Product Description
Tim Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking over the past three decades. With a visual style inspired by the aesthetics of animation and silent comedy, Burton's work melds the exotic, the horrific and the comic, manipulating expressionism and fantasy with the skill of a graphic novelist. Published to accompany a major career retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art, this volume considers Burton's career as an artist and filmmaker. It narrates the evolution of his creative practices, following the current of his visual imagination from his earliest childhood drawings through his mature oeuvre. Illustrated with works on paper, moving-image stills, drawn and painted concept art, puppets and maquettes, storyboards and examples of his work as a graphic artist for his non-film projects, this volume sheds new light on Burton and presents previously unseen works from the artist's personal archive.Acclaimed American filmmaker Tim Burton (born 1958) is known for his dark, gothic films about quirky outsiders, many of which are both Hollywood blockbusters and cult classics. To date they have been nominated for 16 Academy Awards and have won six. They include Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985), Beetle Juice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride (both 2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), among others. Alice in Wonderland is slated for 2010. Burton has collaborated extensively with composer Danny Elfman and with actors Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Little pice,But a great content.
I live in Bogota Colombia,i Know Tim Burton movies and works,but this book is amazing.Thanks Timmy.

So Exciting!
What a delight it is to see behind the scenes drawings as well as some early, unseen, works of this acclaimed genius. How lucky we are that this has been brought out of the vault and onto display!
This is the catalogue of the current life retrospective of Tim Burton running at MoMA and is a thrilling taste of what is on offer.
Some of this reviewers personal favourites are "Romeo and Juliet", "Mothera" and the Clown series and Boy series - but there is a treasure for everyone. Do not miss it!

Must have
Important to have a book like this that contrasts well with the range of books I own, from Old Masters to 20th century along with genre art.As a teacher, it's great to juxtapose Burton's work with the academic works of Ingres, Daumier, etc.Gets students looking and open to the possibilities of invention, play and content.Burton is a lovable, creative freak (I mean that in a good way), a modern Heironymus Bosch with a wicked sense of humor and fun.

Hey-it's Tim Burton
Tim Burton an obsession for you? Then, of course you need to have his art book collections. There is just no choice in the matter. I love the illustrations. They help inspire me to sketch when I may not be in the mood. Tim Burton just puts his ideas on paper and doesn't worry about being perfect. That is part of his allure, I think. They are so creative and darkly whimsical and wonderful. I love any book of Tim Burton's illustrations. They remind me as an aspiring artist that perfection does not equal success. And his success is extreme.

Tim Burton at the Museum
This book does a good job of showing part of the marvelous collection that will be available at the Museum. ... Read more

Product Description

From breathtaking stop-action animation to bittersweet modern fairy tales, filmmaker Tim Burton has become known for his unique visual brilliance -- witty and macabre at once. Now he gives birth to a cast of gruesomely sympathetic children -- misunderstood outcasts who struggle to find love and belonging in their cruel, cruel worlds. His lovingly lurid illustrations evoke both the sweetness and the tragedy of these dark yet simple beings -- hopeful, hapless heroes who appeal to the ugly outsider in all of us, and let us laugh at a world we have long left behind (mostly anyway).

Customer Reviews (143)

Butronesque poetry
For all those Burton lovers old and new,
This wonderful book is just for you.
A bunch of great rhymes, simple yet fun,
This book can be enjoyed by every one!

This new instalment from the creative genius of Tim Burton shows the lighter side to his dark and often twisted social mindset. With simple comic rhymes and accompanying sketches, this small anthology of poems and 'other stories' depicts Burton's newer iconic characters including Stick Boy, the Boy with Nails in his Eyes, Stare-girl, Stink Boy, and Oyster Boy.

This would be the perfect text to read to early primary students, introduce middle to late primary-aged school students to the realm of poetry, or for high school or university students to read for enjoyment and/or additional texts.

The images are also Burton's work, revealing his creative genius further.

A VERY cute (in a very Burton way) book, greatly enjoyed by Burton fans and those not so acquainted with his work.

charming and dark- perfect for all ages in my opinion!
i love this book so much i gave is as a gift to my friends 6 months old baby, and my friends 4 year old daughter, as well as my 21 years old nephew.they all loved it!! (never too early to get them started on a bit of unconventional journey) it is an imaginative and funny book- no matter what your age is. fun for the parents to read , and i think kids have a whole different way of seeing and getting the bizarre characterless. don't hesitate to buy this. it is also a beautiful looking book from the quality cover,to the cute drawings.

Better condition than described
This book was brand new. The pages were still stiff from not being opened.
Almost unrecognizable scratches on the back paper label from being pulled on/off the shelf. Nothing different that I would have found at the book store. Near mint condition.

Love it
I got this as a gift for my wife & she loved it, I wasn't quite sure what to expect 'cause I am not really all that much into poetry but this one was too funny to not read, I myself have gone through it @ least 12 times & I know she reads it @ least twice a week, so good buy if you are looking for some rather morbid laughs.

It's Tim Burton.What'd you expect?
I considered myself a big fan of Tim Burton.From Pee-Wee to Charlie, and pretty much everything in between, I'm a fan of his films (Edward Scissorhands is, and always will be, my favorite film).His artistry and strange sense of the spook adds a personal touch of quality that I'm finely in tune with.
Nevertheless, I never really had the opportunity to delve into his written works, so I decided to try this speciously harmless collection of poetry.About a handful of poems in, I questioned whether it was really aimed at kids at all!

Writers and filmmakers argue how hard it is to portray emotion and thought onto film, and trying to show Burton's definitely proves a point.Though his films aptly convey the "huggable monsters," his written work really get into his mind and leave you with disturbing mental images that his films usually don't.
I enjoyed the works for the most part; I guess I really wasn't ready to expect what this collection entails.It's a perfect view into Burton's "light macabre" style, and the writing is simple, yet should be geared towards the teen-and-up crowd. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (27)

Amazing Price
I purchased a book on very amazing prize of just 50 cents, that too in very good condition!The delivery time of the item was very perfect!!

