BURTONITES

Golden Bortons 2008 -- Interview #4: Dennis Zöllner

2008-10-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

An interview with Dennis Zöllner, a.k.a. mr. limes, co-creator of No. 2.

Click here to see the film!

KS: What made you interested in filmmaking?

DZ: I think it has to do with the idea of enhancing the way to tell a story in a way no prose work or stage play can. I mean, it's there where the cultural heritages lie, but I feel somehow with moving pictures you can go far beyond - it's rather like a kind of amalgamating all other forms of art if done in the right way.

I always had a strong need to find ways of telling stories- so sooner or later I had to end up shooting film I guess.

KS: What were some of your earliest experiments in filmmaking?

DZ: Oh, terrible stuff. Very clumsy animations and a pretty trashy Sci-Fi parody. But it was incredible fun shooting it- just playing along with the medium and having fun. I've learned a lot during that project.

KS: Where did the idea for No. 2 come from?

DZ: Actually it was an improv exercise we had to do at film school. The task was to produce a short from scratch to post in 1 day. As to explore the effects of sound and picture only, we were limited to use only five words in it.

The idea itself came as my fellow student Jane and me sat thinking hard at the cemetery across the street of our institute building. The first thing that was clear pretty quickly was, that we wanted to do the whole thing completely silent and in the style of the old Expressionist movies we like. Then, there is that labyrinthine cavernous cellar underneath our institute building and I wanted to use that setup, it seemed appropriate. The only way to show its full vista was if we had someone walking through it, so we had a loose direction. I don't know anymore who threw in the idea of that jack-in-the-box, but from then we knew what we were heading to.

By the way, the submitted version is not the original, it was much shorter and we never felt it worked in the right way. A few weeks ago we decided to upheave the whole project and when I came across the call for contributions we decided to submit it if we made it to finish in time. Well, we did.

KS: Certainly, there is a lot of influence from German Expressionism, as you stated. What films in particular did you seek to emulate, if any?

DZ: Well, the beginning is a reference to Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, you know there is that close up when Cesare wakes up at Caligari's tent on the fair- that's what we had in mind when shooting the opening scene. The design of the boxes is another thing that is a slight reference to the whole production design of "Caligari", with all its irregular angles and distorted edges. Coming tho think of it, the whole somnambulist thing of "Caligari" is a kind of sub- level of it , as one doesn't know if the man is dreaming or not - so it's pretty much Caligari in it.

On the other hand we have a very angular and clear cadrage - given through the location's architecture - you might find some references to "Metropolis" in its geometric look. Although that great hall with its pillars and wooden pilasters miight remind one a bit on the wood in Lang's first "Nibelungen" part. But that's things the location gave us and if they are references at all, they are more subconscious. The main influence certainly is "Caligari".

KS: One of my favorite aspects of the piece is the location. It has a very rich textural quality to it, but did you have any difficulty shooting there?

DZ: Heehee, yes. As I said it's a huge cellar areal underneath our institute building and is partly in danger to collapse. So we had to ask a special permisson of our rector for getting down there. Plus we had to promis not to go to these parts of it. But they were the most interesting by far. In fact, the room in the final scene and that passage that looks like an old mine are in that area ...

Although it was damn wet down there. Actually there are even some kind of stalagmites- and -tites. And it's just a cellar! But that obviously was good for the atmosphere of the film.

KS: Aside from German Expressionism, what else, film and otherwise, are you typically influenced by?

DZ: Oh, on the visual side certainly a lot by Gilliam and of course Burton, but I also am stunned by the perfection of Kubrick's mise-en-cadre

compositions and as for story telling I am a great fan of Takeshi Kitano's editing method. But that had no impact on "No.2" I guess.

As speaking for my fellow student Jane- who has an equal share on this project - I think I can say that her influence very clearly lies at Burton and Gilliam too. That's why we can work together that good I guess.

KS: How important is it to you to emulate previous works?

DZ: Well, doing "No.2" was fun, but usually it's not that I am thinking so much about emulating some other works. At least not directly, it's more about influences I think. I mean the whole prodcuction process of"No.2" is more like a stream of consciousness -thing insofar that we just remembered the moody vault and wanted to do something in there and as the task was also to use merely any word, or thoughts went down that path to silent movies. But it's not always that way, in general it's more the story choosing itself the right style during the forging process . But certainly our influences always have some impact in one way or another. I guess that's pretty normal. You just have to look out to maintain your own style - too much references can make you stumble a bit I guess...

KS: Do you have any future projects in mind?

DZ: Oh yes. There's a handful of treatments we came up with in the last, I guess, three years that still wait to be shot. Then there's also the script for a feature length project we're writing and hope to get our stuff ready for next years' submission deadlines of several film funding commissions to (hopefully) get it up.

And right now we're also in production with another short that will you change your look on umbrellas for ever. At least we hope ....

KS: What sort of advice would you give to fellow aspiring filmmakers?

DZ: Hm, I guess it's about decisions. Do you wanna make easy money or do you just love the medium. If it is the first, well then- just always stick to Aristotle and never forget to put in the lawyer that rapes that pregnant single mother, that will boost the box office for certain. But if it is the love of the medium- there is a poem the great Leonard Cohen once wrote about writing poetry, it goes something like that: "I am sitting here, writing poems, in the midst of night- for the ones like me, to be read in nights like this." I think it's the same with film. Just do the kind of movies you yourself want to see.

Golden Bortons 2008 -- Interview #3: John Erik Taylor

2008-10-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

John Erik Taylor, a.k.a. nobody, talks about his animated short, Jungle Swing.

You can watch the musical animated film in this link!

KS: What made you interested in filmmaking?

JET: An active imagination I guess, I'm always coming up with plots. It's the form they take, how i imagine them. I've thought of writing books before and still plan to. But really i'm more into movies then reading.

KS: What were some of your earliest experiments in filmmaking?

JET: GCSE art class, which i guess is around when i was 16. I believe we had to each do a short animation. I think everyone did a stop motion piece except me, i did a 10 second hand drawn piece called 'The Tower', its incomplete i forget how it was meant to end. (it should be on my website). after that i remember lots of brief stop action animations using a digital camcorder i got one Christmas. And when i got the camcorder i remember just filming anything, non of it came of any use. I still have the tapes somewhere...

KS: What's the origin of "Jungle Swing"?

JET: Anton proposed we that make films for 'Ape Week' and so i decided to do a tribute to the great apes of cinema. at one point i even thought of doing a montage of ape b-movies. I went on to look for music and went to my Cab Calloway tracks first, when i heard Jungle Swing the idea just hit me to animate the story being told (even in just the literal sense) and I manage to keep my original idea in there as well.

KS: How did you film and edit "Jungle Swing"?

JET: Everything is drawn on standard printer paper, in pencil and ink. Then I scanned everything a drew and edited on Final Cut Pro. And I think I done some basic editing on Photoshop as well.

KS: Other than the Cab Calloway music, what were some influences on the "Jungle Swing" (both film and otherwise)?

JET: I guess the way it was laid out, it was constructed not too unlike a childrens book, although this was more due to time constraints. As for my general drawn style, and this goes all my animations, it would be early animations of the 20s and 30s. Simply because it was so basic and crude and thats the sort level I'm on.

KS: You mentioned how pretty much everyone else in that class did stop-motion, whereas you did hand-drawn animation. Why do you think you gravitated toward that style of animation instead? Do you generally prefer 2D and hand-drawn?

JET: I'm a drawer by heart and most of the animation i grew up with and loved has been cel animation. It's like choosing between painting and sculpting. With the art class i think we were all expected to do stop-motion as this was to be done by camera, i decided my preference and did it my way. The same happened in University. We were meant to do an animation on 16mm, most people went for stop motion, but a small few of us decided to do 2d, which required the use of a rostrum, a device for actually doing proper cel animation, with the camera practically on the ceiling pointing down. I did cut outs rather then drawing that time, It was interesting using the rostrum.

KS: You mentioned how time constraints made it so that the animation was more simple. But if you had more time, would you have made the animation more full and fluid, or do you think the limited, simple illustrations were enough for this piece?

JET: There was a lot plain still i used, with more time i may done more to that. However the entire itself was all down to a time constraint so it could of been something entirely different. As for being more fluid, i don't know. That's a bit more difficult. There's still some charm in there.

KS: Do you have any more plans to work with 2D animation? What other projects do you have in mind for the future in general?

JET: I certainly do plan to continue animating, maybe i'll do another some perhaps? Other than that I'm still trying to write a feature. Live action. It's been a while since i was actually writing. In the meantime i'm just trying absorb as much as i can, watch as much new, interesting films as i can and get reading.

KS: Do you have any advice or suggestions for a fellow aspiring filmmaker?

JET: Plenty, get a camera, please record and you're a filmmaker. simple as that. Just keep trying new things and always stay original, to yourself and otherwise.

Golden Bortons 2008 -- Interview #2: Autumn McPherson

2008-10-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Our second Golden Bortons interview: Autumn McPherson, better known as Stumbleine, on Zombie Girls Don't Cry.

Click here to watch the movie!

KS: What was the origin of the idea of this project?

AM: My fellow classmates and I were all set to film a cheesey 1960's style black and white sci-fi thriller called "Zombie Lawyers from Outer space", for the BAR association contest when they all bailed out on me because they didn't want to put in the time and effort it would take. I had my heart set on doing a zombie flick, but now since our project would literally take one day, I decided to do my own film and thats when I started brain storming with Anton Phibes, sending him ideas for quirky scenes which he would quickly deliver back to me eliquently put in script format.

KS: What were some of your earliest efforts in filmmaking?

AM: My earliest memories behind a camera was when I was five or so. My dad who I barely know now let me use his camera at a play place restaraunt and I filmed my feet going down slides over and over. Then in highschool I stole my parents camera and pretty much filmed my entire highschool experience, until I got sick of school and dropped out to become homeschooled. I messed around with stop motion a little, made silly films with friends about drugging drag queens and avant garde music videos for french pop songs.

KS: What made you want to make movies?

AM: The Labyrinth, I wanted to make a world where I too could put David Bowie in reveling tights and big hair. Although originally I was planning on just being strictly a music video director, I wanted to make the smashing pumpkin videos, I think thats when I made my mind up that I wanted to direct was when I watched the making of their music videos. The video "Tonight Tonight" was beautiful and I wanted to create something that beautiful that was my own. That was the key thing that motivated me to go to film school.

KS: What were some of your influences (film and otherwise) for Zombie Girls Don't Cry? What about your filmography in general?

AM: A big influence for Zombie Girls Don't Cry is the movie Harold and Maude, I borrow that almost 70's style of dark comedy for this piece. Also the works of Wes Anderson inspired me. I believe his and Woody Allen's works have inspired my general filmography, that and old time comedies, like those the Marx brothers and Charlie Chaplin created.

KS: Zombie Girls Don't Cry is a very subtle, brief piece, a very delicate little story. When did you feel that you had given just enough of your message in its brief duration, and with generally subtle nuances? And what is that message/idea behind it, if any?

AM: Zombie girls was actually intended to be about a half an hour long. The project was abandoned after big complications. The story had continued to the two falling in love through a quirky trick or treat scene (which was actually filmed but has not been view by anyone but myself), a run in with a barber shop, and other cute dark comedy moments added in. But when she brings the zombie boy home to meet the parents things don't go as planned. She's forbidden from seeing him (a bit of zombie prejudice happening) and ends up crying alone in her room (You see, she crys a lot in the movie!) and then runs away to the cemetery to be with the zombie boy, her dad comes after her, afraid that he's lost her, and in fact he has, shes allowed zombie boy to turn her into a zombie as well, and therefore she has no reason to cry anymore.

This story actually came true in my very own life shortly after. Not with a zombie boy of course, and my parents didn't get in the picture, but I was left for another woman and ended up alone and just as misrebel as Sophia, and soon there after was saved and fell in love with a wonderful quircky character myself. It's funny how a story I created was projected so ironically into my real life. I really wouldn't change it for the world.

KS: Make-up effects are often pivotal in your work. Do you find some reason on why you gravitate to that sort of visual expression in film?

AM: It was a big necisity for me to have effects in the film, you cant have a zombie without some make up. Unless you happen to know a real zombie, sadly, i've yet to meet one myself. I did the make up myself, fully stocked up after halloween for the sales, I actually, a year afterwards, am still pleantiful in zombie makeup.

KS: At first glance, the use of such soft folk music with the zombie theme would seem like a striking juxtaposition. How did you feel these two elements would fit well together?

