« Bill Moyers On Nobel Winner Doris Lessing | Main | Wanted Trailer »

October
31
Sweeney Todd Preview Reactions

Sweeneytodd21024Reactions to some Sweeney Todd previews are spreading over the web like kudzu. From the people I've talked to, the Sweeney Todd story really does play more gruesome as a live action flick than as a stylized piece of musical theatre, which makes sense. After all, people are eating those meat pies! I hear Depp is better all around than Helena Bonham Carter, but I will wait to see for myself. Word is good on both Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Cinefantastique

Johnny Depp Reads

more Johnny Depp reads

catsplay

Hollywood Elsewhere

IMDB, and

more IMDB.

If you're in NYC, the Film Society of Lincoln Center will screen some Sweeney Todd clips as part of an evening with Tim Burton at 8 PM on Wednesday, November 14 at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. For ticket info, go to Film at Lincoln Center.

A sampling of reactions is pasted on the jump:


“I'm lucky to have made it home because of the wildfires, but I know you don't care about that. And I'm committing a sin by not reading other threads - but I'm too tired and in shock. I'm going to start three threads: (1) spoiler-free, (2) little spoilers and plot details (I'll warn you what I'm spoiling first so you can pick and choose), (3) Mega-spoilers (don't read it - will spoil the movie even if you're familiar with the musical). SPOILER-FREE REVIEW (general impressions and basics): I'm sure you've heard much of this already but: -They said this preview is NOT finished - Burton has 5 weeks of "mixing" left to do. (But it looked mostly finished to me.) -I timed it: it was 1 hr 50 mins, not including end credits (they only showed the front credits). -Full-throttle musical – believe it or not, you don’t really miss the things that are missing. It’s almost more of a musical than the stage musical! When they sing they REALLY sing, and I might be exaggerating, but it seemed like over 80% sung. The music is very powerful throughout. Depp is excellent. Carter has a strong accent (I think it works). Anthony and Tobias almost steal the show. Turpin, Beadle, and Pirelli all seem PERFECT. -Amazingly faithful to the musical - much of it is word-for-word the same, with a few plot deviations and many minor changes. -About 60 people in the audience, with very positive reactions (a few negative) – but the audience isn’t a “random sample”. -Very disturbingly violent and gory – it’s actually a “musical-horror” movie. We knew it would be a unique film, but I would say that it's radically unique because it’s also *hilarious*. Sure to get widely varying reviews.”
“At least 90% of the audience had a VERY positive reaction. A few had negative reactions. One guy sneeringly said "It was like Edward Scissorhands but he sounded like Jack Sparrow" or something like that. The funny thing is that the lady that led the discussion at the end put a positive spin on everything, including this. She said something like ‘We LOVE to hear that. I'd LOVE to see that in print.’ (Implying that it might attract fans of Edward S and Pirates.) I think at least 1/2 of the audience was aware that it was a musical, and much less than 1/2 was familiar with the musical. (It was kind of hard for me to count because I was in the front row - by the way, if anybody else reading this was there, I was toward the left with a green long-sleeve shirt and asked about cameos.) Of the people not familiar with the musical, a few seemed to be ‘pleasantly surprised’ with the fact that it was a musical, and a few were definitely put off by it.”
“Saw this last night at the test screening. It really is as great as the above review suggests. Highlights include the opening where we watch blood fall from the London skies, the first showdown between Depp and Cohen as the dueling barbers, a hilarious fantasy sequence where Mrs. Lovett imagines a fairy tale life with Todd, the first duet between Depp and Rickman (nerve wracking as Todd works up the nerve to slash the Judge's throat), and the final haunting shot. The last shot is seriously one of the greatest shots in the pantheon of great shots. It's gory but beautiful. And don't worry about Helena Bonham Carter. She's scary, sexy, and frightening all at the same time. Don't go in expecting Broadway quality singing, but be prepared for sytlized theatrics, tons of gore, and, overall, a great time at the movies.”

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bfc7553ef00e54efe2b2d8833

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Sweeney Todd Preview Reactions :

Comments

so good! I LOVE YOU ! YOUR POST IS GREAT

Post a comment

If you have a TypeKey or TypePad account, please Sign In.