The Man, The Myth, The Legend... THE BOOK.
As one can tell, not only am I truly a Tim Burton fan, but I am also a fan of this well put together ensemble of musings from a person I believe is one of the greatest director's and cinematic visionaries of his time. So in one sense, one might say that I could be biased that I am already a Burton fan. However, as an avid book reader, the subject matter is extremely intriguing and the editorial precise and unbiased.

I think the thing I liked most about this book, is that an overwhelming percentage of the text are in Burton's own words. The editor wraps this nicely in a very smooth flowing readable arch without making many presumptions as to what Burton himself might be thinking. Honestly, this is one book I couldn't, and didn't, put down and it was an extremely satisfying read.

Even as a true "Burtonite", I found myself learning all sorts of interesting little details and insights about the man, that I otherwise would not have garnered on my own. The series of these books have been a gold-label of fascinating reads on directors from all sorts of styles and genres, so it is not surprising that their editor selection is impeccable.

The books covers everything from Burton's idolization of greats like Roger Corman, Vincent Price, Ray Harryhausen and the early Hammer Films. It covers his simple beginnings in the often paradoxical suburbs of Burbank, his "imprisonment" in the Disney system, disdain for the major studio system andultimate serendipitous events which lead up to him being one of the most highly sought after and most successful directors of our time. On a deeply humanistic note, it delves into his need to connect with something on a personal level on each film he does, his close personal relationships with Johnny Depp, Lisa Marie and Helena Bohnam Carter, among others, and his perception on estrangement with his parents. The book goes on to thoroughly review each of Burton's features which included what he was thinking during all stages of production, including many illustrations often by Burton himself. Finally it sums of his preference to reuse many cast and crew including (but by no means limited too) Christopher Lee, Danny Devito, Rick Heinrichs, Collen Atwood, Chris Lebenzon and Danny Elfman, which is detailed further with explanation of his dislike for verbal communication. Furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, there are some very intimate moments in this novel from Burton's perspective including his disheartening with the tabloids over rumors of an affair with Helena Bohnam Carter on the set of "Planet of the Apes", his discouragement with the studio system especially in terms ofthe "Batman" and "Superman" franchises and dealing with the suicide of his friend and "Batman" corroborator, Production Designer Anton Furst.

The back jacket of the book says it succinctly in a quote from Empire "A must for fans", but I beg to differ. This book is not only a must for fans, but anyone looking for a little contemporary documentation on a fascinating individual who is truly one of a kind, despite what you think of his particular brand of aesthetics.

A Peek Into a Brilliant Career
Burton on Burton is a great read for anyone who loves Tim's movies and who would like a glimpse into how movies are made.I've always connected to Burton's films because they're unusual and full of heart.I loved walking around in Tim's head for a few days.

The WONDERFUL Mr. Burton!
I absolutely love Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, so when I saw that the book was about Tim Burton and there was an introduction by Johnny Depp, I had to buy it! The book includes the first foreword Johnny wrote for this book and it also includes the more recent foreword he wrote.

With regards to the wonderful Mr. Burton, this book is a compilation of interviews put together to draw an intensely intimate portrait of him! No website or five minute interview can get more information in it than this book does. The best part about this book is that the words belong to Tim Burton; there are no assumptions of who he is and what he believes according to the writer. "Burton on Burton" chapters are broken up into the movies Tim Burton has created but it also examines what he was doing at the time, how he felt, and what he was thinking when he was in the process of creating his films. Being able to get into the mindset of Tim Burton enhances the enjoyment one acquires while watching his movies. In any case, while I believed some symbols he uses often meant one thing, Tim Burton stresses that they meant something completely beyond the metaphorical condition(s) an audience has set.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to understand Tim Burton and his breathtaking talents. This book is enchantingly captivating and makes you feel as though you truly know Tim Burton by the end of the book. Mark Salisbury (the editor) has surpassed his job in this book and stays true to Tim Burtons words. If you read this book and enjoy it, I would also recommend the more recent, "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," written by Mark Salisbury and Tim Burton. Everything created by Tim Burton is truly magnificent and this book will allow you to view a more personal side of Tim Burton through the thing(s) he does best: art.

if you love burton
bought this for my son, who's a burton fan.he liked that it's a window into burton's thoughts, but would have liked more illustrations/pics. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A lot of great information about a great director!
"Tim Burton: A Child's Garden of Nightmares" is divided into chapters, each chapter being a movie that he directed or created (A Nightmare Before Christmas). For each chapter, there are articles that people wrote when the movie was being made and a review. I wish it had more interviews with Tim, but oh well. The book also has alot of pictures of him and the actors on set and there's a chapter about the short films that he made (Frankenweenie, Vincent). This book really taught me about Tim Burton and his films. Fun to read! ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first full-length biography of the visionary Hollywood filmmaker Tim Burton, director of Batman, Batman Returns, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Peewee's Big Adventure, Tim Burton's The Nightmare before Christmas, Ed Wood, Mars Attacks!, and Sleepy Hollow. More than an examination of his body of work, this book takes an in-depth look at Tim Burton's personal life, which until now the reclusive director has managed to keep under wraps.

Author Ken Hanke examines the frail, wild-haired fellow whose unique, introverted feature films are passionately admired by many and dismissed by others. How does he command the respect of so many big names in a creative industry not much known for good judgment? How has he managed to carve out an impossibly personal and quirky body of work within the confines of the most mainstream venues of establishment Hollywood?

