Beetlejuly: Prelude

Christopher Lee once said that he was one of the greatest directors of our age. His dark and witty imagination really makes him stick out from other Hollywood visionaries and his films, while filled with the macabre and quirkiness really put us in a certain mood, a mood of bittersweetness and serendipity. When you set your eyes to his works, you are taken to different exotic worlds and twisted realities packed with the unbelievable and unforgettable. He's a gifted role model and inspiration for many artists including myself and when you hear his name, many warped and demented images come to mind. He's created some of cinema's most legendary characters and has been able to make them relatable despite their notable abnormalities. His name is Tim Burton, a movie maker like no other and a man with a vision, a vision to bring a stylized experience to all those who go see his films. Whatever Burton movie you see, it leaves an impression on you and whatever impression it is, it will stick with you for the longest time and never leave. His films are touching, depressing, demonic and high flying all at the same time, which is why we are going to spend the entire month of July talking about his films.

I've been inspired by Doug Walker (aka the Nostalgia Critic) who spend the last two Decembers talking about all the Disney films, including the Pixar animated flicks. I've also been inspired by Adam D. Bram over at Nilbog's Storybook Land who spend the month of May and early June reviewing each episode of the Star Wars saga. So I thought I'd do something in a similar fashion, but I was unsure as to which films or film series I would dive into. I thought about the Marvel movies and the Lord of the Rings series, but then I thought of Tim Burton, the film director I have been endlessly intrigued by these last few months. Like him, I have spent many months depressed and jumped into the realms of escapism, reading Edgar Allan Poe, watching Vincent Price films as well as drawing crude, twisted entities. There were creatures that went bump in the night, there were creatures who lurked in the forest each evening, there were outcasts who couldn't find their way into society, all of them inspired by the so called "King of Quirk". In fact, many of Tim Burton's films were derived from drawings he did in his youth. I guess it goes to show that the biggest things can come from the smallest, simplest things.

So I'm paying tribute to one of my idols all throughout the month of July and since there are so many Tim Burton films and so many days in July, it should be no hassle to review each one, even if I do a review every other day. We'll talk about his short films, his earlier films, his most well known works , his reimaginings and even some of his more controversial works with their hard to explain endings (Planet of the Apes ring a bell?). Now remember, this is all opinionated and if you don't agree with me on certain aspects, feel free to express your own opinion or hey, do a review of the Burton films yourself. I'd love to read everyone else's perspectives on this brilliant man's works, because we all have different ways of looking at things and interpreting them for ourselves.

So make a pot of snake and spider stew or tea, this is Beetlejuly. Tune in Monday where we'll have a look at Burton's first stop motion film which payed tribute to one of the greatest actors who ever lived.

Good day.