BBQ Films & The Deets Family Need Your Help... Only You Can Stop The Wedding of Beetleguese & Lydia!

Anyone worth their weight in sandworms knows the Tim Burton classic film Beetlejuice back and forth... it is a classic 80s film that hardly anyone can find a negative word to say about. So when BBQ Films was looking for a film to be the next subject of one of their wildly interactive film screenings, it seemed like a no-brainer that this piece of celluloid perfection be the choice! After some brainstorming sessions over pizza and wine ( I was there... both were plentiful!) and careful planning, another exciting event is ready to go! These are the guys & gals who brought you the Back to the Future/Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, The Blade Blood Rave and American Psycho's own Patrick Bateman's 27th Bday Party... So what will it be this time? Well.... they desperately need your help to STOP the nuptials of a nasty denizen of netherworld and a confused Gothic teenager! Check out the details after the jump...

The CCD Podcast: Episode #32 - The Michael Keaton Retrospective or "I'm Batm... er, um, Beetleju.... er, um.... BIRDMAN!!!!"

There are a few actors that come along in a lifetime that just engulf you with their presence on the screen. For anyone in the 35-40 year old range right now, one of those guys has to be Michael Keaton. I mean, come on... this guy has played not ONE, but TWO INSANELY important roles to the youth of the 80s: Beetlejuice & Batman! Yup, that is two monster roles... yet they only scratch the surface of the work that Keaton has done. The Dream Team, Night Shift, Mr. Mom... Clean & Sober, My Life, Jackie Brown... the list goes on and on. So for us here at CCD he was the perfect subject for our first individual based retrospective. We talk all things Keaton, big roles and small, and bring it all full circle to his current role as the title character in Birdman. We hope all you Keaton fans enjoy this just as much as we did recording it. Enjoy some great Keaton-esque art after the jump, and enjoy the podcast after the jump. Also, head over to ITunes and SUBSCRIBE, DOWNLOAD, LISTEN and then SHARE it on your favorite form of SOCIAL MEDIA. Oh yeah... I'M Batman!!!!

Tim Burton Is Back With 'Big Eyes'... This Is What I WANT TO SEE FROM HIM!

Tim Burton has always been an intriguing director to me, and I certainly do love a bunch of his films. 'Beetlejuice', 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure', 'Batman', 'Edward Scissorhands', 'Ed Wood', and 'Big Fish' are some of my favorite films. But he has had some mis-steps, lately, and people are beginning to tire of a 50-something year old director who won't really expand his style and keeps making films with a child-like quality to them. But with his next entry, 'Big Eyes', he seems to be shooting for that "real" quality that he did so well in 'Ed Wood' and 'Big Fish'...and it looks awesome! It tells the true life story of artists Walter (Christoph Waltz) and Margret (Amy Adams) Keane. Walter became famous for paintings that he supposedly drew of children with huge eyes, but in reality the artistic genius was that of his wife, Margaret. They built an empire on a lie, and this is the story on how it affected them in their lives. It looks amazing, and it has an insane supporting cast: Danny Houston, Kristen Ritter, and Jason Scwartzman ...just to name a few. This is the kind of thing I would like to see Burton do more often and I think this kind of movie will go a long way in repairing his image. Let's hope so. Check out the trailer after the jump...

The Killers - Here With Me

Tim Burton has a very unique style, and any fan of his can see it a mile away. My first thought upon seeing the new music video for The Killers song Here With Me was that someone was clearly trying to channel Burton is the direction of the video. But then when I noticed that the video featured Burton alum Winona Ryder in a prominent role I took a closer look and came to find out that the clip was directed by Burton himself!!! What a fantastically creeptastic video featuring Craig Robertson, the go to current creepy looking kid in Hollywood (he was the kid with the blank expression in Submarine, a killer film that you should all seek out). The song is pretty fucking fantastic as well. Check out the video after the jump...

Tim Burton's Original 'Nightmare Before Christmas' Poem Narrated by Christopher Lee!!!