You'll learn about:

* Tim Burton's unhappy childhood; to this day he has no relationship with his family
* the real reason why Tim Burton left Disney after Ed Wood
* his collaborations with talent such as Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Vincent Price (his idol), and Danny Elfman
* the autobiographical elements in Edward Scissorhands
* Tim Burton's often disastrous involvement with other people's projects
* the ramifications of excessive power-- the Batman Returns debacle
* the collapse of the Superman Reborn project
... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

Never got it
I would love to review the product, but the book never arrived. PJ's Books and Media never answers my emails.The book was uspposed to arrive on the 13th of the month, and it is now the 22nd.

No good
It's very boring and all.I've read and re-read my copy of Burton on Burton, and this book provides me with no new information.Hanke even goes so far as to quote from the interviews Salisbury assembled into Burton on Burton.It's annoying, reading through this book, since Hanke seems to insist that he knows exactly what's going on in Burton's mind.He over-analyses absolutely everything, bringing Burton's films down to a level where nothing is truly worth anything.According to Hanke, Pee Wee's Big Adventure is all about sexual stuff.Honestly, for three pages, every other word is sex.Methinks perhaps Hanke is not so much telling us what Burton thinks, but what he would think if he was Burton.

Also, the writing feels to me like something I might write on a late night to turn in the next morning to my 10th grade english teacher.The style seems to be that of an essay, not a book.

My final complaint is the huge editing mistake I found.At the beginning of the chapters, Hanke gives a quote.At the beginning of one, I was shocked to see the words "I know I am but what are you?"Anyone who's seen the movie can tell you the quote it "I know you are but what am I?", and it amazes me that such a large error slipped through and made it into print.

Much Insight, but Poorly Written and Filled With Summary
Ken Hanke's autobiography provides much insight into Burton's childhood, adolescence, early career, etc. However, Hanke spends too much time in summarizing the plots of Burton's films and not enough time in relating those plots to their production or to his life in general. Hanke's writing is also loose and cumbersome at times, making for an unneccessarily awkward read. Why must he constantly use exclamation points where none are needed? Such punctuation is distracting and useless--if a sentence is going to surprise or shock us, it won't be because of the punctuation. I'd recommend keeping an eye out for future, more scholarly biographies of a director who deserves the Spoto treatment.

Behold the fruit of pensive nights and laborious days...
Richard D. Altick wrote, in The Scholar Adventurers: ''If it is permissable sometimes to reconstruct biography on the basis of the known proclivities of one's hero...''This comment was used as a forward toSherlock Holmes of Baker Street,a book in which William S. Baring-Gouldwrites a biography of Sherlock Holmes based on all the facts revealed abouthim in the Canon, and because Baring-Gould is an excellent writer, the bookis a fun and amusing read.

The same holds true for this biography of thealmost-as enigmatic director, Tim Burton.He rarely gives interviews (inwhich he says anything of substance, anyway) and guards his private life. To write a biography of such a subject requires a love of that subject (alove of that subject's works, at least), ingenuity, and dedication, andsuch has been provided here by Ken Hanke.His writing flows smoothly, andmore importantly than anything else, his book causes one to think - tocompare their reactions to a particular film to Hanke's own.

If you are afan of Burton, this book is highly recommened.

A very stupid, but moderately entertaining, book
While Tim Burton is a fascinating subject, Ken Hanke has produced a truly stupid book about him. Most of his information is gathered from previously published interviews (few of which were conducted by the author) and whenhe has nothing of substance to say (which is most of the time) Hanke simplyprovides a synopsis of the particular film in question.Also, his attemptto analyze Burton's films in light of what sketchy biographical informationHanke has constructed is at best simplistic and at worst, inept.It ispop-psychoanalysis at its worst, on the level of a freshman class paper,instead of what one would expect from a professional journalist.This bookshould be considered to be on par with the other hastily-compiledunauthorized biographies of celebrities, fun for gossip, but not much else. Read "Burton on Burton" if you want to learn anything ofsubstance . ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

I found out that I actually like Tim Burton.
I came by this book by accident, and enjoyed it immensely. I have not even known before that my favorite movies had Burton in common.

By far the best book on Burton
It covers everything you could possibly wish to know about the films, and even provides a summary of one I'd never even heard of - Luau. This isn't even listed on the IMDB, and no other books on Burton mention it, but they've got an interview with Rick Heinrichs (the guy who designed Sleepy Hollow and worked on Luau) about it, so it must be for real!

It's really well written too, and pretty amusing in places - the level of research is amazing - they even give notes showing where they got all their info from, so you can check it out for yourself. The stuff they got from Martin Landau and the two guys who wrote Ed Wood is incredibly interesting - a load of stuff I'd never heard about that film - some that isn't even included on the DVD's commentary.

Basically, this book's great. I'd read Burton on Burton (which is very good), that Pocket Essentials one (which is pretty good), that biography (which is really poor), and the "CHild's Garden of Nightmares" one (which is interesting, but doesn't cover nearly as much detail as this). NOne of these other books on Burton come close to this one.

Fantastic and Informative!
I'd recommend this book to anyone.
It is a great analysis of each of Tim Burton's movies. It is written clearly and has information which I haven't read in any other Burton book.
I'm not just becoming a Burton fan, I have every other book on Tim Burton and I believe this one to be the best and most informative.

The book may not have the authors comments, but it is written in so much detail about each Burton movie that it doesn't matter.
If you want to find out more about Burton then this is the book you should get.
The book also includes quotes from people who have worked with Burton and from the man himself.
The length of this book proves that much time and effort went in to write this, and I think it was worth it.
I have found out some new things about some of his movies from reading this book.

So in my opinion I think this book is really worth buying!

A disappointment
As a hardcore, die-hard Tim Burton fan I was very excited to get my hands on this book and start reading.The more I can learn about my favorite film maker -as an artist and person, the better.After reading Ken Hanke's unauthorized biography on Mr. Burton, I had learned so much about the man and his films.Hanke did an amazing job with the book.

