Gothic Fantasy: The Films of Tim Burton

First off; I loved being able to get a glimpse at Tim's childhood. I can certainly identify with being an outsider even within one's own family!!!I got to see a review/behind-the-scenes look of every film that Burton had produced and/or directed at the time that this book was published.Put simply, this is a true diamond-in-the-rough!(My favorite films of the ones mentioned in this book: "Edward Scissorhands", "James and the Giant Peach", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and "Corpse Bride")

I really wish this book had ummm....color. Not that the black and white doesn't truly reflect the mood or atmosphere Burton tries to evoke. It is quite apprpriate, but I wanted to see...I don't know...more.The book did arrive in a timely manner and I leave kudos to the seller...but still.

I'm working on a research project on Burton and have read virtually every book out there. This book is the weakest I've come across so far; it is extremely redundant and poorly written. Page misspelled Edgar Allan Poe's name SEVERAL times within the first few pages of the book. Furthermore, some of the information regarding Burton's bio and filmography is inaccurate, and Page makes several untenable assessments that he tries to pass off as fact. I gave this book two stars because Page admits that this project was undertaken as a fan, so I've adjusted my expectations of the book accordingly. It relies rather heavily on the book 'Burton on Burton' and draws from many other sources so much so that it offers no new or original contributions to the discussion of Burton's work. Save your money and buy 'Burton on Burton' or 'Tim Burton (Virgin Film)' by Smith and MatthewsEDIT: I wish I would have read Book-o-phile's review before buying this book! As you can see, we have very similar reactions.

I hate to ever talk bad about someone, but as a consumer I feel it necessary to warn others who might be in the market for good books on Tim Burton, especially true "Burtonites". Each chapter seemed like one of those last minute book reports we all did in college the night before they were due. The same material is regurgitated over and over and quite frankly I think the author was reaching on more than one occasion. Comparisons to Burton's films that are made are very weak with often no real resources to back them up, other than the author's own assumptions. Any viewer of Burton's movies, much less his fans, knows that Tim likes graveyards and dogs and often uses thematic images about Halloween, outcast, etc. However, we don't need to be told this at the beginning of every chapter for three pages. It was so bad at one point, as it seems the author had written chapters completely separate of the others, to the point where he kept repeating, almost verbatim, the same dull information.For all Burton fans, or those that just want to know a little more about the man as a person, director or visionary, I suggest "Burton on Burton" edited by Mark Salisbury or "Tim Burton: Interviews" edited by Kristian Fraga. These are exponentially better because they are words from Burton himself, not conjectures by someone, who albeit probably is a fan and avid researcher, is by no means an engaging author. These books retail for relatively the same price and are fantastic.Believe me, my intent is not to bash the author, I am simply stating that I felt a little disappointed about spending money on such a motley collection of ramblings. Nearly all of the sources in the book come from the aforementioned collections and a smattering of internet reviews of Burton and his films often times anonymous. The novel felt very piecemealed to me with no sense of congruency. This came across as very tabloid in nature and seemed, at least in my opinion, to be a rushed attempt to cash in on Burton and Depp's popularity.In closing, if you are a true Burton fan, borrow this book from someone or find it in a library. But I am warning you if you read the interviews with Burton himself first, you will have a very hard time getting through this one.

Loving my book very relaxing to delve into this read of Tim Burton's films being such an avid fan.