About

Variety blogger Anne Thompson is your trusted source for film industry news. She tracks Hollywood, Indiewood, awards season and film festivals for this daily blog.
Member: Alliance of Women Film Journalists


Recent Comments

Categories

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in Baz Lurhmann's highly-anticpated drama, 'Australia.' ; Nicole Kidman; trailer; Baz Lurhman; australia; movie; Drama; Hugh Jackman; variety; Death Race Movie Trailer; Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star in the teen comedy, 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.' ; video trailers; Michael Cera; Kat Dennings; Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist trailer; College Movie Trailer; Daniel Radcliffe stars in Warner Bros. and author J.K. Rowling's final chapter of the 'Harry Potter' franchise. ; 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' trailer; new; trailers; video; variety; Josh Brolin stars as George W. Bush in director Oliver Stone's portrayal of the controversial President. ; W trailer; trailers; Oliver Stone; bush; Josh Brolin; 'W' trailer; video; variety; Christian Bale plays 'John Connor' in Warner Bros.' fourth installment of the 'Terminator' series. ; Variety Video; Christian Bale; 'Terminator: Salvation' teaser trailer; Based on the memoir by Danny Wallace, Jim Carrey stars as a man who must say 'Yes' to everything for one year. ; Zooey Deschanel; Jim Carrey; trailers; variety; 'Yes Man' trailer; Warner Bros. brings one of the most popular graphic novels of all time to the bigscreen. ; Watchmen movie trailer teaser; 'The Watchmen' trailer; video; variety; BETWEEN THE LINES explores the Vietnam War through the prism of the surfing sub-culture.; Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott star as two "Role Models" in the new comedy from Universal. ; trailers; Paul Rudd; Sean William Scott; video; variety; 'Role Models' movie trailer; Tom Cruise stars in the upcoming WWII thriller about the assassination of Adolf Hitler. ; World War II; katie holmes; Hitler; trailer; valkyrie; Tom Cruise; video; variety; Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Sony's highly anticipated sequel to 'Casino Royale' ; Daniel Craig; trailer; 'Quantum of Solace' trailer; free download; James Bond; variety; embed; Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo play two con man attempting to swindle an eccentric heiress in 'The Brothers Bloom.'; Adrien Brody; 'The Brothers Bloom' trailer; video; variety; Mark Wahlberg and Twentieth Century Fox bring the gritty videogame hero to the bigscreen. ; Mark Wahlberg; New Trailer; Download; 'Max Payne' trailer; variety; Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson star in comic mastermind Frank Miller's directorial debut. ; Rainn Wilson stars as an out-of-work '80's drummer who's called upon for a last-minute gig. (Fox); Fox; comedy; christina applegate; 'The Rocker' trailer; video; variety; Rainn Wilson; The Coen Bros.' follow up to 'No Country' is a quirky drama starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. (Warning: graphic language); George Clooney; Joel and Ethan Cohen; trailer; Brad Pitt; Burn After Reading; John Malkovich; video; variety; Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe star in Ridley Scott's adaptation of the CIA thriller. ; trailers; Leonardo DiCaprio; 'Body of Lies' trailer; variety; Ridley Scott; Russell Crowe; Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connolly star in Twentieth Century Fox's remake of the sci-fi classic.; december 12th; Fox; 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' trailer; Remake; jennifer connolly; movie trailers; variety; keanu reeves; Director Guy Ritchie returns another British gangster film. This time starring '300' stud Guy Ritchie. ; Gerard Butler; madonna; Guy Ritchie; trailers; 'RocknRolla' trailer; Anne Hathaway plays a drug-addict sibling who returns for her sisters wedding in the Jonathan Demme drama. ; movie; 'Rachel Getting Married' trailer; Jonathan Demme; trailers; Anne Hathaway; 'City of God' director Fernando Meirelles directs Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo in the adaptation of José Saramago's epidemic novel.; trailers; Mark Ruffalo; 'Blindness' trailer; video; Variety review; Julianne Moore; Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzerald, Brad Pitt stars as a man who ages in reverse in David Fincher's chronological drama. ; trailer download; angelina jolie; Warner Bros.; 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' trailer; Brad Pitt; David Fincher; movie trailers; variety; 'Disturbia' director D.J. Caruso reunites with Shia LaBeouf in this political assassination thriller. ; 'Eagle Eye' trailer; Shia LaBeouf; movie trailers; video; variety; Bill Murray and Tim Robbins star in this fantasy/drama about a illuminous city that slowly begins to fade. ; free; Bill Murray; 'City