created some memorable Gothic characters with Tim Burton. So when it was announced that the director planned to bring Sweeney Todd, The demon barber of Fleet Street, to the screen, who better than Johnny Depp to take the role? “It’s enjoyable working with him,” shrugs Burton. “Some actors make a career out of being themselves in a movie. But I’ve always enjoyed those actors that just like to become different creatures and he’s that way. He’s always trying something different. On this movie he sings!”

An adaptation of the bloodthirsty Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd is Burton’s first attempt at the genre. “Well, I’ve never been a big musical fan in terms of films,” hey says. “But Sweeney Todd, is probably my favourite musical, a mix of horror movies and music together which is nice.” A gruesome tale as Sweeney Todd resolves to brutally rid himself of anyone who has ever done him wrong, Burton promises his version is “uncharted territory” both for him and Hollywood. Promising to deliver an “old fashioned horror movie” set to music, he notes “ I don’t think there’s many R-Rated musicals out there these days.”

As well as reuniting him with Depp, Burton also once again works with his real life partner Helena Bonham Carter, who plays accomplice Mrs Lovett. Proudly selling the ‘worst pies in London’ from an establishment below Sweeney’s barbers shop, she helps him in his diabolical plan by disposing of the bodies. “She’s bonkers,” laughs Carter. “She makes pies out of human hearts!” Carter admits the film was unlike anything she’d ever shot. “People kept breaking out into song!” she says. “I surprised myself. I didn’t think I could sing. But it was merciless. It was really quite stressful. I wouldn’t recommend it for any relationship!”

With the cast also including Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen, Burton admits he was very impressed by the commitment of his actors, none of whom are professional singers by trade. “What everybody says about this particular is that it’s quite a demanding one,” he says. “But to have actors do it just made it very exciting. Every single one of them did it. What’s great about it is that it’s them as characters. We worked very hard not to over produce it, in the sense where with certain pop bands you hear a voice and it’s very generic and it could be anybody. You really hear the actors come through it.”

Admitting his inspiration in terms of the look was the films of old horror stars like Boris Karloff, Burton feels in many ways making Sweeney Todd was like “making a silent film with music in it.” As such, it gave a different feel to proceedings on set. “It was very interesting to watch the actors work,” he admits. “It was almost like the old days where they’d play a piano on set on a Lon Chaney movie. It just made the actors move different and respond different, which was very exciting.” Once again, it seems that Burton’s macabre magic is set to cast a spell over us all

and some disappointment: posted by FANtasticJD~
I heard this from a friend in the industry a couple weeks ago but it has been formally announced that the LA press junket has been cancelled. London will be the only one. Less Johnny, fewer new pics, more redundant articles, less glad-handing of awards voters... It's scary to realize that this may be all we get of Johnny until Shantaram is released. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Johnny skipped the awards show circuit assuming filming in India goes ahead as announced. I hope he at least goes to the GG's.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 13, 2007, 11:11am

If his lack of appearances is going to be due to the fact that he's going to be working on Shantaram, I can take it. That is one film I really want to see get done even if it means we don't get to see that gorgeous face for a while. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 8:09am

I'd seen this before, but forgot to post it. From Donna @ JDR~

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/arti...Todd/article.do

From cut-throat to throat-cutter: Johnny Depp is the demon barber Sweeney Todd 13.11.07

He's become famous for his portrayal of lovable rogue and pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. But now Johnny Depp has gone from cut-throat to throat-cutter in his latest film - as the demon barber Sweeney Todd.

In a film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical, Sweeney Todd, as ever, Depp's metamorphosis into the the vicious barber who collected human parts for Mrs. Lovett's meat pies, is completely authentic.

With his pale face, sunken eyes, and shock of dark hair punctuated by a Mallen streak, Depp looks terrifyingly authentic as the 19th century mass murderer.

Edward Scissorhands director Tim Burton has managed to enlist Depp to create a faithful film adaptation in which most of the action unfolds in song. Depp was a revelation, and surprised himself with his singing ability.

He said: "I knew I could stay in key to some degree. But I didn't know if I could sustain a note, or belt one out."

Sweeney Todd spins a gruesome tale of vengeance in 19th-century London. Director Burton insisted on lashings of blood as his ghoulish barber slashed clients in the gory scenes.

But Depp admitted he soon tired of the sight of it.

Depp told US magazine Entertainment Weekly: "I remember everyone except me being covered in plastic trash bags. There'd be a countdown: 'Three, two, one… action!' And then blammo… the great deluge.

"It tasted kind of like a Karo-syrupy sort of thing. It was oily and it was dangerous, slippery.

"You'd see these big English grips, tiptoeing through the swamp of blood."

Alongside Depp, the cast includes Burton's partner, Helena Bonham-Carter.

Bonham-Carter plays Mrs. Lovett, Todd's partner in crime. Desperate to be part of Todd's life and to exorcise his dead wife's ghost, she becomes his business associate, grinding victims into meat pies and selling them to an unsuspecting public. Alan Rickman, and comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen also star.

In the film, Sweeney Todd is a man previously known as Benjamin Barker - who has returned from the penal colonies in Australia, where he has spent 15 years after being falsely accused of a crime.

When he speaks to Mrs. Lovett, maker of the worst pies in London, he learns that while he was away, his wife was raped by Judge Turpin, the man who sent him away. Distraught, she poisoned herself. The judge now has Sweeney's daughter under his thumb as his ward.

Sweeney Todd vows revenge, and Mrs. Lovett agrees to be his co-conspirator. Their plot brings about mass murder and amazing business for the pie shop.

The DreamWorks film is set for release in January 25.

***Note this is the UK release date, the US date is still 12/21.***

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 10:44am

Shit, January 25th. That sucks.

Some of the info in this article was in the EW issue that came out last week. Sondheim had nothing but good things to say about the singing in this film. And if you've got his stamp of approval, well then I think Johnny did exactly what I expected he'd do and nailed the performance.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 5:08pm

We are too much alike, Anna. did you miss this part at the end?

"***Note this is the UK release date, the US date is still 12/21.*** "

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 9:43pm

I saw it. I was just testing you. [image]

But it still sucks.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 9:47pm

2 new posters thanks to Karen at JDR

[image]

and the wallpapers I made from them~

[image]

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 9:59pm

It would appear that you are trying to kill me. No warning, no heads up....I was sooooo not prepared.

It's just too much to take in at once.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 10:05pm

whoopsie! okay then...WARNING! emergency! red alert! Hot man on display and it's so red hot it burns!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I really do think the ST filmakers don't want us to live long enough to see this movie.
These posters just keep getting better and better! I don't know how much more of this ecstacy I can take!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 10:08pm

And his hair. So wild and tarnished. I just want to run my hands through it.

So you think there are some extensions in there or is it all him?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 10:13pm

I'm totally dying to know for sure. I'm done speculating. All I know is the effect is sexy as hell, psycho serial killer or not, I'd do him. Mrs. Lovett can't help herself, and neither could I.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 10:20pm

Now that I'm looking at the pics again, it looks to me like he's got more than one pair of cutoff gloves in this movie. I'm not gonna be able to make it through the whole movie without screaming like a Beatles fan in the theater.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 14, 2007, 10:27pm

Quote:

Now that I'm looking at the pics again, it looks to me like he's got more than one pair of cutoff gloves in this movie. I'm not gonna be able to make it through the whole movie without screaming like a Beatles fan in the theater.

I'm glad we're not going together, then. I want to hear the lyrics and the singing if you don't mind. :'(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 14, 2007, 10:31pm

I'm pretty sure security is going to hover close by for most of it. Kim will be so pleased.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 15, 2007, 9:09am

For those weaklings who just can't wait:

Johnny singing-"Johanna".

WOW

Get it while it's hot--it may not stay on YouTube long.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 15, 2007, 9:42pm

I don't know what to say. I just know that I'm not listening to him anymore when he says "Oh I'm not good at this" or "I'm not good at that." He's a liar!

I knew just from the beauty in his speaking voice that he would have an even more beautiful singing voice. I'm so proud of him!

And when he sings the Johanna part, I ignore the "Jo" and just listen to the way he holds that last note in
"Annaaaaaaaaaaaaaa". YAY!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sylvia on Nov 16, 2007, 5:53am

Isn't it just fabulous?

Here are the links to the other tracks (and a downloadable Johanna) in case anyone hasn't seen them all yet

My Friends: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZLQKH0LU
Epiphany: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3H9WG2KF
Johanna: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8CIKD7PN

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 16, 2007, 11:18am

I may die now. Seriously. If you haven't seen me in a few days, I'm not busy. Dead.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 16, 2007, 4:10pm

It's a good day to die.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 17, 2007, 5:49pm

Wow! I've sure been missing out on alot! I'm slacking....
So glad I'm finally back!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 18, 2007, 9:00am

It's always good to see you here, deppaddict. I'm sure you hae plenty of other important things to do with your time, but don't be a stranger!

Sweeney's waiting.....

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 18, 2007, 4:21pm

I promise to be a stranger no longer! Not after hearing that voice of his!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 18, 2007, 9:40pm

Thanks to sharonc at Deppography, and/or MovieDan at IMDb/JDR!

Johnny in the recording studio/ST clip @myspace

OH! be still my throbbing heart!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 19, 2007, 4:54pm

That brought tears of joy to my eyes!
Oh my goodness, falling, falling, falling....all over again.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 19, 2007, 10:27pm

Arnelle, what are you trying to do to me! Ohmigod just when I think I can't possibly love him enough, his voice shoots yet another arrow straight into my heart. Intoxicating!

Do you know where this actually came from? A TV program of some sort?

I LOVE HIM!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 20, 2007, 8:15am

I'm not sure where it came from, it was posted up on the ST myspace page. Maybe it will be on telly later. Starz on the Set or something.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 20, 2007, 4:29pm

It's takes the very breath out of your lungs...

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 22, 2007, 8:38am

Thanks to MadScntst:

From Time magazine:

PREVIEW

Sweeney Todd

Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman. Directed by Tim Burton. Opens Dec. 21

Johnny Depp returns with director Tim Burton! Johnny Depp gets to murder people with much splatter! Johnny Depp sings! Let's face it, the curiosity meter on this one is turned to 11. And it was even before Depp got poliosis (that's the medical term for that goofy white forelock he's sporting).

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, as the full title has it, has quite a history. It's the film version of the hit Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical, which was based on a '70s play based on a 19th century melodrama. All of those appear to have drawn on an urban myth about a barber who found an unconventional use for his straight razors and then an even more unconventional use for the bodies of his victims.

It's always a little tricky negotiating the road from Broadway musical to major motion picture, strewn as it is with the burned-out hulks of vehicles like 2005's The Producers and Rent. Viewers currently like their cinematic fantasy fairly realistic, the better to suspend disbelief. But in reality, only crazy people break into song in the course of regular conversation. Conversely, the weirder the movie musical is, the better it appears to work (see Moulin Rouge! or Chicago). This would seem to play to Burton's and Depp's strengths.

With Burton at the helm, for example, we know the film will be visually front-loaded. His London is very murky and dark, its citizens very pale and sickly, the better perhaps to complement all the blood they're about to be sloshing around in--or to remind us of old black-and-white horror films. We also know there will be an abundance of quirk. What's not certain is whether the film can find an audience. Will the buckets of gore and the presence of the erstwhile Captain Jack Sparrow--not to mention an appearance by Borat's Sacha Baron Cohen--draw in the young gotta-get-to-it first-weekend viewers? Will the musical credentials and actorly cast lure the older theater crowd? Or will the two elements cancel each other out: too much violence for the fogies, too much singing and dancing for the kids?

Whether the movie turns out to be a bloodbath or a triumphal song, one thing's for sure: it will be cutting edge.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 22, 2007, 8:50am

and here's another

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Nov 22, 2007, 8:06pm

Thanks so much for all these amazing links! He sounds awesome!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Nov 23, 2007, 9:51am

Well I don't know if his hair is goofy or not but I can say that it's definitely part of the appeal for me.

I'm wondering if this will be one of the goriest films Burton has done. Tastefully though.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Nov 23, 2007, 6:55pm

I can't stop listening to "My Friends" ... I love his delivery of "how he smiles in the night - my friend - my faithful friend"

and "you've been locked out of sight - all these years -like me - my friend..."

OMG!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 24, 2007, 7:44am

Quote:

I can't stop listening to "My Friends" ... I love his delivery of "how he smiles in the night - my friend - my faithful friend"

and "you've been locked out of sight - all these years -like me - my friend..."

OMG!!!

It gives me chills, Sheree. It's pretty amazing songwriting to feel so moved by a love song to razors. And poor Mrs. Lovett!
He's lusting for revenge and blood and she's lusting for him. "I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd."
Yes, "My Friends is a special song. I haven't heard them all yet, but I think it will be my favorite and it's one that gets stuck on repeat in the brain. I don't mind, really.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 24, 2007, 8:29am

Thank you muchly to MadScntst

CW behind-the-scenes exclusive!
spoilers

Johnny

Tim

Helena

Rickman!

the excitement builds!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Nov 24, 2007, 1:35pm

Thanks for posting that

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sylvia on Nov 25, 2007, 5:46pm

Quote:

Thank you muchly to MadScntst

CW behind-the-scenes exclusive!
spoilers

Johnny

Tim

Helena

Rickman!

the excitement builds!