AM: I loved the idea of putting the folk music with the film, probably again a big influence from the use of Cat Steven's music in "Harold and Maude". I had first envisioned the film while listening to Simon and Garfunkle. I knew I couldn't use their music if I wanted to do anything with the film. So I remembered a local folk musician called spitzerspace telepscope. I wrote him and asked if I could use his music (which seemed to fit perfectly with ever scene I had in mind, if you really listen to the lyrics, you'll get it.) and he said yes and sent me a free cd.

KS: Do you have any future projects in mind?

AM: A film called "Lustre" I've been saying i'm going to do for about a half a year now. Maybe in november i'll have time to do it, but I still would have a lot of work to do to get to the point of filming it. It's a short about a knife thrower and his assistant's first show.

KS: What sort of advice would you give fellow aspiring filmmakers?

AM: Make friends that you can rely on in the film world, always be there to hold their boom mic or be script supervisor on their films and they will be for you. I would have never been able to make what I did of Zombie Girls if I didn't have amazing friends who stood out in the cold all day without any complaints.

Golden Bortons 2008 -- Interview #1: Matthew McGinnis

2008-10-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

To kick off this year's Golden Bortons -- The Tim Burton Collective's annual Halloween film festival -- Fuzzy Duck (Kevin Schreck) presents an interview with Matt McGinnis, a.k.a. mongoose_mania. Matt discusses his entry into this year's festivities, Zombie High, which he produced and co-wrote.

Click Zombie High to watch the movie!

Kevin Schreck: What was the origin of the idea of this project?

Matt McGinnis: The love of zombies, really. My church has this annual movie festival where we get to make short films and enter them, and my friend Jon and I wanted to make a zombie movie for it that would be appropriate and was able to be shown. We decided we can't show any gore or blood obviously, which was fine because we wanted to make something fun. But what could we do with zombies that would be fun? Well, those old instructional videos from the 1950s came into question and that's when we finally started fleshing everything out.

KS: What were some of your earliest efforts in filmmaking?

MM: My earliest efforts, actually, were only three years ago, I remember perfectly. For the same film contest, a group of my friends and I got together and made some really poorly made cereal commercials for the most horrible cereals imaginable. We didn't even have an editing program at the time so everything had to be done in one take on an old video-cassette camera. We thought they were the funniest things back when we first made them, but we look at them now and kinda shake our heads. It's funny, when you're younger you think whatever it is you're doing is the coolest thing ever but then as time goes on you notice things that you wished you could do better at or wished you wouldn't have said or something. It's weird.

KS: What made you want to make movies?

MM: I'm one of those kids that was raised on movies. Every day I'd watch a movie and was always so fascinated with them. But what really got me into the art of film was Tim Burton. Like so many people on the Collective, his films were almost therapeutic to me and he made films with characters I could relate to. As I started growing up I wanted to be a writer, but I've always had a hard time putting things into words and have always been a pretty visual person. So I thought to myself, "Well, Tim Burton can tell stories visually, I could try that!" It was almost like a Nightmare Before Christmas sort of thing, where Jack realizes he could try his hand at Christmas. But from that point on, I've really been devoted to working in film and hope to have a career in it.

KS: What are some of your influences (film and otherwise) for "Zombie High"? And for your work in general?

MM: The main influence for "Zombie High" was, as stated before, those old instructional videos from the '50s. They'd usually be about personal hygiene or something, and I love the idea of twisting that to fit around zombies.
Influences for film in general, well, it's mostly just old films from the '30s onward. Those are the some of the best movies, right there. My biggest influences (other than Burton) would have to be Alfred Hitchcock and Christopher Nolan. Two guys who really knew what they're doing when they make a movie, and make everything real and believable, which is something I like to do sometimes.

KS: Was the Glammy award part of the church movie festival?

MM: Yeah, my church has the Glammies every Christmas season. They've been doing it for a couple years now and I've been involved with three so far. This year will be my last year, so I'm hoping to make it a memorable one.

KS: How did you make the effect when the water shot of out his neck?

MM: Ha, this took forever. We had a long tube attached to a plastic pouch full of water, so whenever you'd squeeze the pouch, the water would squirt up. What we did was put the tube in the actors shirt and have someone under him squeeze the tube, and Jon (the director) would fix the angle so that you couldn't see the straw. Old fashioned, I guess, but it looks pretty good to me!

KS: Had you worked with any of the actors in "Zombie High" before?

MM: Yeah, I've worked with the majority of them before. Two of the zombies and I used to be in the same drama class and we'd also do the after school productions as well. I've also worked with Jon before, and he's great to work with, because he always has ideas. All of the people involved with this movie were our friends (except for that army man, I don't have any idea who he is), and it's great working with them because you know what they can do and you can feel comfortable with them.

KS: Do you have any future projects in mind?

MM: I have a few things in mind. They include typewriters, science, ghosts, ginger root, stairs, isolation, children, pens, lab coats, and the 1800s.

KS: What sort of advice would you give to fellow aspiring filmmakers?

MM: I'm horrible with advice, but the only I can give is the obvious: Be yourself. Everyone has influences, everyone has some sort of inspiration, but you don't want to steal from that source or rip it off. The best thing to do is to develop your own style; go outside with a camera and make something short with your friends, just so you can get the hang of it. Never forget that what you're working on came from your mind, and you want to show that on camera. That's the best advice I can give.

KS: I think that's excellent advice. Thank you very much, Matt!

MM: You're quite welcome!

----

More interviews to come throughout this week celebrating the Golden Bortons 2008! Stay tuned!

Post-Burtonfest '08: Lolburton Contest Interview

2008-09-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that a critically acclaimed director is born, but just this past August the Burtonites of the Tim Burton Collective decided to let the world know that one had indeed been born, 50 years ago. August 25th was not just our dear beloved Tim Burton's birthday, but the beginning of a celebration based off of Burton's creations.
Burtonites gathered together to collectively watch Burton's films in the order they were released for one week. Members chatted amongst each other, connecting Burtonites from the peaks of Europe and the corners of America. Contests of all sorts were held to entertain Burtonites outside of the avaliable circle of film watchers or just to pique the interest of all of the Collective's varied sorts of artists.
One contest in general, not only lacked drawing or grammar skills, it encouraged users to spell their worst and think their funniest: the Lolburtons. Macros, known to Wikipedia as, "a term coined for a picture with digitally superimposed text, often for humorous effect." Burtonites were asked to choose a picture somehow related to Tim Burton, whether being a picture of him, a scene from one of his movies or even a major collaborator, and to macro it to their liking. The end result was anything but disappointing, and left tough decisions all around! However, the Lolburton winner has been announce, may I present to you, Corky Buttermilk!

A Burtonite is born

Vonni Vice Vivace: Thank you for doing this interview for winning the Lolburton Contest, Melanie.
Corky Buttermilk: Thank you for interviewing me!

VVV: Would you say that you've always been a naturally funny person?
CB: I wouldn't call myself naturally funny, per se, more naturally goofy. I enjoy ridiculous things. I am a ridiculous person. That doesn't always equal funny, but I like to think that most of the time in my case, it does. Other people have told me I'm funny, I guess I can believe them. I know I can amuse myself and that's half the battle!

The winning submission

VVV: Is it common for you to recognize an unintentionally possibly hilarious scene while you watch movies and look at pictures? What sorts of films bring this urge to macro on?
CB: Oh yes, all the time. Especially when I'm watching movies that I've already seen and have to pause them for whatever reason. It's at those times you really notice a completely new way of looking at a scene that you've watched a few times before. Pausing can cause a completely non-funny scene to take on hilarious properties. I also enjoy watching completely serious, dramatic movies and seeing the absurd in them. This helps a lot with finding things to macro. A lot of times, the more serious movies or scenes make the funniest macros because you're looking at something that wasn't supposed to be funny at all and seeing really just how funny it actually is. Take my Pee-wee macro for example. It's a very serious scene where Pee-wee is rescuing animals from a pet store that's on fire. And as we all know, fire can be serious business! There's a point where he gets the dogs to safety out on the sidewalk and he's telling them to stay and raises his hands up. One day I was re-watching it yet again and I knew then that it was my destiny to make him fondle invisible boobs when he does that. And boom! There's a macro! And it's from a very dramatic, suspenseful scene that wouldn't ordinarily make people think of boobs, invisible or otherwise! I love that sort of juxtaposition between the drama and the humor.

The second submission from Corky Buttermilk

VVV: You won for your Pee-Wee's Big Adventure macro entry, what sort of role does Burton's film hold in your life?
CB: I certainly wouldn't be the person I am today without Burton's films, that's for sure. Especially the films of his that came out when I was growing up and in those formative years. I love the off-beat sense of humor his films have. They've shaped my own sense of humor. In a way, I guess I kind of owe a huge part of my sense of humor to Pee-wee's Big Adventure. I adored all things Pee-wee when I was growing up and Pee-wee's Big Adventure is still my all-time favorite movie.

VVV: If you (or anyone for that matter) can possible do so, could you list your favorite Tim Burton films from starting from your personal favorites?
CB: Ok, from favorite to least favorite:
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Edward Scissorhands
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Beetlejuice
Mars Attacks!
Ed Wood
Sweeney Todd
Big Fish
Sleepy Hollow
Batman Returns
Batman
Corpse Bride
Planet of the Apes
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Corky as she appears today, still a great follower of Burton

VVV: What were your favorite festivities that took place during Burtonfest '08 and why were they your favorite?
CB: I love the art contest. I love seeing what everyone comes up with. I'm a very visual person. And I loved the LOLBurton contest but I wish there had been even more entries! I love those things! I also enjoyed the group movie watching/chats. Those were really fun.

VVV: Is there anything you hope that Burtonfest '09 will include that this year's festival didn't?
CB: A meetup would be nice. Or something like a BurtonCon! I really hope someday we can have a physical realization of Burtonfest somewhere.

~~Vonni

The Dark Knight: A Film Review

2008-07-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, if you had asked me what I thought of the Batman film franchise, I would have told you it was over. That Joel Schumacher was an evil, soulless fiend and had effectively raped millions of childhoods with Batman & Robin, a travesty not even Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg would bother referencing. Then Christopher Nolan had an idea, instead of trying to pick up the pieces and carry on, he’d just wipe the slate clean and start again. 2005 was an important year for me; it was the year my faith in the Batman movies was rejuvenated. It was very earnest, dark and closer to the feel of the comic books than any other in the franchise, and it answered the question “Why is he Batman?” in more ways than one. When I heard a sequel was in the works, I was both overjoyed and apprehensive. The fact that Christopher Nolan wanted to continue the series was wonderful, but the bar had been set so high that it was all too possible that he’d try too hard and ultimately slip and fall. Oh, how wrong I was...

The story begins not far from where the last left off. Batman and Commissioner Gordon are beginning to succeed in taking down the crime kingpins of Gotham City, thanks in part to the new DA, Harvey Dent, and Batman is beginning to think that perhaps his job is coming to a close. That’s when a psychopath in clown make-up, who only goes by the name Joker, appears, to challenge everything Batman has ever believed in and to test the limits of Gotham.

I’m at a loss as to where to put my praise first. Everything, from the acting, to the script, to the score, to the directing, to the cinematography is done at such a professional level that not only does it set a new benchmark for comic-book films, but it sets one for films in general. It makes the impossible possible. Well, that may be taking it a bit far. It makes the highly unlikely credible, and believable. Batman’s existence is given meaning to the point where you believe a situation like this could present itself beyond the movies. To an extent. It explains why we need heroes, and why they need to be more than we believe we can be.

Christian Bale returns with an evolved personality, as is only fitting. When Batman Begins finished, he’d firmly established himself as both the Caped Crusader and the head of Wayne Enterprises, so it’s only fitting that he should have more confidence this time around. But unfortunately, the terribly cheesy raspy Bat-Voice returns with a vengeance. At least it’s not the Bat-Nipples, I guess. The rest of the original cast does a great job continuing their character’s respective histories, especially Michael Caine as Alfred the butler. As for the newcomers, Katie Holmes thankfully sat this one out, and has been replaced with Maggie Gyllenhaal, a much more fitting choice. Holmes was terribly forgettable in her role, whereas Gyllenhaal gives Rachel Dawes life, and makes her a character you want to care about. Instead of having the film tell you she’s Bruce’s lifelong friend, Gyllenhaal just makes it seem right. Defense Attorney Harvey Dent is played brilliantly by Aaron Eckhart. Without revealing anything (but if you’re a fan of the comics, come on, you know what’s coming), he smoothly and meticulously sets up a character that knows what needs to be done, but doesn’t know exactly how to get it done. That’s about as ambiguous as I can get.