of Ember' trailer; movie trailers; Tim Robbins; variety; embed; Saw V Teaser Trailer; Vin Diesel returns to the action-genre in Fox's futuristic thriller, 'Babylon A.D.'; August 2008; Fox; Vin Diesel; 'Babylon A.D.' trailer; video; variety; Woody Allen is back behind the camera with Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardhem and Scarlett Johansson topping this Spanish romance. ; Scarlett Johansson; Javier Bardhem; 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' trailer; Penelope Cruz; Woody Allen; spain; Movie Trailer; Dennis Quaid stars in the real-life story of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy. ; Dennis Quaid; Heisman Trophy; Ernie Davis; 'The Express' trailer; video; variety; Twilight trailer 2; A scene from Alex Gibney's upcoming documentary, 'Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson' ; 'Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson' scene; trailer; variety; Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck and more top this star-studded romantic comedy from Warner Bros.; He's Just Not That Into You; trailer; Ben Affleck; Jennifer Aniston; Justin Long; Drew Barrymore; variety; Righteous Kill - Movie Trailer; A young girl tries to navigate her way through the dubious (and sexual) temptations of Los Angeles. ; sexual crowd in los angeles; 'Garden Party' trailer; young girl; video; variety; Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly star as two co-workers vying for the same promotion. ; comedy; 'The Promotion' trailer; Sean William Scott; John C. Reilly; video; variety; Mulder and Scully return to the bigscreen this Summer in FOX and creator Chris Carter's 'X-Files: I Want to Believe.'; trailer; Fox; Mulder; Scully; Chris Carter; David Duchovney; Gillian Anderson; variety; X-Files: I Want to Believe; Seth Rogen and James Franco star in the Judd Apatow produced stoner comedy, 'Pineapple Express.'; James Franco; 'Pineapple Express' trailer; comedy; Judd Apatow; stoners; Seth Rogen; variety; stoner; Lucasfilm is back with another 'Star Wars' movie. This time, however, the jedi's are animated. ; Film; jedi; trailer; lucasfilm; Star Wars: Clone Wars; animated movie; George Lucas; variety; Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated sequel to 'Batman Begins.'; Kiefer Sutherland stars as an ex-cop who begins to investigate the evil force that has penetrated his home. ; Kiefer Sutherland; Mirrors; trailers; 'Mirrors' trailer; horror; video; variety; Real-life teens star in one of the most talked about documentaries of the year. ; documentary; trailer; American Teen; variety; sundance; Fox's intergalactic comedy highlights the antics of astronaut chimps with all the “wrong stuff.”; ' Fox; 'Space Chimps; trailer; animation; video; variety; Jack Black and Ben Stiller topline this jungle comedy about a group of Hollywood actors getting caught in the action.; Matthew McConaughey; comedy; Robert Downey Jr.; Ben Stiller; Tom Cruise; movie; Tropic Thunder; Jack Black; Meg Ryan and Annette Bening star in the remake of George Cukor's 1939 film.; Bette Midler; eva mendes; 'The Women' trailer; Meg Ryan; video; variety; Diane Keaton; Marvel Comics returns to the bigscreen with the second installment of the action/fantasy thriller. ; The Golden Army; Marvel Comics; Hellboy 2; movie; sequel; Selma Blair; Three women are stalked by a killer with a grudge that extends back to the girls' childhoods.; Sony Picturehouse; trailer; Thriller; amusement; horror; variety; Pixar's latest entry tells the story of a loveable yet mischievous robot named 'Wall-E'; Will Smith plays a superhero with some not-so-super habits in Sony's big-budget 'Hancock.'; Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy star in this action-apprentice tale of justice. ; Morgan Freeman; Thriller; James McAvoy; angelina jolie; action; movie; wanted; Twilight - Movie Trailer; Physicist Bruce Banner takes flight in order to understand -- and hopefully cure -- the condition that turns him into a monster.; Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep star in the film adaptation of the Broadway hit musical. ; Will Smith plays a superhero with some not-so-super habits in Sony's big-budget 'Hancock.'; Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as two step-brothers who must find their way to brotherly love. ; sony; comedy; 'Step Brothers' trailer; John C. Reilly; will ferrell; video; variety; Heath Ledger stars as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated sequel to 'Batman Begins.'; The newest trailer for the Ed Norton-starrer 'Incredible Hulk.'; America's favorite gal pals jump to the bigscreen this summer. ; Jack Black voices a 600-pound martial arts whiz in the Dreamworks animated film, 'Kung Fu Panda.'; Brendan Fraser and co. are back at again in 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'; Made of Honor Movie Trailer; Based on the classic 1960's