Customer Reviews

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was prepared to like Mark Salisbury's SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I like the musical it was based on. I like Depp and Burton and Sondheim. What I wasn't prepared to do was love this book! Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton have teamed up again for this film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's acclaimed musical thrilled "Sweeney Todd." mark Salisbury's book is an in depth, informative chronicle of the making of the movie which opens here in the US this December. Mr. Salisbury's book never gets boring and the author never lectures the reader while sharing this book's story. Salisbury hit all the right notes when he wrote this companion book by layering the backstory of the legend of Sweeney Todd with the present day circumstances that put the players in the right spots at the right time to bring this version of SWEENEY TODD to the screen.

The well crafted book with 175 glossy, big pages with more than 200 photographs and illustrations and it is divided into two parts. Salisbury uses pictures and production artwork to tell the "making of" story in Part One, weaving in quotes from producer Richard Zanuck, director Tim Burton and cast members Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman as well as crew and other cast members to help the reader grasp the goings on behind the scenes. Salisbury was wise to also add his own first hand experiences while on the SWEENEY TODD set at Pinewood Studios to bring an overview of the different pieces that brought this musical thriller together. The author then has the reader "attend the tale of Sweeney Todd" in Part Two, by adding illustrations, production stills and sketches to text pieces from the script. This is no ordinary companion book, this is a companion book that brings humanity and heart to an often macabre, gruesome and bloody story. It's easy to see that this is a labor of love by the author.

Mark Salisbury is the former editor of Britain's "Empire" magazine and is the author of numerous movie books, many in collaboration with Tim Burton. Mr. Burton penned the forward to this book.

This is not your average glossy, trendy coffee table book. It's a must read for SWEENEY TODD fans, the fans of Stephen Sondheim, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. And it also serves as a wonderful invitation to those who've never met the demon barber of Fleet Street, to those who've never seen a musical and to those who've not yet seen the magic that Burton and Depp bring to a project, to get to know how a book can work hand in hand with a film. Mark Salisbury has written what I consider to be a Sweeney Todd primer. Get one for yourself and several as gifts. Neither Sweeney Todd nor Mark Salisbury will let you down.

This is a great companion piece to the film. Lots and lots of behind the scenes photographs (which are beautiful), lots of pre-production stories of how the thing began, insight into the director's, actor's, and screenwriter's thoughts on character, staging, storyline. Comes with the complete script of the film.

I saw the movie before I purchased the book. The book helped provide a lot of insight to the story. It was well written and the artwork was great. The artists explained where the inspiration for the looks of the characters came from and how they used color (or lack of it) as a important element in the movie. I really enjoyed the movie and I think this was one of the best movies of 2008. I also purchased the soundtrack from the movie and I will be purchasing the DVD when it is released. This book is a excellent companion piece to the movie and I highly recommend it.

This book is fantastic if you are looking for in-depth information on the Sweeney Todd movie. The book also includes some of lyrics to the songs, as well as some of the screenplay. Wonderful interviews with Burton, Bonham-Carter, and Depp. Also great pictures, and sketches. Book also includes the background history of the "real" Sweeney Todd. A number one book for me!!

Length:: 0:45 Mins

I would recommend this book for any fan of the Sweeney Todd film.

For those interested in filmmaking, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes information about the production. Here are some of the topics included:
Finding Sweeney Todd - casting Johnny Depp and his take on the title role.
Finding Mrs. Lovett - Helena Bonham Carter and her acting process.
Finding the Look - costumes, makeup, camera tests
Finding a Supporting Cast - discussion about the supporting actors such as Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen
Making Music - writing the musical score for the film, and the actors talk about singing
No Place Like London - discussion of the sets and locations used

Of course, all of this is accompanied by gorgeous photos. There are plenty of photos of the stars and the director on set, as well as sketches and concept art. Plus there are still images taken directly from the movie. The images are striking, and fortunately there are plenty of them. I would call this more of an art book than anything else - the text is interesting, but it's the pictures that make this book worthwhile.

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.

What a great conversation piece to have set out on your coffee table. Very well put together and very interesting. Again, if you are a Johnny Depp or Tim Burton fan it is a must have.

This is a must have companion book to the Tim Burton film. Wonderful photos. Truly a keepsake.

I'm a long-time Stephen Sondheim fan and was quite familiar with Sweeney Todd before the release of Tim Burton's film. My expectations were high and I was not disappointed. It's an astounding, thoroughly entertaining achievement. After seeing the film, I purchased two copies of this book--one for myself (which I read from cover to cover in one sitting)--and one for my sister and brother-in-law as a Christmas present. The photographs are beautiful and the text is enlightening and entertaining. This is a wonderful keepsake to return to over and over again until the DVD is released.

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