Why did Tim Burton’s artistic career go down the shitter?

What made it go down was his brain and mind and it's inability to continue creating new and unique films.

Sometimes movie directors just decline creatively and artistically as they age, it happens. I often marvel at those who are able to stay at the same level of excellence over several decades, that seems so crazy to me.

His last great film was Big Eyes and Amy Adams was unfortunate to miss out on ANOTHER Oscar nom but Marion Cotillard deserved hers.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children might have been more enjoyable had I seen it in the cinema but it made me think of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day which also starred Amy Adams and was very good.

And I didn't bother with Dumbo as I don't like cruelty against elephants.

He made a lotta money for Disney in the 2000s. Now he says he’s turned his back on studios like Disney. Doesn’t seem to have had a good experience. Perhaps the new broad he’s with now, Monica Bellucci, is influencing him for the better. She seems cool unlike that poser Helena. They didn’t even live in the same house.

Those Alive in Wonderland films were dreadful, “Dark Shadows” was horrible, the ridiculous Johnny Depp “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”… a pile of garbage.

Thank god he divorced Helena and can’t work with Depp because he’s dead to studios.

OP you cannot be serious. It's not Tim Burton's actors' or friends' fault nor responsibility for Tim Burton to come up with consistently brilliant, creative ideas. That's poppycock.

I think it's much easier to come up with original ideas in youth. Our ability to fantasize, dream, and risk decreases with age, as R2 said. After those early groundbreaking successes, the pressure to continue to crank out the wonderment -- while also performing at the box office -- must be staggering.

Also, creativity doesn't always come on a time table. If you aren't feeling the muse, yet have a contracted obligation to make something, the result is likely to something less inspired than when you were a teenager doodling in your notebook during math class, hungry, dreaming those big dreams.

I agree that his remakes of existing beloved stories are the absolute worst of his output. Total crap, all of it.

No one put a gun to Tim Burton's head to force him to use Helena and Johnny in his movies. That was on Tim. He obviously liked working with both of them. And they are both fine actors. If something sucked, it was because the material or the aesthetic that sucked.

I will say that Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children was a great film, visually and otherwise. No Depp or Helena in that one. Also Big Eyes, about the lady who painted those big-eyed children in the 60s, was quite good. What neither of those films possess, however, is the irreverent wit and whimsy of a Pee Wee's Big Adventure or a Beetlejuice. Or the fairy tale beating heart of Edward Scissorhands. They're just "good."

Somewhere along the way Tim Burton lost his sense of humor. I would put it down to aging. I've lost a lot of my absurdist sense of humor and capacity for wonder as I've aged, too, unfortunately. Very few can remain in that childlike creative headsapce past middle aged. Danny Elfman comes to mind, but then look what we are finding out about him. He's a weirdo.

[quote]I blame Helena Bonham Carter

HIs career went down the proverbial DL shitter when he split with HBC. So, if you mean you blame her for breaking up with him, then sure.

The start of his decline began with his “Planet of the Apes.”

No question.

I agree, R11. When he started doing the remakes of existing classics he lost the plot. So. Many. Remakes.

How many times can Johnny Depp play the same damn character for christ sake? After the cross dressing Wonka film I thought old Tim should just hang it up. He's been making the same film since the turn of the century.

To each his own, OP, but I thought Mars Attacks was godawful.

After what he did to Sweeney Todd, the shitter's too good for him.

Same. Beetlejuice is my favorite film of all time. Quirky, smart and laugh out loud funny.

It's been alleged that Burton is on the autistic spectrum...

Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is the only film of his I like.

The remakes are all real low points.

He just walked too far down his own weird road, like Bjork and Wes Anderson, while his creative spark dimmed.

Of course Burton has Aspergers.

When you will most likely hit your creative peak, according to science

Burton is 65, he made Mars Attacks at 38

Danny Elfman.

Danny Elfman’s cheesy film scores.

After reaching the dizzying heights of Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Batman Returns, the only way was down.

Thanks for the paywalled article, R21.

The earliest or the beat of his work always struck me as insufferable. In the same way that Wes Anderson films annoy the shit out 9f me.

He didn't get better over time, but he didn't fall down from any great height either

His foot fetish took over his mind.

Or is that that other quirky director who now repeats himself over and over?

Mars Attacks was flawed and it's just not one of my favorites of his.

I love Edward Scissor-Hands and Big Fish.