Ah, isn't it fabulous? Thank you amp :-*

. So many of my favourite actors and actresses in one place.... and what they're doing in that place too, ahhh

And I have to agree, of the three songs we have so far (and I think if there are any more before I see the film I'll try not to listen... haha... though I'm not sure I have enough self control not to.......) my favourite is definitely My Friends. It really gets me emotionally.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 26, 2007, 7:58pm

Press Junket news!

Thanks to Cassady at Deppography.
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3786&Itemid=99

Interviews: Depp, Burton, Carter and Rickman Slash Through Sweeney Todd!
Written by Andy Duke, Stephanie Sanchez
Monday, 26 November 2007
The London press day for Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd was held today. Set to open on Christmas, Sweeney Todd stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Sasha Baron Cohen.

IESB’s Andy Duke attended the roundtable interviews with Burton, Depp, Carter and Rickman and had a few interesting quotes to share. Complete transcripts are coming soon but here are the highlights!

Johnny Depp was asked about his shaving lessons he took along with Baron Cohen to help prepare for his character of the Demon Barber. “He [Cohen] still has scars on his back,” was his reply.

Tim Burton says about Depp, “he would do anything for me apart from ballet.” Depp quickly jumped in, “that's not true - I would be happy to learn ballet.” Laughter filled the press room.

Although daunted at the prospect of making his on screen musical debut, Depp took the preparation process in stride. “I had no idea if I could sing or not and recorded some demos at a friend's studio and sent them in to Tim Burton as my audition.”

And to say that Burton was easy to impress would be an understatement. Helena Bonham Carter said she had to audition for her part in the film. “I had to wait five weeks before he gave me feedback (regarding her singing audition).”

On being asked about this process with Helena, Burton’s comment got a big laugh, “that sounds really sleazy.”

Although reticent to discuss Harry Potter, Alan Rickman laughed about the recent rumor of a JK Rowling inspired musical; “who is shoving that around?” He further informed the IESB that there is an online porn version of the franchise making the rounds. (Harry Pooter is my vote for the title)

With a slasher musical like Sweeney Todd, it’s going to be interesting to see how the film fares in terms of Yule-tide competition at the box office.

Rickman commented, “it is the jolly Christmas option” for punters. He has two independent films due for release in January – “Bottle Shock” and “Nobel Son”.

Helena also has some big projects in store, she is due to have her second child with partner Tim Burton in two weeks time and said she'll be “breast feeding in time for the filming of Harry Potter 6 in February 2008.”

When asked about the HP franchise she commented, “it's made me very popular with kids although they all seem to be scared of me.”

Bonham Carter laughed about her 'baby bump', pointed to it and said, “we shag a lot.”

She also said about her on screen singing debut in Sweeney Todd – “it's a tall order to learn to sing in three months.”

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is unleashed on Christmas Day!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 27, 2007, 8:14am

radio interview with Sondheim, Depp, Tim et al...
part of the press junket hoopla

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 27, 2007, 3:35pm

Thank you so much, that was great!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 27, 2007, 6:18pm

thanks to Anne Took at JDR!

again, SPOILER Alert!

The original source is
http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_c...=3789&Itemid=99

But you can see them in youtube too

1) The Cast
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn2dnU7N3sA

2) The View
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnvyWDDyKpM

3) The story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnK0GTT8XK4

4) Footage 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maBx50Y3tpU

5) Footage 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pg9b9nejqU

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 27, 2007, 8:51pm

Posted at JDR by captainjacksparrow
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0rfQnv1gdus

The Daily 10 lady just said, "limited release".
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 27, 2007, 9:54pm

OHMIGOD.

Seriously, I'm going to die here. There's too much coming at me now and I don't know what to do with it.

Sensory overload! I LOVE HIM!

Arnelle, thank you so much for all of this stuff you're sharing with us! You rock! :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 28, 2007, 7:15am

Oh, yes, it's been coming at us full speed ahead now. I've completely indulged in all the spoils.

Hubby said, (as I was watching all of the vids I posted) "you keep watching all these you'll spoil it and ruin all you fun". (as if) I said "I hate when that happens. Oh well."

I think there's enough they've held back I'm not worried about having it so spoiled.

My fave bits are the ones that show them filming! The process fascinates me endlessly.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 28, 2007, 4:28pm

I am so overwhelmed with all of this!
And how is it possible to not watch the spoilers! Err, I can't do it!

This is going to be amazing. Speechless. Oh.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Nov 28, 2007, 9:25pm

It's funny because no matter how many pieces of the film that are revealed in advance, I'm always so excited by the hype that I forget everything I've seen by the time I finally see the film so I actually don't feel spoiled. Am I crazy?

I cannot believe all those videos on you tube. I haven't even started looking at them all. Although I did try the first one and it's taking a while to load. Maybe a bandwidth issue. I'm sure the whole world is watching them.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 29, 2007, 7:49am

Quote:

I am so overwhelmed with all of this!
And how is it possible to not watch the spoilers! Err, I can't do it!

This is going to be amazing. Speechless. Oh.

Will you have someone to get you in to see ST, addict? I hope you can. I don't know how strict your parents are.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 29, 2007, 8:14am

Thanks very much to herestoyou @ JDR:

The "comedy team" of Burton and Depp: an Access Hollywood interview. Warning: put down the coffee until the cip is finished.

http://video.accesshollywood.com/player/?id=189396

enjoy!!!!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 29, 2007, 12:35pm

OMG he did not get coffee up his nose. LMAO! Freakin hilarious!

He couldn't seem to get rid of the giggles could he? I loved it! He laughs like a girl!

I've never seen his hat so low over his head in an interview. That lady was probably mortified and he was probably doing his best not to look at her for fear of just losing it all over again. Awesome!

This is the second time they've mentioned the Gabor sisters in an interview. lol I love that they're constantly joking about one thing or another. I wonder how long they laughed about this interview after it was over.

Oh and before I forget! I finally got to look at all the youtube vids and I can't remember which one it was because I became completely flabbergasted but there was a shot of him and Helena on the beach in their swim costumes. He looked bloody adorable! And I soooo can't wait to see caps of that scene when someone finally gets their hands on a copy of the movie! Legally, of course. Ahem. :'(

Thanks, Arnelle!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 29, 2007, 3:27pm

Quote:

Quote:

I am so overwhelmed with all of this!
And how is it possible to not watch the spoilers! Err, I can't do it!

This is going to be amazing. Speechless. Oh.

Will you have someone to get you in to see ST, addict? I hope you can. I don't know how strict your parents are.

Oh, they aren't strict when it comes to movies, especially Depp ones. They know that if I don't see his movies, than I will go pretty ballistic. So they're fine with it.

Plus, they know I couldn't live without movies. :-X

No, I'm seeing it right away! Lol.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 29, 2007, 9:52pm

Wait! There's more!

Found at JDR posted by Leener who found it at OhJohnny and gosh only knows who sent the link to Kazren.

You're welcome in advance! hehe
http://www.etonline.com/news/2007/11/55984/index.html

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 29, 2007, 9:58pm

The site is all new! Loads of goodies!!!! The soundtrack plays the whole while! Johnny's voice has got me all verklempt!

http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Nov 29, 2007, 10:20pm

Quote:

I became completely flabbergasted but there was a shot of him and Helena on the beach in their swim costumes. He looked bloody adorable! And I soooo can't wait to see caps of that scene when someone finally gets their hands on a copy of the movie! Legally, of course. Ahem.

They're here at OhJohnny Anna dear!

http://www.ohjohnny.net/sweeney/sweeney29.html

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Nov 30, 2007, 2:09pm

Oh god I only have like literally 2 minutes but had to jump in and say THANK YOU ARNELLE! I'm using my last minute to head over to Oh Johnny to get my hands on those caps.

I feel like I'm freakin 13 again! YAY!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Nov 30, 2007, 3:13pm

Woah, thank you so much! There are loads of Sweeney things out there already! I love it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 2, 2007, 9:04am

It's my goal to gather all pieces of information and combine them together so that basically I will have already seen the entire movie. Goals are fun!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 2, 2007, 9:14am

Quote:

It's my goal to gather all pieces of information and combine them together so that basically I will have already seen the entire movie. Goals are fun!

Be careful what you wish for. Something tells me this movie transcends spoiling.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 2, 2007, 5:43pm

Haha, oh well. Its a nice goal. But don't tempt me with everything you've got, because I don't want to know the entire movie before it comes out...just most. Lol.

By the way, Anna, I love your siggy!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 2, 2007, 7:02pm

Thanks to Donna @ JDR~~

Quote:

Here's a link to a short but nice interview for ST/ Click on the pic to go to the video:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/index.html

"the whole Magilla" (as in gorilla, no doubt.) [image]

You're a nut job, Johnny, and I love you for it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 2, 2007, 7:24pm

From Kazren @ Oh Johnny~~
many many thanks!!!!

The Making of Sweeney Todd
warning - this is a Quicktime format 30 min presentation and will take about 1 hour with DSL to download.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y6B8BYEE

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 3, 2007, 10:15am

It'll be well worth the download time I'm sure. Thanks, Arnelle!

Anna, that signature is one of the best I have seen in a very long time.

It's so good to be back!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 3, 2007, 8:43pm

By the way, shutterbug @ Deppography looked up the "whole megillah":

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mag1.htm

I had it all wrong!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 3, 2007, 9:27pm

Posted by Cassady @ Deppography today:

I just saw a review (rave) about the screening from AICN which mentioned that they were there, and I couldn't believe it! But it was true!

Here's the review:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34950

This was posted at IMDB:

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton: Ask the 'Sweeney Todd' Star and Director a Question
Posted Dec 3rd 2007 2:02PM by Patricia Chui
Filed under: Music & Musicals, Paramount, Fandom, Johnny Depp, Interviews, Unscripted

Heeeeeere's Johnny! No, really. He's here, or he will be on Wednesday, December 5. By "Johnny," of course, we mean the man better known to fans of Pirates of the Caribbean and 21 Jump Street as Johnny Depp; and by "here" we mean right here in Moviefone's studios, answering your questions with director Tim Burton as part of our Unscripted interview series.

Depp is starring in one of the most anticipated films of the season, and that's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the Stephen Sondheim musical that's finally getting the lavish on-screen treatment it's due. At the helm is frequent Depp collaborator Tim Burton; and if you've ever been lucky enough to catch the musical, you'll know that Burton is perfect to direct the dark and twisted tale of Sweeney Todd (Depp), "the demon barber of Fleet Street," who, with the help of his landlady (Helena Bonham Carter), kills people and bakes them into scrumptious meat pies. It's sort of like Waitress except with killing, crazier hair ... and singing!

There's been a ton of Oscar talk around the movie, Depp, Burton and Bonham Carter, and now's your chance to interrogate both Depp and Burton for yourself. Hit Captain Jack and, uh, Mr. Burton with whatever you're dying to know, then check back the week of December 17 to see if your question made it on the air.

To submit a question, you can leave it here in the comments, or you can text one to AskCelebs@aol.com (brought to you by Verizon Wireless). Please provide your first name and your city and state, and if you're looking for inspiration, then take a look at some of our past Unscripted interviews here. Good luck!

http://www.cinematical.com/2007/12/03/jo....-star-and-dire/

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 3, 2007, 10:54pm

I didn't think anything could surpass the buzz of the POTC films but wow I was wrong.

I wouldn't even know what to ask. It's lucky for me that I'm even typing I'm so freakin excited about this film.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 5, 2007, 8:00am

Found at JDR posted by deppaholic
Collen Atwood's fab costumes!
[image]

Also found at JDR~

red carpet clip

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 5, 2007, 10:45am

Oh I am just loving that jacket!

Thanks for the red carpet clip. I can't believe Mrs. Huxtable went to see Sweeney Todd.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 5, 2007, 6:44pm

Quote:

Oh I am just loving that jacket!

Thanks for the red carpet clip. I can't believe Mrs. Huxtable went to see Sweeney Todd.

And she took her sister! :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 5, 2007, 6:54pm

Johnny and tim on Today today.

dowloadable clip courtesy of jeppody at JDR

many many thanks!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=89UK67ZC

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 5, 2007, 7:39pm

The clip wouldn't show for me, but maybe it's on youtube...?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 5, 2007, 11:15pm

Quote:

The clip wouldn't show for me, but maybe it's on youtube...?