And of course, you all know who’s left to discuss. I’m going to be very honest here; I forgot that Heath Ledger was no longer with us while watching this film. The simple fact of the matter is his performance is that captivating, that terrifying, that...well, that good that he becomes lost in the role. You don’t see Heath Ledger playing the Joker while watching this film. You see the Joker. He plays the role with such a level of unpredictability and madness, that you are terrified by his very presence, even when he’s off-screen. But he’s not without his trademark sense of humour. There will be quite a few moments when you can’t help but chuckle, even though your conscience is telling you not to.

The way that the script has developed the Joker deserves a tremendous amount of applause as well. In almost every comic-book movie, even the excellent ones, the villain really only exists because of the hero. It’s always a case of “You’re the good guy, I’m the bad guy, so we’ve got to tussle.” Not the case in The Dark Knight. Yes, the Batman is in the way of Joker, and becomes his target more than once, but the Joker’s ultimate motive is far greater, far more ideological than just killing Batman. He knows Batman is a symbol, a small glimmer of hope in a city torn apart by crime, and that destroying the symbol is a great step towards introducing full-blown chaos to Gotham City. Hence, the Joker’s encounters with Batman are usually more examinations of his limits and his ideals as opposed to all-out brawls.

Taking into account the above, this is without a doubt one of the most complex, violent and disturbing comic-book films I’ve ever seen. It has some of the most graphic violence for a film of its rating, and Batman’s face on the poster is probably the only thing that saved it from an MA rating (R if you’re in the US, 15 if you’re in the UK, something else if you live somewhere else). From the moment it begins, each scene is treated with an unnerving sense of tension, leaving the viewer clenched-fist waiting for the inevitable, yet not knowing what the inevitable will be. This is assisted by the score Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard composed, enhancing the feeling that everything is leading up to something else, and that expecting the unexpected is pointless, because it won’t compare to what’s actually going to happen. Apologies for the ambiguity, but I don’t want to spoil a thing.

To say that The Dark Knight is an excellent comic-book movie is a gross understatement. The truth is this film is more than that. It observes almost every aspect of both Bruce Wayne and Batman, constantly examining his motives and reasoning. It questions the line he treads between being a vigilante crime fighter and a criminal. It defines his role as a hero and then poses the question “Should he be the hero that Gotham needs, or the hero it wants?” It’s both an epic crime saga and an intricate, dark and disturbing character study that met all of my expectations and then exceeded them by leaps and bounds. Simply put, it’s a masterpiece.

5 out of 5.

-- Kaboose.

Hancock : The Review (May Contain Spoilers)

2008-07-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there! Sit on my throne, as the Prince of Bel Air...

I love Will Smith, for the most part, I've enjoyed pretty much all of his post Fresh Prince exploits, except maybe Wild Wild West, and I love comic books and superheroes a great deal, so, in theory, this should be a match made in heaven?

As You can probably guess from that, Hancock tells the story of a washed up, alcoholic and all round bum of a Superhero (Will Smith). His attempts at rescues and crime fighting usually cause more in damages than the criminals he's apprehended. The worst part of it all? He just doesn't care. He either enjoys the random destruction he causes, or he has some kind of major beef with humanity. Eventually, Hancock sides with PR executive Ray Embrey, in an attempt to clean up his act, become more of a respected figure in general and be a loved hero of the people. His first act is to go to prison for his crimes to the world thus far. Despite being able to break out at any time, owing to his powers of flight and super strength, Hancock adheres to the regime, and a MONTAGE appears to show his passage of time within prison. On the outside, crime figures are on the increase, and eventually Hancock is pulled off his prison sentence to help combat the crime on the streets, with a new attitude, appearance and tight rubber outfit. Eventually, Hancock is beloved by the public again, but things start to turn sour as the reformed super powered Smith begins to fall for his saviour Ray's wife, Mary Embrey, and one of his previously defeated petty criminals begins massing a plot to take out the new American darling...

So, Hancock is presented as a comedy film, but it really lacks that much serious humour. Any one who's seen the trailer (such as myself, which was my major qualm with the film), will have seen about 80% of the jokes and gags that the film has to offer. This kinda makes them a loss for me, but they were still amusing. Without the humour, it has to pull out a great Superhero movie to justify itself, and it still falls short of the mark. It's an average superhero movie, made better by Will Smith, but still not great or unique. Hancock does however, manage to escape, for quite some time, the dreaded "Origin Story Syndrome" that plagues most comic book films: Either we make one film to explain the character, then the sequel to be the action blockbuster, OR we make the film longer to include both; The former of course, being the preferable option, painfully. Hancock emerges into the film with amnesia and an attitude, and the action roles from there, which is refreshing. When the origin finally has to be addressed, it's actually done halfway through the film, and in a pretty unexpected twist, which I personally enjoyed, and didn't see coming. The action sequences in the film are also fairly exemplary, with brilliantly believable use of CGI and live action blending. The film falls down in the second half, bringing in the idea of Hancock loosing his powers, which is a bit of a staple in Superherodom, and the dramatic tension kind of weighing so hard as to almost snap the film in half from it's opening comedic tone. The "Bad Guy" is also a tad pathetic. Given little to no back story, and barely more screen time, with some badly written "epic" sounding insightful bad guy lines which would be more convincing spouted from Gary Oldman or at least from a Character with the development to be cool enough to pull it off, rather than sounding like a pretentious prick. Ok, I've lost my train of thought now, so I think I'll stop it there.

6.7/10

Oz Rembrandt

Diary of the Dead: The Review (May Contain Spoilers)

2008-07-08T07:59:00.001-07:00

Om Nom Nom Nom... Brains... Diary of the Dead is 5th Zombie offering from grandfather of the zombie genre, George A Romero, after Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead and Land of the Dead. Tragically, in his old age, it seems the master is succumbing to a lack of subtlety which always set his movies apart from other shit fest zombie flicks.

So, in the style of Cloverfield, The Blair Witch Project and others, Diary of the Dead follows a group of teens (who else?) and their amazingly English stereotype college professor, as they open in the woods to film a project on a hand-held camera for their course. In this case, a take on the old style Mummy films (Not the ones with Brendan Fasier... They aren't old. I mean like, Really old, with Boris Karloff. Older than your parents. Unless you're like 48... Where am I going with this?). Filming is interrupted by confused news reports of the dead coming back to life and trying to eat the flesh of the living. Strangely, no-one goes "Shit, we're in a Romero movie!", but they do have the common sense to bundle into a large motor home and try to reach token screaming girl #2's parents house. On the way, there is gratuitous hospital based zombie violence all over the fucking place, with no attempt at scares what-so-ever. They also take supplies from a group of ghetto peeps of the streets who are about as token as there could ever get, get attacked by zombies, losing another faceless support actor, and get hijacked by the army and robbed of supplies (a part that could've been potentially a great insight into the shitiness of human behaviour under pressure, but because the "camera" is turned off, it's utterly missed, and summarised in a lame way afterwards... As if we couldn't work that out.) and more bland side characters are bitten, eaten and otherwise sprayed with amazing fake gore. Eventually, the group reach a friends house/mansion, where it turns out he's gone a wee but crazy. Zombies attack, the English guy uses a mother fucking bow and arrow, because apparently all us British are still experts in medieval weaponry. The narrator/cameraman is killed, as is pretty much everyone else bar the professor, Screaming Girl #2 and some Guy. The girl chooses to continue documenting the events outside the gargantuan panic room in the mansion. The other 2 aren't morons, and hide in it. Because she narrates the footage, and it's implied to have been found on youtube, we assume she survived.

Right... Good points are few and far between. The gore and violence is very very slick and impressive, but woefully overdone. No cut away's to imply horror and set the viewers mind racing, no, it's all CG and animatronic gore, which kinda reduces the impact of the whole thing. The film also lacks ANY scares. Not one. Not even a "Boo! ARGH!!!" moment, which I can normally admit to making me jump, even if it isn't really scary, which for a movie of the zombie subgenre, is a little weak. Every single character is a lame stereotype so 2D that it's amazingly difficult to feel sorry for them when some zombie is chomping down on their entrails, because to be honest, I couldn't even remember their names. The English Scotch drinking, pessimistic, sword wielding professor was possibly the worst of them all, although the ghetto kids the teens come across are a bit pathetic too with their "Now ain't no-one gonna stop us fo'shizzle" etc. I know Zombie films aren't well reknowned for their character development, but it's hard to create a sense of terror, when to be honest, you want the characters to get munched away just so you don't have to listen to their epically poor acting and scripting. The Camera technique... is a cool idea, and I liked it both the films I mentioned above, but here, it gets used to poor effect. For some reason, music is used over the top of the film... Which, unless the kids are being followed by a fucking symphony orchestra, is a little bizarre to say the least. The camera is often turned off or put away at times which would actually lend to some decent social commentary, almost as if Romero is to lazy to bother with any film direction. Unlike Dawn of the Dead, which utters slight, social ideas and stabbing realism into the zombie behaviour, diary attempts to work on the idea of the importance of the world wide media, spreading information through a touch of a button via the net. To be honest, Zombies all about, bbc news is the last place I'm likely to be. Nice attempt George, but it's all a little... In your face.

3.7/10

Oz Rembrandt

A Brief History of DC: Why We Celebrate DC Week

2008-06-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

In Tim Burton's idea of DC there lays only two forms of existence: Obscured dreams and major successes. The famed director has had a pretty triumphant ride with DC comics, namely one of their poster children, Batman. As any Burtonite knows, Tim Burton directed the first film about the caped crusader in fifty-three years, creating a sequel three years later dubbed “too dark” for children. No Burtonite knows this preposterous definition, yet DC comics obviously did. After Batman Returns was released Warner Brothers began production on Superman Lives, slated to be directed by Tim Burton and written by Kevin Smith of Clerks fame. This time around it wasn’t Tim Burton’s visions that might’ve frightened moviegoers, but writer Jon Peters of…Wild Wild West fame. Peters desired to have Superman step away from his traditional blue and red suit to trade in for an entirely black one piece that would make the man of steel seem more “grown up”. This adaptation of Superman called for fights with polar bears, giant spiders, and for Lex Luthor to befriend a dog from space. After several disagreements on various levels of production, Tim Burton left to film Sleepy Hollow and after no other directors where able to commit, the film fell through completely.

However, despite popular belief, the reign of DC comics didn’t begin in the late 80’s to early 90’s. DC gains started its roots in 1934 as a magazine called New Fun, later becoming New Comics to then become Adventure Comics. Adventure comics would publish the heroes Batman in Detective Comics and Superman in Action Comics in 1937 and 1938 respectively, gaining a two year head start on competitor Timely Comics (now known as Marvel). These early years of what would become DC comics became known as the Golden Age of comic books, giving birth to the superhero genre. The nickname for Detective Comics became DC, years before it officially was changed to the moniker. Originally, All Star Comics, a comic book publisher that gained interests in the early 1940’s, published heroes such as Wonder Woman, the Flash, Hawkman, Hawkgirl and the Green Lantern. Detective Comics, which had then become National Comics, bought All Star and thus, their characters as well. Even with these new names under National Comics’ belt, the popularity of these heroes declined and the Golden era of comic books was finished with, National Comics moved on to science fiction and western comics, seemingly leaving the heroes in the dark forever.

This depression of comic books was released in the late 1950’s with a new age for our heroes in tights and masks, the Silver Age! The Silver Age of comic books was said to have began all with DC’s very own character, the Flash, now resurrected from his former Golden Age self to a nearly completely different persona and identity. This sudden popularity brought the Justice League of America, a more modern version of the Justice Society of America. The Silver Age brought less creative characters such as Supergirl, Batwoman, Bizzaro and Bat-Girl (not to be confused with Batgirl) and one of Superman’s greatest foes, Brainiac. Many may also recognize this time as the age that brought us Adam West in tights as Batman, in the aptly named, Batman, the popular live-action show which ran for two years until in 1968 it was cancelled, not more than two or more years before the end of the Silver era of comic books. However, along with the television series came animated shows for Batman, Superman and even Aquaman. The Silver Age did end, the Comics Code Authority (the rating system which comics were forced to be governed under) lightened its rules and allowed a time for more genres other than superhero comics to be published.

