TIM BURTON'S FAVORITE HORROR FILMS

Director Tim Burton is no stranger to horror films. His quirky and weird films of the fantastic have been entertaining audiences for years.

Burton was recently asked for Screenrant.com what his favorite horror movies are. The answers are a bit of a surprise. Read on:

Tim Burton's Favorite Horror Movies

Tim Burton is one of the most unique filmmakers of his generation, and it's only fitting that his three favorite horrors are an eclectic mix.

By Padraig Cotter | January 22, 2022 | screenrant.com

He's closely tied to the genre, and here are Tim Burton's favorite horror movies. While the critical reception of his work has varied greatly over the years, there's no denying that Tim Burton is one of the most idiosyncratic filmmakers of his generation. He brings genuine artistry to his craft, combined with an innate understanding of outsider or loner characters. While he sometimes leans too heavily on certain recurring themes or visuals, the best of his work - such as Ed Wood or Batman Returns - look and feel like no other movie.

Although he had little prior knowledge of either the character or comic before taking the project, Tim Burton's Batman - which almost told an origin story - proved a landmark in the genre. The movie's unprecedented success made studios feel he was indispensable to the potential franchise so he was given creative free reign on Batman Returns, which saw him double down on the darkness and bizarre sexuality of his original film. While some parents and critics were horrified by this, it resulted in Batman Returns being one of the most unique comic book blockbusters ever produced.

Given his unique style, it's little wonder Tim Burton's favorite horror movies are a little left of center too. In 2010 during an exhibition of his art in Melbourne, Australia (via Rotten Tomatoes), Burton shared some of his personal favorites from the genre; instead of featuring beloved genre classics, they're all cult favorites that are, in Burton's own words, a little rough around the edges.

1. The Omega Man (1971)

The Omega Man was the second cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's vampire novel I Am Legend. The movie cast Charlton Heston as the (seeming) sole survivor of a plague that wiped out most of the world - and turned some into mutants bent on destroying Heston's Neville. The film features some undeniably atmospheric scenes and quotable dialogue, but it's also quite campy and over the top also.

It's one of Tim Burton's favorite horror movies because he loves the concept, Heston's odd performance - with Burton dubbing him "...the greatest bad actor of all time" - and the "cool" look of the mutants. With their stark white face paint, The Omega Man's mutants appear to have inspired the look of Burton characters like Edward Scissorhands also.

2. Dracula AD 1972 (1972)

Not only is Dracula AD 1972 not commonly regarded as a horror classic, but it's also not considered one of Hammer's better Dracula outings either. As the title implies, it brought Christopher Lee's Count Dracula to the swinging '70s in London, where he's resurrected by a crazed disciple and stalks a descendent of his old foe Van Helsing (Peter Cushing).

Dracula AD 1972 was dated when it arrived and is hopelessly so now, with the script's attempt to create "hip" dialogue for its young cast being very out of touch. Lee is also confined to a church setting for most of his screentime, but in the right mindset, it's a fun sequel. Despite its many faults, it's still of Tim Burton's favorite horror films, with the filmmaker stating "I think it was Hammer on the decline and they thought, ‘Hey, let’s get hip,’ which was a mistake. But I enjoy mistakes sometimes."

3. The Wicker Man (1973)

While The Omega Man and Dracula AD 1972 are cult favorites, they lack the critical respect often bestowed upon The Wicker Man - which has many differences from its remake. This sees a repressed policeman fly to a remote island to investigate the case of a missing child, and being horrified to discover their pagan beliefs. This folk horror builds tension and dread expertly, building to a genuinely unforgettable finale. Burton stated of The Wicker Man "It was not a very successful movie when it came out but it’s really quite a hypnotic and amazing film I think. It’s like a weird dream." That's a perfect description of the film and explains why it's another of Tim Burton's favorite horror movies.

"THE WORLD REMAINS STUCK IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MOMENT"

The 2022 update to the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic assessment of how close humanity may be to destroying itself, saw the metaphorical time remain where it has been for the last three years at 100 seconds to midnight. Created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS), the ominous-sounding annual evaluation of the pressing issues facing the planet is announced each January. In 2020, the organization raised eyebrows when they moved the clock closer to midnight than it had ever been before and, as with last year, 2022's appraisal found that the planet is still in that rather perilous state.

In a press release detailing this year's assessment, the BAS stressed that their determination for 2022 "does not, by any means, suggest that the international security situation has stabilized" and, instead, they cautioned that "the clock remains the closest it has ever been to civilization-ending apocalypse because the world remains stuck in an extremely dangerous moment." According to the group, the factors that informed their evaluation were "continuing and dangerous threats posed by nuclear weapons, climate change, disruptive technologies, and COVID-19." They also lamented that these issues have been "exacerbated by a corrupted information ecosphere that undermines rational decision making."

As the group does every year, they offered an expansive list of potential steps that could be taken by world governments to help 'turn back the clock.' The recommendations largely mirror what the BAS has suggested on multiple occasions in the past, including that the United States and Russia should establish new agreements concerning "limits on nuclear weapons and delivery systems," a global commitment to accelerating decarbonization, and increased efforts from technology companies to thwart online misinformation. Unfortunately, if the 2022 assessment is any indication, it's likely that these proposals will once again fall on deaf ears and that 2023 just might see the clock tick even closer to midnight.

SOURCE: Coast 2 Coast AM

EERIE PUBLICATIONS COVERS COLLECTED

Heads chopped off on a dissecting table, Brains boiling in a vat of chemicals, women with their clothes being torn off by horribly deformed creatures, and blood, lots of blood. These were the infamous images emblazoned on the covers of the Eerie Publications line of horror comic magazines in the 1960's and 1970's. Noted more for their covers than their content, Eerie Publications enjoyed the profits of filling their magazines with re-touched reprints from comics popular during the pre-code era, before horror was removed from all newsstand titles. But those covers . . .

Now, Eerie Pub's fanatic Mike Howlett, who published his previous book at Feral House, has assembled a complete collection of covers for Fantaco Enterprises. Available for pre-order, the book is scheduled for release in March.

From the publisher:

Superior quality hardcover edition with Smyth-sewn binding for permanence and durability.

 

The horror comics fans' dream book!!

By Mike Howlett, cover art by Bill Alexander with cover design by Jason Willis and book design by Jim Whiting.

SPECIAL NOTICE!! Everyone who preorders will receive a serial numbered book AND a specially designed set of ten full color Eerie Publications trading cards (one set per order), exclusive to this offer. The sets will not be available in stores.

 

Shrieking at you from the newsstands like garish sideshow banners, the notorious Eerie Publications magazines dared petrified comic readers of the 60s and 70s to look. With the promise of torture and gore, those covers burned themselves into the brain of everyone who saw them.

 

Now, for the first time, we’ve collected every known cover from this putrid publisher and are presenting them chronologically, fully annotated and in full color. The good, the bad and the ugly… the Whole Bloody Mess.

 

This book is 240 full color pages, 8 1/2 X 11, hardcover. Also available in softcover.

Release date: March 31, 2022.

Order HERE.

SAMPLE COVER GALLERY:

SAMPLE PAGES FROM MIKE HOWLETT'S FERAL HOUSE BOOK:

See more Eerie Publications posts HERE.