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my all time favorite films... not animated films, films in general. There are many reasons why this is the case, but I think the fact that it transcends seasons and genres better than any other film I have ever encountered. It is a Halloween movie as much as it is a Christmas movie. It is an underdog story as well as a sinister plot to displace good ole Saint Nick. It is horror, comedy, action and adventure all rolled into one... and it is fantastic. The idea for the film came from a poem written by Tim Burton. He created the poem way back in 1982 and I have seen it once or twice, but never in this fashion. It is narrated by frequent Burton collaborator Christopher Lee, aka Lord Summerisle himself (if you know what that is, you are my people)!!! My pal Samurai Frog over at Electronic Cerebrectomy posted the video and I thought it was a great way to transition from All Horror Week to the 2012 holiday season. Enjoy the video after the jump...

Beetlejuice by Anthony Petrie

There are few movies that hold as special a place in my heart as Tim Burton's Beetlejuice. I loved this movie so much as a kid and watched it so many times that I had it memorized down to the line. Keaton's performance as the lovable title ghoul and a killer cast of solid actors that gave wonderful performances in the film led to a classic movie. So whenever I see a talented artist take on the property and kill it the way Anthony Petrie did in this piece, well... lets just say I have to feature it here on CCD on general principle. This poster is gigantic (24" x 36") and is only 35 bucks, but there are also only 100 prints available. So make sure you click here and get yours today. You can see the full size piece after the jump...

Mars Attacks by Martin Woutisseth

Mars Attacks is an iconic movie that was way ahead of it's time despite the fact that it was a throwback to the movie serials of the 1920's & 1930's. Tim Burton crafted a gem of a movie that featured a cadre of stars that would make any director jealous. With names like Pierce Brosnan, Jack Nicholson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Glenn Close, Anette Benning, Danny DeVito, Natalie Portman, and Michael J Fox are just a few of the names that made this movie so magical. But the true stars of the film had to be the Martians themselves... creepy and disgusting, with their mega brains exposed for all of us to see. They were goofy and small like children, but once they displayed their deadly efficiency for killing people it was a no-brain er that they were dope villains. Enter Martin Woutisseth, who created and awesome movie poster to commemorate the film. A dope poster for a dope movie. Check out the full size poster after the jump...

'Tim Burton: A Filmography' by Martin Woutisseth

I came across some awesome artwork by Martin Woutisseth that highlighted the complete career of Tim Burton. These pieces were very beautiful and highlighted some of my favorite movies of my young life. But then I saw the insane video presentation that Woutisseth put together using that art work and animated teh work to make it even cooler. This is a must see for all fans of Tim Burton, and honestly is a much watch for anybody who loves film in general. This is how you do a tribute to someones career. Wow.  Check the video out after the jump...

The Nightmare Before Christmas by Graham Erwin for Mondo

Mondo posters are fucking awesome. Nuff said. Today we are going to see the release of Graham Erwin's newest incarnation on the Tim Burton classic, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. As usual, the poster comes correct and is awesome! Click here to stay on top of Mondo's sale plans for this $60 print via Twitter. There are only 335 of them being made, so stay on top of Mondo's twitter to know when you can add it to your collection. Good luck....

Jack Skelington The Pumpkin King Times 5!!!!

It wouldn't be the Christmas season for me without getting into The Nightmare Before Christmas coming up... I have loved this movie since it came out way back when. It's universal good will and overall love that many age groups show for the movie are a testament to just how genius the film really is. You gotta love the tale of Jack the Pumpkin King trying to take over the role of "Sandy Claws" while the real St. Nick is bound & gagged with epic baddie Oogie-Boogie. I have seen this movie in every format... Back in 1993 I saw it when it was released in theaters, and every year since 2006 my son Mikey & I check it out in Disney 3-D. It never disappoints. Click after the jump for more...

Stained Glass Fiction by Mandie Manzano

When looking for art to feature here on CCD, I often look for something that applies a certain twist to the regular characters we see over and over again. I mean, Disney characters & Darth Vader's are plentiful on the 'Net, but when you come across someone who adds a unique twist to these familiar characters it automatically gets my attention. Here we have artist Mandie Manzano, who portrays all of her characters in a stained glass window style. These are really cool, and she tackles a wide variety of subjects (Iron man, Harry Potter, Disney, etc). Click here for her full online portfolio, and click after the jump for a sneak peak at MY FAVORITE pieces...