Some other folks had trouble with it too. If I find it on YouTube, I'll be sure to post the link.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 6, 2007, 8:11am

Thanks!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 6, 2007, 9:50am

Thanks to Reemi @ JDR!
podcast interviews with Johnny and Sondheim

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 6, 2007, 12:45pm

Quote:

Johnny and tim on Today today.

dowloadable clip courtesy of jeppody at JDR

many many thanks!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=89UK67ZC

Thank you for this! I wouldn't have knonw otherwise! I just seem to miss everything he does that's press related! :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 6, 2007, 3:22pm

I found the Today show video on youtube...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1NJLXdkzGsQ
It made my day

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 6, 2007, 4:34pm

Quote:

I found the Today show video on youtube...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1NJLXdkzGsQ
It made my day

Yay! I knew you'd find it first! I've been mad busy!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 6, 2007, 5:06pm

Yep! Yay for me!
I tend to go on youtube quite alot, and I didn't want you to have to do it for me..

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 7, 2007, 12:27pm

Thanks to liz at Deppography!

SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!

MTV exclusive clip: Plotting Revenge

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 7, 2007, 5:25pm

Thanks for that! It's just wonderful!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Dec 11, 2007, 10:49pm

God damn I have been missing out on everything! >:(

I can't believe all those awesome clips on youtube. He is really digging this role. There's a fire in his eyes I haven't seen since The Libertine. Maybe because this is a more intense, more dramatic character than Jack Sparrow but still. He's just chilling me to the bone and I love it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 12, 2007, 8:15am

Quote:

God damn I have been missing out on everything! >:(

And he makes Sweeney a tragic romantic figure.

Do you notice the water in his eyes when Lovett tells him "he's got yor daughter". So much pain. Then the wetness dissovles into steely vengeful resolve.

I just know Mrs. Lovett is the one going to make me cry cry cry.
Talk about blind delusional unrequited love

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 12, 2007, 3:32pm

Aww, there's more to Sweeney then just revenge and hatred. Poor thing.
Most people would think about revenge when something like that happens to them. So I don't blame him, lol...

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 12, 2007, 8:58pm

Quote:

I just know Mrs. Lovett is the one going to make me cry cry cry. Talk about blind delusional unrequited love

I know. The way she looks at him on the boardwalk - like she's hoping that he really could love her one day. It's gonna be brutal to see how she reacts when she realizes finally that it won't ever happen. I'm sure Helena hit that one out of the park.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 13, 2007, 8:20am

Quote:

Quote:

I just know Mrs. Lovett is the one going to make me cry cry cry. Talk about blind delusional unrequited love

SPOILERS!!
Thanks to Cassady~
A great interview with John Logan, the ST screenwriter:

Transforming Todd
Screenwriter John Logan talks about the challenges of taking Sweeney Todd from stage to screen.
By: Brian Scott Lipton · Dec 10, 2007

One of the most anticipated films of the month is Tim Burton's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's beloved stage musical Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Helena Bonham Carter (Burton's significant other) as Mrs. Lovett, which will be released on December 21. TheaterMania recently spoke with the film's co-producer and screenwriter John Logan, a two-time Oscar nominee for his work on Gladiator and The Aviator and the author of such acclaimed plays as Never the Sinner, about this remarkable stage-to-screen transformation.
THEATERMANIA: Do you think your experience as a playwright made it easier to adapt this film?
JOHN LOGAN: Unquestionably. I've never done a movie adaptation of a stage show before so I didn't know what to expect going into it. But, I think you had to understand the language of theater and the language of movies to begin that difficult, treacherous transformation. I can't imagine anyone who wasn't respectful of theatrical traditions approaching Sweeney Todd. It certainly was hugely relevant to my work.

TM: Was there a moment when you were offered this job that you thought, "'No, I can't do it."
JL: No, I went after this job harder than any job I've done in my life. I saw the original Broadway production and it changed my life. I think one of the reasons I'm a writer today is because of that night in the Uris Theatre. So, I was working with producer Walter Parkes -- we've done Gladiator and a bunch of other movies together -- and he mentioned that they were going to do this movie. And I said to him, "You don't understand, I have to do it." I felt it would be an exciting job from a writing standpoint, but I also honestly felt it was important that someone who had respect for Stephen Sondheim's work and Hugh Wheeler's work and Hal Prince's work and Paul Gemignani's work to approach it with the proper spirit.

TM: So, did you immediately have a vision of what you wanted to do cinematically?
JL: No, if I had, it would not have taken me five years! The first thing I did was I went back to the score. Even before I met with Steve, I really studied the score in detail. And I studied Hugh Wheeler's book as well as Chris Bond's adaptation. I approached it the same way as Gladiator, as if I was researching the Ancient Roman Empire. I just really did my homework in terms of what Sweeney Todd actually is. And certain things emerged for me in that process. First and foremost, it's a very presentational show. There are a lot of chorus scenes and there's a fair amount of recitative. Both of those things I thought would be difficult to translate to the screen, because movies to me are really about close-ups. They're about characters whispering to you, not about characters singing at you or toward you. So, I knew that the major focus for me was going to be about making it a psychologically driven film. And making it about one single story, and that meant making Sweeney's story very straightforward.

TM: Yet, you also enlarged the focus in a way on Mrs. Lovett.
JL: In the second act, she tends to sort of fall away dramatically in terms of significance. She's wildly significant in the first act: she motivates things, she creates things. But as the melodrama and plot begins to accelerate, she becomes less important. In a movie, you want to keep the central emotional relationships vital all the way through, because that's all the audience is watching. So, I began to restructure the second act, focusing on her and bringing her surrogate family relationship with Toby, the boy, to the forefront. There's a line that I love near the end. As she knows she's doomed, she says to Sweeney, "Can't we still be married?" That to me is the most heartbreaking line. She knows the game is up, everything has been exposed, and she is moments away from a horrible death, yet she still has this insane, yearning hope.
TM What was ultimately the single greatest challenge you faced in adapting the work?
JL: To always maintain sympathy for the protagonist. Here, you see the brutality of what Sweeney does; on stage, there's always the willing suspension of disbelief. We knew going in that these throat slittings were going to be violent and realistic. Yes, they are stylized in the way the whole movie is sort of stylized -- it exists in a stylized landscape -- but they're also very upsetting. But I think at the end your heart breaks for him. My other big challenge was that when we took away Judge Turpin's song, "Epiphany," and when we took away the quartet of "Kiss Me" and "Ladies In Their Sensitivities," we needed a way to firmly plant him as the antagonist in the piece. So I wrote that sequence when Antony goes in to his house, and later the scene with Johanna packing to leave, and I think the movie benefits from them.

TM: Was it ultimately your decision to eliminate "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd?" from the movie?
JL: It was a combined decision on my part and Tim's. I tried so many different approaches to keep that song in. Because not only is it one of the keynote numbers; it's one of Steve's greatest achievements. But it is not sung by the major characters, and it is not emotionally motivated by their journeys through the story. So I tried ghosts singing it, I tried the people of London singing it, but it never really worked. And it was only finally right as we started filming that we made the decision to cut it, because we realized it always was going to be an artificial construct. I'm sorry we lost it, but I don't really regret it for a second.

TM: Are you happy with Johnny Depp's work?
JL: He absolutely works! Normally Sweeney is sung by bass-baritone and he's presented as a lumpen proletariat, someone with a very large physical presence. Johnny's not that. He slender, he's elegant, he's sexy, and yes, he's a tenor. What I think he brings to the role is sort of this Byronic quality; there's something so tormented and anguished and poetic about his Sweeney Todd that is wildly appropriate. But I admit I never would have thought that until I saw him on the set and saw how incredibly romantic his Sweeney was.
TM: Was it also important for you to have the younger characters, like Toby, played by truly age-appropriate actors as they are here.
Yes. So would any theater director in the world if they could, but with eight shows a week, it's very hard to get a real kid to play Toby. There was actually an honest artistic thinking behind that decision. For "Not While I'm Around" to have the most emotional wallop for the audience, we needed to have an actual boy singing that before his voice has changed -- and to see Mrs. Lovett's face as she realizes she might have to kill this child she's come to care for! He's also my homage to all those Dickensian youths that I love -- he's Pip, he's David Copperfield, he's the Artful Dodger. I think he even looks like a demented Jack Wild (who played the Dodger in the film version of Oliver), but in a really delightful way.

TM: There's already a lot of Oscar buzz for this movie. You've been nominated twice before. Do you want to win?
JL: Believe me, that does not enter my thinking. What matters is that I spent five years of my life working on something that is very important to me, and that Hollywood has finally given Steve Sondheim a movie version of one of his stage shows that is worthy of him, and that Tim Burton is getting to tell a story he has wanted to tell for 20 years -- and to see Johnny Depp get a chance to sing in that beautiful voice. That's finally what matters to me.

TM: Last question: Has this inspired you to adapt another musical?
JL: Yes, but I can't say what it is!

http://www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm/story/12260

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 13, 2007, 9:03am

Thanks to jayesapriate @ Deppography~

Golden Globe Nominations announcement -
Way to go Johnny, Helena, Tim, and Sweeney Todd!!!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 13, 2007, 9:14am

Thanks to jad @ Deppography

Cute interview with Johnny and Tim. Some of the same things that we've read. Some new. Guess we better snatch the ST soundtrack up becuase Johnny won't be doing any more singing.

NEW YORK - Dressed in drag and standing in front of a meat locker, Johnny Depp smiles into the camera and cheerfully declares, "Tim's a swell guy."
In its genuine warmth and weirdness, this moment, played out between scenes during the filming of 1994's "Ed Wood," encapsulates the ongoing collaboration between Depp and director Tim Burton.

Even amid the dark, surreal worlds the two have brought to life, they're all smiles.

Marking their sixth film together is "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," the new adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's gory musical about a barber who seeks revenge while cutting the throats of his customers.

"Singing. Who'd have ever thought?" wondered Burton at a recent interview, where he and Depp both still found it hardly comprehensible that two guys who don't like musicals (including an actor who doesn't sing) had just made one.

"Certainly not me. Least of all me," chimed Depp, whose hippy-dippy necklaces, colourful bracelets and round-rimmed glasses stood in stark contrast to Burton's dark duds, spiky black hair and squarish, purple shades.

While reminiscing about their new film and 17 years of working together, Depp and Burton often pick up each other's conversational trails, most of which end in either revelling in what they've managed to get away with in Hollywood, or in some kind of self-deprecating joke.

Burton continued: "Now you're going to get all these scripts and be like, 'Shall I do 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' or 'Jesus Christ Superstar?"'

Laughing, Depp retorted: "'Hair.' Then I'm going straight to 'Annie."'

The two can chuckle at more mainstream fare because they have both specialized in offbeat eccentrics. Their paths first crossed in 1990's "Edward Scissorhands" when Burton cast Depp in his first leading role following his teen idol success on the TV series "21 Jump Street."

The two recall their first meeting with clarity.

"I remember walking into that coffee shop like it was yesterday," said Depp. "I just knew instantly that he was the real thing. That was clear to me. There was an instant connection."

While many of the classic director-actor pairings (John Ford and John Wayne, Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune) have often focused on a particular genre, the Burton-Depp collaborations span a variety of films, albeit ones with a penchant for fantasy.

Besides "Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood," their previous projects include "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) and the animated "Corpse Bride" (2005).

"We've been lucky enough to do things that the studios never want to do," said Burton, with Depp adding: "On more than one occasion."

"It's surreal," says Burton, a veritable expert on that topic. "That feeling never quite leaves you that we're able to do something. It's almost like getting away with something."

Though Burton has maintained a mostly consistent record of box office or critical success, Depp has ascended to the top of the A-list - a development that has made their risky endeavours a lot easier to bankroll.

"He protected me well," said Depp. "He fought for me to be in his movies for a number of years."

The advantage of frequently working together, Burton and Depp said, is that they have a well-developed shorthand and are able to discuss characters in abstract terms but still arrive at the same understanding.

"When we were doing 'Sleepy Hollow,' Tim and I were talking about a scene and obviously you veer off on weird little tears and start talking about Charles Nelson Reilly or Paul Lynde or something odd," said Depp. "A crew member came over to me after we were talking and he said, 'I just listened to you and Tim talk about the scene for the last 20 minutes and I didn't understand a word you guys were saying."'

"That about sums it up," added Burton.

The two are close friends and Depp is the godfather to Burton's young son. But Burton said the partnership has evolved without any conscious planning or consideration.

"It surprised me. I wasn't looking for it," said Burton. "You never plan anything, it's just project to project - if it's the right role and something he responds to. I always think of him because he can do anything."

Others have noticed their unique relationship, including Chris Lebenzon, who has edited Burton's last nine films, five of which have starred Depp. He compares Burton's movie sets to a strange kind of family.

"Tim is a guy who needs the best people around him because he won't always articulate what he wants, but he knows it," said Lebenzon speaking by phone from Los Angeles. "It can frustrate him if people aren't getting it, and Johnny always gets it."

Depp originally came to Hollywood to pursue a music career, but as a guitarist - he only occasionally sang back up. He had no proper experience ever singing before "Sweeney Todd," yet received the blessing of the studio and Sondheim (who could veto any casting decision) without so much as a demo tape.

"It's like, 'OK, you want to do an R-rated musical without any clue whether the lead actor can sing or not?"' marvelled Burton. "He's finally arrived at the absurd level of show business."