When I picked up this book today, and saw that it also contained a foreword by Martin Landau, and an afterword by Rick Heinrichs, I really was excited. Also, after reading on a Tim Burton fan site that this book was the best auto-biography to have been published so far, I was expecting A LOT.Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype.

Not that Smith and Matthews did not put any effort into the book -I believe they put a lazy effort in cause it just does not deliver.The book is divided into chapters on each Burton film, yet it does not go the traditional route.Each chapter is broken up into categories that the authors feel each Burton film contains: Tagline/Trailer, Title Sequence, Story, Source Material, References, Production, Casting, Burton Regulars, Critics, Music, Cinematography, Plot Problems, Death, Children and Families, Clowns and The Circus, Dogs, Love Triangles, Checks, Stripes, Dots, Autobiography, Just Plain Weird, Dialogue To Skip For/Skip Past, Afterlife, Awards, Expert Witness, Trivia, Analysis, Availability, The Bottom Line.

Are you bored yet?I certaintly was after the first few chapters.Not only did it feel like I was reading a 3rd grade book report -only on films, but every other sentence was a recycled Burton quote from past articles, or quotes from actors involved in the project.This would have been fine if mixed in with a great in-depth analysis of Burton and his films written in an intelligent and thought provoking manner with the authors' individual opinions and analysis (like Ken Hanke did).Not to say that Smith and Matthews are not intelligent writers, they just never display it in this book. They basically let the recycled quotes write the book for them -only occasionally throwing in some in depth analysis.
Yes, Hanke's book was full of Burton quotes from interviews as well, but it was mixed in with great information and analysis of the man and the films, and really got deep into what may or may not have been going on in the artist's life, etc.It had personality behind it -this book does not.

What also bothered me about this book is that there are a few typos -one that especially bothered me is the spelling of the late and great production designer Anton Furst's name.When first discussed, the authors introduce the designer as Anton FIRST, then in the next sentence call him by the correct spelling of FURST.

Also, most of the trivia -like all the information given in the book, is nothing new to the die-hard Burton fans.For example -if they really wanted to impress me they would have talked about the scene in "Batman" where Bruce Wayne is watching The Joker and his henchmen cause chaos in front of City Hall. After The Joker does his "The Pen is truly mightier than the sword" speech and stabs an official with his pen, gun fire takes place.There is a shot of Bruce Wayne walking closer and closer to The Joker and Wayne is hit with a bullet.You see in the frame the bullet-hole appear on Wayne's coat, yet he is not affected and continues walking.This has always bothered/confused me in the film but Smith and Matthews don't even address it even though they have a category for Triva and Plot Problems.This would have been a perfect place to talk about it.

One thing I like about this book is the availability category - that basically vents out at the studios for not putting out special edition DVDs for certain Burton films.Maybe it will wake some of these studios up and make them realize there is a hunger out there for extra features and commentary on many of these Burton classics.Touchstone finally realized it and will finally release the brilliant "Ed Wood" on DVD (with features) in August.Hopefully something good will come out of this book and getting Special Edition DVDs released of Burton films will be it.

Though I believe this book is a total waste of time for a die-hard Burton fan, it is not a total waste if is picked up by someone who is just starting to get into Burton and his films.To me this is like the cliff notes to Ken Hanke's book.This is for someone who has seen every Burton film yet does not know much about the man behind the camera and is slowly becoming a fan or simply wants to know a little bit more about the filmmaker.It will give you a BRIEF glimpse of the man and his art, but will not go into DEEP detail.

So in conclusion, as a die-hard Burton fan I was very disappointed with this read.To me Hanke's book, besides "Burton on Burton" of course, is the best book to read if you really want to dig deep into the mind of Burton and analyze the deeper meanings in his films.So if you're a die-hard like me, don't bother -you won't learn anything new about the man.Just read Hanke's book again, and listen to all of Burton's commentaries on the DVDs -they'll give you more insight into Burton's work and life than this book will. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Sophomoric attempt at works of a great man.
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 aforementionedcollections 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.

Tim Burton is a Genius, but
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. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet Jack Skellington. He’s in charge of making Halloweenland the coolest creepy place around. But when Jack suddenly grows bored with tricks and treats, he goes searching for new ways to celebrate… and he finds them in Christmas Town! Christmas, Jack decides, is just what Halloweenland…and the world…needs! He sets out to take over the role of Santa. But can anything good come of a tall and lanky skeleton dressed up as everyone’s favorite jolly old elf? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Best Christmas Gift EVER!
I am a HUGE fan of all things Nightmare, I have the special edition DVD set and some nifty little collectibles and whatsits, but this was the best Christmas gift I've received in a long time and was truly a surprise to unwrap. It rests proudly on my nightstand and I have to pick it up now and then just to flip through it for a quick nightmare-fix ;-)

This is Halloween.....or Christmas????
I loved the movie since I was a child and my girlfriend does as well. So i purchased this as a Christmas gift for her, so one day we can read it to our children if they are too young to watch the movie without getting too scared. The story isn't drastically different from the movie but its not a word for word adaptation. It has beautiful artwork and an interesting back story of Tim Burton. Needless to say if you are a huge fan get the book!

Tim Burton is a genius
I have loved this movie ever since it came out in 1993. Now I am a teacher and I share this story with my students every Halloween/ Christmas. The students love the plot of the story and the original drawings by Tim Burton are fantastic. If you love the movie, then you need to add this book to your collection. Tim Burton is a creative genius and this is a classic and different Holiday story.

The Unique Look At Burton's Illustrating Talents - Nightmare Junkies Rojoice!
The first book that Tim Burton wrote and illustrated, The Nightmare Before Christmas, has become a cult classic (as far as the film goes) and it was refreshing for me to sit back and read what Burton had written back in 1993 before the movie was released.A simple childdren's book with that twisted vision of Burton's to make it so appealing.Jack Skellington is the king of Halloweentown where nothing but Halloween ever goes on, but he grows so very, very bored of his Halloween existence.Like all of us stuck in a menial, dead-end job, he wants more.Walking through the foreest he finds the doorways to other holidays.Through the tree-shaped and he lands smack in the middle of snowy, cheerful, twinkling Christmas Town. Facinated by the other holiday, Jack is inspired to change his routine, he wishes to take over Christmas.So they will kidnap the Sandy Claws and Jack will take his place.

