Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker [Paperback]

Ken Hanke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2000 | ISBN-10: 1580631622 | ISBN-13: 978-1580631624 | Edition: 1st

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

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ken Hanke is the author of A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series, Charlie Chan at the Movies: History, Filmography & Criticism, and Ken Russell's Films. He is a frequent contributor to film magazines and also writes liner notes for home video/laser disc/DVD editions of movies. He resides in Ft. Pierce, Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Renaissance Books; 1st edition (November 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580631622
• ISBN-13: 978-1580631624
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,085,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Movie Directors

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "And It Just Gets Better Every Single Time!", October 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker (Renaissance Books Director) (Hardcover)

To paraphrase Beetlejuice, this is a book that gets better the more you read it. I've read the book three times now and, like the movies it discusses, it improves with familiarity, especially if you read a section on a movie, watch the movie, and then read the section again. Many times, when I didn't quite get the author's take on a single reading, this made me smack my head in an "Of course! Why didn't I see that?" manner. That's because I'm not the author, I suppose, but I'm sure glad he could point it out for me.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Respectful, Passionate, Insightful!, October 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker (Renaissance Books Director) (Hardcover)

This great book got me through a two day bus ride!It's filled with so much information and insight that I ended up wanting to watch ALL the movies again. There are so many fine things in this book that it's hard to know where to begin, but the author's take on the ED WOOD finale--with Burton creating a grand premiere for the cast of PLAN 9--is a special view of a scene that is one of the great moments in cinema history. I think my favorite bit in the book is an anecdote about the BATMAN RETURNS production, where one of the mimes hired for the circus troupe is passing Burton's office door and happens to see him sitting inside at his desk--seemingly overwhelmed by the enormity of the undertaken and the responsibility of an artist in such a business-like position.

The book is well-researched, meticulously detailed (which I love in film biographies like this) and insightful. The author's respect for Burton and his passion for the films is very evident. If I was Burton, I'd be flattered.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tim Burton Fan Loves It!, September 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker (Renaissance Books Director) (Hardcover)

This is THE book I've been waiting for ever since I saw EDWARD SCISSORHANDS! But I never thought I would get it. A book that covered Burton's life and all his films with close attention to detail, analysis, and production background would have been enough cause for celebration. But this book gives the reader even more, since author Ken Hanke (whose other works I now intend on seeking out) manages to illustrate how Burton's own life and feelings are reflected by what he has put on the screen. That seems to be something that bothers some people, which I find odd, since these same people accept Burton as among the most personal of filmmakers, but have a problem when someone actually connects the man and his art. If Burton's films are not extremely personal and do not reflect the filmmaker, then what are they? Nothing but flashy, visually striking exercises in empty moviemaking. Whatever the book's detractors' problem is, for me this was a revelation of the real genius of Tim Burton--a master filmmaker, who has managed to make his own concerns, interests, and obsessions accessible to the world at large. Before I read the book, I loved Tim Burton's movies. After reading the book, I not only loved the films, I had a new and huge respect for the filmmaker. I cannot possibly recommend this book highly enough. It is just plain indispensable. I'll be reading it again and again. Thank you, Ken Hanke!