"I'll never do it again," said Depp of singing. "It was one time only. If it worked at all, it only worked because of the circumstances."

Depp opted not to take singing lessons and instead hunkered down in a studio with a musician friend to work on his voice.

"It seemed counterproductive to stand in front of a piano noodling on scales," said Depp. "It seemed like you wouldn't be able to find the character."

Several of the other leads are similarly distant from being Broadway musical veterans, including Alan Rickman (who plays the object of Sweeney's vengeance) and Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett). Another frequent actor for Burton, Bonham Carter is also his longtime girlfriend and mother to his child; a second is expected any day now. (Said Burton: "Hopefully, it will turn out to be a human being.")

For Burton, casting Depp was a matter of trust in his actor that made him at ease having a non-singer star in the musical.

"When Johnny said he thought he could do it, that was good enough for me," said Burton. "He wouldn't have said that otherwise. He would have just said, 'No ... way in hell I could do this."'

Burton is now in the process of planning two features: "Alice in Wonderland" and "Frankenweenie," the latter of which is based on his 1984 short of the same name. Depp, who lives in France with long-term girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and their two children, has had one project ("Shantaram") shelved due to the writers strike. Instead, he recently signed on to star in Michael Mann's "Public Enemies."

Though they have no immediate plans to work again together, they both hope - and rather assume - it will happen.

Says Depp: "If the phone rings, he doesn't even have to finish the sentence. I'd be there in a second."

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 13, 2007, 6:17pm

I love the last sentence that Johnny says....that he'd be on any Burton project in a second. I love those two!
Thank you for all of the wonderful interviews and everything!
They're nominated for the Golden Globes?! Already?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 14, 2007, 7:41am

Thanks to Kazren of Oh Johnny! fame

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rolling Stone has a reviewer who was able to say what I was trying to say. Great review.
From Rolling Stone
Sweeney Todd
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Laura Michelle Kelly
Directed by: Tim Burton
RS: 3.5of 4 Stars Average User Rating: 3.5of 4 Stars
2007 Paramount Studios All Movies

For the holidays, Tim Burton serves up the sugarplum tale of serial-killing barber Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), who slits the throats of his customers and then, with the help of bake-shop owner Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), grinds up the
corpses and serves them as meat pies to a salivating if unsuspecting public.

What more do you want in a musical? So get prepped, gore addicts — Sweeney Todd, subtitled The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and set in nineteenth-century London, is ninety percent sung. And doing the lion's share of the warbling is Depp,
who has never sung a note onscreen and still has the sand to take on a landmark musical by legend Stephen Sondheim that leaves trained opera stars feeling daunted. A recipe for disaster? You'd think. Instead, Sweeney Todd is a thriller-diller from
start to finish: scary, monstrously funny and melodically thrilling. And Depp is simply stupendous. He's not Pavarotti and doesn't try to be, but his light baritone has clarity, timbre and emotive power. Depp erases the line between singing and acting,
fusing them into something that keeps the movie blazing. Oscar, take note.

This Sweeney is a bloody wonder, intimate and epic, horrific and heart-rending as it flies on the wings of Sondheim's most thunderously exciting score. Burton is a true visionary, and with the help of cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, costume whiz
Colleen Atwood and production designer Dante Ferretti he sets a new gold standard for bringing a stage musical to the screen.

Burton knows that Sweeney Todd has been sacrosanct in theater circles since its Broadway debut in 1979, starring Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. He knows that what Sondheim composes is considered holy writ. And yet Burton and
screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator) have deleted songs, abridged characters and sliced an hour off the show's three-hour running time in the name of keeping the tale fixed on Sweeney's need for vengeance.

What's our boy so pissed about?

As a young barber, he doted on his wife and baby daughter. The wife's beauty attracted Judge Turpin (a superlatively creepy Alan Rickman), a sexual predator protected by the law in the person of Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall). A trumped-up
charge sent the barber to an Australian prison and the judge into rape mode.

Fifteen years later, Sweeney is back in London, a shock of white in his hair to match his deathly pallor. Mrs. Lovett, his former landlady, tells him that his wife went mad and took her own life, and that the judge now plans to marry Johanna (Jayne
Wisener), Sweeney's daughter. That's the setup.

In the soaring duet "My Friends," Mrs. Lovett sings of her love for Sweeney while he declares his passion for his razor ("At last my right arm is complete again"). Sweeney regains his tonsorial rep by defeating Pirelli, a rival barber done to a
low-comic turn by Sacha Baron Cohen, and tempts the judge into his barber chair. The two sing one of Sondheim's loveliest ballads ("Pretty Women"), but just before the barber can put blade to the villain's throat, Anthony (Jamie Campbell
Bower), a young sailor also in love with Johanna, interrupts and sends the judge scurrying. Sweeney snaps, and in his strongest anthem ("Epiphany") vows to take revenge on all mankind. Cue the corpses and the meat pies, as a beggar woman
(Laura Michelle Kelly) sings of a "city on fire."

Burton's use of blood is impressionistic, not realistic. But the prudes still whine about the R-rated violence. When did we become a nation of wimps? This brilliantly conceived and executed film moves from one highlight to another. The darkly
delicious Bonham Carter rivals Depp in using an untrained voice to anchor lyrics to truth rather than showoff technique. She is funny and touching singing "By the Sea," a number that brings the screen alive with color as Mrs. Lovett imagines the
impossible: Sweeney returning her desire. Later, Bonham Carter evokes chills in "Not While I'm Around," a ballad of devotion she croons to her young apprentice, Toby (the excellent Ed Sanders), just before she arranges his demise.

As the film follows its tragic course, Depp scores an explosive triumph. Covered in blood, Sweeney is finally engulfed by his emotions, and Depp finds the character's grieving heart. It's a staggering moment in a spellbinder of breathtaking beauty
and terror.

PETER TRAVERS

(Posted: Dec 13, 2007)

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 14, 2007, 7:56am

Sweeney todd has created a firestorm of Depp wonderness!!

Here's a blurb from people.com:
Depp 'Super-Flattered'
Of his nomination for the musical (yes, he sings!) Sweeney Todd, Johnny Depp, 44, says, "What an honor to even be mentioned alongside such a talented bunch. Very excited for Tim and Helena and the film!" he said, in reference to fellow nominees, director Tim Burton and costar Helena Bonham Carter. As for himself, Depp said he's "super-flattered and immensely thankful."

thanks to deppfan4ever
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20166059,00.html

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 14, 2007, 8:00am

Thanks to herestoyou

Great article from USA Today:

'Sweeney' showcases the artistic mayhem of Depp & Burton

By Todd Plitt, USA TODAY

Two of a kind: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp bring Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd to life on the big screen beginning Dec. 21. It's the latest joint effort for the pair who first rose to fame together with Edward Scissorhands.

He cuts a dashing figure: Johnny Depp in character in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

USA TODAY
NEW YORK — What would Tim Burton and Johnny Depp talk about if they were left alone in a room for several minutes — with a reporter's tape recorder innocently capturing the private moment?
Would they compare the relative beatnik cool of their goatees?

Debate possible names for Burton's next major production, a stork delivery of unknown gender due any day?

Or maybe congratulate each other on how the critics are besotted with their sixth, and unlikeliest, collaboration: an R-rated film version of the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, just nominated for four Golden Globes.

A check of the tape reveals that the director and his alter ego got caught in the act of discussing a couple of horror heroines of yore: Elsa Lanchester, the shrieking bride of Frankenstein, and the more obscure Caroll Borland, who once vamped with Bela Lugosi.

Why? Why not, given the Goth overtones and general weirdness that infuses their movies together.

It's all the more fitting a topic, given that the actor now plays a vengeful Victorian-era serial killer who is filled with hateful rage after being wrongfully jailed and losing his wife and baby daughter.

Moviegoers eager to see Depp cut throats and growl Sondheim songs will get their chance Dec. 21, when Burton's younger, gorier, sexier and swifter take on the haunting Tony-winning material reaches theaters.

They'll find a barber whose customers get a closer shave than they bargained for. Think Jack the Ripper. Only with hot towels and a splash of bay rum.

In fact, Burton's approach was inspired by old horror movies and spooky actors like Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre.

"We took cues from silent movies," he says. "When Johnny walks into the barbershop, you just see the pain in his eyes. I find he doesn't have to say anything. It's an acting style you don't really see anymore."

Like a mad scientist and his monstrously talented creation, Burton, 49, and Depp, 44, have a kind of psychic bond that results in sometimes-bizarre notions that still manage to connect with the mainstream public. Even the actor's horsey teeth and fey vocal manner couldn't keep audiences from buying more than $200 million worth of tickets to see 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

"We've been lucky to usually be on the same wavelength and like similar kinds of things," explains Burton, who, like his favorite leading man, doesn't like to get overly introspective when it comes to his work or his life.

A synergistic relationship

Helena Bonham Carter, Burton's very pregnant paramour of six years and mother of Billy, 4, has no such qualms. Depp's on-screen partner in crime plays a lusty Mrs. Lovett, the meat-pie baker who puts Sweeney's victims to practical use as filling, and she gladly dishes on the director-star relationship as she speaks from her London home.

"They have a great synergy," she says. "They are very like each other. Chosen brothers elected by each other. They have the same sense of humor and share a deep respect. They have grown up together. Edward Scissorhands joined them. They are both introverts, but very flamboyant when it comes to their work. That is their release. They are rebels, anti-authoritarian. They are very age 7 in their sense of humor."

But even in dark times, such as when Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose, then 7, was hospitalized with a serious illness three weeks into filming, the two stick by each other. The actor suggested recasting. Instead, Burton shot Sweeney-free scenes until he returned.

"Thank God, she was all right," Bonham Carter says. "It was really tough. But once it was definitely over, he was determined to finish the film and was very ready to come back."

But mostly they are like adult playmates, grown men whose careers pay them to be childlike, at least in their imaginations. Unlike most male chums, they see nothing wrong with going shopping together.

The paparazzi recently snapped them drooling over Dr. Who and Star Wars toys at the British geek emporium Forbidden Planet.

"In fact, we have to end this interview right now," Burton jokes. "We have to run to Bergdorf Goodman."

"There's a sale on," Depp adds.

Shopping is one thing. Broadway musicals? Not major fans, which makes their involvement in Sweeney Todd all the more strange.

Jests Burton: "Oh, when are we going to see The Drowsy Chaperone? Let's go 10 times!"

Exclaims Depp: "Mamma Mia!"

Confesses Burton: "Often, I'm dressed as one of the members of Cats."

Actually, it wasn't Stephen Sondheim or even the musical genre that interested Burton. It was Sweeney Todd, period. It made him want to do a film adaptation even before he was a director.

"I was about 20," says Burton, who saw the show on the London stage. "I was a college student still then. I didn't really know what I was going to do for the rest of my life. But I went three times in a row, I liked it so much. I just liked the mix of emotion and the melodrama and the humor. And the beauty of the music against that imagery, I thought was really unique. I hadn't seen anything like it."

So why don't either of them enjoy other musicals?

"I just don't go out of my way to see them," Burton says. "Most are too campy for my taste. They are campy by nature, just someone breaking into song. This is more like melodrama, which I guess is kind of campy, too. Just not in the same way. It's something I can relate to."

Depp, who dropped out of high school to be a guitarist in a punk-pop band, concedes that he likes a few musicals. But only if they rock. "The Wall is as far as I would go. Tommy. Quadrophenia. Then I ended up in Cry-Baby in 1989, which is interesting. I didn't have to sing then. We didn't have time for any of that. They got some guy to sing for me, but I had to dance. Which was the most frightening part."

At least he and Bonham Carter only briefly waltz in Sweeney Todd. Still, "I did ask for a stunt double," he half-kids.

But Depp was eager to attempt his own singing this time. Unlike Bonham Carter, who took the traditional route and found a veteran vocal coach, he went off with one of his former bandmates, and together they found a way to handle the near-operatic numbers.

"When I first heard his demo, it blew me away," Burton says. "He took this real hard music and he made it is own. It's slightly modernized and makes it accessible."

Depp isn't so sure. "I would go back and try it again if I could right now."

Bonham Carter also took baking lessons ("It was Martha Stewart gone mad"), the better to knead in time to the music while belting out The Worst Pies in London.

But no shaving classes for her Sweeney. "I didn't have to take throat-slitting lessons, either," explains Depp, who wielded custom-made blades. "And I slit more throats than I shave people."

Not that he really disposed of anyone's whiskers. "Only myself in the morning." Though he came close with Alan Rickman's lascivious Judge Turpin. "I lathered him, which made me very nervous."

'Spectacular,' says Sondheim

Sondheim approved of the casting and conferred on which songs to cut and other changes, slicing about an hour from the stage version. "He trusted me, knowing that I am not an idiot," Burton says. "I think he sensed my passion."

As the composer and lyricist told a preview audience full of highly opinionated Broadway types, "Those of you who know the show — forget it. Just go along with it, and I think you will have a spectacular time. It is its own animal."

