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Scene from Cinema Paradiso
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With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.
TIM BURTON
Years Active: 1971-present
Films as Director: 16
Oscar Wins: 0
Who: It is hard for people today to fully understand why Burton was "weird" because his approach has become the norm. His gothic scenery and bleak humor have translated so much that Disney almost seems to create pallets based around his sketches. When he is on, he is a perverse joy, realizing something macabre yet human. He manages to appeal to the misfits out there by making anthems with dark symbolism and outfits that inspire Halloween to exist. With the help of composer Danny Elfman, he is one of the most definitive directors currently working that also manages to bring in large sums of cash each time. Maybe he has gotten too weird to be good, but there's no denying that over a 40+ years of creating content, he has made something that is both accessible yet entirely of his own ilk.
POINTS TALLY
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| Scene from Ed Wood |
-- Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) --
Flickchart Ranking: #101 (800 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 870 points
-- Ed Wood (1994) --
Flickchart Ranking: #119 (800 points)
IMDb Rating: 8/10 (80 points)
Perks: None
Total: 880 points
-- Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) --
Flickchart Ranking: #388 (550 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 610 points
-- Beetlejuice (1988) --
Flickchart Ranking: #391 (550 points)
IMDb Rating: 5/10 (50 points)
Perks: None
Total: 600 points
-- Batman Returns (1992) --
Flickchart Ranking: #406 (500 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 570 points
-- Big Fish (2003) --
Flickchart Ranking: #582 (450 points)
IMDb Rating: 5/10 (50 points)
Perks: None
Total: 500 points
-- Edward Scissorhands (1990) --
Flickchart Ranking: #639 (400 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 460 points
-- Mars Attacks! (1996) --
Flickchart Ranking: #861 (150 points)
IMDb Rating: 5/10 (50 points)
Perks: None
Total: 200 points
-- Batman (1989) --
Flickchart Ranking: #871 (150 points)
IMDb Rating: 8/10 (80 points)
Perks: None
Total: 230 points
OVERALL TOTAL: 4920 points
WHY DO I LOVE?
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| Scene from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure |
When compiling my list, this is probably the most shocking result that I found. It definitely benefited from a lot of films being in my Top 1000. While the better part of the past decade has seen his work fall into unfavorable junk, I do admit that there was something perplexing about Burton that made him initially exciting. He was macabre in ways that mainstream wasn't ready to embrace. He brought a weird vibe that enhanced the studio output and made the strangest love stories feel palatable. While I cannot say that I love his work more than, say even the past five selections, there's something to his definitive visual style that makes it easy to respect him. I just wish that he was still doing interesting stuff and not focusing on making campy retreads of things that he has already done.
UP NEXT: The high and mighty savior of 90's indie cinema, according to millions of pop-culture referencing cinephiles.
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