Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavour of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-coloured suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local... Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighbourhood--but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice and Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's child-like vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. --Bret Fetzer On the DVD: Tim Burton is famed for his visual style not his ability as a raconteur, so it's no surprise to find that his directorial commentary is a little sparse. When he does open up it is to confirm that Edward Scissorhands remains his most personal and deeply felt project. The second audio commentary is by composer and regular Burton collaborator Danny Elfman, whose enchanting, balletic score gets an isolated music track all to itself with his remarks in-between cues. Again, for Elfman this movie remains one of his most cherished works, and it is a real musical treat to hear the entire score uninterrupted by dialogue and sound effects but illuminated by Elfman's lucid interstitial remarks. Also on the disc are some brief interview clips, a "making of" featurette and a gallery of conceptual artwork. The anamorphic widescreen print looks simply gorgeous. --Mark Walker [show more]
Edward Scissorhands is one of the greatest Burton creations to date. The character of Edward, an outsider in a surreal suburban world, is effectively Burton as a teenager in his suburban world. The story of Edward Scissorhands, who is left alone in the world after his Inventor/Father, played by Vincent Price, dies suddenly is a poingent one. Edward is left ill-equipped for the world and is an outsider, just like his creater, Burton. Found by an Avon lady in his lonely castle, Edward is introduced to suburban life. Burton, as always, is ever present throughout the film and it is reminiscent of his earlier shorts - Vincent and Frankenweenie. With the usual Burton humour and amazing set design this film is a visual masterpiece. And of course it must be mentioned that Danny Elfman's score adds so much to the film. This film is not only an amusing and beautiful story but also a timeless love story re-told in the quintessential Burton way.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play. An Avon lady discovers the half-made creation of a mad scientist living in the neighborhood's old abandoned castle. The scientist died leaving the shy boy with scissors for hands. When she attempts to bring him into suburbia his hands, a metaphor for adolescence, make for some awkward and hilarious situatons. An unforgettable contemporary fairy tale, a poignant celebration of a visionary spirit struggling to survive in an unforgiving world. Actors Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Robert Oliveri, Conchata Ferrell, Caroline Aaron, Dick Anthony Williams, O-Lan Jones, Vincent Price, Alan Arkin & Susan Blommaert Director Tim Burton Certificate PG Year 1991 Screen 1:85.1 Anamorphic Widescreen Languages English - Dolby Digital (4.0) Subtitles None Duration 1 hour and 40 minutes (approx)
Gothic love story from director Tim Burton. When Avon lady Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) pays a visit to the local castle, she discovers Edward (Johnny Depp) - a half-finished, mechanical man with scissors for hands. She takes him home to her suburban neighbourhood where his exotic appeal and prodigious topiary skills make him a celebrity. However, prejudice against the unfamiliar soon takes its toll on the shy misfit. The cast also includes Winona Ryder, Kathy Baker and Conchata Ferrell.
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