Speaking of animals, one of the more comical highlights of the movie is when Sweeney has a shave-off with his preening rival, Signor Adolfo Pirelli, played by Sacha Baron Cohen of Borat fame with the ripest Italian accent since Chico Marx.

He nearly upstages the entire movie. Not with his voice. But with the considerable bulge in his pants. Asked if Cohen perhaps shoved a large rodent into his tight periwinkle-blue trousers, director and actor laugh and deny any knowledge — although costume designer Colleen Atwood has since admitted that "a little quilted thing" was nestled near his groin.

"He was just very enthusiastic," Depp suggests.

"He was very excited to do a musical," Burton adds. "We tried to cover it up. But he's just happy to be there."

As for whether Christmas crowds will be happy to spend the holiday counting the bodies as they pile up in Mrs. Lovett's basement, Burton has his answer all wrapped up with a bow and ready to go.

"You leave the theater thinking your life isn't so awful, so it's a time of hope. You know. 'My family isn't so rotten after all. That turkey wasn't so bad.' "

Besides, we know someone who could carve that bird to perfection.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 14, 2007, 9:17am

Golden Globe nods. Fantastic! I'm really hoping that this will FINALLY be the year everyone stops ignoring his talent and he wins. >:(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 14, 2007, 9:58am

Quote:

Golden Globe nods. Fantastic! I'm really hoping that this will FINALLY be the year everyone stops ignoring his talent and he wins. >:(

I'd really like to think so too, but I'm trying not to get my hopes too high. It could be all downhill from there, and maybe that's Johnny's personal fear?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 14, 2007, 6:11pm

Quote:

Quote:

Golden Globe nods. Fantastic! I'm really hoping that this will FINALLY be the year everyone stops ignoring his talent and he wins. >:(

I'd really like to think so too, but I'm trying not to get my hopes too high. It could be all downhill from there, and maybe that's Johnny's personal fear?

I never try to think he's going to get noticed.
I always think of what the worst could be.
But I also hope everyone sees the talent in him. He deserves it all.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 15, 2007, 5:37pm

Posted by Karen @ JDR~~

I think we get a good idea of these guys' relationship here. It's a hysterical interview and Burton mentions the 10 decades bit from that one where Johnny spits coffee. lol

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...1023/FEATURES12

Depp, Burton sing each other's praises

December 15, 2007

By Glenn Whipp Los Angeles Daily News

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have worked together so often, studios now assume that any new Burton movie will feature Depp.

So it was with "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," Burton's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's gruesome musical. The thing is, no one knew — or seemed to care — whether Depp could actually sing Sondheim (no easy task), and Depp kept everyone in the dark while making demos in a West Hollywood recording studio.

"It speaks well to Johnny's reputation that everyone went along with it," Burton says. "Sondheim, too. Because he had a say in who that character was." That character, 19th-century Londoner Sweeney Todd, is a throat-slicing barber set on avenging the loss of his family. The first song Depp honed was "My Friends," Todd's loving tribute to his beloved comrades, the silver razors that will soon "know splendors" and "drip precious rubies."

"It's a beautiful love song," Depp says, "about a different kind of love."

Here Depp and Burton sing each other's praises while talking about their sixth collaboration:

Q: There's a bar chart that ranks the blood in "Sweeney Todd" somewhere between "Mortal Kombat" and the Civil War.

Depp: That's quite a spread.

Burton: I wasn't around for the Civil War.

Depp: I was. I was looking for you.

Burton: People say we've been working together for 10 decades. That would put us around the Civil War. But, you know, the blood is part of the story. When I saw the stage show, it was flying across the stage.

Depp: But back to the bar chart. I thought it was going to chart the bars we frequent.

Burton: That's a chart I'd be interested in.

Depp: We'd have to start with the bar at this hotel. A fine establishment

Q: Tim, you were upfront with the studio about the gore …

Burton: That was the first thing I said to them: "There will be blood." I've seen other shows where they try to skimp on it, and it really loses something. If you're gonna skimp on that, why make a movie about a serial killer making people into meat pies?

Depp: Meat pie sales are going to plummet.

Burton: Nobody in America eats them anyway.

Depp: Let's not discount the chicken pot pie …

Q: And the blood was on you, Johnny. I hear everyone wore trash bags when you filmed the gusher scenes.

Depp: Trash bags and these white lab suits, like "CSI: Crime Scene." Everyone except Tim.

Burton: I did once, but, for the most part, no.

Depp: Only when you were squirting.

Q: Squirting?

Burton: I like to get my hand in there. I did it on "Sleepy Hollow." There's a tradition. I have pretty good aim.

Depp: You have incredible aim. In "Sleepy Hollow," there's a shot where you got the blood in between my glasses and straight into my eye. It was amazing.

Burton: It's like painting. It's fun.

Q: Producer Richard Zanuck was apparently a little nervous about hearing your singing, Johnny. Burton: I didn't know what to expect. And when I finally heard him, I was amazed. It's a hard musical to do, and he just made it his own.

It sounded like him. A lot of times, things get overproduced and you don't hear the person in the voice. But you heard him. And it had an emotional quality that I had never really heard in the material.

Q: Because you were in a band, most people assume you're a singer.

Depp: I did not sing. I did everything I could to avoid singing. I would step up to a mike to sing the harmony and then quickly retreat into the darkness. Singing was always the guy up front getting all the attention. And I didn't want that.

Q: You've said that the song you sent Tim, "My Friends," was the first you've ever sung start to finish. That's a little hard to believe.

Depp: It's true. I don't sing along to music.

Q: "Brown Sugar" comes on …

Depp: I might sing a little harmony. I might air guitar. Drumming. I like to drum.

Burton: What's amazing is that a studio went along with this. Nobody knew if he could sing.

Depp: It's astonishing. I don't know what they were thinking. What were you thinking?

Burton: I was thinking it was funny. I can't tell you how many years I had to fight to get Johnny in my movies. Nowadays, I can't even open my mouth without the studio asking if Johnny's going to be in the movie. It was a long time coming. It's great.

Q: How hard was it to act to your prerecorded vocals?

Depp: Hard. My fear was once you recorded these pieces in your character, then you were locked into that, and so essentially 50 percent of your performance would be done before stepping on the stage. There's something very scary about that — but at the same time stimulating, too.

Burton: You've got to get in there and match what you did.

Depp: And the first thing you discover is that there is no such thing as lip-synching. You've got to belt it out to the music. And what I thought was going to feel limiting was actually very liberating because the music gives you everything — the emotion, the movement. There was a kind of liquid quality to the set. It was like a silent film.

Burton: Like Johnny said, there was no way to lip-synch. You see the vocal cords. So they did have to belt it out on each take

Depp: Which is even more embarrassing because just listening to yourself is really mortifying. You have to condition yourself to that.

Burton: That was probably the hardest thing, in a weird way, wasn't it?

Depp: It's the same crew Tim's worked with for years. You know these guys. They're family. And those guys are right there, and you're (Depp breaks into a melodramatic warble) you feel like a complete knob.

Q: But now you've done it. So when does the Johnny Depp album come out?

Burton: He's got a big recording contract in Germany. He's going head to head with David Hasselhoff.

Depp: There's a new sheriff in town, David.

Burton: Singing is quite exposing in a way.

Depp: When we first started talking about doing the movie, and I didn't know if I'd be able to sing a note, I remember there were two fears. One was letting Tim down, but mostly it was being afraid of cackling. Just being giddy — like infants.

Burton: Because it's so ridiculous.

Depp: It's ludicrous. There are moments over the years — you can pick them out in each film I've been lucky enough to do with Tim — where I don't know what it is, but everything is lined up, and when the moment comes, it's insane and absurd, and you lose it. You cackle for hours.

Burton: I had to leave the set once. Johnny had been playing Sweeney Todd for the whole movie, and then one day he had to be a normal guy in a flashback. I just completely lost it.

Depp: He had to leave the set. Work stopped.

Burton: They had to shoot a couple of takes without me because I couldn't stop laughing.

Depp: People ask, "Say something funny that happened on set." These are the funny things. They're not funny to anyone else, just to us.

Burton: Which kind of works well for this movie. The characters in "Sweeney Todd" are in their own world. They're all nuts in a certain way, but in their world, nuts is normal.

Depp: They might as well be in show business.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 16, 2007, 10:13pm

Oh, thank you so much!
It's one of the greatest interviews I've read in a long time. They are always entertaining.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 17, 2007, 10:47pm

Meat pie sales are going to plummet. LOL! I love them I swear.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 18, 2007, 7:34pm

Haha, I loved that part.^
We'll make the meat sales rise! Ewe, not really.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 18, 2007, 10:33pm

Posted at JDR -thanks to herestoyou~~

Very brief little clip, but

bit of Johnny:

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1576579&vid=196590

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 18, 2007, 10:46pm

Quote:

We'll make the meat sales rise! Ewe, not really.

LOL

Arnelle, that was a great clip! So jazzed about seeing this movie!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 18, 2007, 11:21pm

http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/

Enter the site. Got to the left hand menu, then go to Music.

Admire that fine looking caboose in those tight pants. God bless you Collen Atwood and Tim Burton.

Go to Players on the right. Scroll your mouse around each screen to see some special visuals. Move your cursor to the top right razors and a 360 window of each set will open up.

Very cool!!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Dec 20, 2007, 10:15pm

Holy shit there's a lot to look at! Thanks Arnelle! :-*

I just watched the IFC special an hour ago and it was so insightful. I just don't know how many times I can say that I can't wait to see this film. And it won't be much longer now!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Dec 21, 2007, 8:44pm

I'm confused as to the film's release date. And I can't catch a commercial for the film on TV to save my life!

Is it opening today or Christmas Day? For Canada, I mean. Someone help. I'm so confused. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 21, 2007, 10:03pm

I'm not sure when it opens at Canada. I hope you find out soon.

As for me, I saw it today with a couple of friends and I LOVED it! There is so much that I have to say about it that I don't know where to start! It was the best that I could imagine it to be.

Johnny was beautiful, passionate, funny, vicious...everything right.
All of the characters were perfect.
I won't say anthing to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet (though I'm sure everyone has watched plenty of spoilers).
I don't think I have anything bad to say about the film at all. What does everyone else think?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 22, 2007, 9:32pm

As luck would have it, things got all discombabulated this week for me. But, it meant I was able to see Sweeney Todd last night. I had my 18 year old daughter with me.
(as credits rolled, her comment was, “That’s messed up.”) lol

The story flowed well; the settings were lushly depressing; the music sent shivers down my spine.

I am not good at reviews; I am no critic, and you are well warned that I am including many spoilers.
All I can do is give my thoughts and gut reactions to what I witness.

I can not say, “This is Johnny Depp’s best performance/character”. ALL if his performances seem equally outstanding to me. But, if intensity of emotion is the measure, then this one is up in the top 3. I will definite like him when he’s angry. Sweeney Todd is quite a fearsome fellow indeed.

I read so many reviews, articles and spoilers, but the movie was not spoiled for me. The intensity and grace of Depp made every scene fresh.
Though I didn’t read anything about who it was kills Sweeney at the end, it wasn’t hard to infer from the clues I did get. Pass those razors and the vengeful purpose on to the next generation. That’s the way to do it.

The blood didn’t bother me. The throat slicing was graphic, yes, but it felt like some kind of release. In fact, I think my favorite scene was the one in which Sweeney is casually, methodically slicing and dumping his victims as he sings about how he wonders who Johanna has grown to be. The landing below was brutal!
The only bit that makes me go, “ewwww” is the meat oooozing out of the giant grinder. YUCK.

Johnny’s singing is delightful to listen to: clear and well articulated, and dead sexy of course. My only complaint: HBC was nearly incoherent singing Worst Pies in London and Jayne Wisener has such a high voice, I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics in Green Finch and Linnet Bird.

I fully expected to feel sorry for Mrs. Lovett. I didn’t. She pissed off the wrong guy, for sure.
The ending was brilliant! Todd sensed Toby behind him, and knew. He bared his neck to him, I think. It was right up there with the romantically tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet.
I’d like to think that Anthony and Johanna do go away and learn to live a happy life together. And Toby? I think he may have a few more scores of his own to settle.

I thought Ed Sanders was terrific, and Timothy Spall was deliciously derelict.

Bravo to Burton, and everyone who worked on ST.
Johnny, you simply breathtaking.
I do want to see several more movies in the near future as money and time allows, but I will be seeing this one again, and soon, I hope.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 23, 2007, 8:22pm

This is wonderful! Thanks to herestoyou @ JDR

spoiler alert

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=23836

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by shereetb on Dec 25, 2007, 11:01am

Merry Christmas!

I'm going to see Sweeney Todd today!

