My fandom is SERIOUS BUSINESS!!

[sorcyress]

An open letter to Tim Burton:

Re: Sweeney Todd
Dear Messer Burton:

Look, sir. I don't blame you. All you wanted to do was bring some publicity to this out-of-the-mainstream musical. You liked the blood, no doubt. The dark themes. The needless cruelty, the revenge storyline, the anti-romance, anti-love, cynical attitude. Hell, I bet you even liked the songs.

So you made this movie, and hell, I'll be honest --I enjoyed it! I thought that some of the blood was a little too gornish, partially because I really loved the understated, more subtle pouring of blood from one bucket to another in the revival. And of course, I understand that you couldn't do that in the movie. Movies need more.

And, well, to be perfectly honest, I would've liked it quite a bit if you had cast someone into the main role who could sing baritone. I mean, Johnny Depp wasn't *bad*, no not really. HIs voice was...well, he can sing. He can sing like I can sing, which is to say he can carry a tune perfectly adequately, but it doesn't change lives. Really, I'm just a bit annoyed he's a tenor --Sweeney deserves baritone, or bass, like Michael Cervis or Len Cariou. But yeah, Depp did a perfectly acceptable job.

But really, I don't wish to express displeasure with the movie, because seriously, it was *beautiful*. Visually, it's one of the better things I've ever watched. Hell, I mean, I saw it three times in theatres, and I enjoyed it every time. No, I think you did a fine job with it sir, and I don't think anyone else could've done better.

One problem, however. You're well known. You've done some good movies, some *dark* good movies, that make all these little goffer than thou kids feel that someone really understands them. That's awesomely great. Hey --it's not every director who's movies have gone so mainstream. They find you...darkly romantic, perhaps?

And so they appreciate you, as best they can. They write fanfiction and draw fanart. And that's where we have a problem, Messer Burton, because the Sweeney Todd fandom, to be frank? Scares me.

Todd is considered a romantic character, a dreamy character. Perhaps it's the casting choice of Johnny 'heartthrob' Depp, perhaps it's just that they find him cool and so then of course he will match all these ideals they have for their perfect mate, no matter how out of character it should be. But Todd is really not meant to be romantic.

And Lucy? Good god, the fandom *hates* her! "Sweenett" is the way to go. Which, I gotta say? Kinda warps the story ohh, just a teensy bit. Sweeney's not just killing people for the fun of it, or for profit, or to get pie materials for Lovett. He's lashing out against a world that took the woman he loved away. Remove Sweeney's deep love for Lucy, and you haven't got a story. At all. No revenge, no killing, no demon barber, nothing.

So really, Tim, that's how it is. Misdirected fandom is attempting to ruin my favourite musical. A musical which ninety-five percent of them wouldn't have known *existed* had it not been for your movie. Sorry Messer Burton, but really? I'm not pleased.

Obviously, it's too late to do anything this time. The fandom has been unleashed, I'll just have to avoid it best I can and hope they forget about it in a few years or so. Continue to promote and support the musicals over the movie. Listen to LuPone and Lansbury sing 'A Little Priest' instead of your wife.

But sir?

If you ever touch Assassins, I will set your house on fire. You've soured one musical I love. I refuse to let you do it with another.

Thanks, and have a nice day
~Katarina Whimsy

PostScript: And that's not to say that I don't think you'd do a good job with Assassins. Hell, if anyone was to make a movie of the show, I'd want you directing it. If a movie *had* to be made, I'd pretty much insist on it.

And I'm not claiming that me and mine aren't brutal to the characters, from either of the two shows. But we do at least try to remember the core story. We try to avoid self-insert Mary Sues with glamorous green eyes who soften Sweeney and steal him away from that evil Nellie Lovett. And to the best of my knowledge, none of us have ever declared that one thing to do before we die is to punch Alan Rickman in the balls just because he acts well, and did a good job of acting reprehensibly in the movie.

Just...don't unleash the fandom on Assassins. Please? Thanks again.

Comments

[macaroniandtuna.livejournal.com]

Johnny Depp is my main criticism of the movie. He's great, he can actually act, and he's fantastic in pretty much everything else. But he's not Sweeney Todd, not by a long shot. His voice is the wrong range, he's not menacing enough, and he's not tall or muscular enough.

Problem Here

[dhs.livejournal.com]

The problem with this is that you might give Burton ideas. I mean, he might totally miss Assassins without your calling attention to it.

Or not.

[lunaticvermin.livejournal.com]

Ah, Sondheim.




'Agony! Such that princes must weep...'

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

Sondheim is made of the good and the love.

~Sor

[aramintamd.livejournal.com]

"If you ever touch Assassins, I will set your house on fire. You've soured one musical I love. I refuse to let you do it with another."

*snort*

See?!? It wasn't just me!

Thank you!

[leemoyer.livejournal.com]

Being sad about sick sad fandoms seems to be looking the gift horse fairly in the mouth. Is it any surprise its breath is bad?