It was now almost obvious that a new popular age for comic books would emerge from the ashes of the previous reign. While sugarcoated shows like the Superfriends were premiering on Saturday morning lineups all over America, comics took a turn for the dark, and entered the Bronze Age. Writers began experimenting with storylines involving drug use amongst heroes, the most pivotal in the DC universe considered to be the Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy and his usage of heroin. The Bronze Age also introduced more minority characters, most notably Black Lightning who was the first African-American superhero to have his own headlining comic for DC and Cyborg of the New Teen Titans. Alan Moore, considered one of the most influential writers of our time., published V for Vendetta under Vertigo, a branch of DC. This era also saw many adaptations of comic book superheroes, DC saw one of its most popular heroes, Wonder Woman, adapted into television format with Lynda Carter at the helms, playing the crime-fighting goddess. The first film based off of Superman also reached light, gaining an overwhelming positive reaction.

Many debate on whether the Bronze Age of comics ever actually ended, this time around the category of superhero seemed to be indestructible on nearly all plains of existence. However, the “DC Implosion” occurred around the middle of the Bronze era when writers began pitching more series than DC could sell nearly ruining the industry completely. The company survived, throwing out several titles to make up for lost money and time. Aquaman, Black Lightning and Batman Family were among the twenty series cancelled, twelve of the twenty merged or reprinted later on, whereas the other eight became doomed to never see the light of day again. Following the original dark tone that the Bronze Age began with, Frank Miller wrote Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the DC universe would face a crisis of infinite proportions.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was published in April 1985, and reportedly was one of the major signs that the Bronze Age was ending. Crisis changed origins of some characters, completely altering others. It all started with a simple ploy to destroy the entire universe, this event called for nearly the entire charter of DC heroes to embark on a mission to fight the force threatening the existence of all life as we know it, although, famously, the life of not one, but several vital heroes faced the end of their careers. A year later the Crisis arc finished, giving leeway to spin-offs and similar titles but most of all, modifying the DC universe forever by what was known as one of the most important stories in comic book history.

Today comic books face an age known as the Modern Age or Dark Age of comic books. The Modern Age began in the mid 80’s, again by DC, this time via Alan Moore with his widely acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen. Moore later published Batman: The Killing Joke, a comic book giving Batman’s archenemy, the Joker, a full backstory and nearly killing off Batgirl, but instead leaving her paralyzed. Unlike many one-shot comic books, the Killing Joke’s story merged into the casual Batman series, making Barbara Gordon resign her role as Batgirl. Writer Neil Gaiman would write The Sandman in 1989, a heavily art-driven seventy-five issue run, with covers illustrated by Dave McKean who would later go on to illustrate Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. DC experimented with several character-altering events, such as Batman being crippled by the villain Bane, Superman dying and Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, being turned into a villain.

Outside of the actual comic industry DC remains strong. Tim Burton directed two extremely popular adaptations of Batman, leading to two new cartoon series based off of the two poster boys of DC comics, Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series in the mid 90’s based off of the artwork of Bruce Timm who would go on to influence the Justice League in 2001. Bruce Timm’s designs would later go on to animate the continuation of Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, a cartoon based off of a speculative future of the Batman series where Bruce Wayne is no longer the Batman and a newcomer, Terry McGinnis, mans the role of Batman. The role of DC in other media has been frequent, most notably the Batman franchise, which after Burton left the director chair still attempted to flourish under the care of Joel Shumacher, who most famously gave the batsuit nipples and Mr. Freeze a slew of terrible punchlines. After a general fallout, the Batfilms were revamped by Christopher Nolan who started from scratch, adding villains and characters who had not previously seen the light of a moviegoer’s day and using a whole new cast. With this new release came a new cartoon series simply named, the Batman, doing just as Nolan had and starting over on a clean slate. After Nolan’s highly successful Batman Begins, the Superman franchise revamp was inevitable with Superman Returns, another prosperous installment. Both films look forward to sequels in the future. More DC related characters and titles have been announced to have films in the works, including Watchmen, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and a Justice League based motion picture.

DC comics started as one of the forefathers of the superhero industry, in its seventy year run the company has faced turmoil that nearly destroyed them, tragedy that nearly killed its greatest champions and most of all, gained a faithful following of fans willing to endure it all. Now we celebrate DC week starting on the first day of July to commemorate those heroes lost, those heroes who have mysteriously reappeared out of seemingly nowhere and to just show a bit of every Burtonite's deep down geeky side.

Possibly said fans.

So join us celebrating DC week at http://www.timburtoncollective.com/forum/ starting July 1st!

~~Vonni

TBC forum down for a while

2008-01-15T14:48:00.000-08:00

For TimBurtoncollective.com forum users:

The TBC forum is down for some while. Apparently the bandwith load taken up by the forum was so high that it made the whole shared system network run too slow, so the provider shut it down. An upgrade for a dedicated service (expensive) is what the provider suggests, but we will have to see what is the best possible solution.

Meanwhile, hang on tight, all other parts of the website are still operational, as well as all of our other sites and forums. (this is a good time to check out http://www.indeppth.com/forum or http://imaginarycinema.com/phpbb2/index.php for your forum needs!)

Thanks

Interview with Snuggably_Wonkable, winner of 2007 Halloween Costume Contest

2007-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Winner of the 2007 Halloween Costume contest was Burtonite/Depptologist Snuggably_Wonkable, who dressed up as Pyramid Head, from the videogame, Silent Hill. Burtonite morbid_lydia caught up with her to discuss her highly imaginative and macabre outfit, along with her ideas on fake blood, locations, and filmmaking.

Burtonites Blog (morbid_lydia): Alright, thank you for agreeing to do this, Alex. It's an honor to have you featured
Snuggably_Wonkable: No Problem!!

BB: Anyways, do tell me, your costume idea was, to say the least, unorthodox. What gave you the idea to do Pyramid Head?
SW: Well, I am a big fan of the Silent Hill Series, and my favorite character is Pyramid Head. He is just so intimidating! I was playing the part of the game where I am trapped in the same room as Pyramid head, and it just hit me that it would be so fun to be him!

BB: That's neat! Did you think immediately, "Crap, where am I going to get the material for that?" or did it come later, actually planning it?
SW: Well, it came later. I proposed the idea to my mom, who didn’t think I could pull it off. She said it was too impossible of a costume... Later on when I was planning it, I really realized how hard it would be...

BB: What materials did you use exactly?
SW: Well, I made two versions. The first one was made from Styrofoam with poster board over it and wire on the inside. I had started it one day on a whim, and when I was done, it wouldn't even fit through the door. I tried it on, and I couldn’t even really hold my head up, it extended for about four feet in front of me... far to big to walk around in, and I about took my sisters head of when I was turning around. So I scrapped it, and started another version, simply made out of reinforced cardboard and allot of pain and tape, this one was a lot smaller and ended up being the one I used.

BB: Interesting! Did you have any plans for going out on Halloween and showing it off, or was frightening the Burtonites enough for you?
SW: I ended up going Trick Or Treating this year, dressed as Pyramid Head. No one knew who I was, of course, But it was quite enjoyable to walk around it. Before that, me and my best friend walked around our neighborhood, frightening cars, and scaring the hell out of her neighbor’s five year old brother and sister. It was great fun. I think I freaked a few kids out on a passing school bus....

BB: Amusing! And now onto the actual contest: Did you feel at all intimidated entering?
SW: A little bit, I mean, I had never really entered a costume contest before, and I didn’t know what to expect. I get really nervous entering contests, no matter what type.

BB: We're glad you did though! Did you have any particular regrets after entering? Is there anything at all you would change if you could go back in time?
SW: I regretted the location of my pictures a bit. I wanted to take pictures in my dark basement, since I thought it would be more fitting. My sister who was taking the photos refused to go down there, though, so I had to deal with the kitchen. In the end though, I figured I would have to make do with what I could. It was hard keeping my dog out of the shots though. She seemed to like the smell of the fake blood.

BB: My dog does too, when I make it at home out of corn syrup. What did you use, corn syrup, or fake stuff in a tube?
SW: Corn Syrup, It was really hard though, my batch never seemed to get the right color, no matter what I did. My first few batches came out bright pink, which I did not expect at all. It seems that someone had placed the NEON food coloring in the wrong box...

BB: How many bottles of food coloring did you end up using?
SW: Well, certainly more than I should have. I made two large batches. The first one was the perfect color, but when I was outside splattering the butcher robe, My dog raced by me and I ended up spilling the whole container down my front. Ha-ha! My stomach was red for quite a few days. The second one, I used more caution, and it ended up working pretty well. I'd say abut one and a half bottles. I made it in bulk, since I can use it for my movies....

BB: Do you feel as though your love of costumes ties in to your interest in filmmaking? You also participated in the 2007 Golden Borton Awards, and won best costume.
SW: Certainly! In my films, In my upcoming films, I need to do a lot of make up effects and costuming. Making them is much better than buying them, since even if I buy it; I end up modifying it anyways. I am collecting quite a collection of clothes and fabric to redo/make a costume. My films hardly ever take place in modern day, so I always need to find a way to make the correct style for the film....

BB: Would you ever consider costuming or film set design? You seem to have an eye for details and crafting.
SW: Oh yes! Costume making would be wonderful, and something I would really love to look into more. I am a beginner in sewing, but once I get better, I might sign up to help with the costume making in our local Theatre.

BB: And last of all: Will you enter next year's contest? Do you want to join in the fun again?
SW: Definitely! It was awesome to join, and it was wonderful seeing all the costumes! Everyone did so wonderfully!

BB: That's great to know! Thank you for allowing us to interview you, Alex, it's been a pleasure.
SW: The pleasure’s mine!

The Golden Bortons 2007: Winners!

2007-11-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

I would like to thank everyone who voted on all of these fine films and everyone who submitted their movies. These were all fine films. Seriously; I am not using that lightly. Every single film showed that the people behind the making of them truly felt an earnest inspiration and motivation to create. Not surprisingly, there were several ties and even more near-ties. But (as cliched as it is), winning doesn't matter. Anyone who has made a film with the care, commitment, and dedication that these filmmakers have are already winners. It is a demanding, but thoroughly exhilarating, form of art.

Now let's get to the freakin' winners, already!:

Best Picture:
--William Palacio and Michael Smith, for Two Left

Best Director:
--Michael Smith, for Two Left

Best Leading Actor:
--Dakota Nickels as "The President," in Bullet Race

Best Leading Actress:
--Lorelei Linklater as "Jane," in The Substitute

Best Supporting Actor:
--Craig Shannon as "Frank," in Dream House

Best Supporting Actress:
TWO WINNERS!
--Lisa Diduch as "Mother" and "Hey Babe Girl," in Bullet Race
--Evan Schumann as "Mean Girl," in The Substitute

Best Screenplay:
--Tor Hershman, for AMEN (hotep IV, that is)

Best Editing:
--Michael Smith, for Two Left

Best Cinematography:
--Michael Smith, for Two Left

Best Music Editing:
--Tyler Morgan, for Bullet Race

Best Sound Design:
THREE WINNERS!:
--J. L. Carrozza and Ryan Murphy, for Dream House
--Tor Hershman, for AMEN (hotep IV, that is)
--Michael Smith, for Two Left

Best Art Direction:
--Autumn McPherson, for Instamatic

Best Costume Design:
--Alex Baxter and Jake Hansen, for Until Death Do We Love: A Silent Film

Best Makeup:
TWO WINNERS!
--Lindsay Garallo, for Dream House
--Billy Idle and Autumn McPherson, for Instamatic

Best Special Visual Effects:
--Michael Smith, for Two Left

Once again, congratulations to all who submitted and made these excellent films, and thank you for everyone's participation! I hope next year we have a contest at least as enjoyable as this one. Until next time, Happy Halloween!

EMO by Oz Rembrandt

2007-10-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

My name’s Oz Rembrandt, and I’d like to point out before you read this article, which I have tried to write as neutrally as possible, that I do not hate Emo music or it’s subculture, having been a fan of many of the below mentioned bands for many years. I know my words won’t appeal to everyone, but hey, it’s just one mans view.

Emo… The word repels people, makes or breaks a bands potential success and has created one of the most controversial and misunderstood subcultures of our generation. But what does it all mean? Where did it come from? In short: What is Emo?

Many will argue that Emo music is merely a form of rock music characterised by negative lyrics about girls, heartbreak and social alienation… but hey, if that’s true, then what band isn’t Emo? The Police, Reel Big Fish, Black Sabbath, all have written songs in the past about such themes, because they’re common place to everyone, and especially teenagers, so what is it that sets Emo apart as a whole new branch of angst ridden rock?