!!!
I can't wait

Quote:

Is it opening today or Christmas Day? For Canada, I mean. Someone help. I'm so confused

I'm from Canada and it opened here on the 21st : ) but I guess you already know this by now

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by johnnydmikapj on Dec 26, 2007, 3:12pm

the Netherlands comes which on 24 January in the bios

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Dec 27, 2007, 9:25am

Arnelle, don't sell yourself short. Your review was exactly what I would expect from one. It gave me all the info I needed to know and just enough to get me even more excited to go see it (this weekend with Annie. FINALLY!) I hope to see it a gazillion times over.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 27, 2007, 9:37am

Now I've got the soundtrack to listen to and the lyrics iin front of my eyes, I take back my complaint about Helena and Jayne.

My second viewing yesterday was on an even smaller screen.

I will need to make the third (and probably last) viewing at a the big stadium venue 40 minutes away. it would be great if my friend, who is recovering from cancer surgery, could join me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Dec 27, 2007, 9:43am

Is your friend a Johnny fan? Regardless my good thoughts are heading her way. I'm just thinking a good Johnny movie could lift her spirits a bit. Nice of you to be thinking the same way. You're a good friend.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Dec 27, 2007, 12:24pm

Quote:

Is your friend a Johnny fan? Regardless my good thoughts are heading her way. I'm just thinking a good Johnny movie could lift her spirits a bit. Nice of you to be thinking the same way. You're a good friend.

She is. We met waiting in line to see an early one show screening of Finding Neverland. Kismet.
I'm having trouble contacting her, which is a bit worrisome.
She's not responding to my e-mails and voice messages.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Dec 28, 2007, 2:39pm

I hope your friend is better soon. It would be horrible for her not to see Sweeney.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 1, 2008, 9:15am

Still keeping good thoughts for her.

Well we finally got to see it and it was definitely one of the Depp films that I need to see more than once to really get the feel of it. I thought the vocals were just incredible, even Alan Rickman's who has no chance in hell of a proper singing voice ever. Sacha Baron Cohen, hilarious. Although I think my favorite role of his is still King Julian in Madagascar.

Johnny just oozed anger in this and it was scary to watch at times. You can't help but wonder where he stirs that up from. But as scary as it was, it was still inredibly thrilling to see him act that way.

I was pretty surprised at the level of violence. I assumed that since Tim has done bloody films of a sort in the past, that the bloody scenes would be average or even a little below. I thought he would leave more to the imagination. Not sure how I feel about that though.

I'm still scooping Annie up off the floor after having seen it. I think we may be heading for another viewing today. She said she'll try to log on tomorrow now that the holiday madness at her household has finally freakin ended.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 1, 2008, 9:48am

Quote:

She said she'll try to log on tomorrow now that the holiday madness at her household has finally freakin ended.

That would be nice. I've been feeling a little cold and lonely here as of late. (She says she has no life, but that would be me, actually.)

Hey, Kim! Glad you liked the film. I'm weaseling a free third viewing out of my sister on Sunday.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 1, 2008, 9:25pm

My 'homegirl', Emily Blunt, e-mailed me her nice little simple review. She likes it. Hey Mikey!

Sweeney Todd
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman
Directed by: Tim Burton
Music: Stephen Sondheim

Bluntly speaking? At first - looking at trailers and such – you may think, “Hmm, looks a bit like Depp and Burton crossed Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow to make the dreaded foul-minded barber.” But trust dear viewer this is the world's finest character actor and the genius of celluloid after all...

It is true the themes are tre Burton and you’ll surely feel the wisps of the maestro's musings. Hell it's the returning cast from Corpse Bride for criminey...

But the stars are stars for a reason. They steal the show and you’ll be giddy by the final slicing.

The three penny opera goes...Poor Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp). His life was ruined and his spirit shattered by a powerful and evil judge. After escaping from years of hell-on-Earth plague-era prison somewhere Todd (who used to be a barber named Barker) returns to London.

The old Shoppe he lathered in is still there, though a tad in disarray. Below is a weird wench who admits to having the town’s worst pies. One Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter).
She is savvy business woman and figures it’s about time the rich give their all (quite literally) to the lower classes.

This idea dawns as she realizes her love (Todd) is raving mad.

There’s a whole lot of eerie abounding as you expect from Mr. Burton. But you still hope Todd gets his revenge. Fear not this is theater in its highest form and the finale is edible…

Dante Ferretti’s production work brings that filthy era of London to macabre life. The men’s wear is hilarious in the “cockle” area – well except Depp. Sorry gals. There’s no smuggled sweet potatoes pressure popping beneath sateens there.

Oh, Borat shows as comic relief – hilarious – and swiftly deleted lest he upstage the duo of HBC & JD.

The music of course is divine. The real songs are here and who knew Bonham-Carter-Burton (heimer-schmidt) and Depp could sing? Well, those who know anything about there filmography (but shush - you get my point).

Thank you again Mr. Burton, oh thank you very much sir.

Snack recommendation: Alka Seltzer and vegetarian food for a long – long time…and bring a tape recorder to copy the body smooshing sounds as diet enhancers. Use it as a digital sound when you fridge opens and viloa! you'll be thin in no time at all.

http://www.bluntreview.com/reviews/todd.htm

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 2, 2008, 10:09am

Hilarious review!^ I like it.

I love the part about the men's wear in the "cockle" area. Haha.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 3, 2008, 9:09pm

Quote:

Quote:

She said she'll try to log on tomorrow now that the holiday madness at her household has finally freakin ended.

That would be nice. I've been feeling a little cold and lonely here as of late. (She says she has no life, but that would be me, actually.)

So then we can all pretend we have no lives together, shall we?

Okay here's my take on the movie. The violence was warranted. I'm not one for blood and killing but when I feel that there is good cause for the dying, I'm all for it. I guess that makes me a fan of vengeance, which is probably why I enjoyed Kill Bill so much when I'm nowhere near to being a Tarantino fan in any way.

The singing was freakin phenomenal. It's a mark of just how dedicated an actor is when he pushes himself past what he thinks are his limitations and surpasses any and all expectations. And I don't know why the man is suddenly following me everywhere, but now after having seen the film, I can definitely hear traces of David Bowie in our boy's voice.

Loved the "By the Sea" scene. Even after the myriad of facial expressions he used up on Jack Sparrow, he still manages to muster up a few new ones to give me the giggles. I'm glad to know that he's part of my generation but he was just made for the silent film era, don't you think? Is it any wonder why I've (we've) been so hopelessly and madly in love with this bastard for so long now? Aslo, I think Helena is like the female Johnny in that she is very interesting to look at when she's in the moment. Her facial expressions definitely stand up quite well against his. I've really gotten to become a fan of hers now that I've seen her in a few things here or there. Never really paid attention to her before.

Semi spoiler......

The poor woman at the end. I was floored when I realized who she was. I won't name her officially until I know you're all up to date. But my god how tragic an ending! I'm completely heartbroken about it. I've never seen the play and went in knowing very little about the story so that just realy shook me. I'm still trying to grasp what happened. So sad. :-[

I LOVE HIM! And I can't wait to see it again and again and again. I know there's lots more I want to talk about but I can't think straight right now. He just overwhelms me sometimes.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 4, 2008, 9:41am

We're taking sedatives with us to the theater tomorrow.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 4, 2008, 11:21am

Shutup. I'm excited.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 4, 2008, 4:52pm

Please don't over-medicate her! And let her be as excited as she wants!! Where's the harm?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 5, 2008, 9:41am

You've obviously never been to a Depp film with her in the theater.

Seriously though, she's counting down the minutes till this afternoon, I just know it. I wish I had that much enthusiasm and energy...well for anything really.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 5, 2008, 5:48pm

Quote:

You've obviously never been to a Depp film with her in the theater.

Seriously though, she's counting down the minutes till this afternoon, I just know it. I wish I had that much enthusiasm and energy...well for anything really.

I know what you mean. What I wouldn't do for one friend like that in my vicinity.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 6, 2008, 9:30am

Awwwww. I'm all verklempt. Which feels kind of awkward in this thread since Sweeney is so vengeful and dark and we're being all schmoopy.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 6, 2008, 7:32pm

I had my third viewing this afternoon. Every second was as thrilling as the first time, and I'm happy to report that this time the sizable audience was receptive. They laughed and they gasped.
I assume others have seen this but not mentioned it, but it was a lovely surprise for me, as the other theater I saw ST in did not show it: a montage of clips from Tim and Johnny's other 5 films together! It included some bits from the making of ST with Johnny and Tim each commenting about working with the other.

Still floating around - there's no place like Burton's 19th century London!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 7, 2008, 8:03pm

You mean in the theater they showed those clips?^
I'm astounded and angry because the theater that I went to did not show it. I'm happy that you saw it though. Maybe I should try another theater.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 7, 2008, 9:17pm

Quote:

You mean in the theater they showed those clips?^
I'm astounded and angry because the theater that I went to did not show it. I'm happy that you saw it though. Maybe I should try another theater.

I was shocked and amazed and pleasanly surprised! I wasn't expecting it and I've never seen anything like it inthe theater before. I saw ST twice before in a different theater, but the same chain and the montage didn't show until I went the 3rd time at the bigger theater. I haven't heard anyone else mention seeing that monatage.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 7, 2008, 10:53pm

Omg I had no idea about that clip! I hope that if we don't get to see it in the theater that maybe it's one of the bonus features on the DVD. Why can't they be consistent and include that in every theater across the country? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... >:(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 8, 2008, 8:11pm

Ooo, it would be nice as bonus footage. ^

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Jan 8, 2008, 11:08pm

I guess that's all we can hope for now. Unless we try another theater. The torture.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 9, 2008, 3:27pm

Oh, I know! Are they trying to torture us?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 9, 2008, 9:25pm

Saw it again today by myself and I just can't get his voice out of my head. When he's somber and sings of his loss, the tenderness in his voice just melts me down to my very soul. ( I can imagine Johnny singing softly to his children before bed with that gentle tone. ) Then when he sings his passion and anger out and he's practically growling through each verse, he just gets under my skin all over again. His anger is a force to be reckoned with. I love it.

I love that he's such a perfectionist because he really worked harder than he ever has to do right by this character. I'm so sad the award shows are going to be so tarnished this year that if he should win, his win will be overshadowed by everything else.

On a completely different note, I love Sacha as Pirelli. When this movie was only in the casting stages and I had heard he was going to be involved, I had misgivings, but he really does suit the role well and now I just can't imagine anyone else singing "buon giorno, good day." as well as he did.

No montage at the end for me though. I may just ask the theater owner and find out why the hell there isn't one and how we can get one.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 10, 2008, 6:28pm

Hehe, I thought the same thing about Sacha doing Pirelli. But he was a wonderful surprise!

Those darn theaters, showing no montages!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 10, 2008, 10:55pm

SPOILERS!!!!!!

And how could I forget the scene when Mrs Lovett is telling him what happened to Lucy and the scene ends on his scream? Or the end when he finally has Judge Creepy (my pet name for Rickman) in his chair and he shouts "Benjamin Parker"! Oh man I get chills!

Having seen it three times now I have to say that my favorite scene has to be when he has Judge Creepy in the chair the first time and then he loses it when he realizes he almost had him and then he makes his way outside to sing Epiphany. Amazing.

AMAZING.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 10, 2008, 11:05pm

Spoilers

At the end of Epiphany, on his knees:

I'm alive at last! and I'm full of Jooooy!
The hair just stands right up, and I get goosebumps aaalll over my body.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 10, 2008, 11:08pm

I'm sorry, I lost you after you typed "on his knees"

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 11, 2008, 7:01am

Woah.^

I have a friend named Joy, and she went to see it with me. She was freaking out when he said her name. I would to.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 11, 2008, 9:23am

Quote:

Woah.^

I have a friend named Joy, and she went to see it with me. She was freaking out when he said her name. I would to.

and I'll bet Joy would like to be full of him.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Jan 11, 2008, 11:19am

Things are getting pretty naughty at Got Depp?

I like it.

So I'm back from Spain and am going to see it tonight!

It's been very hard for me not to read the posts and I have spoiled myself a little by peeking here or there but I doubt that's going to have any effect on me when I see it tonight. DYING!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 11, 2008, 3:27pm

Oh you like the movie! Tell us your thoughts when you come back!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 12, 2008, 5:10pm

Posted today by MadScntst @ Deppography~~

This New York Times article about Johnny's singing in Sweeney Todd is so fantastic that I wanted to put it here in news, in addition to putting it in the Sweeney Articles thread. This guy really GETS what Johnny accomplished with this role

An Actor Whose Approach to Singing Lets the Words Take Center Stage
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI
Published: January 12, 2008

As a devotee of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals and a big Johnny Depp fan, I was surprised, intrigued and very dubious when I first heard that Mr. Depp would play the title role in Tim Burton’s film of “Sweeney Todd.”

On one level it seemed an ingenious casting stroke. A courageous and vulnerable actor, Mr. Depp would surely be able to convey the tormented demon barber of Fleet Street. But Sweeney Todd is a vocally daunting role in a musically complex Sondheim score. Could Johnny Depp sing it?

Indeed he can. Or perhaps the way to put it is that his performance as captured on screen is stunning in every dimension: dramatically, psychologically, physically and, yes, vocally. Naturally, Mr. Depp, who is nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical, takes a film actor’s approach to singing. His voice does not have much heft or power. Don’t expect him to play the role onstage.