This Awesome Video Highlights The Best Of Tim Burton

Kees van Dijikhuizen Jr. is a 17 year old editor who makes some excellent videos highlighting the best moments of his favorite directors films. The latest one he put together celebrates the genius that is Tim Burton. It is amazing that this kid is only 17 and makes such quality cuts. Click the link here to see his other films and click after the jump for the full Burton video...

A Burton-esque Spiderman by Skottie Young

Skottie Young is one of the best artists that I have discovered while running this blog, and once again he shows why with this awesome Spider-Man piece in the style that Tim Burton would probably portray him. Looks good to me.

Tim Burton, Teen Author?

Everybody has to get their start somewhere. For uber-director Tim Burton it was with a bizarre children book that he wrote while in High School entitled 'The Giant Zig'. He even submitted the book to Disney, and although he was rejected (the letter is included here) he would end up snagging a job at Disney as soon as he finished college. That lead to films like 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure', 'Beetlejuice', and 'Batman'... and the rest is history!!! All of this early art was part of a wonderful art retrospective on Burton at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC last year (I know you went Jeff... lucky!!!), and although it is now over you can still check out their website by clicking here. Very interesting to see a young Burton at work... hope you enjoy!



Burton's Submission Letter



Disney's Refusal Letter

Who Wants To See Some Classic Hollywood Behind The Scenes Pics???

I forget how I came across this awesome photography site called This Isn't Porn (This Is Pure Beauty), but either way I feel remiss to not share it with you guys. It is an awesome snapshot into some behind the scenes moments from Hollywood of yesteryear. There are some really great shots on here for any fan of entertainment (music, TV movies... its all here). I chose some of my favorites to share her, but you can see the hundreds of photos they have in their archives by clickng the link above. Very cool stuff...

John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd

Tim Burton & Pee Wee Herman on the set of Pee Wee's Big Adventure

Kenny Baker (The actor who played R2-D2) with a Darth Vader helmet.

Lynda Carter being carried by her stunt double Jeannie Epper on the Wonder Woman set

Kirk & Spock grubbing on the set of Star Trek

Dustin Hoffman & Lawrence Olivier on the set of Marathon Man

Nightmare Before Christmas by Danielle-Baba

I love Jack Skellington and the rest of the crew from Halloweentown, and watching this movie is an annual tradition between my son Mikey & I. Here is Deviant Artist Danielle-Baba's take on the Tim Burton & Harry Selick's seminal holiday classic... hope you enjoy!!!

Jack in Christmas Town!!!

I Have A New NetFlix Obsession, But This One Is Going To Take Awhile...

Everyone who knows me and has been following the blog knows that I am a huge fan of the NetFlix instant streaming feature on my Wii. Since I am a teacher and on summer vacation, I have found myself watching an inordinate amount of old television shows and movies using the service. I have long been interested in the 60's and early 70's classic soap opera/horrorfest known as Dark Shadows, but was always scared away by the sheer number of shows in the series. When I first saw the DVD's, there were 40 episodes on each one... and over 20 volumes!!! The show only aired for 5 years (form 1966-1971) but was on everyday, 5 days a week. The result is over 1,225 episodes. Talk about a job that I am undertaking... I must be f'n crazy!!!

The show always had a supernatural side to it, right from the beginning with ghosts and mythical creatures like the Phoenix playing integral parts of the story. But in episode 210, we are introduced to Barnabas Collins. Barnabas is a long lost relative of the Collins family, but he is a vampire. The character was greatly accepted and the shows popularity took off through the roof. The writers went on to throw the full gamut of horror characters into the mix. Werewolves, witches, sea monsters, time travel, zombies... you name it, Dark Shadows had it. They also used classics by H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe as inspiration for story lines. The DVD's of the show even start off at episode 210, basically ignoring the first 209 episodes and acknowledging that the show really start with the intro of Barnabas. What makes the show so appealing to me is that they were getting away with this type of content on DAYTIME TV IN THE 1960'S!!!! My girlfriends mom and my pops both told me how they used to race home from school to watch the show at 4pm everyday.

Now there is talk that Tim Burton is going to remake the classic show into a movie with Johnny Depp in the Barnabas role. They were both big fans of the show, and filming starts in a few months. So I decided to start the viewing... sheshhhhh!!!! All 20 volumes are on Netflix Instant Streaming, and I am 10 episodes into the 1,000 + episodes I am set to watch. (I started at episode 210 with Barnabas) They are roughly 20 minutes long... oh boy, this is sick. I'll keep you posted on my journey.... long live the night!!!!!!

