Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007): 13 Nerdy Nights of Horror - Day 5

 With the month of Halloween still in motion, it's time we take on something a little more up my ally: musicals. When it comes to musicals, one thing mostly comes to mind: Broadway. In the olden days of film, musicals were all the craze, ranging from stuff like “Singing in the Rain,” “Cabaret,” “Oklahoma,” “Holiday Inn,” and hundreds of others. Musicals were in a genre of their own, and the adaption of a Broadway musical onto the silver screen, very few manage to get it right in this day and age, like “Jersey Boys,” “Les Miserables,” “Chicago,” “Hairspray,” “The Producers,” and today's topic, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

In the late 70's, popular songwriter, Stephen Sondenhiem, had given us the Tony Award winning epic, “Sweeney Todd.” Based on "The String of Pearls: A Romance," it told the story of Benjamin Barker, a Victorian era barber who was taken away from his wife, by the corrupt Judge Turpin. When he returns to London after 15 years, he dawns the alias, Sweeney Todd, only to discover that his wife is said to be dead, and that his daughter is now the ward of the Judge. Now Todd sets up shop once again, planning to take revenge on the villain, with the help of the meat pie shop owner, Mrs. Lovett.

“Sweeney Todd” is, in my opinion, one of the greatest revenge stories ever told. The idea that your local barber might slit your throat when your guard is down is quite a frightening thought. Sondenhiem is one of the greatest songwriters of all time, with over fifty years worth of material, and many Tony, Grammy, and Oscar nods to prove it. And who better to adapt a work such as this, than the master of Gothic horror himself, Tim Burton. Burton has always shown interest in doing an adaptation of the musical, ever since he first saw it during his college days, and despite not being a musical enthusiast.

I love the opening credits of this film, like it tells you what will happen in the movie, without exactly giving it away on a silver platter. The production style and look, while common in Burton films, still makes it fascinating. He's always had a knack for making something out of a fantasy world, and he is one of the few who is able to master such a technique. The depressing feel of London during this time is always hypnotizing to look at, and I love seeing films with that kind of cloudy setting. One thing that also makes me happy, is the gore factor. There is so much blood in this film, it's ridiculous. But the best part is that it's all practical effects, something we hardly see nowadays in film.

The casting in the film is excellent to. You couldn't pick a better casting for Judge Turpin than Alan Rickman, one of the greatest villain actors of all time. It also works to his advantage, because he was a stage actor before he got famous with “Die Hard.” He makes the role his own, much like he did with Snape and Hans Gruber. Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford is great as well, since playing the slimy assistant of the villain is easy for him to do. I mean, the two have worked on the “Harry Potter” series together, so it does make sense. Pirelli, played by Sacha Baron Cohen, is one choice that would either make or break. I'm not too big a fan of Baron Cohen, mostly his Borat shtick, but he manages to do a really good job here, playing a con-man trying to sell an elixir which turns out to be false.

Laura Michelle Kelly as Lucy Barker is one that not too many people talk about. She manages to pull off the transformation from a loving Victorian woman, into someone who has completely lost her mind. And as someone who has been performing as Mary Poppins at West End, it is quite the transition. Jamie Bower and Jayne Wisener as Anthony and Johanna mange to give off good chemistry, despite the small time they've had. However, when you look at the fact that Johanna has hardly seen anyone her age after being locked up by the judge, it would be understandable.

This film was made during that time when Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were pretty much dominating Tim Burton's lead castings. However, unlike “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Dark Shadows,” and “Alice in Wonderland,” this one managed to do the job right. Bonham Carter does a great job as Mrs. Lovett, being someone who'd do anything just to be with Todd, even if it meant helping or lying to him. Not to mention, she's a pretty good singer too, allowing a song to send chills down your spine.

However, Johnny Depp steals the show as Sweeney Todd. This role has been considered one of Depp's best roles, garnering both an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe Award, which are both well deserving. A man who had lost everything he ever had in life, so he has no regrets on what happens to him, as long as he gets revenge. He always has that blood-lust look in his eyes, like he could be eyeing you as his next victim, at any point possible. Todd is one of my favorite characters for those reasons, and I hope to one day perform as him in the future. I also love how the make-up looks like he hadn't slept, like the nail-biting anxiety for revenge is what's keeping him awake for so long, it's really cool.

Now since it's almost been seven years since its release, what are my current thoughts? “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is not only one of my favorite films from Tim Burton, but one of my favorite films period. It's a film that I love more with each passing view. I actually do wish Burton would do more musical movies, because when he does them, it's breathtaking to watch. If you haven't seen this film yet, check it out.

Rating: 10/10

Now that we're done with that, let's talk a little bit about the upcoming “Into the Woods” movie, featuring Johnny Depp. All I got to say is...I'm a little hesitant, especially since I performed the show last Spring. I do like the idea of Depp as the Wolf, and James Corden as the Baker, but I'm not too enthusiastic about Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep as the Baker's Wife and the Witch. But aside from that, I'll still go in with an open mind, like a normal person would.