But in the film he can almost whisper many lines. “These are my friends/See how they glisten,” he intones to the gleaming silver razors that Mrs. Lovett, his accomplice, has stashed away during his unjust imprisonment. “Speak to me, friend/Whisper, I’ll listen,” he continues in a hushed, confessional voice. The effect is chilling.

In Mr. Depp’s portrayal, words come first in the shaping of a phrase. Expression, nuance, intention and controlled intensity matter more than vocal richness and sustaining power. These principles of vocal artistry matter just as much onstage, as the best operatic artists understand. But too many opera singers are overly focused on making beautiful sounds and sending notes soaring at the expense of crisp diction and textual clarity. They could learn something from Mr. Depp’s verbally dynamic singing.

I don’t mean to suggest that his vocal performance is merely a savvy kind of sung speech. There is musical distinction in his work. Mr. Depp has debunked his own musical skills in interviews. Though he played guitar in rock bands for years and sang backup vocals, he has said that when he signed up for “Sweeney Todd” he had never sung a complete song in public.

His ear is obviously excellent, because his pitch is dead-on accurate. Of course he recorded the role in a sound booth in a recording studio, so he had plenty of takes to get things right. Still, he brings such breadth of statement and lyrical integrity to his phrasing that I can’t believe the performance was spliced together from mini-fragments.

Even if it was, the on-screen results are what counts. Beyond his good pitch and phrasing, the expressive colorings of his singing are crucial to the portrayal. Beneath this Sweeney’s vacant, sullen exterior is a man consumed with a murderous rage that threatens to burst forth every time he slowly takes a breath and is poised to speak. Yet when he sings, his voice crackles and breaks with sadness. “There was a barber and his wife/And she was beautiful,” he sings, letting the sustained tone on the word “beautiful” swell with shaky vibrato and linger with impotent longing.

Mr. Depp has said that the character he created comes directly from Mr. Sondheim’s lyrics and music. Of course it’s rewarding to hear Sweeney Todd sung impressively by a real musical theater baritone, like Len Cariou, who created the role in the original Broadway production in 1979, and George Hearn, who took it over later in the run (and appears opposite Angela Lansbury, the original Mrs. Lovett, in an acclaimed television presentation).

Still, as Mr. Depp told Entertainment Weekly, Mr. Sondheim emboldened him to approach the role as an actor, since “the singing was secondary to hitting the notes emotionally.”

It’s not surprising to me that in his preparations Mr. Depp wanted nothing to do with voice teachers. He regarded the role as a formidable acting challenge. In a way, treating singing as an extension of acting is a throwback to the high days of the studio system.

Think of Debbie Reynolds, a 20-year-old starlet when MGM tapped her to play the chorus girl in the 1952 classic “Singin’ in the Rain.” Sassy and charming, Ms. Reynolds had a sweet, bright singing voice. But she had done little dancing and was naturally intimidated at the prospect of partnering with Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in dance routines. Under Kelly’s demanding tutelage, she found a way to channel her natural agility and buoyancy into stylish dance steps.

In saluting Mr. Depp’s singing I do not take for granted the sheer vocal beauty of great operatic voices. Opera singers work terribly hard to cultivate these wondrous voices. But the best opera singers will tell you that words and sound are one.

Compare the artistry of Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. The perception that Callas was a dramatically mesmerizing but vocally imperfect singer, whereas Mr. Sutherland was the opposite, vocally glorious but dramatically flat, seems a gross simplification. Callas could sing with exquisite technique and elegance, and Ms. Sutherland could sing with excitement and poignancy. But Ms. Sutherland’s diction was generally indistinct, whereas you could take dictation from Callas’s recordings. It’s the urgency and clarity of the text in Callas’s performances that render her artistry more compelling and immediate.

Acting was the top priority in the casting considerations for the other major roles in “Sweeney Todd.” Patter does not come easily to Helena Bonham Carter in Mrs. Lovett’s bleakly comic songs, especially “The Worst Pies in London.” But during “My Friends,” when Ms. Bonham Carter confides her feelings for Sweeney in understated vocal utterances (“I’m your friend, too, Mr. Todd/If you only knew, Mr. Todd”), her singing is lyrical and seductive. Alan Rickman gives a harrowingly understated portrayal of the evil Judge Turpin, which comes through in his literate, dry and menacing singing.

The actors benefit enormously from the inventive work of Mr. Sondheim’s longtime orchestrator, Jonathan Tunick. Adapting his original orchestrations, Mr. Tunick has created a soundtrack that has old-fashioned Hollywood film plushness. Yet there is still so much color and detail in his scoring that the orchestra sounds like a pit band for a classic Sondheim show.

Many lovers of “Sweeney Todd” will be disappointed that with the musical turned into a gothic and gory film, the choruses have been eliminated — “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” and its refrains, which advance the narrative like a Greek chorus in a Sophocles tragedy. Mr. Tunick has transformed these choral numbers into lush, sweeping orchestral transitions that run through the film. In one way, though, this change brings the work closer to Mr. Sondheim’s original inspiration: the British melodrama. In that once-popular theatrical genre of mysteries and melodramas, an ominous orchestra would churn away in the pit almost continually during the play.

But the film rests on Mr. Depp’s performance. Once in a while, when he reaches for a high note, you can tell he wants to let it rip and cannot quite make it happen. But the vocal struggling just enhances the tragic depth of his portrayal.

What’s next? Johnny Depp as Billy Bigelow in some bleak new film version of “Carousel,” directed by, say, Sidney Lumet? Or as the star of a Mike Leigh film of Britten’s “Billy Budd”? My guess is that Mr. Depp’s career as a singer on screen will end with “Sweeney Todd.” But what a way to go out.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 13, 2008, 3:06pm

Very nice review. Thank you.
I agree with that person a lot.
I'm glad people like his singing a lot, I didn't know if it would be hit or not. Yay.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 14, 2008, 8:04am

I think by now we can safely say that the general populace considers him the golden boy after his Captain Jack performance. Seems as though he can't do any wrong these days. I never thought this day would come. Now that it's here, I have mixed feelings. I liked it better when people considered him to be the rebellious and dangerously unapproachable Johnny of old. But no matter what I'm always over the moon about his successes. And I really love what he gave us with Sweeney Todd. I've been waiting for this since he lip synched his way through Cry Baby. we all have!

I'm babbling while I wait for my coffee. Stupid coffeemaker is taking forever this morning god dammit! >:(

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Jan 14, 2008, 11:22am

Ah another caffeine junkie. Hope you got your coffee by now.

Well I finally got to see it and I was so impressed with his singing! I really did not expect him to sound so precise. He really worked hard to hit some of those notes. I think it was the first song that he sang, (when he sings to his blades) where he did a harmony with Helena and it was just so beautiful. Their voices just blended together so well.

I loved the movie and found myself being more sad than scared. The ending was a complete shock to me (and to Sweeney) but I found myself thinking that this was one of the most beautifully poetic movies I've ever seen.

What else is there to say that hasn't been said. Tim Burton is a master at cinematography. He captures so much with so little color. How is that possible? The man is a genius.

I hope to get into another show next weekend. Once was derinitely not enough but I can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that I finally got to see it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 14, 2008, 11:40am

Quote:

Tim Burton is a master at cinematography. He captures so much with so little color. How is that possible? The man is a genius.

That would be the Director of Photography, Dariuz Wolski, in conjunction with Tim and his staff.
Wolski deserves an Academy nod.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 14, 2008, 5:47pm

Quote:

I hope to get into another show next weekend. Once was derinitely not enough but I can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that I finally got to see it.

I'm glad you liked it. Yes, once is not enough. I'm going to maybe see it again on Sunday.

Did anyone watch the Golden Globe winners announced? Johnny won for best actor in a comedy or musical. And the movie won for best picture (comedy or musical). Yay, I'm proud.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by orlandobloomlover on Jan 14, 2008, 10:05pm

Omg my friend and I are obsessed, to almost a non healthy way lol, over this movie, We have the sound track the lyrics, posters, pillows everything you culd have. Johnny totally owned this role, it was scary

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by orlandobloomlover on Jan 14, 2008, 10:08pm

Quote:

Quote:

I hope to get into another show next weekend. Once was derinitely not enough but I can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that I finally got to see it.

I stayed up just for that. I almost was dying to see the results. I was so happy

If he hadn't have won there would have been some serious problems haha

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 14, 2008, 11:57pm

Quote:

I am definitely buying the soundtrack. I've seen the movie 6 times already and I can't get his voice out of my head. I could listen to him sing for all eternity.

Welcome to you orlandobloomlover.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 15, 2008, 8:13am

Quote:

I've got the big hardcover book, the soundtrack, some U.S. magazines and a poster from the NY Times, and I feel fine.

I am as healthy as a 53 year old female ox.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 15, 2008, 8:31am

Well, welcome orlandobloomlover. What a surprise!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Jan 15, 2008, 11:07pm

I know. I should accidentally delete members more often.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Jan 16, 2008, 9:09am

Haha. Good one. ^

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Jan 16, 2008, 10:48pm

Posted by herestoyou @ JDR~~

Found this brief clip from the French premiere. Again, it does stop and buffer throughout,(edit: doesn't stop anymore?) but Johnny/Tim comment about the GG wins and WGA strike. I've included the brief little piece they have that goes with the clip, but there are a couple other tidbits in the actual video:

http://www.tv3.co.nz/VideoBrowseAll/Entert...ault.aspx#video

Globe winners Depp and Burton hit Paris
Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:37p.m.
Johnny Depp

The "City of Lights" welcomed Johnny Depp and Tim Burton on the Champs Ellysee Wednesday night to hundreds of fans who waited hours in the rain for their arrival.

Seventeen years after their first collaboration, Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton are teaming up once again - this time on the drama Sweeney Todd. For the first time together they are winners of two Golden Globes - Depp for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical and Tim Burton in the category of Best Film/Musical or Comedy.

The thriller is based on the hit Broadway musical and Depp actually sings in the film.

Depp plays Benjamin Barker, a man who was falsely imprisoned for 15 years after a judge sets him up in order to take his wife and daughter. Barker escapes and takes on the name of Sweeney Todd. Todd, who is a barber by trade, seeks to take out revenge on all of the people who have wronged him.

Depp, who was at home in France when the winners of the Golden Globes were announced, told AP Television:

"Uh, I was at my house. I was at home you know. Yeah, I was at home, just hanging out. I was very surprised, certainly. Moved, you know. Flattered. Honoured. They nominated me about 17 years ago. It was the first time."

Tim Burton was also shocked to hear of his honour while sleeping at home: "Well, I was in London and I was asleep. So, I read about it in the newspaper the next day because nobody has my phone number so I was not really aware of it until the next morning."

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter also star in the film.

'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' continues opens in New Zealand on 25 January.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Jan 20, 2008, 8:59am

17 years is too long a time between nominations. It's about damn time they finally figured that out!

I'm so happy for him. He's so damn modest.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sylvia on Feb 1, 2008, 1:38pm

I'm jumping aboard the newly Sweeney obsessed

I have never before been to see a film in the cinema more than once

but that record is now well and truly shattered lalalaaa!!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 1, 2008, 8:54pm

Quote:

I'm jumping aboard the newly Sweeney obsessed

I have never before been to see a film in the cinema more than once

but that record is now well and truly shattered lalalaaa!!

And another one down and another one down--another one bites the dust! yeah! :-*

I've only managed 3 times, but the nice thing is the soundtrack plays the film in your head when you listen to it.

It's truly an opus and will no doubt achieve a well-deserved Cult status.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 1, 2008, 9:21pm

Well congratulations to you and welcome to the obsession. :-*

I think I've seen it over ten times now. And everytime I see it, I find myself wanting to stay seated and watch the next viewing and the next and the next until security has to pry me from my damn seat and toss me out on my ass.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 4, 2008, 8:27am

The DVD is being released on April 1st! [image]

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 6, 2008, 2:59pm

That soon!

How the hell did they manage that?

Oh I really hope that's not an April Fool's joke. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 7, 2008, 10:17am

You and me both Anna. But I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of bonus features we;'ll be getting. I want a lot of behind the scenes footage. Wathcing him sing in the studio specifically. ::)

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Feb 7, 2008, 1:39pm

Oh yeah that's the ticket. (I can't believe I just used that line :-[

)

I am excited. This is so totally awesome. I mean the movie just came out! Well at least that's what it feels like. I wanna see some blooper reels too. Like Tim and Johnny playing with blood ala Sleepy Hollow.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 7, 2008, 2:10pm

OMG! within two hours I'm going to see Sweeney for the first time

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by fundepp on Feb 7, 2008, 2:20pm

Enjoy and try not to drool too much into your popcorn!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 7, 2008, 4:06pm

Have fun! Can't wait to see what you think!

I agree with fundepp. Don't drool too much on your food, because it's hard not to!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 8, 2008, 8:09pm

Here is my Sweeney Todd Review!