I think he went to shit with the Planet of the Apes movie though. That was awful.

I hated "Dark Shadows" on first watch. But upon rewatching it on cable not too long ago... it's actually pretty good. I think it was an expectations thing, but it actually really captured the basics of the soap opera, and updated it, and I think it's a far better movie than most people would give it credit for, including me after the first time I saw it.

It's gown on me and now I'd gladly sit down and watch it again if offered.

Here you go, r25. An un-paywalled version

That's funny, it's not paywalled for me, and I'm not a Wpost subscriber.

Enjoy! (you petulant bitch)

Here you go, r25. An un-paywalled version

That's funny, it's not paywalled for me, and I'm not a Wpost subscriber.

Enjoy! (you petulant bitch)

Here you go, r25. An un-paywalled version

That's funny, it's not paywalled for me, and I'm not a Wpost subscriber.

Enjoy! (you petulant bitch)

Oops, sorry about the multiple posts, (I think the Mathew Perry thing has bogged down DL at the moment, I was getting "post could not be created messages")

Thanks, R34, etc. You repetitive bitch. 😉

He was a one trick pony who blew all his good ideas when he was younger and hungrier. When some amount of inspiration or motivation left him all he had was an aesthetic formula.

I liked Sleepy Hollow.

I watched the filmed version of the musical "Sweeney Todd" today and mentioned to my partner how many missed opportunities there were in the film version. From the first moment, they cut "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd." What the fuck was he thinking?

Because he’s so rich, that no one can say this shit sucks. He pays for yes men. He lost his magic.

Burton was never that good even at his peak. His most successful work as an artist is probably Ed Wood, which is a very good movie but hardly an all-time classic. People love Batman Returns, but mostly for Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, while ignoring how much of the rest doesn’t work.

He has always been an artist with a limited skill set.

Pee Wee's Big Adventure is one of my favorite movies. I also liked Batman, Batman Returns, and Big Fish. I haven't watched the Depp films because I just don't like Johnny Depp. Big Eyes is on my watchlist, but that's because of Amy Adams. I would probably like Frankenweenie because I like animated movies. And I should watch Dumbo just so I can stare at Colin Farrell's beautiful face for 2 hours.

I've said before that I thought "Batman Returns" was brilliant and couldn't understand how the critics slammed it as "too dark," yet heaped nothing but praise on Christopher Nolan's equally dark and depressing Batman films a few years later. And for me, Michelle Pfeiffer was every bit as compelling and Oscar-worthy playing the unhinged Catwoman in "Batman Returns" as Heath Ledger was as the unhinged Joker in "Dark Knight," but again, just my opinion.

Michelle Pfeiffer's performance was superior and far more interesting than Heath's.

[quote]It's gown on me

Pics please.

I just pretend Pfeiffer was nominated for Best Actress that year for Batman Returns and not the execrable Love Field.

R15 and R38 What baffles me is that Sondheim is supposed to have liked it!

[quote]ihated "Dark Shadows" on first watch. But upon rewatching it on cable not too long ago... it's actually pretty good. I think it was an expectations thing, but it actually really captured the basics of the soap opera, and updated it, and I think it's a far better movie than most people would give it credit for, including me after the first time I saw it.

Agreed; I think everyone, though especially Michelle Pfeiffer, really got that 70s overacting/dramatic soap opera vibe. I did think they overdid the 70s kitsch thing where Barnabas is baffled by troll dolls, macrame & other crap, but I thought Depp & Eva Green had great chemistry. It's not the greatest movie, but it's not the turkey I originally thought it was either.

Granted, at this point Burton is pretty old, but I think whatever creativity he had has been long gone & he just turned into a money maker for Disney. I kind of hope he remakes Sleepy Hollow, but gets away from all that green screen crap that doesn't age well.

Available for free watching now on you tube

Count me in as another who found Dark Shadows surprisingly entertaining. I had never seen the show, and I remember when the advertising came out, I rolled my eyes at yet another Burton remake that would surely suck. Maybe it was because I had no familiarty with the show that I enjoyed it, but I did.

r47, you want him to re-remake Sleepy Hollow?

I loved Sleepy Hollow, Pee Wee and Edward S.

Burton had a good run but lost his magic with age.

Also, using Robert Smith as a style icon was/is a poor choice under any circumstance.

Edward Scissorhands followed by Batman Returns (the Catwoman movie) was his peak.

Elfman’s, too.