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#014 Tim Burton: Big Fish vs. Planet of the Apes


In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Tim Burton's best and worst rated films, Big Fish (2003) and Planet of the Apes (2001), respectively. Austin pays his respects to the Artist Formerly Known As Dead, Albert Finney. Nate talks about his favorite film, Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Batman vs Robin. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001) and Ponyo (2008), his best and worst rated films.

And check out this cool behind the scenes making-of video on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLw-Fo8uhis


Planet of the Apes Notes
Worst Rated
PLOT: An Air Force astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet where evolved, talking apes dominate a race of primitive humans.
  • Ratings: IMDb 5.7 | RT 45% C / 27% A
  • Released: 2001
  • Director: Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!, Ed Wood)
  • Writer(s): William Broyles Jr., Larence Konner, Mark Rosenthal, Pierre Boulle (novel)
  • Cinematographer: Philippe Rousselot (Sherlock Holmes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Interview with the Vampire, Constantine)
  • Notable actors: Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, Estella Warren, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, David Warner, Kris Kristofferson, Erick Avari, Deep Roy, Charton Heston
  • Budget: $100 million
  • Box office: $362.2 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • In order to star in the film, Tim Roth declined the role of Professor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
    • Mark Wahlberg joined the film after meeting with Tim Burton for only five minutes. He was so anxious to work with the director that he agreed to play any part. Wahlberg dropped out of the role of Linus in Ocean's Eleven to do this film. He refused to wear a loincloth like Charlton Heston did in Planet of the Apes (1968) because he did not want to remind audiences of his underwear modeling.
    • Charlton Heston and Linda Harrison are the only actors to appear in both this film and Planet of the Apes (1968).
    • It was after this movie wrapped that director Tim Burton and leading lady Helena Bonham Carter became romantically involved. Instead of moving in with her in her Hampstead home in London, Burton bought two next-door houses which the couple both shared until their separation.
    • Tim Burton himself insisted that this movie was not a "remake,"but a "re-imagination" of Planet of the Apes (1968); it uses the idea of an ape-inhabited planet from the same source material as the 1968 movie, but ultimately tells a very different story.
 


Big Fish Notes
Best Rated
PLOT: A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.
  • Ratings: IMDb 8.0 | RT 77% C / 89% A
  • Released: 2003
  • Director: Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks!, Ed Wood)
  • Writer(s): John August (screenplay), Daniel Wallace (novel)
  • Cinematographer: Philippe Rousselot (Sherlock Holmes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Interview with the Vampire, Constantine)
  • Notable actors: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Matthew McGrory, David Denman, Missi Pyle, Loudon Wainwright III, Ada Tai, Arlene Tai, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, Deep Roy
  • Budget: $70 million
  • Box office: $122.9 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • The joke with the elephant defecating while Edward daydreams was unscripted. The filming crew found it hilarious, and quickly zoomed out to get the whole thing.
    • Even though Young Edward lands in Korea, the ventriloquist and his puppet speak in Tagalog (language of the Philippines) while the Siamese twins and Edward speak in Cantonese (a Chinese dialect). The soldiers who pull the ventriloquist off the stage speak Mandarin Chinese (language of mainland China and Taiwan) while the other soldiers speak in Korean.
    • When young Edward Bloom is singing in the church and his voice breaks, that single note that we hear is actually Ewan McGregor singing.
    • French actress Marion Cotillard's first American feature film.
    • Steven Spielberg was attached to this project and wanted Jack Nicholson to star, but dropped out due to his full schedule, soon after which Tim Burton signed on to direct.
 

  Intro music by: Calm The Fuck Down (Broke For Free) / CC BY 3.0  


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