Dec 26, 2008
Edward Scissorhands
Click to Watch SD | Click to Watch HD
A cobwebbed pagan on a post adorns the protagonist’s credit. It is probable that this particular pagan once navigated the woods a la “Evil Dead” and attended the kind of parties Stanley Kubrick featured in his films. There’s a sophisticated fairy tale for you.
Tim Burton’s opening title sequence for the great “Edward Scissorhands” has all the meticulous detail and matching heart of his best work; anthropomorphic steampunk featuring fantastic tinkerings; riveted, wrought-iron cadavers (including production-line shells exhaling through knived teeth) in a wonderful blue-lit thalassic hue.
The articulating scissors and human hands offer a nice projection of visual poetry while a beatific portrait of Vincent Price -this his last feature film- curlicues in opposition from the clockwise torquing type.
Everything moving to Danny Elfman’s otherworldly, natural score.
USA | 1990 | Color | 1.85:1 | English
Direct Link: 480p (QuickTime, 848×448, 38 MB, 02:51) + 720p (QuickTime, 1280×688, 81 MB, 02:51)
S’true, this sequence is gorgeous. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for posting. The telecine on this looks messed up though, so it was kind of hard to watch. Everything is “jumping” from the FOX logo on, the one thing I do not like about film projection. Was this from the Scissorhands DVD or a different transfer? Regardless, it’s a great sequence, and would be even better without the credits on top of it.
Love the movie, love the title sequence.
One thing that has always bothered me is that we’re shown objects -very stylized objects- throughout all the sequence, and suddenly we’re shown the, what did you call it?, “beatific portrait of Vincent Price” (God rest his soul… so he doesn’t come back to haunt us).
Doesn’t anyone else find this sticking out like a sore thumb?
All in all, I still love the whole sequence.
I watched Edward Scissorhands on the 26th of this month ( I believe), for the first time since seeing it as a kid on its original release. I did miss the title sequence, though, and was pretty ticked off. Thanks for this, especially as it comes only a couple days after!
The movie is a lot of fun and the title sequence is pretty great. The supplied commentary/description however is the worst sort of pretentious film-school drivel I’ve ever read.
Absolutely.
As is the sequence for Nightmare before Christmas.
Timed to perfection. Real world is awesome.