The only thing that brings this book down to a mere 4 stars is that it is super condensed (short) and doesn't even hint at Oogie Boogie.But it is a refreshing look at a story that's been one of my favoriets for 16 years or so.For Nightmare junkies (like myself) this is a great little piece of artistic heroin.

Dig it!

Nightmare Before Christmas Book
If you like the movie you'll love the book.The artwork and story are very well done. ... Read more

Product Description

Starting his career as an animator for Disney, Tim Burton made his feature film directorial debut with the visually dazzling, low-budget Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. When it became a surprise blockbuster, studios began to trust him with larger budgets and the whims of his expansive imagination. Mixing gothic horror, black comedy, and oddball whimsy, Burton's movies veer from childlike enchantment to morbid melancholy, often with the same frame.

His beautifully designed and highly stylized films-including Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Big Fish, Sleepy Hollow, and Ed Wood-are idiosyncratic, personal visions that have found commercial success. In Tim Burton: Interviews, the director discusses how animation and art design affect his work, how old horror films have deeply influenced his psyche, why so many of his protagonists are outcasts, and how he's managed to make personal films within the Hollywood system. He gives tribute to writers he's worked with, his favorite actors-including Johnny Depp and Vincent Price-and talks enthusiastically about pulp horror fiction and the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

These interviews show his progression from an inarticulate young director to a contemplative and dry-witted artist over the course of twenty years. In later interviews, he opens up about being in therapy and how his childhood fantasies still affect his art. Tim Burton: Interviews reveals a man who has managed to thrive inside Hollywood while maintaining the distinctive quirks of an independent filmmaker.

Kristian Fraga, New York City, wrote and directed the award-winning PBS documentary The Inside Reel: Digital Filmmaking. He is a founding partner of Sirk Productions, LLC, a Manhattan-based film and television production company. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Deeper Insight Into A Paradoxical Genius
Let's start by saying this. If you are a Tim Burton fan, this is a MUST READ. There are several things that are very appealing to me about this book. In a nut shell, it's simplicity. First, it is a collection of interviews (unedited) and in the chronological order in which they were published. This means for all of us fans who couldn't afford the time or money to collect now out of date magazines, they are summed up here nicely. At times, the nature of this book causes Burton, by no fault of his own, to repeat the same answers to the same questions on more than one occasion. However, this is minimal when compared with the insight to some of the obviously spontaneous answers by Burton. Some answers leave you more confused then the when the question began, but it is an amazing look into the inner-sanctum of this truly gifted man. Another interesting point, is that as the reader, you already know what the outcome each of Burton's films has, so by reading these as current interviews, one can juxtapose this against the actual success or relatively small reception of any given film. Burton expresses feelings on his fears, apprehensions, childhood, therapy, love life, death of Anton Furst, studio system, communication, success etc. He always comes across as extremely intelligent, albeit not well spoken in the traditional sense, and as a constant mystery. This seems to be the way he prefers to be perceived, and to perceive others as well. A particular interview with David Breskin entitled simply "Tim Burton" is well worth the purchase of this book alone. Breskin and Burton seem to volley back analogies, metaphors and intelligence like Asian ping-pong champions.It would be nice if the editors could revise this to a more current edition and include interviews from "Big Fish" (2003) to present. It may not offer a crystal clear picture of this fascinating individual, but certainly offers a bit more transparency to him. Whether it be as the world's biggest fan, or simply a sociological case study, this book makes for a very interesting read.

It's lame to give no credit to the Interviewers.
Did the Editor of this book write the interviews themselves? Or did others write the interviews?

Why is there no credit for who did the interview work?

Where are the scissors?
While the interviews are really interesting and personal, I was surpriced that this director's most personal work, Edward Scissorhands, got a single, (admittedly great) space on this book.

A Great Book for Burton Fans!!!
The Tim Burton Interviews is a must have for anyone who loves Tim Burton or filmmaking in general. Kristian Fraga's introduction sets the tone for this fun and informative book on Tim Burtons life, love for movies, and insight into the unique mind of Tim Burton. ... Read more

Product Description
A stunning visual companion to the newest film from Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), featuring storyboards, movie stills, and Burton's own drawings.

Corpse Bride carries on in the dark, romantic tradition of Tim Burton's classic films Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Set in a 19th century European village, this stopmotion, animated feature follows the story of Victor (Johnny Depp), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham-Carter), while his real bride, Victoria (Emily Watson), waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. It's a tale of optimism, romance and a very lively afterlife, told in a classic Tim Burton style.

Like Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, this official visual companion showcases spectacular movie stills, sketches, paintings, and Tim Burton's own drawings. Covering preproduction, production, and post-production, sections detail character realization, set development and construction, puppet fabrication, costuming, and stop-motion filming. The book's final part retells the film's story in images with synopsis, storyboards, and lyrics. 140 color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The making of the movie
The book has beautiful pictures of the puppets and design elements that went into making the movie. I was particularly interested in the character designs. I recommend it for Burton fans and for people interested in stop motion animation or puppetry. The technology has advanced so much between Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride for building and photographing the puppets!

Hermoso libro lleno de detalles
Es la segunda vez que compro este libro, su calidad de impresion es magnifica y su contenido muy bien pensado y organizado, rico en información y detalles sobre la creacion de la pelicula, personajes musica, ambientes y proceso de diseño. Realmente recomiendo este libro para todo aquel que gusta del arte de la animacion cuadro por cuadro.

Thank you!!
I am a HUGE Tim Burton fan and when I saw this book I had to have one. Thank you for getting it to me with a quickness!!

