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When I’ve got some time I’d like to write a proper review, but here’s the short version. POTA and alleged pop tart collaborations prove nothing – Burton’s still got it. I still don’t think he deserves the “master storyteller” credit he’s been getting in trailers recently, but this is a warm, sad, small-but-large story that’s delivered with twenty-odd years of telling the things, and the kind of confidence that experience provides. He’s learning to use his aesthetic sense as a tool to serve the story, which is a good thing.
Very well-acted and shot, but that’s not surprising; he’s got a knack for getting great performances out of actors. He actually made me root for Alec Baldwin, I swear!
As for Elfman’s contribution, it’s great. I think it’s his best score since A Simple Plan. The southern American setting is represented nicely by liberal use of fiddle (is there actually a difference between a fiddle and a violin? Can anyone shed some light on this?), banjo and guitar, and the modern stuff is mostly orchestral, with a tiny bit involving a car moving urgently through rush hour traffic using the audibly sequenced electronic percussion of POTA, Spidey and Hulk.
Altogether, 2 thumbs and a big toe up from me. Go see this movie if you can, you’ll thank me.
Burt
didja cry?
come on, you can tell me.
Lucky kids! All I’ve got are the trailers and the hope of Jan. 9th to get me through the holiday season… *sniffle*
-E (speaking of the use of the fiddle in the Southern US, in “Children of the Corn,” some fiddle music was used, along with gospel music. Newsflash: Nebraska’s about as staunchly Lutheran as you can get, no fiddle or gospel music here!)
Clarifying my last post: “Children of the Corn” (horrid movie) was set in an imaginary, small Nebraska town.
Heh, no. The father/son stuff touched me like an abusive uncle (in places I didn’t even know I had), but no, I didn’t cry.
Burt
Burt, I saw BIG FISH before you… Neeeeenerrr!!!
Ryan
My Great-Grandfather used to make fiddles, which are just violins, because it’s in how you play it, not necessarily the instrument itself. I own the last known surviving fiddle that he ever made. It was mounted with the bow in a picture frame on my Grandparents’ wall, and one Christmas my grandmother had it strung and gave it to me. It’s a beautiful work of art that is more than just an instrument. I used it in violin class in college. Sometimes it doesn’t suck that much to be from the deep south.
Nat
Yeah….i consider myself to be of the Tumbleweed Hick variety, nevertheless i’m feeling much more optimistic about being a redneck, thanks to Burton.
And hey, Nebraska can’t be too bad; all that Harvest stuff really kicks in for you over there, so thats gotta be a cool sight. I’m sure the price of scythes are cheaper there…which sucks because over here they cost close to 150 bucks.
BTW – i’m getting the smuggled edition of Big Fish right to my door, straight from the bowels of New York City’s Chinatown…I cant take this “test marketing” crap any longer! I need an eyepatch and a parrot, basically.Tumbleweed. what’s your address? Jack Valenti wants to send you a Christmas card…
Ryan
umm….why?
T –
Yeah, Nebraska IS pretty bad. Harvest time is really very cool – especially for those similar to me, who adore autumn. Otherwise, it sucks. It’s too humid in the summer; WAY too cold in the winter and humid/rainy in the spring. I’m guessing where you’re from, it’s not quite such hideous weather…
Oh, but we DO have scythes and pitchforks galore, my friend. The whole Children of the Corn franchise played that market up big time!
I’ll admit to partaking in the movie piracy purchases in vast numbers when I lived in Europe…so shoot me.
-E
Ahem……
Tumbleweed (cough, cough)…
… Jack Valenti (nudge, nudge)…
head of MPAA (cough, cough)Hey, if you wanna believe everything i type in here…be my guest. That being said –
I’m setting sail for New York tomorrow morning…those Chinamen won’t know what hit em, when i pillage their illegal dvd stashes and take them back to Puerto Rico…My parrot’s name is Dexter, and i live on a house boat on the Atlantic…oh, and i have herpes. Just thought i’d throw that one in there, too.
I smoke pot and crack, regularly engage in premarital sex with minors, was recently taken out of the Catholic church for fondling 7 year oldsI. ‘m a wife beater and a horse molestor….and i am currently involved with a deeply rooted extortion racket involving the sale of oversized condoms…Hey E…if i remember correctly, weren’t you the one who went to Malta?
Thanks for the read…
Hmm…..i think he was kidding as well…..
Eh…yeah…besides i’ve seen a pirated copy of a flick before, and it’s really nothing to brag about – the quality and sound really SUCK.so what’s the point?
Confession!
Not a confession…more like a testament. Besides, i’m sure your town has mom n pop video stores shelling out these babies for rent or own…man, i should open a video store, these people are making a killing now…
T –
Yeah, I went to Malta…mind if I ask how you know that?
At the very least, happy holidays…
-E
nothing earth shattering, but we used to write sometimes…i stopped comig around because i had no computer.
…Anyway, you said you were going to Malta and I mentioned Robert Altman filmed the movie Popeye there, and they probobly still had the sets preserved.
T –
Hey! I know you
Geez, shoulda known from your email (or rather, just the first few characters since you didn’t leave your whole email addy). I thought you died – or worse, were attacked by pygmies who had cornered the world market on pitchforks Yep; I saw the Popeye sets…extremely run down, might I add. I’d be happy to send you pics if you’d leave me your email address. If you’d like to chat over email, my address is linked above.
Merry, Merry!
-E
actually, emails aren’t showing on this thing…but i’m at hjdobbs@netzero.com.
Man, those sets are freaking 20+ years old…Holy hell. They gotta be falling off…
Merry xmas, etc!
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