Warning: Sweeney Todd is a musical. That’s not breaking news we know, but there are some people out there that are picking themselves up off the floor following that revelation.
The Guardian reports that there were inadequate warnings that singing took place in Tim Burton’s latest edition. “It resembles a vintage Tim Burton movie, but nowhere does the trailer mention the fact that Sweeney Todd is a musical. In fact, it goes out of its way to conceal the fact that the movie is entirely sung, save for a few snippets of dialogue.”
Despite the 30 year history of the musical Sweeney Todd (first opened on Broadway in 1979) numerous re-makes, magazine and newspaper articles, not to mention the full-length trailer where Johnny Depp breaks into song, people have been walking out of cinemas in their droves. The film now faces potential investigation by the Advertising Standards Authority following numerous complaints.
So maybe the original promo trailer failed to mention that it was a musical, so what? Clearly the advertising agency responsible is cleverer than your average Joe and Joanne. They knew that there would be sceptics out there who didn’t want to re-live the likes of Dr Doolittle, so they initially kept it quiet. Unfortunately there now appears to be hoards of people seeking revenge and something tells us they aren’t singing “I must have vengeance!”
The fact that people walked out of this film because they were unaware is disturbing for 27 reasons, three of which shall be listed here. One, this isn’t High School Musical, this is Tim Burton. Two, it’s a two-hour film, not a surprise week at Butlins. Three, this is Johnny Depp singing, it’s essentially Edward Scissorhands breaking into song. Do people have no taste?
There are bigger things in Sweeney Todd to be concerned about than the fact it’s a musical.
For example, maybe the Advertising Standards Authority should investigate how it makes you want to eat one of the meat pies, let’s face it – cannibalism never looked so good. Or maybe the fact that Burton is giving Tarantino a run for his money on the blood stakes by showing innocent punters having their Adam’s Apples sliced open.
Sweeney Todd shouldn’t be shaved down to just a musical because it is also a great film with a strong script and a stellar cast. You certainly don’t have to be a “oh, well-oh, well-oh, well-oh, uh!” kind of person to enjoy it. Clearly it is the supposed deception that is upsetting the masses. To be fair the public have been deceived a lot of over years, first Weapons of Mass Destruction and now Sweeney Todd.
For those of you that left the cinema disgruntled, at least now you know that the film is in fact a musical. So ‘drove’ back to the cinema, get a hot toddy and settle down, the music is about to start.
Read more:
What the Sweeney Todd Trailer failed to tell us about the film – Guardian
[story by Gemma Addy]