Emo is short for Emotional Hardcore, and is a musical movement that in fact dates back to the early 1980’s, way before bands like My Chemical Romance had even begun to think about talking, let alone singing. Back then, the term Emo, or even Emotional Hardcore, wasn’t even bounced around. Back in the high days of the DC Hardcore Punk Rock movement of the early 80’s, a genre was already beginning to take the aggression of the Hardcore, but in an effort to escape conformity, they were moving away from the political and social themes in Hardcore, and focusing more on their own thoughts, feelings and experiences, albeit in a very, VERY, angry way. It was these bands (Nation of Ulysses, Shudder to Think, Rites of Spring), along with the DC record label Dischord Records that allowed them some minor exposure, which would cause the foundations of band’s sounds to come. Most of the bands of this time where running along side the Post Hardcore scene developed by Fugazi, and the two fledgling genres were very intertwined at the time.

The real beginnings of the future pop friendly sound of Emo came from the Pop-Punk revolution of the California Bay Area. Bands like Jawbreaker began to incorporate the heavy and emotionally raw sound of the DC scene with the pop and hook filled sounds of the Pop-Punk sound. The style quickly became referred to as Melodic Hardcore, due to the familiar speed and riffs of the earlier Hardcore movement, as well as the melodies and tuneful nature of the California Bay Area. It was around this time, on the back on the angst fuelled Grunge movement that Emo finally began to take shape, riding to stardom just under more Punk bands such as Green Day, NOFX and Lagwagon. It was now that bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate and Jimmy Eat World began their slow ascent to Emo stardom, fusing the typical duel guitar sounds and emotionally passionate lyrics with the hugely popular pop-punk sound.

The most widely considered generation of the modern Emo sound is often attributed, surprisingly, to geek rockers Weezer’s second album, Pinkerton. Their use of catchy melodies, as well as downright depressive lyrics about unrequited love, parental hatred and other frustrations was far more “heart-on-sleeve” than many similar bands had dared to go at that time. Their sound set the benchmark for the Emo bands to come in the mid to late 1990’s. Unfortunately for fans of such Weezer-esque Indie Emo, the movement was short lived, generally dying out toward the new millennium…

So, the few bands that had remained from this melodic, heartfelt movement had to adapt or break. Bands such as Jimmy Eat World quickly began to move toward a more pop-punk sound to try and avoid the stereotype that was beginning to float around amongst the media: Emo. The term had finally started to make itself known, and it almost instantly generated a negative attitude towards bands. As the decade has progressed, bands have gradually evolved to fit this growing musical niche. Dashboard Confessional, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy all began to develop a sound not dissimilar to Pop-Punk, but far heavier and darker thematically. By this time though, it was hard to pin the dyed black tail on the Emo donkey. Bands such as Alkaline Trio and AFI were emerging, stringing lyrics of despair, misery and abject loneliness (as well as in Alkaline Trio’s case, anger, vengeance and alcoholism), with a sound reminiscent of early 1990’s punk rock and pop-punk movement. They bore all the similar hallmarks of Emo, but with more of a focus on bitterness than whininess. Understandably, the bands are now hailed by many modern Emo bands as being major influences, despite the fact that their initial sound doesn’t really relate to those of bands today, but the dark and theatrical approach to music has inspired generations to do the same, albeit a little more emotional. Hence, the modern Emo bands are formed. The ones we love to hate. In some cases.

Now comes the question… what characterises an Emo band’s sound? This can cause some confusion also, as the line between Emo and Post Hardcore is often blatantly ignored by many critics. Emo is characterised by a much more pop-orientated sound than post hardcore, with much more coherent lyrics. The 2 genres do share a use of harsh or screaming vocals as an outlet of emotion, as well as a great use of double guitar riffs in an almost metal style. Bellow is a list arranged as best as I can manage (You can’t please everyone) of Emo and Post Hardcore bands, notable and/or listen-worthy: EMO: My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Something Corporate, Thursday, The Starting Line, Thrice, Finch and Funeral For a Friend (At new album). POST HARDCORE: Hell is for Heroes, Reuben, Million Dead, Hot Water Music, This Girl, Far, Engerica and Funeral for a Friend (The first 2 albums).

Possibly more than the music that has spawned it though, the most controversial factor featuring in Emo is the scene that accompanies in: The fans, the practices and the styles. I’m sure everyone knows what the general Emo kid looks like (Google it, if you don’t), so I won’t go into the clothing style to much. Generally tight jeans, band badges, bad haircuts and gothic related characters, without of the rest of the Goth subculture. And, of course, a great love of Nightmare Before Christmas. These teens are predominantly portrayed in the media as being miserable, mopey and suicidal individuals who are deliberately miserable, despite a fairly good life. But lets look at it a moment. Aren’t many teenagers angsty, rebellious and depressive at some stage of their development to adulthood? Of course they are, and Emo teens are no different, they’ve just received a label that makes them more “susceptible” to this behaviour. I’ve got a lot of Emo friends, and many are bright, cheerful people, who get the odd down period, just like anyone else. Self harm isn’t at all that common place, suicide attempts aren’t weekly, and they have plenty of friends. As with many stereotypes, it’s the few who have cemented the fate and view of the many. So, I ask you, next time you see some kid and think “what an Emo cunt”, think in your head, sure, they look like that now, but what’s to say they aren’t intelligent individuals. I mean, they’ll all grow out of it in the end.

Oz Rembrandt

LAZY TOWN: What Lies Beneath

2007-10-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

“Go! Go! Go! Get up Lazy Town!,” the song’s lyrics enthusiastically invites us, and then prevent us: “Things are upside down here in Lazy Town,” which is a statement we’re determined to follow and analyze for we think that line keeps a vast truth underneath.

The colorful frenzied show teaches kids how to consume their energies by jumping, running, doing sports instead of staying at home on the computer. But you don’t have to sweat a lot to realize Lazy Town and Pedo Town could be one and only one place. It’s just a matter of reading between the lines. Or jumping between the cathodic lines of your TV screen.

Let’s say it at once, Lazy Town is the dream town for pederasts: There are no parents or adult guards to be seen – other than a cretin major and an old woman, both literally and metaphorically, puppets – but plenty of playful kids in colorful flashy clothes all around. Stephanie, the only ‘human’ little girl is also designed to be a pervs dream: 13 , pink-dressed, whimsy hot pink wig and quite an elastic and enthusiastic dancer.

And the main adult roles – the hero and the villain – end up being opposite sides of the same coin. They both share the interest of being involved and surrounded by kids.

Robbie Rotten – the villain – is the ‘mean pederast’. He apparently hates children, but that’s merely a manifestation of jealousy to his fellow men. Rotten is a grown up child himself. Angry, jealous, spoiled, candy-lover, lazy, but in the end, a child in the body of an adult. He has the habit of voyeurism and after practicing it a bit, he always turns to his collection of attractive fancy costumes in order to penetrate (no pun intended) into the group of children going unnoticed. And of course, children in Lazy Town are written to fall into Robbie’s deceits with extreme easiness once and again. Rotten is the classic pervert that attracts children by pretending to be a funny attractive playful figure that brings desirable toys to them.

On the opposite extreme we have Sportacus. As Robbie Rotten, Sportacus is also a grown up kid. He talks to them as if he were their best friend and is always very careful to show not even a gram of anger towards them, avoiding this way to be seen as an adult authority in spite of his teacher status. He lives in an ultra-aseptic floating house filled with toy-shaped devices and all kind of sport articles. He’s the nice kid: eats only vegetables and goes to bed at 8 pm. His goal - as Robbie Rotten’s - is to be surrounded by kids. But his approach - opposite to Robbie’s - is to be open, “honest” and friendly. He uses his acrobatics to be the center of attention. This way he makes his muscular body both an object of “eye-sports-candy” admiration and an aspirational goal for children. Sportacus is meant to be the kind of pederast that lives so immerse in his own child-fantasy he doesn’t even assume his condition. Most of time he gets dragged inside his own fantasy and ends up really thinking he IS this kind-hearted ultra-naive impressive children’s superhero.

At then end of every episode, Stephanie in her innocent-pink dress and Sportacus end up dancing together a silly happy song meant to make us enjoy what we are seeing and forgetting the dark implications hidden all over this fantasy town. In their dance there’s always body-to-body steps and leg-spreading movements. And the song - amusingly called “Bing BANG” whose lyrics once again remind us subliminally the message: “Bing Bang Dig-a-rig-a-dong” are described to us as “Silly words that can mean anything”. While dancing with Sportacus, Stephanie invites kids to “go up up, do the jump”. Concluding that “having fun is what it's all about”.

Sports candy sounds like a sweet thing, don’t you think?

Arctic’s Mars Attacks

2007-10-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our great forum member, Arctic Monkey, wanted to write to the Burtonites Blog about Mars Attacks!, so here it goes, completely unedited, original review from Arctic Monkey. Are you ready?

Arctic’s Mars Attacks

Mostly acclaimed as Burton’s second worst movie and a flop, Mars Attacks was the movie that me made fall really into Burton’s universe. A ode to the old fast canceled Topp’s card and 50’s SF B-movies, Burton opens his big trickbox and let it go on the audience.

Nag nag, nag

Of course there are Alien’s in a SF movie, this ones even beat Alien out the selftiteld movie. Are they good for schocks or thrills? None of both, there just green little stupid things that only live for killing. Why only for killing? God knows why, maybe we can make it up out there Nag, nag, Nag words. But then real powers are the ultra B-film looks and effects. It all looks perfect but Burton didn’t forget to keep the B-film vide alive. Mostly through the already said cliches through some serious weird persons like Jack Nicholson plays a second part as a casino owner how wants to make money out of the Martian’s/Alien’s arrival not knowing there only here to destroy the planet. A other great thing about the movie is to see much well know actors in big or small rolls. Like Jack Black’s appearance as Richie’s brother how get killed, and Michal J Fox in one of his few moments on screen in the mid and later 90’s and of course Mister Tom Jones. In the bigger rolls we see old blackaxption-girl Pam Gier and the later becoming superstar Natahlie Portman. But four actors and make the first part of the movie. Jack Nicholson in a crazy double part as president of the United States and the casino owner. Pierce Brosnan that just did his first james bond movie makes fun out him as British professor how doesn’t know a thing about Alien’s but just try to translate them. And then there is Danny DeVito gambler how want’s to make a deal whit the Alien’s. Glenn Close as cold Ms.President which only thinks for herself.

The change

In the middle of the movie the Alien’s have destroyed most of the adult persons and only Richie, a role by Lukas Haas, and the daughter of the president ,which is played by Natahlie Portman, are alive. Also Danny DeVito is still alive. Richie rescued his grandam from the older people house and is whit Tom Jones and Natahlie Portman’s character trying to find out a way to kill the aliens. A old lp whit jodel-rock(?) blows all the aliens heads up when they hear it and at the end it’s a destroyed city/world whit only Lukas Haas, grandma, Portman and some other on-credit people alive. And then the screen goes black.

Arctic’s critic

Mars attacks is my fourth favorite Burton movie, not a classic tearjerker as Edward or a haunting horror as Hollow but one of the most loving parodies ever made. Of course there are better ones(Top Secret and the Monty Phyton’s movies) but still it hasn’t has one bad or old joke. It’s all-star cast made it still wonder why it wasn’t a major box-office hit, maybe it was a bit to wicked for the cinema people. But it has regain his glory as cult-classic and Hollow was again a box-office success. But if Burton didn’t made this movie it will be never made, and that will hurt my heart.

Nag Nag Nag Part 2

The power of the movie sits in the sadists green fellows mostly labeled in the movie as Martian/aliens. No Ridely Scot Alien alien’s but cartoon like green fellows. Still they have the most horrible laugh ever. The Martians are just like people in the 50’s thought about life in other space. Sadistic green creatures that are only out for killing and destroying planets. Now we know better but lucky a lot of Alien story’s are left. There clothing style is also horrible but just does it for them. They aren’t smatter then people, to be said there lot stupider then most people and have the most playlike guns ever. They aren’t like most haunting alien’s but more some crazy loonaticks escaped from the weirdest zoo in the universe. Maybe people don’t like this kind of Martians to watch at the cinema, mostly they want cool scary aliens but Burton had a major budget and of course his own imagination and thought of these crazy guys. Lucky he did, otherwise it would be just another Hollywood alien movie. It’s quit easy if you see them at the first time to know there planning to destroy then world. And there trying it. There dead also has no shocking of scary thing. There just funny, just like the green fellows. Love live the Martians!

a view on art from the past.