Great behind the scenes
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RGOOLA3UHIV8J This book is more of a movie companion book than an artbook, although there's plenty of art to look at.

The book's divided into 3 parts:
Part 1 - Land of the Living
Part 2 - Land of the Dead
Part 3 - Going Upstairs, The Illustrated Story

You know those behind the scenes videos from movie DVDs? This book is essentially that, except in written form.

Part 1 talks about how the story was conceived, the people involved in making the movie, project development, and the challenges to handling stop motion animation. There's a lot on character design, especially the back stories that determine who they are, and how they were created physically. There are very interesting details you'll learn in the creation process. Below's a quote on controlling facial movements:

"By inserting an Allen wrench into a socket in the ears of the puppets, the animators could control various facial movements. If you put the key into the left ear and turn it in one direction, it would make the puppet smile on the left-side of the face; if you turned it the other way it would make the corner of the mouth on that side of the face droop down, giving the puppet a slightly sad expression, and vice versa on the other side."

Part 2 is about designing the movie set. It talks about the design influences on the buildings and how the sets were designed in order to facilitate shooting. There are write ups on the voice casts, animators and the music. Interesting to note is that the movie was shot using a digital SLR. A quote on the living and dead set:

"Both thematically and visually, Corpse Bride is about inversion, with the Land of the Living a gray, dead place where people are lifeless, hopeless and sad, while the Land of the Dead is full of vivacious dead people with a lust for life and joy."

On animators:

"Some will act out before the shot, others will videotape themselves and try and piece together a performance that way. Some animators sort of just go for it and sort of feel it."

Part 3 is the storyboard of the movie. This part is filled with the script, penciled storyboards and movie stills.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Fast delivery, perfect condition
I paid for expedited shipping of this book and received it two days earlier than I expected.The book was in perfect condition. I definitely recommend this seller! ... Read more

Product Description
Jack Skellington’s got the blues. He’s sick and tired of his hometown holiday, Halloween, and is longing for something new. But when his soul searching leads to his good-intentioned kidnapping of Santa, things start getting pretty hairy!Now, for the first time, fans can read the story of how Jack almost ruined Christmas in manga form. This Japanese comic retelling of one of Disney’s most enduring films is the coolest thing to hit the shelves this season. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Just a Nice Little Touch to a Collection
If you know the movie, you know the manga already. I think the only real difference between the two is you see more of the story from Sally's point of view than in the movie.

Honestly, I am not a fan of manga art, and I do not think was a suitable form for this film. The twisted look was not really captured, and a lot of the characters looked soft, cuddly, and cute. What REALLY annoyed me was there were a few panels that looked sketched in at the last minute. The one that sticks out the most is a small pen drawing of Lock, Shock, and Barrel that looks shaky and unprofessional, and if I was able to scan it, I would post a link to it here.

Overall, the movie was a lot better. I really disliked how the scenes with songs were handled. They were cut very short (the "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" scene was only about two pages long to give you an idea of just how much they cut), and made the novel breeze by to quickly get back to Jack and Sally.

I have it as something nice on my bookshelf, but nothing more than that.

Great, but not entirely as enjoyable as the movie
I'm a huge NBC fan & I collect just about everything that is related to it that I can afford. When I discovered that there was a manga version of the movie, I was overjoyed & purchased it immediately. While I did enjoy the manga, I just didn't get the same rush from the book that I did with the movie. I can't quite put my finger on why (apart from the lack of music), since the book is a very faithful adaptation of the movie. Perhaps it's because the book is told more from Sally's POV than Jack's or because the black & white artwork (while beautiful) lacks the colors of the movie.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Despite not getting the same rush, I would. It's very well drawn & very faithful to the movie. The plot is very clearly done, so it's possible for someone who's never seen NBC (if such a person exists) to read the manga & know what is going on.

A "Must Have" for manga/nightmare fans
If you love Nightmare Before Christmas and manga, you'll love this, too!A unique addition to my son's NBChristmas and manga collections!

E.A.'s Review
The drawings alone are worth buying this manga.It is also in the traditional Japanese format which makes it 10 X more fun to read.The story is nearly identical to the movie which may or may not be a good thing.

another thing to add to your collection
If you're a fan of NBC, you already know the story forward and backward. This is just another interesting way to look at the story. The drawings are very nice. I'm not sure if the dialogs match those in the original movie though. Anyway, I'd recommemd adding this to your NBC collection (and play the soundtrack while reading it if you have one). ... Read more

Product Description
Watch the stars sparkle as Oyster Boy attempts, once more, to be like all the other little boys, trick-or-treating with his "human" mask. This entertaining journal has twelve lights embedded in the cover, which illuminate in sequence with the push of a button. Original Tim Burton art is featured on the interior pages. ... Read more

Product Description
Most Tim Burton films are huge box-office successes, and several are already classics. The director's mysterious and eccentric public persona attracts a lot of attention, while the films themselves have been somewhat overlooked. Here, Alison McMahan redresses this imbalance through a close analysis of Burton's key films () and their industrial context. She argues that Burton has been a crucial figure behind many of the transformations taking place in horror, fantasy, and sci-fi films over the last two decades, and demonstrates how his own work draws on a huge range of artistic influences: the films of George Melies, surrealism, installation art, computer games, and many more. The Films of Tim Burton is the most in-depth analysis so far of the work of this unusual filmmaker - a director who has shown repeatedly that it is possible to reject mainstream Hollywood contentions while maintaining critical popularrity and commercial success. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Displeased with the book as well as the price!
I very much agree with the other reader as this book being rushed. In reading just the first page I realized that it was information pulled from other author's who seemed to have done a bit more homework. I was very surprised about the price, especially after reading!! I only bought it because I was e-mailed a coupon! Very glad I did not pay list. If anyone wants information on Tim Burton's work I would very much suggest you buy any of the other title's B&N has to offer for a much lower price. I feel the other reader here who was nice enough to give examples really hit it on the nail, so all I need to do here is agree so that hopefully it will scare the avid Burton fans from purchasing. Jessica--Burbank, CA

