Evaluating the "Todd' reel

I deliberately didn't get into Envelope columnist Tom O'Neil's ecstatic response to the 17-minute preview of Sweeney Todd that screened the other night at Lincoln Center. O'Neil, passionate fellow that he is, is invested in his love of great musicals and Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd B'way show in particular, and he wants to see it all brought full circle. And that's fine.


Sweeney Todd's sound and visuals are still being mixed, so it's not being shown. But there have been enough preview excerpts of upcoming big-ticket films in the past to feel suspicious about the decision to show only 17 minutes' worth to a hometown (i.e., Manhattan) audience. I think that screening a short "sizzle reel" at this stage of the game indicates obvious caution and bet-hedging on the part of the film's marketing strategist Terry Press (who ran last year's Dreamgirls campaign). You can make almost any movie look fairly momentous if you cut together a short-enough reel. I was boondoggled myself once with a 30-minute reel of a new film.

It's happened often enough that it's come down to a very simple equation by way of a very simple mythology: short promo reels = film-flammery. The Sweeney Todd Lincoln Center show would have obviously felt a little more forthright if, say, it had run 25 or 30 minutes -- more songs, more scenes, more substance. Johnny Depp's singing may be fine, as O'Neil wrote today; ditto Helena Bonham Carter's Mrs. Lovett performance when all is said and done. Nobody knows. The film will start to be shown to press later this month

Press admitted to the Hollywood Reporter's Steven Zeitchik that Todd "has many niche audiences that need to be dealt with, and they don't really cross. There are Sweeney Todd freaks, there's a sophisticated theatergoer crowd, there are the Tim Burton fans, and there are the young girls who love Johnny Depp. It's like threading many needles."

Young girls who love Johnny Depp? Jack Sparrow, maybe, but what young girls have a yen for a married 44 year old with a skunk "do" playing a singing throat- slitter? Depp's under-25 coolness factor began with 21 Jump Street in the late '80s and peaked with What's Eating Gilbert Grape? ('93). Everybody loved him in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, sure, but I never heard that "young girls" were in the vanguard.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 15, 2007 at 10:25 PM

comment #1

Heleno Author Profile Page says ...

Well, they showed 10-20 rather dodgy minutes of Beowulf, and that turned out a heck of a lot better than those few minutes. So it's not always the case that seeing extracts means it's dreadful.

Posted by Heleno Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 2:33 AM

comment #2

Rich S. Author Profile Page says ...

And so it begins. A nice little safe post: "The early reviews are ecstatic, but the short length of the promo reel could mean trouble." No matter how things turn out, in early January we can look for a Sweeney Todd HE posting: "See! I told you so!"

Posted by Rich S. Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 5:01 AM

comment #3

the king Author Profile Page says ...

I think Depp has a "following." I think they'll flock to anything, in hopes of another "Sparrow" turn.

Posted by the king Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 6:36 AM

comment #4

swhitty Author Profile Page says ...

True, they only showed a bit -- three complete numbers -- and some of that only confirms what we already knew, that any Tim Burton film is going to look wonderful.

But it also confirms that Depp can sing, a question that's been nagging everyone up until now. And it suggested pretty strongly -- he was onscreen for almost every one of those 20 minutes -- than this is a far less eccentric, mannered performance than Depp's given Burton before.

It's obviously too early, and silly, to start screaming "Oscar!" -- but I don't think there's any doubt that this is going to be an interesting and visually striking film.

Posted by swhitty Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 6:37 AM

comment #5

the king Author Profile Page says ...

I loved the HD trailer, but I may be falling into the same trap Wells was writing about.

Posted by the king Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 6:38 AM

comment #6

PerfectTommy Author Profile Page says ...

So bigfan0808, if Tim is free, is Helena free? Will this interfer with the promotion of the film? What about future projects between the two? (Can we please get this guy banned?)

Posted by PerfectTommy Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 6:57 AM

comment #7

T. Holly Author Profile Page says ...

Even when he's dressed normally, he still appears dressed in drag. Brings to mind Clay Aiken and Donny Osmond. But yeah, even the johnnydepp-zone board agrees, the young girls comment, in The HR, is stupid.

http://johnnydepp-zone.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=36592&sid=1c1d65ba72e5542ba1f08b2757c86a73

Posted by T. Holly Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 8:01 AM

comment #8

Andrew Author Profile Page says ...

I laughed out loud at that whole young girls love Johnny Depp thing too. For a minute I thought we were back in the 80s or something. Agreed, it would be someone creepy if little girls were hot for a middle-aged man. Even in Pirates, I thought the young girls loved Orlando Bloom.

Posted by Andrew Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 8:22 AM

comment #9

p.Vice Author Profile Page says ...

I think the "young girls" line was Hollywoodspeak for "if we don't find a way to market this R-rated musical to the teenage demographic, we're fucked."

Posted by p.Vice Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 8:56 AM

comment #10

Reedyb Author Profile Page says ...

I have teenage daughters and asked them and their friends once about Depp being hot. "He's 40 or something. Ewww!" was their reply.

Posted by Reedyb Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 9:04 AM

comment #11

gr81lives Author Profile Page says ...

Paramount is notorious for screwing up movies like Sweeny Todd. For example look at last year. Dreamgirls. They took it for granted that it would be an instant hit with the box office and Academy Voters. Yes Jennifer Hudson won but still the arrogant attitude of Paramount Pictures to think Sweeny Todd will accepted is so dumb. Sweeny Todd is a tough sell no matter what anybody says.

Posted by gr81lives Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 9:14 AM

comment #12

John Y Author Profile Page says ...

Teenage girls still love Depp. I was a teenager not to long ago, and I recall very well how much my female friends went gaga for Depp in "Pirates."

Posted by John Y Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 10:40 AM

comment #13

JoeJustice Author Profile Page says ...

Young girls wanting Johnny Depp is no more disgusting than Wells wanting Fiona Shaw.

Hey, maybe Press meant gay guys and not tween girls. I'm shocked Wells actually passed up a chance to make this about gays.

It's all gay to Wells!

Posted by JoeJustice Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 10:41 AM

comment #14

JoeJustice Author Profile Page says ...

oops i meant vinessa shaw. but fiona is funnier, anyways.

silly gays.

Posted by JoeJustice Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 10:43 AM

comment #15

Matthew Lucas Author Profile Page says ...

Don't know many teenage girls do you Jeff? Still being in college, I know my share, and trust me...Depp is pretty damn popular with that crowd because of "Pirates of the Caribbean." Although the consensus seems to be "he's hotter as a pirate." Even my mom says that.

Posted by Matthew Lucas Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 11:23 AM

comment #16

Bocephus Author Profile Page says ...

So teen girls are crazy over a drunken, womanizing, metrosexual pirate? I'm getting closer and closer to viewing Idiocracy as less of a crass, lowbrow fart comedy and more of a shockingly prescient preview of our world in 5 years.

Posted by Bocephus Author Profile Page at November 16, 2007 1:48 PM

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