Saul Bass Inspired Movie Art

 Behance Network contributor 'Hexagonall' checks in with some Wes Anderson, Tim Burton and Quentin Tarantino movie art in the vein of Saul Bass Saul Bass. Click 'READ MORE" below for more of their work.

click 'READ MORE' below

It's Saturday: Lets All Go To The Movies

OK, OK... you made it through another week. And even though the weekend starts at 5 pm on Friday, most of us really don't start to enjoy our weekend until Saturday morning. Waking up and not having to go to the hell hole of a job that you occupy during the week is a relief of epic proportions. You can do whatever you want, and usually for me that involves wanting to hit up a movie theater at some point. The reasons why its a great idea to go to the movies are endless, but one reason I like it is that its a short term event (like 2,3 hours tops) that you can fit in anytime during a busy weekend. We all know whats playing at the Multiplex... everyday we are bombarded with ad's for movies in the newspaper, on the train, and on the radio. My then 3 year old son used to ask me what the date was, and when I would tell him, he would then immediately shout out the big movie that was opening that week. But in most cities across the US, there are alternative/boutique type theaters that show mostly independent and revival films. The independents are cool, but the revival films are the best. What better way to relive your childhood then seeing "Gremlins" on the big scree en after 20 years. Or maybe getting a chance to see something at the movies that you weren't around to see during it's original run. Either way it's a great activity for day or night. Here was going on in movies this week. Enjoy the fresh popcorn !!!


Opening March 5th: Alice In Wonderland (3-D and Imax), Brooklyn's Finest, Harlem Aria

Independent/International Releases: The Secret of the Kells (Animated, Ireland), A Prophet (France), Harlan: In The Shadow of Jew Suss (Documentary, Germany)

Special Screenings:

The Abyss, El Topo and Antichrist playing midnight shows on Saturday @ IFC Center (212) 924-7771

Raging Bull playing at 9:15 on Saturday, The Godfather playing at 1:30 pm on Sunday, Annie Hall playing at 4:45 on Sunday @ The Film Society of Lincoln Center (212) 875-5600

The Wizard of Oz is playing at 1 pm, 5:10 pm and 9:30 pm on Sunday @ The Film Forum (212)-727-8110

All of Tim Burtons classics playing @ Moma (various showtimes) (212)-708- 9480

Pick of the Week:

In Cameron's 1986 classic sequel to Alien, Sigourney Weaver rehashes her role as Ellen Ripley. She travels back to the planet where the original crew encountered the alien monsters in Alien, and she gets the pay back that she had been looking foward to for 57 years. Excellent effects, Cameron's penchant for a the deatails being just right, and allstar cast make this one of the greatest sci-fi movies in history. As Cameron hopes to hoist up the Academy Award this weekend, watching him earlier in his career will make you appreciate his genius that much more.

Playing a midnight show @ Landmark Sunshine Cinemas (212)-330-8182

NYC Subway Ads For Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland... Wow!!

So I was walking down the stairs from the J train on Essex St to transfer to the F train, and I ran smack into this huge display ad for Alice in Wonderland that was not there yesterday. Three separately framed posters, all over 7 feet high, portray a variety of characters from the film. I froze and marveled at the hugeness of the posters and then realized I had to photo this. So I pulled out my MyTouch and made the magic happen. The lighting sucked and I didn't have a photography lamp handy, so the quality of the pics is not great. I know I could have probably found these photos online in HD quality, but I feel like these shots better represent my experience of seeing the ad for the first time in person... you can even see me in the reflections a little bit!!!

Alice and The White Rabbit



The Mad Hatter



Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, The White Queen and Red Queen


The movie comes out on March 5, 2010 and will be presented in Imax 3D... I Included a link to the trailer (below) cause Youtube will not let me embedded it, sorry. I think it looks great. Burton is perfect at this type of weird shit, and if you ever read the original book by Lewis Carrol... well lets just say that my man Lewis probably made Pookie from New Jack City look like Barack Obama... just saying, Burton is definitely a good fit for this one. Will you go see it ??? What do you think looks the coolest in the trailer??? Holla back kiddies...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA&feature=channel