While Batman was a movie which absolutely shaped me as a human (I was 4 going on 5 when it came out, and I loved comic books, so you can imagine how it warped me), Big Fish is an absolute masterwork, truly an all-timer. EDIT: Mars Attacks! is my dark horse fav. Such a surreal joy of a movie.
Yeah that one has to be my favourite, just love the aesthetic and storytelling. I also love Edward Scissorhands and like Sweeny Todd more than most seem to. Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows are two of the most unlikable films I've ever seen though, the guy has a huge gap between his best and worst.
This is the easiest one. Ed Wood is such a great work about the contradiction between the American idea that anyone can be whatever they want and the crushing reality that people are always going to have natural limitations. There are lots of fun earlier Burton films, but Ed Wood is one where he showed an ability for comedy that recontextualizes the way people think about Ed Wood and Bela Lugosi.
Martin Landau’s performance of Lugosi was truly exceptional, he captured just how heartbreaking Lugosi’s final years were in his acting and it absolutely elevated that movie.
There are extremely few directors who have had such a strong run to start their career. And then such an extremely hard fall ever since lol It's a tough call but I think my favorite Burton film is probably Batman Returns.
It works so well because Burton clearly has a fondness for Wood, Lugosi, and that entire era. It is very different from The Disaster Artist, where it felt much more like mocking.
Seriously. The run up until like Mars Attacks is super solid, and then... (to be fair, maybe even through Big Fish, but I haven't seen Sleepy Hollow or POTA since they were released) Pee Wee's Big Adventure has to get my vote though. I was a HUGE Pee Wee fan as a toddler.
I watched Pee Wee for the first time last year and couldn't stand it, haha. I get that it's the point but he is so annoying.
I need to see Ed Wood, so Batman Returns. Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks also rule. Pee Wee was fun but I haven't seen it enough.
IIRC, when I ran a movie theater - mars attacks lasted 1 week, before they shipped it out due to bad numbers. Ed Wood started in the smallest auditorium and maybe lasted 2 weeks. Was it up for an Academy? That didnt help. My faves? Tough to say.... If Beetlejuice is on, and Im skimming, I will stop. If Edward Scissor.... Ill stop and watch. If Im watching TV by myself, and Mars Attacks comes on..... yup,. love that one. Jacks a crackpot in it. Batman with Michael Keaton? Yeah. That was dark. Ill watch that one too.
Came in here to say Big Fish all prepared to be the odd one out...and am pleasantly surprised by the love for it
Beetlejuice and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, for sure. Also, though not a feature film, the OG Frankenweenie may be my favorite work but him.