I watched Sweeney Todd a few minutes ago and I absolutely LOVE IT!
The movie, Johnny, the music, everything!
Johnny is a bloody wonder, he is absolutely freaking amazing!

And Helena, Alan, Ed, Jamie, Jane, Laura were all amazing too.
That said, I love it how Tim Burton made this movie, for me it's one of the best movies he has ever made with Johnny.
Sweeney is only thinking about the judge and revenge, that he pushes everyone away.
Mrs.Lovett only did the things she did because she loves Mr.T and it's just heartbreaking.
I loved the final scene I cried so much at that part, when Sweeney finally recognizes Lucy and that he almost gets tears in his eyes because of that, at first you think that he is mad at Mrs.Lovett but then he starts to dance with Mrs.Lovett and you think that he loves her too it's really playing with your mind if you know what I mean.
And at last of course when Toby slashes Sweeney's throat made me cry so much it was so dramatic.

I only have a few things to say: Johnny is a genius, I love you Johnny

Tim is just amazing, well done Mr.Burton! :-*

And I can't wait to see it next Sunday in the theatres again!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 9, 2008, 7:10am

Quote:

I love it how Tim Burton made this movie for me

hey!! He made it for me, too.

I'm glad you finally got to see it, Sam. :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 9, 2008, 9:01am

Quote:

Quote:

I love it how Tim Burton made this movie for me

hey!! He made it for me, too.

I'm glad you finally got to see it, Sam. :-*

I didn't ment for me

for all of us I was so happy when I typed it yesterday

I had to put a , after movie becasueI mean I love how Tim Burton made this movie, for me it's one of the best movies he has ever made with Johnny.
That's how the sentence has to be :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 9, 2008, 9:12am

Haha. Well, it does seem like he made the movie for us...because it is so amazing.
But I'm glad you liked it. How could anyone not like it? I mean, it's a masterpiece to me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 9, 2008, 11:15am

Quote:

Haha. Well, it does seem like he made the movie for us...because it is so amazing.
But I'm glad you liked it. How could anyone not like it? I mean, it's a masterpiece to me.

I know it's bloody wonderful!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 9, 2008, 5:37pm

I just wish the theaters in my area would have showed it longer. They've already stopped screening it. But I guess I'll just have to wait to see it again when it comes out on dvd!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 9, 2008, 6:07pm

Quote:

Quote:

hey!! He made it for me, too.

I'm glad you finally got to see it, Sam. :-*

I didn't ment for me

for all of us I was so happy when I typed it yesterday

I had to put a , after movie becasueI mean I love how Tim Burton made this movie, for me it's one of the best movies he has ever made with Johnny.
That's how the sentence has to be :-*

I know. I was teasing you. My bad.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 9, 2008, 6:14pm

Quote:

Quote:

I didn't ment for me

for all of us I was so happy when I typed it yesterday

I had to put a , after movie becasueI mean I love how Tim Burton made this movie, for me it's one of the best movies he has ever made with Johnny.
That's how the sentence has to be :-*

I know. I was teasing you. My bad.

Oops for some reason I knew you would

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 11, 2008, 10:25am

Well I'm so glad you finally got to see it. I'm curious though. What did you all think about how it ended. I mean the part with Toby. I was pretty shocked by that, not in the "omigod I'm so offended" way, but in the "what the freakin hell just happened" way. I totally did not see that coming and as much as I felt sorry for Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett, I felt even sorrier for the kid.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 11, 2008, 3:21pm

I did feel sorry for Toby when Mrs. Lovett locked him in the oven room. And when Sweeney shoved Mrs. Lovett into the oven...I wasn't expecting that. I understood why Toby killed Sweeney; he really cared about Mrs. Lovett and was angry at Sweeney Todd. And he had to of known that Sweeney would kill him too.
What I was most surprised about was the fact that the old crazy woman was Sweeney Todd's wife, and that he killed her without realizing. I was mad that Lovett kept her secret about knowing that she was alive.
It's such a great movie.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 11, 2008, 4:33pm

I actually knew what was coming, and althrough I knew that Toby was going to kill Sweeney I still was pretty shocked by it.
I was like ''What the hell did just happend, and why'' and then I cried.
But now I understand, and I also think when you look at the last part where Toby picked up the razor that Sweeney threw on the floor and Sweeney knew Toby was behind him, he kinda thilled his head backwards like if he was says Go head kill me.
Cause I think if the ending was filmed different that Sweeney wasen't killed I think that didn't worked because Sweeney couldn't live anymore and he couldn't live with the fact that he just had killed his own wife.
He had lost everything and he had nothing to live for anymore.

I just love this movie!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 11, 2008, 6:59pm

Atleast Sweeney was now with his wife in death.
It does seem like Sweeney stuck his neck out for Toby to slash. There was nothing else to do. It was over. It was a good ending, but so very sad.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 11, 2008, 7:24pm

Quote:

Atleast Sweeney was now with his wife in death.
It does seem like Sweeney stuck his neck out for Toby to slash. There was nothing else to do. It was over. It was a good ending, but so very sad.

I know I cried at the end, I had my hands in front of my mouth and I started to cry when Toby slashed Sweeney's throat.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 11, 2008, 10:34pm

I did the same!^ And then I looked shockingly at my 2 friends that went with me. I was speechless for a while.
I really need to see it again. Right now.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 12, 2008, 9:43pm

Quote:

It does seem like Sweeney stuck his neck out for Toby to slash.

I noticed that as well. I think Sweeney originally might have killed Toby had he not realized that the woman he killed was his wife. Once he saw her, it's not that he softened but he realized that he was fighting and killing for nothing. All his pain and anger at those he wanted revenge on didn't matter. Because in the end, he was the one to actually take her life. I'd want to die if I made that same mistake myself. So yes I could see how he would raise his neck just so that Toby could just end it. But for a little boy to have that responsibility of it to be left upon him. It's so tragic. The whole thing. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 13, 2008, 7:27am

Quote:

Quote:

It does seem like Sweeney stuck his neck out for Toby to slash.

A tragedy of Shakespearean caliber.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 13, 2008, 9:35am

It's so dramatic! So emotional. All of it.
The fact that he didn't know he even had contact with his daughter is sad. She was right there, and he was talking to her; almost killed her. I wish he would have known.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by depploverforever on Feb 13, 2008, 10:22am

Quote:

It's so dramatic! So emotional. All of it.
The fact that he didn't know he even had contact with his daughter is sad. She was right there, and he was talking to her; almost killed her. I wish he would have known.

And if you think about it in the final scene, Lucy (The Begger Women) Johanna and Sweeney were all together and that is actually the only time they all have been together since Sweeney was dragged away from his wife and child.
Cause Lucy is standing in front of Sweeney and Johanna is in the same room but only actually Sweeney isn't there because he is with his mind on revenge and Judge Turpin.
I mean his body his there but with his mind he is somewhere else if you know what I mean.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 13, 2008, 1:07pm

Quote:

Quote:

Very true. This is a very good movie to explore.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 13, 2008, 9:38pm

Quote:

A big happy family reunion. It was a key scene though because it drove the point home just how affected the three of them were in their own way by all those years of separation. In my opinion, I don't think Sweeney's killing spree was for nothing. Look at the devastation Judge Creepy (my pet name for Rickman) caused. He tore that family apart without ever giving them a chance to just be. Even if Lucy wasn't dead, their family unit was. That's grounds for revenge in my book. (I have anger management issues I guess

)

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 14, 2008, 8:56am

Quote:

In my opinion, I don't think Sweeney's killing spree was for nothing. Look at the devastation Judge Creepy (my pet name for Rickman) caused. He tore that family apart without ever giving them a chance to just be. Even if Lucy wasn't dead, their family unit was. That's grounds for revenge in my book. (I have anger management issues I guess

)

lol no you don't. I actually hadn't looked at it that way so you do make a valid point. Still it really is so tragic...like Shakespeare as Arnelle so wisely mentioned. :-*

What I really enjoyed about this movie is that the killing, while it is very graphic, can be overlooked because the story is just so powerful and moving. After a while I just put the blood out of my mind because I was so involved in the emotions of the characters. It really did draw me in. There were so many victims here, and I'm not talking about the ones that Sweeney killed. I am ecstatic that this is coming out on DVD so soon because I'm going to need to watch it over and over and over again. It has quickly become one of my favourite Depp/Burton collaborations.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 14, 2008, 7:36pm

It's definitely one of my fave Depp/Burton collaborations. Many people seem to think so.
I think Sweeney Todd was getting revenge for a good purpose. Who wouldn't want to get revenge for having his family stolen away from him? I'd definitely do something about it...

The movie sure does draw you in. You can't look away. During watching it, from the beginning I had to go to the bathroom from drinking tons of pop, but it was far to exciting to miss one minute of it.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 15, 2008, 10:37am

Don't you wish you could yell out in the middle of a crowded theater, "Guys can we pause this here for a sec. I have to pee." That would make the wiewing experience complete for me.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 17, 2008, 2:37pm

^Exactly! I wish we could do that. It would be so much more fair.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 19, 2008, 2:39pm

ST DVD news from moviedan @ imDb

http://imdb.com/title/tt0408236/board/thread/97977602?p=1

Specs:

Single Disc:
Languages: English, French Dubbed & Subtitled, Spanish Dubbed & Subtitled
Audio: 5.1 Surround
DVD Feature:
• Featurette: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd

2-Disc Special Edition:
Languages: English, French Dubbed & Subtitled, Spanish Dubbed & Subtitled
Audio: 5.1 Surround
DVD Features:
• Featurette: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd
• Interview: Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007
• Featurette: Sweeney Todd is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber
• Featurette: Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd
• Featurette: Sweeney's London
• Featurette: The Making of Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Featurette: Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition
• Featurette: Designs for a Demon Barber
• Featurette: A Bloody Business
• Interview: Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp
• Featurette: The Razor's Refrain
• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer
• Photo Gallery: Photo Gallery

2-Disc Special Edition HD-DVD:
Languages: English, French Dubbed & Subtitled, Spanish Dubbed & Subtitled
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
DVD Features:
• Featurette: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd
• Interview: Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007
• Featurette: Sweeney Todd is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber
• Featurette: Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd
• Featurette: Sweeney's London
• Featurette: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Featurette: Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition
• Featurette: Designs for a Demon Barber
• Featurette: A Bloody Business
• Interview: Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp
• Featurette: The Razor's Refrain
• Photo Gallery: Photo Gallery
• Trailers: Theatrical Trailer

Art to follow soon~

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 19, 2008, 4:45pm

Awesome! I definitely want the 2 disc! There's so much on it...

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 19, 2008, 9:02pm

I was so excited before. I'm even more excited now!

Thanks Arnelle! :-*

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 20, 2008, 8:36am

It's official:

Artwork included.
thanks to depploverforever

http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/sweeney-todd.html

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 20, 2008, 1:56pm

Hooray for this most awesomely early DVD release!

Hey, is there a holiday in April I can use to get this as a gift?

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 21, 2008, 8:56am

Oscar poll/popular vote at MSN:

Johnny has it.
vote HERE

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by absinthe on Feb 21, 2008, 9:06am

I just voted and he's at 42%. woo!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 21, 2008, 9:42am

Quote:

Hooray for this most awesomely early DVD release!

Hey, is there a holiday in April I can use to get this as a gift?

Do you really need an excuse to give yourself a gift?

This is one advantage to holding the purse strings. My DH handed those over to me long ago. It's the secret to my happy marriage.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by deppaddict on Feb 21, 2008, 5:30pm

Hehe.
Easter is in late March, so I'm asking my dad for it as a late Easter gift!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 21, 2008, 8:21pm

Quote:

Do you really need an excuse to give yourself a gift?

I have my own purse strings but why should I loosen them up if someone else is willing to hand their booty over to spend on me. I have my selfish moments.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 21, 2008, 8:24pm

Quote:

Quote:

Do you really need an excuse to give yourself a gift?

I have my own purse strings but why should I loosen them up if someone else is willing to hand their booty over to spend on me. I have my selfish moments.

Makes sense to me! I'm my own Sugar Daddy. :-[

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by amp on Feb 21, 2008, 8:26pm

He's gonna be there!

Front and Center, as it should be! :-*

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02212008/gos....night_98564.htm

February 21, 2008 -- HERE'S where They are sitting Sunday night. Front row, right side of the Kodak Theatre in Oscarville, USA: Clooney, Nicole, Depp, Cate, Forest, Javier. Second row: Tommy Lee, Brolin, Heigl, Zellweger, Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Patrick Dempsey. Other side front row, Daniel Day-Lewis, James McAvoy, Laura Linney, Casey Affleck . . . Place your bets.

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by admin on Feb 21, 2008, 8:55pm

Ohmigod. He has to win now! I want a speech!

Re: Sweeney Todd
Post by sandrabasili on Jul 15, 2008, 11:03am

Girls,

do you happen to have photos of Benjamin Barker with wife and daughter?
In fact, I'd like to have that one, when he is looking his beloved wife, seconds before going arrested...

(each time I see this scene, my heart hurts... >:(

They're so happy!!!)