Disappointing and hurried
This is a rather peculiar and disappointing book that reads as if it was written in a hurry. There are points where the text breaks down into short, disjointed and purely descriptive sentences that - given that this is supposedly an academic book - really makes one wonder what point the author is trying to make. Whilst the basic information is all good, there were a few inaccuracies, such asin the chapter on Danny Elfman - the score of is Batman is NOT at the University of Texas in Austin, and the source she cites for the information is simply misquoted. Overall, in terms of Burton and his films, this doesn't offer anything obviously new, and parts of the book read like a precise of other authors rather than her own arguments. Her single unique selling point is looking at Burton's film making in the context of Alfred Jarry's pataphysics and the idea of surrealism (Jarry was one of the late 19th/ early 20th century figures who inspired surrealism). Nothing wrong with this - "surreal" is a commonly used adjective when discussing Burton's work - but overall the book comes across as rushed and flimsy. There's a good book in here struggling to get out, but it needed a good hard edit before being published. ... Read more

Product Description

Tim Burton’s films are well known for being complex and emotionally powerful. In this book, Helena Bassil-Morozow employs Jungian and post-Jungian concepts of unconscious mental processes along with film semiotics, analysis of narrative devices and cinematic history, to explore the reworking of myth and fairytale in Burton’s gothic fantasy world.

The book explores the idea that Burton’s lonely, rebellious ‘monstrous’ protagonists roam the earth because they are unable to fit into the normalising tendencies of society and become part of ‘the crowd’. Divided into six chapters the book considers the concept of the archetype in various settings focusing on:

• the child
• the superhero
• the monster
• the genius
• the maniac
• the monstrous society.

Tim Burton: The Monster and the Crowd offers an entirely fresh perspective on Tim Burton’s works. The book is essential reading for students and scholars of film or Jungian psychology, as well as anyone interested in critical issues in contemporary culture. It will also be of great help to those fans of Tim Burton who have been searching for a profound academic analysis of his works.

Product Description
Authored by the writer of the film "Seven", this book follows the making of Tim Burton's film "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". It contains numerous stills, production sketches and set paintings, illustrating Burton's artistic vision from his early ideas to the finished film.Amazon.com Review
Tim Burton's hallmark as a filmmaker is his bizarre, inventive, and oddly beautiful visual style. It is fitting, then, that the companion book to his movie Sleepy Hollow is a big and beautiful hardback, full of images that range from quietly eerie to eye-popping. The book contains Burton's sketches, paintings from production designer Rick Heinrichs and costume designer Colleen Atwood, and dozens of stills from the film itself. All of this is juxtaposed with Andrew Kevin Walker's screenplay of Washington Irving's story. The result is a unique opportunity to see how a film comes together. Bare words on a page result in Burton's quirky roughs, which are fleshed out into more detailed paintings by Burton and the production team. Finally it all comes together in photographs of the end product. In addition to an engrossing screenplay (Careful! It's far from a direct cribbing of the original story, so see the movie before reading too far if you don't want the plot spoiled), the reader gets to see the evolution of Ichabod's binocular glasses and creepy yet strangely charming autopsy instruments. The book as a whole illustrates one of the most interesting aspects of Burton's vision--frightening images are clearly meant to be seen as beautiful at the same time. The Art of Sleepy Hollow is entertaining on several levels: as a good story, as a step-by-step tour of the way a film's design comes together, and as a fascinating picture book for grownups. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Could have been better.
Not one of Tim Burton's best.But if you have collected his other books on the art of his movies, you will still want to buy this too.You'll still get a good if not great book.

Very Dissapointing and Mistitled
The first thing I noticed about this book is that how unappropriately mistitled it is by calling itself "The Art" of Sleepy Hollow. What I saw instead is the unentertaining shooting script printed superimposedly on the so-called 'conceptual arts' and stills from the movie.
I was expecting a book with a feature of something like The Art of The Matrix. Being a fan of moviemaking conceptual artistic designs, I found the pictures and still photos to be blurry and in some cases 'artless'. What a disappointment for a book based on a really atmospheric and visually stunning approach.

Great companion to a classic film
"The Art Of Sleepy Hollow" does a great job a carturing the sweeping,eerie mood of Tim Burton's films,with great stills and re-creations of the beautiful art design.There are also an abundance of original scatches,illustration the development of many of the characters and scenarios in the completed film.My favorite photo personally is the one at the back showing a menacing Tim Burton holding the mock-ups of two severed heads,perfectly capturing the fun-house chills of the film.As an added bonus you get the original screenplay,with many scenes that were not in the film,that help elucidate and clarify alot of the scenes that didn't make a lot of sense in the film.If you loved the movie,this book is a must-have.

It lacks box office draw
Don't get me wrong, I LOVED this movie! And I'm a big fan of Tim Burton and his visuals. But this book doesn't accentuate either of the above. The illustrations are not very exciting and the book lacks tons of actual still photos and behind the scenes shots. At least I got it for free. I was hoping for something similar to the Bram Stoker's Dracula book that came out shortly after that film. That book and script was exceptional and captured the full beauty of the movie. This one (though the script is included) does not do the same. A shame because I love this film.

no story boards or sketches!
this book is a total failure! ... Read more

Product Description

Tim Burton has overseen and approved this wonderful deck of playing cards featuring his beloved characters. Cute and creepy Kings and Queens and skull-backed cards will keep you guessing.

Format: 52 plastic-coated cards, plus two jokers
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disappointed
I agree with the everything the other reviewer, Eva, said, although I don't think they are entirely worthless. They'll still be more fun to play with than a regular deck.