2007-10-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

An estonian author called Eduard Vilde, who lived from 1865 to 1933, wrote a book in 1912 called The Uncatchable Miracle ("Tabamata Ime"). Though it may seem like a long time ago, reading that book today (if you can get it in your hands in English) may surprise you: how modern, how up-to-date, how universal. Maybe others won´t see it, but you will - as an artist. Cause this book tells us about an artist still seeking for a breakthrough, but sadly doing many wrong things in its name. It also raises many philosophical questions about the field of arts in general and a creators position in a society.

Leo Saalep, a piano player, returns home from the Grand Europe - home, thats a frog pond, a tiny country with limited chances to stand out or become a big star. In someone else´s case it may be a small town inside a big region inside a huge country, a clique community inside a metropolis, anything, which sets borders to a growing artist. Leo brings with him the echo of praise and ovations from the European audience - he is an instant object of admiration - and big, big, BIG expectations towards his upcoming concert in the home land. Everybody is expecting him to be The One, that big name to bring the tiny, unimportant (and at 1912 not yet independent) country on the map of the world. No, they want more - they need, they want to call him an artistic genius.
Do you remember how the lights seemed to black out, when you had to read a poem on a school concert in front of all the two dozen relatives expecting you to turn into a child star with the power of their minds? Would you die of fear if you had to show your portfolio in front of examination committee of a really high-class art school?
Although I think burtonite nerves are from a different class and not much to worry about when it comes to talent you can at least imagine that situation. Thats how Leo was feeling, and he made several attempts to cancel the concert. He was just not sure he could raise to the occasion, but he pressed these feelings down, he had a desperate desire to be what the others wanted him to be. "Believe in me! Lend me your strength!", he said. Maybe thats the only obstacle that does not allow Leo to doubt himself and thus become truly a great artist who can rely only on his own self.

For Leo Saalep, things are made worse by an especially eager "communicator", his free-marriage spouse Lilli, who has promoted his talents maybe more than would have been reasonable. How often is that the case really in the field of arts, that the communicators - agents, curators, managers or just the cultural establishment you work for, a film company, a theater, a dance group - are doing a bit TOO much for the artist or actor or musicians, which prevents those to be themselves and build a relationship of trust, understanding and FAIR expectations with the audience? They will be like products of the communicator, not individuals... But.... those nasty people are there for a reason, you know. They have a different position in the society than a singular artist, they are institutions, that don´t just present singular talents, but form a school of thought, a way to look at things and have a great influence to public opinion, which very rare artists can have all by themselves.

Leo Saalep was very much absorbed by a low self image, and if not for Lilli, who was constantly pushing him, reassuring him, he would not have worked at all. But being concerned about "making it", receiving praise, Leo forgot about inner development as an artist, listening to his inner voice and self criticism, and his music lacked the meaning, the message - that one thing thats YOURS and that no communicator or critic can alter or take away. Leos ex-lover Eve did not hear that miracle, that spark in his performance, but she had once been an aspiring poet who stopped writing cause she felt her poetry wasn´t good enough. It does raise a question of her objectivity - could she have been envious? Lilli perhaps felt the same from the very beginning, but was too ambitious to admit it, she, for one, tried to fulfill her own artistic ambitions and dreams through somebody else, plus she hoped to marry Leo and become a "famous pianists´wife". Only a personal conflict sparked her to speak out. Lilli revealed Leo had done many things just as a publicity trick, he had forged magazine articles and hid the sources of the assumed praise he got in foreign capitals.

Vilde doesn´t really judge or put down any of his characters. Who IS right, really? Which one of them failed in their task? Did Lilli´s outburst contain any truth, or was she just getting even with estranged housband? Can anyone actually confirm Leo DOESN´ T have any talent? Did he just do what any artist would do to succeed? The communicator, a voice of a muse, had spoken, she had come down on him with fury and a note of disappointment, and the people believed her rather than the artist, because the artist had not really stood up for himself ever before. They already knew he was a weak, paranoid person, but that doesn´t mean he was a hopeless musician, does it?
Or did Leo really just heartlessly use his faithful muse to be somebody, to become a star having himself only a mediocre talent and no distinctively original qualities? Who IS the manipulator, who exactly is messing with the audiences´ minds? The artist, or the communicator? Or is it that the particular audience really was that stupid and they deserved to be fooled and fed with "non-art", cause they wont be able to tell the difference? (which is what I personally find most likely in this story, cause Vilde wrote the play partly to mock and poor out his disappointment at the critics and media of that time, who were absorbed in self- admiration and their own fine words more than searching for the true meanings in art ).
The concert itself is not described in the book, other than through the words of the Mass, the Crowd and some over-the-top cultural wannabes, and we can not tell if they know the criteria for a good or bad performance or just bluff their way through the conversation. Even in stage plays based on this text you would not find out anything more. And that is why people still interpret the story just as hopelessly, shooting blanks at different theories almost a hundred years later.
There is a DVD with 6 short flicks, named "The Untouchable Miracle" ("Tabamata Ime") that should be available in cinemas that are part of the European Cinematic Network . The pack of films is done on extremely low budget by young directors and using the same actors in all films, but playing different roles (which actually benefits the idea very much). In one of them Leo is turned into a shock artist sawing off his arm on an art performance, depicting the irrational assumption art has to cross limits while no one knows where the damn those limits are.
But what else is left to do, if the media is no longer interested in true artist, but fashion-designing singers and singing models and painting bank managers etc etc.? Or is it that drastic really... who will help us decide?
The truth is out there, I am sure. The best thing to do NOW is what you do best. Lets hope thats ALL it takes.

Sincerely,
from Redfox.

Halloween Costume Contest!

2007-10-14T10:59:00.001-07:00

The details for TBC Halloweenfest's Halloween Costume Contest are now up at our forum: http://www.timburtoncollective.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6887

Last year the contest was a smashing success, and there were many interesting entries. Here are some of the best ones:

Pictured from top to bottom: sands*, Fuzzy Duck, Ev1l_H0PsC0TcH.

Our Halloween Costume Contest host, sands*, graciously answered a few interview questions for the Burtonite Blog.

Burtonites Blog: sands*, how does it feel to host the costume contest again?

sands*: Awesome. Its the second time I do it. But I do feel a bit embarrassed for winning last year when I was hosting.

BB: You seem to be a costume person, what about Halloween costumes fascinates you so?

sands: You get to be someone different for a day. That's always fun. Life is boring sometimes. Its the only day in the year when you can dress up and no one will make fun of you. Plus, no one would recognize you either... good time to play some pranks.

BB: You think we will have a lot of shocking surprises in this years contest?

sands: I hope so. Last year there was a good number of people that entered. But my goal this year is to have many more. Also, I believe the prizes are going to be much better.

BB: Any inspirational words for all the aspiring costume contest entrants out there?

sands: Just have fun. We're between friends here. So don't be shy and enter the contest! You wont regret it.

BB: Thank you for your time sands*, we let you back to your Duckman now.

sands: Mmm, Duckman. Thanks, I love the Burtonites Blog!

TBC Halloweenfest 2007!

2007-10-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Halloween is creeping closer and closer. This year our annual Halloweenfest will be be a bit more moderate event that last years ultimate freak-out. We will be concentrating on a few key events, which will namely be:

The Golden Bortons 2007 (The 2nd Annual TBC Film Festival)
- You still have a little time to submit your movie entries, or enter as a judge, read more details about it in this topic:
http://www.timburtoncollective.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6684

We are expecting to have at least 2 times more movies than last year, so the competition will be tough. And of course all of you Burtonites will be able to see these movies, discuss about them, and perhaps ask questions from the filmmakers during the Halloweenfest!

TBC Halloween Costume Contest
- The Halloween Costume Contest is back, better and bigger than ever. You just need a costume and some picture(s) of it to enter the contest, you can read more details about it in the Costume Contest Topic which should be up shortly.

TBC Halloweenfest Signature & Avatar Contest
- Simply: The best signature & avatar used during the Halloweenfest, all Burtonites can vote on the entries.

A yet undefined Mystery Contest
- More details to come later!

The TBC HalloweenFest 2007 will take place on October 24 – October 31, with many contests concluding on November as well.

Burtonite Filmmaker Interviews, part III: Kevin Schreck (Fuzzy Duck)

2007-10-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

An Interview with Kevin Schreck
By Michael Smith
October 7th, 2007

Kevin Schreck (a.k.a, Fuzzy Duck, on the Tim Burton Collective) has been a filmmaker for years. His stop-motion animated satire, An Interview with Death, was a Golden Borton Award Winner in 2006. In this interview, the filmmaker talks about his interest in working on various genres of films, working from documentaries to animation simultaneously, and sometimes accidentally bringing out his own personality in the characters he’s created…

Michael Smith: When did you first start making movies?

Kevin Schreck: When I was ten years old, I felt compelled to try messing around with my dad's camcorder. The first couple of films I made involved two puppets, a mallard duck, named Fuzzy Duck, and a hippopotamus, named Billy Bob. The short movies were about ten minutes in length, each scene shot in sequence (since I didn't have any computer programs for movie editing and since it was an 8 mm camera, I believe), and had some music cues, props, etc. I supplied both characters with their movements and voices from beneath a table. I made about four of these movies, I think, adding new characters along the way and drawing them a lot. When I was 11, I received a computer program called "Lego Studios," which allowed you to make stop-motion or live-action short movies. I tinkered around again with the puppets and with some "Simpsons" action figures and toy dinosaurs and such.

MS: When did you realize filmmaking was the career you wanted to pursue?

KS: I'm not entirely certain when that moment was. I guess it became a conscious realization after making the stop-motion experiments on "Lego Studios." I had tried out a lot of forms of art, like drawing, photography, music, acting, and more. But none really fully captivated me (except for drawing). I guess, subconsciously, I felt that film encompassed all of those forms of art for one big project to tell a story.

MS: What filmmakers do you admire the most?

KS: Tim Burton is the big one for me. I really admire his work because he is able to work in so many different kinds of genres and styles and still leave that unique, personal touch to them. Stanley Kubrick is another one. Again, he really was able to work with various genres and still speak very profoundly and convey his own artistic styles and techniques. Others that I really like are Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Moore, Sergio Leone, and Ed Wood. So a lot of different filmmakers with different styles, who worked with different genres, and came from different eras.

MS: Would you like to work in several genres, like the directors you mentioned? Or is there a certain type of film you'd like to be making?

KS: Working in several different genres appeals to me the most. I'd feel a little confined to just one genre. I mean, there are some directors who really defined and even revolutionized the genres they worked in. But for me, personally, I like embracing an eclectic taste. I think being able to tell stories in different ways, with different atmospheres and issues and such, is very appealing. There's so much to do. Different mediums of filmmaking, too, from live-action narratives to documentaries to animated films.

MS: What's your favorite film that you've made?

KS: Probably An Interview with Death. That was a real labor of love. Almost two years of my life went into making that film, so, in order to complete that project, on practically no budget and with things like school going on, that was a big feat, and I had to be really into it and dedicated to it. Plus, I love the medium of stop-motion animation. It's such an organic, tangible style.

MS: Where did the idea for An Interview with Death come from?

KS: Well, I went to Interlochen Arts Camp when I was fourteen. I went there for musical theater, but my favorite class was my elective, sculpture. It turned out the teacher, Jason Johnston, had worked with stop-motion before, and he said he'd be willing to help me make the armatures I'd need for the puppets for a film, if I wanted to. This was the first time I actually had the opportunity to try out stop-motion and construct my own characters and such, which I had been drawing a lot, and I only had four weeks to do it. Although I had worked with stop-motion before, I was still a novice, so I wanted to avoid more difficult things like walk cycles. Seeing how walk cycles would be tricky, I decided that an interview structure would be best, by having all of the characters sit down, and tell a story.

Kevin Schreck with the cast of An Interview with Death (2006).

MS: An Interview with Death is almost completely character-driven, centering on four eccentric personalities. Were these characters your creations, or was it a collaboration between you and the actors?

KS: I had the general design of the characters for a while. They consisted of Fuzzy Duck, this girl with a beret, a guy in a regular sort of corporate employee look but with a brown paper bag over his head, and the Grim Reaper. So they were really sort of one-dimensional before production began. I showed the actors, Laura, Bill, and Brendan, some sketches and the puppets (which weren't even finished yet), just to give them a vague idea of who they were playing. I had them sit in a chair, let the camera roll for about thirty to forty minutes and had them just improvise their material. I did the same with myself for Fuzzy Duck (though I was going to be the paper-bag guy, John Jackson, before I got Brendan). They came up with some really funny material, but I had to choose only the best, most important material (only about two or three minutes a piece, at most) to use, since the animation would be so laborious and time-consuming. After the movie was finished, there was this weird, circular feeling to how the characters had developed. Even though the actors really brought them to life, I found some traits in myself in the characters. I guess those originate more from the drawings.

