Happy Birthday, Johnny Depp!

Today, I am happy to celebrate the 49th birthday of Oscar-nominated actor Johnny Depp. A native of Kentucky, Depp has spent his career making a name as one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. Originally, he aspired to be a rock musician, but after nabbing a leading role in the television show "21 Jump Street," he shifted his aspirations to the silver screen. Over the years, Depp has formed a very close relationship with director Tim Burton, and he has appeared in seven of Burton's films. It is this relationship for which he is most known, but Depp has managed to wow audiences and critics on a number of other occasions as well. His superstardom skyrocketed with his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He based the character off Keith Richards, a member of the Rolling Stones, and one could say that Depp finally got the opportunity to be a rock star, if only for a little while. Depp's performance as Jack Sparrow has opened a number of doors for his career, and he has only continued to grown in popularity ever since. Here's a look at some of the fun facts and accolades that Depp has earned throughout his career:

Acting

First Film: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Last Film: Dark Shadows (2012)

Next Film: The Lone Ranger (2013)

Academy Awards

Nominated: Best Actor, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Nominated: Best Actor, Finding Neverland (2004)

Nominated: Best Actor, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2009)

Over the years, I've managed to see twenty of Depp's films, and on average, his films have received a 'B+' grade. From these twenty, I have created the following list of my five favorite of his performances: 

5. John Dillinger

Public Enemies (2009)

*****

4. Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

*****

3. Sir James Matthew Barrie

Finding Neverland (2004)

*****

2. Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

*****

1. Captain Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Once again, I would like to wish Johnny Depp a happy 49th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Danny Elfman!

Today, we're celebrating the 59th birthday of Academy Award-nominated composer Danny Elfman. A Los Angeles native, Elfman has made quite a name for himself in his thirty-year career, crafting himself into one of Hollywood's premiere film composers. His first composing work came in 1982's Forbidden Zone which he followed with 1985's Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, the film which started his frequent collaboration with director Tim Burton. Elfman went onto score Burton's 1988 film Beetlejuice and his 1989 film Batman, and that was just the start. In the 1990s, Elfman scored such big-time films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mission: Impossible, Men in Black and Good Will Hunting. He followed it up with the 2000s, in which he stamped his name across films like Spider-man, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Milk and Alice in Wonderland. Most recently, audiences have heard Elfman reprise a former score in Men in Black III as well as offer something a little bit new in Dark Shadows, and they'll next be able to hear his work in the upcoming 2012 film Frankenweenie. And so, to celebrate his birthday, I've compiled a list of my ten favorite of his scores, and I've managed to find snippets of each score for your listening pleasure. Once again, happy birthday, Danny Elfman!

10. Sleepy Hollow

1999

*****

9. Real Steel

2011

*****

8. Corpse Bride

2005

*****

7. Alice in Wonderland

2010

*****

6. Spider-man

2002

*****

5. Batman

1989

*****

4. Milk

2008

*****

3. Big Fish

2003

*****

2. Edward Scissorhands

1990

*****

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

1993

Movie Review: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

1990
PG-13

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 dramatic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton that centers around a man who has, well, scissors for hands. When local suburban AVON representative Peg (Dianne Wiest) can't find anyone in her neighborhood to whom she can sell her products, she makes her way to the abandoned and mysterious mansion on the hill overlooking the town. What she finds is a young, scarred man named Edward (Johnny Depp) who has scissor-like contraptions in place of hands. Filled with compassion, Peg brings him to her home in suburbia, where he immediately becomes the talk of the town, despite his apparent handicap. He easily assimilates into Peg's home, quickly earning the trust and admiration of her husband Bill (Alan Arkin) and son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) after using his "hands" to create beautiful lawn art out of the bushes. When the neighbors start to take notice, they also fall in love with his skill, which he quickly expands into hair styling. However, things start to change after Peg and Bill's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder) comes home from a camping trip with her boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), and Edward starts to develop feelings for her.

I could probably go a little further with the above synopsis, but I think cutting it there leaves a little bit of intrigue for those of you who may not have seen this film just yet. I know that it's taken me much too long to give this one a gander, and I've actually taken quite a bit of flak for waiting this long. Because I'm a bit of a fan of Burton's stuff - he ranks at number eleven on my list of favorite directors - I knew that I'd have to see it at one point or another.

Edward Scissorhands definitely has that Tim Burton feel to it, and it's absolutely unmistakable from the very first moment. I can't quite tell you just what makes Burton films so magical, but they're undeniably so and in the best way possible. Despite having that special stamp on it, however, I wasn't entirely impressed with the film's screenplay. It's definitely something special, but I felt like it sorta just started without giving a terrible amount of exposition. For some films, that works incredibly well, but in the case of this movie, I wanted a little bit more at the beginning to establish the overall setting. Once the film gets going, however, it's definitely captivating. The atmosphere presented in the suburban town is both ironic and bitingly funny. The contrast between Edward's Gothic exterior and the pastel coloring of the suburbs is astonishingly hilarious, and it sets the stage for the ultimate shift that occurs as the film progresses.

The acting does well to balance the screenplay, especially from our lead in Johnny Depp. It's a very reserved role, with his best moments coming when he's not saying anything at all. A lot is told through his eyes, which is just a testament to his effectiveness as an actor. The rest of the cast fills out nicely, with the aforementioned characters doing a very good job. I'd also like to give some credit to some minor characters, including Kathy Baker and a wonderfully fantastic Vincent Price in his last on-screen role in a theatrical film. If anyone ever needed to be in a Tim Burton film, it's the perennially brilliant Price, and even though he only spends a few minutes on-screen, his mere presence resonates throughout the entire film.

Overall, Edward Scissorhands is definitely an enjoyable film. Although I had a little bit of issue in the early going, it works itself out rather nicely and proves to pack a rather emotional punch at the end. I don't want to give too much away, but if you find yourself getting entrapped in this movie, then I think you're going to appreciate it all the more.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up