Japanese animated series chronicling the aspirations of a young race car driver as he attempts to obtain glory, with the help of his family and the Mach 5.; Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: Movie Trailer; The Forbidden Kingdom - Movie Trailer; Get Smart: Movie Trailer; Story about six MIT students who were trained to become experts in card counting and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings.; Dreamworks Animations presents Kung Fu Panda.; Single business woman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.; A team of people work to prevent a disaster threatening the future of the human race.; Two sisters Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) contend for the affection of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) ; Jack Black destroys every tape in his friend's video store. In order to satisfy the store's most loyal renter, an aging woman with signs of dementia, the two men set out to remake the lost films.; The attempted assassination of the president is told from five different perspectives.; A genetic anomaly allows a David Rice ( Hayden Christensen) to teleport himself anywhere.; Once moving into the Spiderwick Estate Jared and Simon Grace find themselves in an alternate world.; A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.; Amir (Khalid Abdalla) has spent years in California and returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan.; Back home in Texas after fighting in Iraq, a soldier refuses to return to battle despite the government mandate requiring him to do so.; An attorney known as the "fixer" in his law firm, comes across the biggest case of his career that could produce disastrous results for those involved; George Clooney; sydney pollack; Michael Clayton; John Rambo (Stallone) assembles a group of mercenaries and leads them up the Salween River to a Burmese village where a group of Christian aid workers allegedly went missing.; Trailer to Iron Man Video Game; Trailer from video game; "Margot at the Wedding" is a circus of family neuroses and bad behavior that perhaps a therapist could make sense of better than Noah Baumbach can. ; Nicole Kidman; Margot at the wedding; jennifer jason leigh; vareity review; movie review; variety; review; A young man from the South Bronx dreams of making it as a rapper, until a run-in with local thugs forces him to hide in Puerto Rico with the father he never knew.; You have to believe it to see it.; The last man on earth is not alone.; The rebellion begins. ; Variety presents a special screening of "The Darjeeling Limited" with Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola and Adrien Brody.; A CIA analyst questions his assignment after witnessing an unorthodox interrogation at a secret detention facility outside the US.; A freak storm unleashes a species of blood-thirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole-up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.; A scorching blast of tense genre filmmaking shot through with rich veins of melancholy, down-home philosophy and dark, dark humor, "No Country for Old Men" reps a superior match of source material and filmmaking talent.; Tommy Lee Jones; movie review; variety; Variety review; No Country for Old Men; Directors: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Tilly Mandelbrot...; Trailer from video game; Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader. ; Brad Pitt; Casey Affleck; the Assassination of Jesse James; Variety Screening Q&A with director Sidney Lumet.; Before the Devil Knows You're Dead; Sidney Lumet; Philip Seymour Hoffman; movies; The search for true love begins outside the box. A delusional young guy strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet.; ryan gosling; trailer; Patricia Clarkson; movies; Craig Gillepsie; Lars and the Real Girl; Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska. Alice (Jovovich) joins the caravan and their fight against the evil Umbrella Corp.; Director: Sean Penn Starring: Emile Hirsch, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn; THERE WILL BE BLOOD chronicles one Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), who transforms himself from a silver miner into a self-made oil tycoon. ; There Will Be Blood; Here's an exclusive look at Joel and Ethan Coen's trailer for their Cannes hit "No Country for Old Men," starring Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and uber villain Javier Bardem. ; trailer; movies; No Country for Old Men; Tomy Lee Jones; Ethan Coen; Josh Brolin; Javier Bardem; Joel Coen; Directors: Nadia Conners & Leila Conners Petersen Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sylvia Earle Ph.D., Mikhail Gorbachev...;

TIP ANNE THOMPSON

Visit the Widget Gallery

Anne's Links

August 2009

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
            1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31