MS: Fuzzy Duck seems to appear from time to time throughout your work. Do you plan on reusing any of the other characters?

KS: Possibly. I'd like to come up with some more characters some time. I love the ones I have, but it's good to keep drawing, observing strange, funny things, and sort of personalizing them. I guess Fuzzy Duck comes up the most because I relate to him most. He's this short, odd, kind of angry guy who just seems to vent about a lot of messed-up things in the world. I'm not usually that easily enraged or irritated, but I like those characters that are aware of those little annoyances in the world. It's cathartic to bring your own quirks out with a character. Also, I like ducks; they're my favorite animal. My very first drawing was of a duck, so that's a personal thing for me. Lula (the girl with the beret) is interesting, too. She sort of is a tribute, as well as a parody, of modern liberalism. But it's kind of hard writing for a female character, being male. It's good to work with what you know (even though I'm not a duck).

MS: What led you to make Dear Leader: Mr. Kim?

KS: I had begun the drawings and making the puppets for Interview in the summer of 2004. But then school came along, and I had to focus on my grades and classes. Also, I didn't have the technology for Interview so I had to put it on hiatus. But I still wanted to make a movie. Luckily, I found out that my history class was going to have this big, technological project for the whole second semester. The project would be focused on a contemporary world conflict, and that was all I knew. Making a movie was an option, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to be able to make a movie while simultaneously contributing to my classes and schoolwork. So I decided on making a documentary on North Korea, and the dictator of the country, Kim Jong-Il. I started the movie in the fall, reading about a dozen books on the subject. It's such a fascinating situation; it's really the only place left in the world with that sort of communist regime. And Kim Jong-Il is such a weird, mysterious character. He's like some sort of Hollywood super-villain.

MS: I often find it easier to complete a film when it's for a project or a festival (i.e., the Golden Borton Awards) because you have a deadline that spurs you on. Do you feel the same way?

KS: I guess so. I think having a certain amount of pressure like a deadline is really motivating, or else you may not finish a project. It can be hectic, but that's part of the process of filmmaking. I had a deadline for Dear Leader: Mr. Kim more than on Interview, which was more of a personal goal of mine. So I've kind of worked with both. I guess I'd have to try it out more to find out what works best for me. It can be a hindrance, too, though, but you learn from your mistakes.

A drawing of Fuzzy Duck meeting his doom for An Interview with Death (2006).

MS: You seem to enjoy animation, from your drawings to your film, An Interview with Death. Do you have any plans for future animated films?

KS: Nothing official as of the moment. I've been messing around a bit with an idea called Fuzzy Duck Goes Hawaiian. I'd like it to be a cel-animated film, kind of like the old shorts from the 1930s and 1940s from Warner Bros. The technology would certainly not be the same, but I'd like to capture that sort of energy to it: the manic energy, the character expressions and movement, the artistry of those films in general. I don't really have a synopsis of the film. I just like the idea of putting my character, Fuzzy Duck, in a setting like Hawaii, with the stereotypical music and such. It's a very different place from anywhere else I've been, so that'd be fun to try out.

MS: Any plans for future projects in general?

KS: Again, nothing official as of now. I wrote a screenplay last year, though. It's not completed, but it's a comedy about these two poor, middle-aged guys who live on the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin and enter a local fishing competition for a cash prize. I don't know whether it'd be a feature-length film or a short, but I hope to do it someday. I'd need actors, though. Another idea is a documentary on the issue of creationism/intelligent design vs. evolution. That's a debate that's really interested me. There's this multi-million dollar Creation museum that opened in Kentucky this year. I'd love to check it out...

MS: Any inspirational words for all the other indie filmmakers out there?

KS: Don't be afraid to go out there with just a camera and make something. I know I'm not the only one, or the first one, to say this, but really, if you have creativity, motivation, and a camera, that's really all you need. Don't allow issues like budgets or transportations or actors (or a lack thereof) to stop you from expressing your ideas and making something that you think is important, something that you think would be entertaining, or something that you think would just be a lot of fun to make. The best way to get into filmmaking is simply by making films.

MS: Thanks for your time, Kevin.

KS: No problem, Michael. Thank you very much.

Auditioning 101

2007-10-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of the year again, children. A time when most theatres have held or are holding their auditions. Before you step out on that stage and promote yourself, there are a few tips you should know. The following is taken from an outline I had when doing a speech on “How to Prepare for an Audition” (with added guidance from a professional actor I knew from the summer). With his help, I present to you, some basic auditioning “do’s” and “don’ts”;

Do:

- Have an organized resume. By stating the show, your role, and the city/theatre company, the director can tell what you have for experience. Point out note-worthy productions (either with a co-actor, director, producer, or theatre company) or parts you feel especially proud of. Even if you have little credits, your talent and preparedness for the audition will assist you greatly.
(The resume layout looks like the following: show name, role (include understudy roles as well in parenthesis followed by the indicator U/S. eg. Man of La Mancha - Barber (U/S Sancho) - Foothills Theatre) and Theatre Company/City).

Do not:

- Exaggerate on your resume. Lying is the number one way to not be taken seriously.

Do:

- Have a current headshot. It is important that the same actor they see on the picture is the same actor walking through the door. Most artistic directors prefer both color and black and white. Be sure to get both just in case.

Do not:

- Use the same headshot you’ve had for years.

Do:

- Sing an appropriate song. Even if it is ‘overdone’ (like Defying Gravity from Wicked), if you sing it well and it suits your voice, go for it. Try it out on your friends, family, or voice teacher. If you receive positive feedback, stick with it. Think about the show you’re going for. Is it bright or dark? Will singing “Seerauber Jenny” at your Sound of Music audition really help you land the part of Maria?

Do not:

- Sing an inappropriate song that does not work for your voice or for the show you are auditioning for (as stated above).

Do:

- Research the play and/or musical from where you get your monologue or song choice. If possible, buy yourself a copy of the script or libretto to familiarize yourself with the characters and setting.

Do not:

- Choose a monologue or song because it sounds “pretty” and you think it’ll be easy to learn. Challenge yourself. If all you know is Tennessee Williams try looking up Moliere, or vice versa.
- Simply think that by skimming over the text you’ll have a complete understanding of the play or musical.

Do:

- Practice your song (s) and monologue (s) so you feel confident in performing them. Find pieces that sit naturally with YOU and that you enjoy to sing and/or act.

Do not:

- Feel like you have to be better than any one else. Even though this is a competition you will be judged on how well you interact with others. After all, a cast is a team, isn’t it?

Do:

- Dress appropriately. If you’re going to a dance call, wear lose fitting clothes and dance shoes (jazz shoes for the guys). For the audition wear something formal. Girls; dress pants, nice shoes, and blouse. Boys; nice top, casual pants, and shoes.
- Wear an article of clothing that sets you apart, like a scarf or hair pin that is unique but not entirely distracting. This will help the director remember you as “the girl with the blue ribbon in her hair” rather than the “70th girl wearing a black leotard”. But more importantly, you should be remembered for your performance.

Do not:
- Spend too much time stressing over how you look. (If you follow the above suggestions, you will look fine).
- Come barefoot to a dance call unless otherwise specified.
- Wear a costume or appear slovenly unless the audition requires it.

Do:

- Be on time. Show up ten minutes (or earlier) beforehand so you can fill out an audition form (most theatres will have these), meet with the other actors, and get a feel for the theatre (especially if you have never been there before). Getting an early start will also help you should you suddenly be stuck in a traffic jam. Being an hour ahead is always better than being an hour behind.
- Call the theatre should you become drastically ill. If you cannot make it because of that, let them know so they won’t be expecting you or to reschedule (if it is possible).
- Be courteous. Remember your reputation relies highly on how well you can get on with others. No one wants to work with someone who’s a pain to get along with or causes issues for the other performers!
- Write down everything.
- Read up on the industry. Know who’s who. The more you learn, the more everything will come together so you’ll know all the important who’s what’s and when’s. This will help you establish networks.

Do not:

- Show up late. It’s unprofessional. No excuses!
- Burn a bridge. Treating those around you like garbage will not guarantee you a job any where. Unless you’re established like Patti LuPone, there is no reason why you should be throwing a diva fit if something doesn’t go to your liking.

And finally;

COME PREPARED! Know your lines and your songs! This is by far the easiest yet most often overlooked aspect of the auditioning process. Don’t put off your Shakespearean monologue until the night before. Always give yourself at least a month’s worth of preparation!

Know these tips and know they will guide you as you go from audition to audition. The more you get out there, the better you’ll be!

Break legs, and good luck!
~ Genine

Burtonite Filmmaker Interviews, part II: Michael Smith (The Martian Ambassador)

2007-10-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

An Interview with Michael Smith
Edited by Kevin Schreck
October 7th, 2007

Michael Smith (a.k.a, The Martian Ambassador, on the Tim Burton Collective) has worked on a variety of films. El Chupacabra, his film from last year, was a Golden Borton Award winner, and he is near completing another new film, entitled Two Left. In this interview, the filmmaker talks about themes he sees in his numerous and very different films, his earliest projects, and how to use an idea in a very low-budget, independent movie…

Kevin Schreck: What made you want to get into filmmaking?

Michael Smith: When I was eleven, my parents bought a DV camcorder, and my older brother and I started making these little movies. Evan, my brother, kinda moved on after a while, but I just kept making them. Eventually I realized it was something I'd like to do for a living.

KS: Were there any particular films and/or filmmakers that inspired you early on?

MS: Well, my first movie that I made all on my own, a stop-animation short done with LEGOs called Dino Island, was basically a parody of the Jurassic Park films with spoofs of scenes from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring cut in, so I guess Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Even now, I'd like to make the sort of movies they do.

KS: How would you define or describe those movies they do?

MS: I feel like I'm simplifying their work by lumping their films into one category, but action/adventure films. Stuff like the Indiana Jones movies or Jackson's King Kong, movies that are just fun to watch and still push the limits of filmmaking.

KS: You've certainly done a wide range of film genres and styles: El Chupacabra, The Bus, Rasputin: The Death of the Mad Monk, etc. What do you think those films have in common?

MS: It’s weird, because I just said that I'd like to make action/adventure films, but I really haven't done that many, except for maybe The Bus and Wrong Address. Most of my movies start off with something general that I like, like cryptozoology, or dinosaurs, or Grigori Rasputin. Then I try and find a way to work that into a plot I can film. I guess one of the main things they all have in common, though, is that they don't take themselves seriously at all. They're all pretty lighthearted.

KS: Where did you come up with the idea for El Chupacabra?

MS: William Palacio, who co-writes, co-produces, and acts in most of my films, and I were talking one night and decided we needed to make a really bad, corny horror movie, and immediately chose the chupacabra to be the antagonist. However, like the majority of films we talk about making, it got forgotten as other stuff came up. Then, later that year, in Spanish class at school, our teacher told us that we would have to write and act out a short skit in Spanish. William and I recognized this as our chance to use our chupacabra idea and we convinced our teacher to let us make a movie. When we began writing, though, the style was completely different from what we had originally envisioned.

From Left to Right: Gabe Fry, Michael Smith, William Palacio, and Andrew Jefferson on the set of El Chupacabra (2006).

KS: How was it different from your original conception?

MS: We had first imagined it as an over-the-top splatter-fest with a lot of slapstick. But we ended up writing a much more subtle, noir-ish sort of story.

KS: Your most recent film is called Two Left. What's that about?

MS: It's about three friends who go camping and unwillingly release a demon who's been imprisoned for hundreds of years. The demon, a serial killer in his human life, was sent to Hell, but made a deal with the Devil. If he can harvest six hundred and sixty-six souls within half a century, he'll be free to roam the Earth forever, killing as he pleases. When we meet up with him, he already has six hundred and sixty-four souls, leaving only two left, so it's up to the friends to stop him before he can pay his debt.

KS: What was the origin of this concept?

MS: Well, about a month ago, I got a job at a Halloween store. Most of the time in there it's just standing around (though it's getting much busier now as Halloween approaches). So, I'm walking around the store for hours at a time, looking at all the masks and costumes and thinking, "How could I use these in a movie?" I had the basic plot and most of the dialogue in my head by the end of one workday.

Gage Rollo as Mulo in Two Left (2007).