Lot of Fun for Collectors!
Tim Burton's book "The Melkancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories" and the range of "Tragic Toys" derived from it demonstrate the wider imagination that make his feature films so unique.
This item is rather simple - it is a deck of playing cards with a typically carnivalesque burton reverse on all cards with Burton's "Melancholy" characters - such as Toxic Boy, the Pin Cushion Queen and all, used as the character cards. The number cards are not neglected though, with the hearts,spades, clubs and diamonds scratched out and couloured in his distinctive illustrative style.
This is fun and a must for Burton completists.

Don't waste your money
I bought these cards thinking that there was a brilliant sketch by Tim Burton on every card.The reason they only show you these 4 illustrated cards is because they are the only four in the whole deck of cards.All of the number cards follow the standard appearance (4 red diamonds on a card of 4 diamonds).There are only illustrations on the 4 high cards: Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.Not only that, also each of the four queenshave the same illustration on them, each of the four kings have the same illustration on them, and so on, and so forth.So there really are only 4 pictures in the whole deck.I was thoroughly disappointed; don't waste your money. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

cute for a younger audience but not for me
The artwork in the book is fun and is worth the purchase price of the book, but I felt the written portion wasn't really in sync with a Jack Skellington situation. I read it to a small audience of children in my house. The younger kids thought it was fun (though it wasn't their favorite either), but the older kids didn't make it past the fourth day of Christmas. They got up and wandered off. It was a little disappointing, but again, the artwork made the purchase worth it.

New twist on a classic!
All of our favorite Halloweentown characters are here to count down the days until Christmas, and my 4 year old LOVES it!
The artwork is great, a little more stylized than the movie, and the colors are much more bold, but still great.
I'm glad that we got this, and we have so much fun reading, (singing), it.
It's the perfect gift to give, (or get), your 'ghoul' love!

If you love TNBC you will love this book too.
This is a very creative and wonderful twist on a classic Christmas song. If you love The Nightmare Before Christmas,then this book is just for you. Happy Holidays!! ... Read more

Product Description
Dark Horse brings forward something new in the Tim Burton program, and a first in the journal category. The cover art features Burton's "Pin Cushion Queen" from The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories; the image has been enhanced with a dozen or so tiny lighting elements concealed inside the journal's cover. When activated by a hidden on/off button, the colored jewels in Pin Cushion Queen's crown light up in different colors. The journal itself is 128 interior pages suitable as a compendium of the owner's secret thoughts and includes a non replaceable battery that will light the journal up to 1,000 hits of the on switch. Illustrated on back cover. Lettered book spine conceals spiral binding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Pretty awesome
I love the front of the journal because it lights up when you press a button.The artwork is awesome.The journal is blank however.The pages are cute.

an almost blank journal
Ok, so I misunderstood, here.I was under the impression that this was a compendium of Tim Burton's journals.I was quite curious to see what he might draw and write in a journal.However, it is a (mostly) blank journal for your own "tragic thoughts," not his.The left side of the page is lined, the right is dark-tinted, with sketches of pins and a pin cushion in the margins.I suppose you could draw on it with a combination of dark and white pencils.The light-up cover is a nice touch.It's not what I would want for my own uses, but I know just the person whom I think will like it a lot...

Journal of all Journals
This book shares the tragic. gruesome, melancoly, thoughts of an inluential revolutionary director. ... Read more

Product Description
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton join forces again in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical thriller Sweeney Todd.

Depp stars as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, joined by Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney's amorous accomplice, who creates diabolical meat pies... The cast also includes Alan Rickman,Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Produced in close co-operation with Tim Burton and the production team, this lavish, full colour hardcover official companion volume to the film will include a Foreword by Tim Burton, over 200 photos, concept drawings and production designs, extracts from the screenplay and interviews with the cast and crew. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

man, i love it!
when i first ordered this book, i wasn't expecting it to be like this at all! i got it today, and i absolutely loveit!! it has amazing pictures! and describes many things! i would defintely recommend this to any sweeney todd fan! :))

Great Book!
A really, really good book for those interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film!Tons of information on the production, the stars and the original play.A must for Tim Burton or Johnny Depp fans!

The perfect transaction
I was very happy with the quality of the book, the packaging, and the speed at which it arrived in Australia, at a very reasonable rate. Many thanks!

Superb photography but lightweight commentary.
I have been a Sweeney Todd (the musical)fan for some time now and have researched the myth/legend from around 1602 to 2007 through a variety of sources. Indeed, Robert L.Mack's, The Wonderful and Surprsing History of Sweeney Todd: The Life and Times of an Urban Legend (Continuum Books, 2007) is but one invaluable source for the avid admirer of the story and the musical.I was therefore keen to read the Mark Salisbury book on Tim Burton's movie of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I was delighted by the stunning photographs and drawings, strung together with well selected extracts from the movie. The visually challenged will find it difficult to read many of the explanatory captions however! My biggest criticism is that the narrative is more about justifying the choice of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter as the lead characters ( why not say the old firm of Burton-Depp-Carter was easier to work with after doing so many movies together?)rather than more substanially discussing the rationale for the actual making of the movie itself. In short, too much of the commentary is self-ingratiating waffle. The photographs on the other hand are evocative and, along with the pencil drawings and diagrams, take the reader into the world of Sweeney Todd rather than the production itself. Oh, in case I sound too critical, I enjoyed watching the movie but only wish the book told me more about it rather than the director and the lead players.

this is the original folklore, not the story seen in film
I have read this twice in my life.It is not like the film in a lot of ways and really captures the folklore that originally drove this story into the realm of urban legend.This is a slow reading book with many characters to follow.I enjoyed this book, but please realize just because Johnny Depp is on the cover does not mean it is an adaption of the screenplay.If you really want to go to the roots of where this heartwrenching and horrific story began please read this book.otherwise just enjoy a stunning movie and score. ... Read more