WOLFMAN, ALICE, Jervis, and Harvey. There's actually a connection here, I swear.

[thehefner]

THE WOLFMAN was terribly disappointing, particularly because I feel like I could just see all the good intentions scattered somewhere inside the horribly-edited mess of a film. Could a different cut salvage it? I'd love to think so, but I doubt it. Sigh. In fairness, the original WOLFMAN wasn't that great either, what with the stalker-tastic love story which could have easily been called--as Henchgirl quipped--THE WEREWOLF WALKED ON TIPPY-TOES. But still! Sigh.

That said, I'm still not sure if crushing disappointment is better than intense horrified loathing. Which brings us to my thoughts on ALICE IN WONDERLAND.

There are few words to describe just how much I loathed Burton's film (which he made, as I understand, without having ever read the actual books), and if I had the time/energy, I would rant about it wholeheartedly instead of doing this kind of cheap, unsupported drive-by complaint. But really, when it comes to a film that makes the Mad Hatter a badass revolutionary, tries (and utterly fails) to combine the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen, and ends with a song by Avril Fucking Lavigne, what else do I really have to say? I mean, seriously.

That said, I want the soundtrack. The Hatter's dance music was the first time I've heard Danny Elfman write anything sounding like Oingo Boingo since even before Oingo Boingo broke up. Too bad it had to happen in the brain-meltingly-awful moment when the Hatter danced the Robot. I mean, seriously, do I really have to defend these points? Really? Whyyyyy???!?!

On the plus side, I now want to write my essay on why Batman's Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, is a woefully abused character who deserves more love.

Speaking of Bat-Rogues, I posted my first Two-Face Tuesday entry in two weeks, the first part of Harvey vs. the Robins, with a focus on the first appearance of Tim Drake. I'm kinda disappointed that it didn't get more attention at scans_daily, what with their adoration of the Robins and all, but hopefully that'll pick up with the next entry, focusing on Dick Grayson's ties to Harvey in PRODIGAL.

Comments

[the-mithril-man.livejournal.com]

Oh thank God! Most of the people I talk to about AIW are huge Burton fans and see nothing wrong with the movie at all. Visually it was great, musically it fired on all cylinders. The Plot? Well, not so much.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

1. Burton has this habit of 'doing' stories without researching them. It pissed me off with Batman and I'm majorly pissed off about Alice too. What the fuck is he fucking playing at? You know what, John, you need to erase that terrible experience by seeing Doctor Parnassus. Because that film was BOSS, son.

2. On the plus side, I now want to write my essay on why Batman's Mad Hatter, Jervis Tetch, is a woefully abused character who deserves more love.

Oh man, I can't even agree with you more. I can't. Riddler and Hatter are my babies in the rogue's gallery. Hatter especially, since no one seems to have pinned down a backstory or personality for him, really. I mean, he goes from being obsessed with this one chick to being a paedophile to being... well, it's all so chaotic. It's almost like you could really do anything with him.

[thehefner.livejournal.com]

I saw PARNASSUS, and I... well, I'm not sure I loved it, per se, but I really, really dug it. It was the first truly successful film Gilliam's done in years. I dunno, I'm still trying to pin it down to describe. But yes, I agree, Gilliam pwns Burton any day, especially these days.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Gilliam is too surreal to get enthused about, since you're still like, 'WTF' when you see it. No matter how many times you see it.

I agree, it really hearkened back to Baron Munchausen, which I also loved. I haven't seen any of his other films, but I really want to.

As for Burton... well, in recent years the only film he did that I liked at all was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and for some reason my brain chooses to forget the added backstory bits, whenever I say that. I just mentally edit them out, lol. The rest of the film was just like the book, beyond that. Imho.

I'm interested in the soundtrack to Alice, because of what you said about Danny's work. I haven't given up on Danny yet. I say this as I listen to his aria, lol. XD