KS: As of this interview, Two Left is still in production. Which of the two would you say was a more challenging film to make, Chupacabra or Two Left?

MS: Right now I feel Two Left is more difficult, but that might change a few months from now when I can look back on both of them. But Gabe Fry and William, who play the two main characters in Two Left, are on the soccer team now, so they practice every day after school until five. That gives us about an hour to film before it gets too dark, so we really don't have time to do anything other than film. If someone flubs a line or trips walking into a scene, we don't even have time to laugh, we have to pull ourselves together immediately and keep going.

KS: Are you still considering to make sequels of El Chupacabra?

MS: That's a tough question. William and I planned out a trilogy after the first film was completed, and I really like the story we came up with. It explained some of the stranger things from the first film and made the chupacraba into a threat to the whole world. However, I don't really see it happening--I've done the chupacabra, I think I'd rather devote my energy to something else.

KS: Are you planning on any future projects?

MS: I had a holiday movie planned and half-written, but that was before I started Two Left, and I don't know if I'll be able to finish them both by Christmas, which is when I'd like to have the holiday movie completed. It's called Getting into the Spirit, and it's about two elves trying to force a Jewish man to celebrate Christmas.

KS: Where did that idea come from?

MS: I'm not sure, actually. A few months ago Gabe, William, and I showed Wrong Address at our old middle school, and they mentioned that we should try and make something for this Christmas assembly they have every year. I guess that's when I started thinking about it, but I don't know where that specific plot came from.

KS: You have certainly kept yourself busy with a lot of films. What would you suggest to aspiring independent filmmakers?

MS: Don't let a lack of resources stop you from making whatever you want. As long as you have a camera and creativity, there's really nothing you can't do. It may not look exactly how you want it, a CGI giant squid might look better than a the cardboard miniature one you made, but it's all practice for the future. Just have fun with it.

KS: Wise words. Thank you very much, Michael.

MS: And thank you.

Bienvenue -Welcome- Tere Tulemast!

2007-10-09T01:31:00.000-07:00

I would add something in hawaiian but I leave it to my dear co-worker Leah.
I just wanted to make an introduction to the arts and entertainment section. If you clicked on our tag by mistake, stay anyway, you are going to get...well, entertained.
This place will hopefully contain news, reviews, conversations and friendly /vicious critique about burtonite artists from all fields of art. If you have a news story to share, please write on the burtoniteblogae@gmail.com email address. We well be happy to tell everyone about your achievements in the field of art. And if you send us photos too, we will even dance from joy!!!! Tapdance, hiphop, ballroom....yes. khmm khmm.
You will be free to present your news or creations under a TBC nickname, but you may consider to reveal your true (artists´) name for art friends all over the world to praise and spread the word about.
It might take some time to get the ball rolling, because artists are tender and vulnerable spirits and we have to choose our words carefully when we edit and post the stories or they will fly away to the moon from us.
Have a very nice time at the whole burtonite blog and check back for some entertaining stories very soon!

Redfox

EMO

2007-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Black clothes, pale skin, trademark hair, razor cuts on the skin and a sad expression on the face.

We’re describing the typical emo. Not. We are talking about Edward Scissorhands. Got ya.

So, why do most Burtonites hate emos? Ed could be described as an emo himself. He has all the same characteristics as one. Or even Edward Scissorhands' imperfect alter ego: Mr. Tim Burton. And the same could be said about Burtonites themselves. There’s one reason we’re all here. Its because in the outside world we feel alone.

We had to escape our own realities and find comfort in a place where we knew we would fit in - The Tim Burton Collective.

And yes, its full of emos. Like it or not, you are one. Maybe not in appearance, but emotionally you are. WE are.

Don’t start complaining and saying that you aren’t. You are. Deal with it. How many times have you cried at Edward Scissorhands because you feel identified? How many times have you posted how bad, how alone, how much of an outsider you feel you are? One, two…ten... thousand times?We want to feel loved, so we post about it and hope for a response of that cold outside world they've told us there is beyond out computer screen. That’s what an emo is.

They want to grab attention using that representative image of theirs. Of course, they wear it on the outside for the world to see. On the collective, we can't be seen… but our posts can.

This is not a bad thing. Its just the truth. So the next time you think about calling an emo ‘stupid‘, that’s what you’re calling yourself. And me.

Emoing up the Burtonite way of life,

Don’t & Know
The Timely Procrastinator Team

Burtonite Filmmaker Interviews, part I: J. L. Carrozza (Max Cady)

2007-10-08T09:23:00.001-07:00

This is the first of a series of interviews with filmmakers on the Tim Burton Collective. We hope you enjoy these little insights into these talented artists, and look forward to more in the near future!

An Interview with J. L. Carrozza
Edited by Kevin Schreck
October 1st, 2007

J. L. Carrozza (a.k.a, Max Cady, on the Tim Burton Collective) has been making films for years. His film from last year, Little Red Riding Hood, was a big success during last year’s Tim Burton Collective Film Festival, a.k.a, the Golden Borton Awards. Carrozza’s latest film is entitled, Dream House, and will be entered into this year’s Golden Borton Awards, as well. In this interview, the filmmaker talks about the sources of his inspiration, the political allegories in his films, and a few upcoming projects…

Kevin Schreck: First, a rather typical question: What made you interested in filmmaking?

J. L. Carrozza: Well, I was five or six years old and I saw the original Godzilla on VHS, on a six inch TV. I was absolutely captivated by what I saw. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and wanted to be a paleontologist but shortly after I realized I wanted to be a filmmaker and make movies like Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya.

KS: What were some of your earliest efforts in filmmaking?

JLC: When I was around nine or ten I grabbed a video camera my family had and started making stop motion movies with Bandai kaiju action figures. I was a big fan of Ray Harryhausen too, you see and yeah, at first I wanted to make movies like his too. My first more serious movie was when I was 14. I got big into violent horror films (much to my parents chagrin) and tried to make a slasher film called Plastic Man about a man possessed by a demonic mask who goes around killing people. However, while I was shooting it I ran down a street chasing a pickup truck. My parents saw it and took my camera away for a year.

KS: So was that project was ever finished?

JLC: Nope. I'd love to find the footage and put it online though.

KS: Horror movies and their influences seem to be a prevalent theme in many of your films. Your latest film, Dream House, involves a haunted house, a prophecy of a rape, and a scene of torture. Why do you think you gravitate to themes like this?

JLC: I'm just a huge horror buff really. I love horror movies that are both beautiful and horrible at the same time, like Matango, Human Lanterns or Mario Bava's movies, to name but a few. That said, I also feel that I make these movies as something of a political statement as well. We live in really violent times and mankind, as whole, has always had a natural inclination toward violent acts.

KS: I'll get back to Dream House in a bit. Your previous film, Little Red Riding Hood, also had a lot of horror themes in it. What made you want to make an adaptation of that story?

JLC: It's always been my favorite Grimm's Fairy Tale and since after I made the awful The Boy Who Cried Wolf I've wanted to make Little Red Riding Hood. My original vision of it was really different, though. Red was going to a Japanese girl and the Wolf was going to actually put her, naked, into a giant pot full of soup, kind of like in Peter Jackson's Bad Taste, and cut carrots into the pot. Then I realized I couldn't make that film, but I still decided on making a really fucked up version full of pedophilia and cannibalism. If could have made my dream version of Little Red Riding Hood, though, I'd have made it a metaphor for Japan/China relations and have Red be a cute little Chinese girl, the Wolf be a Japanese rapist and the Lumberjack be a burly American.

KS: What kind of political allegory, if any, do you find in Dream House?

JLC: There isn't much of a political allegory, but I suppose the young couple could represent America and the rape and rapist could represent 9/11, but that's probably really stretching.

KS: How did you come up with the idea of Dream House? What was the origin of that concept?

JLC: There are two main sources. The idea of a husband and wife moving into a house and weird shit going down is an idea I gleaned from both Fulci's House By the Cemetery and the Shaw Brothers horror film Haunted Tales. The idea of an apparition saving a girl from something horrific is from some urban legend I heard of a girl being saved from a rapist on the street by her guardian angel.

KS: You mentioned Ishiro Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, Mario Bava, and Peter Jackson and other filmmakers already. Who would you call inspiration from while making Dream House?

JLC: Bava and especially Dario Argento and maybe to some degree Lucio Fulci. I really love Italian horror and exploitation and think the Italians have a wonderful sensibility when it comes to making films, especially horror movies. Bava and Argento really make all the horror “beautiful.” Brian DePalma and his films were also a huge inspiration on Dream House and as was Scorsese's version of Cape Fear. The Nicky character was also heavily inspired by many Japanese ghosts, particularly Sadako from Ringu, the Snow Woman from Kwaidan and Oiwa from Nobuo Nakagawa's Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan. The bar scene was also kind of inspired by the scene where Dustin Hoffman meets the townspeople in Straw Dogs.

KS: Do you think it's important to be able to incorporate tributes to and inspiration from your idols? Does it happen on a conscious level?

JLC: Yeah, I love paying homage to movies and filmmakers I like. Sometimes it's conscious, like when I had my friend Dave paint his car like Stuntman Mike's in Death Proof, sometimes it's unconscious, like making Nicky look like a Japanese ghost, which I didn't realize until after I shot the footage.

KS: You worked with Dave Luce before on Little Red Riding Hood. How did he get involved in your films?

JLC: I met Dave at an open mike, the same open mike I met Charli, Jonathan and Tom. He begged me to be in my movie and play the Wolf and I realized he'd be fucking perfect so I let him be in it. I really think he made the movie. He's a musician. His band is called Felonious Drunk. Look him up on MySpace!

KS: Do you have any current projects in the works, or anything in mind for the future?

JLC: Oh yes. I'm shooting a parody commercial for an abortion clinic in two days with some of my new friends from college. I'm also doing live action reenactments of scenes from Neon Genesis Evangelion soon. And about a year from now, I'm doing a reimagining of Alice in Wonderland.

KS: Will anyone from the cast or crew from Little Red or Dream House be involved in those projects?

JLC: Yeah, many members of the cast from both films are returning for Alice. Kate Noyes will be playing the White Rabbit, who will be a girl in a playboy bunny costume on roller skates. Jonathan Daire will be playing the Mad Hatter. Dave will be playing the March Hare. Ryan Murphy, my best friend, will be providing the voice of the Cheshire Cat who will be like a feline version of his Jack White persona. Charli Henley will hopefully be playing the Queen of Hearts, who is a sadistic Japanese noblewoman. Neil Cicierega will also be providing his first score in years. That and I'll be in the film as the Caterpillar and Lewis Carrol himself.

KS: The voice of the Chesire Cat? How will you bring that character to life; as a puppet, animation?

JLC: The Caterpillar will be stop motion animated by Ryan Murphy; the Chesire Cat will be a puppet.

KS: Sounds like an ambitious project. I look forward to seeing it. Having made so many films already, would you give any suggestions to people aspiring to be independent filmmakers?

JLC: My only real advice is just to believe in yourself and keep shooting your films. Even if it sucks at first, keep working on it and learning from it for the next film. Keep watching classic movies and learn cinematic techniques from the masters.

KS: Thank you so much, Jules.

JLC: You're quite welcome Kevin. Thank you for your time.

Timely Procrastinator Intro

2007-10-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Here in The Timely Procrastinator we will discuss life as what it really is; an absolute meaningless spacious void. Which means you’ll find anything and everything - or nothing, depending on the perspective - in this area. But don’t you scratch your head and think about it. It will occur when you least expect it.

Once every time we think of something great this extensive Collective Universe might need to know, we will say it. We will not keep our thoughts to ourselves. We want you all to experience this fantastical world of uniqueness we own. You deserve it.

From now and on to forever,

Don’t & Know
The Timely Procrastinator Team

Welcome to the Burtonites Blog!

2007-10-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Burtonites Blog!

In this blog you will find many wonderful things relating to the lives of Burtonites. If you are unfamiliar with Burtondom, you can find out all about it from the forums at http://www.timburtoncollective.com/ , or by reading this blog.

This blog consists of the combined writings of several Burtonites. The regular columns will include: The Timely Procrastinator, Curiously Sour, The Arts & Entertainments section, Dr. Phibes Rises Again and many more. To find out what these columns will include, just keep checking out our blog. There will also be several individual articles posted to the blog, including an upcoming look at the past, present and future of the Golden Bortons movie competition.

Don't forget to check out the weekly changing Random (But Interesting) Fact, provided to you by Bootler! The fact can be found from the very bottom of the blog.