Tim Burton : An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker

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Summary: A Personal Portrait of Burton-Fantasist and Poet of Suburbia
Review: Tim Burton may just be the most interesting and individual American filmmaker working today-certainly one of the top few most visually gifted-and my attempt with this book was both to explore his films and the very personal, almost secretive, artist himself. The latter proved especially elusive, since the reticent Burton proved very reticent indeed. Moreover, the further I delved into his various interviews and public statements, the more it seemed to me that this obviously sensitive artist had created a persona to hide behind in what was presented to the world as Tim Burton. However, the solution was there all the time-or at least the key to parts of it-in the combination of what that persona revealed when looked at in conjunction with Burton's work and his life. Somewhere in there is the real Tim Burton-fantasist and poet of suburbia. Any true artist (as Burton certainly is) is inevitably more open in his work than in what he says about himself, and this is very much the case, I feel, with Burton. Between his words and what he has created in film lies a great degree of the truth, though many times that truth is more apt to raise questions than to provide clear-cut answers. The result of this approach to him produces a darker, more complex, and possibly slightly disturbing image, but also a more human and solid one. I hope that my efforts to present this portrait of Burton succeed in deepening the understanding and appreciation of this visionary filmmaker.

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Summary: A highly readable, remarkably lucid and fascinating account.
Review: Tim Burton may not be the most popular or the most understood figure in filmdom, but he is certainly one the most creative, and complex forces in film today. Anyone attempting an in-depth look at Burton has my pity and my respect. Few could pull it off. Mr. Hanke more than pulls it off...he dives head first into this strange world passes for a natural-born native. "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker" ranks as the most enjoyable biography I have yet read. If you have any interest in Burton, consider this a must. If you've not seen Burton's films, you will be seeking them out by the time you finish this marvelous book. Highly recommended.

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Summary: Insightful Look at America's Oddest Filmmaker
Review: Tim Burton ought to be ecstatic that anyone as savvy and insightful as writer Ken Hanke tackled his life and works! An obvious, but far from slavish, admirer of Burton's work, Hanke set out to try to understand the filmmaker and to place his works in perspective--looking at them in relation to Burton's own life, in relation to the larger world of film that surrounds them, and in relation to the history of film. And for the most part, for me anyway, he succeeds. It took someone with Hanke's keen--almost encyclopedic--knowledge of film (anyone who has read his groundbreaking articles in SCARLET STREET magazine knows what I'm talking about)to be able to do this. Whether or not you agree with all of the conclusions he reaches seems beside the point--his insights are invariably thought-provoking and clearly reasoned. That they may not be in line with the reader's insights shouldn't matter, unless the reader is of the opinion that Burton's films are so narrow and so shallow that they are capable of being interpreted one way and only one way. (In which case, why bother interpreting them at all?)Personally, I think better of Burton and his films than that. Some of his more adolescent fans may not, but hopefully they'll grow into being able to accept other readings of Burton's work, such as those offered here. (A side remark to the book's detractors who hammer away at how there is nothing new here: not everyone lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes Tim Burton and a book on his films that only appeals to people who do is not of much use to those of us whose interests are broader than that. Celebrate the fact that Burton neophytes and people who admire but don't revere him can find this much about him in one place--especially when these facts are examined with this kind of care and thought, even when you don't agree with it.)Is this the ultimate work on Tim Burton? Probably it is at the moment. To date no one else has managed to write anything of any depth on Burton. Everything else out there has either been written by Burton himself, or in connection with him. That makes for interesting reading, of course, but it takes a knowledgeable outsider to bring these films into focus. The insider view has its place, but it also inescapably smacks of public relations and self-promotion in a way that a book like this one does not. A true Burton fan, of course, will want a copy of anything that is written about the filmmaker, but for now this book would be my choice if I had to limit myself to one. Since Burton is still working--and hopefully will be for a long time to come--the book will likely one day be eclipsed, but it will always be the first one and it will always be worth having for its insights and its trailblazing efforts to get a real understanding of Tim Burton and his films out into the world at large.

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Summary: "And It Just Gets Better Every Single Time!"
Review: To paraphrase Beetlejuice, this is a book that gets better the more you read it. I've read the book three times now and, like the movies it discusses, it improves with familiarity, especially if you read a section on a movie, watch the movie, and then read the section again. Many times, when I didn't quite get the author's take on a single reading, this made me smack my head in an "Of course! Why didn't I see that?" manner. That's because I'm not the author, I suppose, but I'm sure glad he could point it out for me.

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Summary: Splendid Resource and a Great Read!
Review: Very few books on movies and the people who make them are actually all that good as literature, but Ken Hanke's TIM BURTON is a rare exception. Yes, it is first and foremost an examination of Burton and his movies. Here you will find more actual background on the making of these pictures--copious details on pre-production, production, post-production, as well as critical and commercial reaction. You will also find the most perceptive analysis of Burton's movies you are ever likely to encounter. And you will get a look at the Tim Burton who hides behind the mask of a persona as fully self-created as that of any of his warped characters. That much I expected or at least hoped for. But there's something else here--Hanke can actually write and write well. His prose, his turns of phrase, his ability to nail down a scene with a single parenthetical quotation from the script are all as wonderfully stylish in their own way as are the films he writes about. This is not only the "Bible" on Burton's work to date, but it's a very fine piece of literature in its own right. I give this book the highest possible recommendation. No one has brought this much delightful writing skill to the movies since the late William K. Everson. Anyone who wants to see how movies should be written about needs to read this book!

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Summary: Tim Burton Revealed!
Review: When Tim Burton burst onto the scene with Pee-wee's Big Adventure, it was obvious that he was a major talent. He broke all the rules of conventional filmmaking and in the process had many critical and commercial hits--Batman, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Mars Attacks! This is the first book to take a look at the man behind the films. Burton's very personal films read like an open book of his life--his childhood, his marriages, and his interaction with the Hollywood elite.

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Summary: A great read for any Burton fanatic
Review: Where as BURTON ON BURTON provided us with an insightful and often thoughtful look at the life of Tim Burton, the book tended to lack detail reviews of Tim's films. After finishing BURTON ON BURTON I was left feeling satisfied about Tim but was still curious about his films. It wasn't until i read Ken Hanke's book, that my thihrst was quneched. Hanke,a man who knows a thing or two about films, touches lightly upon Tim's life but divulges deeply in his films, providing the reader with a mouthfu of information. Each film is discussed, from concept to script to casting and music, and makes you pause and think about the film opening up your eyes to so much more and making you want to watch them again with even an even deeper interest and respect!

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Summary: First Real Book on Burton!
Review: While being one of the most popular directors of movies working today, very little of any value has been written about Tim Burton. (And as long as Burton wields as much power as he does in Hollywood, this is apt to remain true.) At long last, someone has done this--and done it well. Thank goodness the first such effort is no mindless wallow in Burton worship, nor a cheap cut-and-paste affair designed to cash in on the subject's popularity. Rather, what we are given is the passionate work of someone who genuinely cares about Burton's work--and who is able to convey that passion to the reader. Apparently the genesis of this book was an article author Ken Hanke did in the early 90s for FILMS IN REVIEW, and as such the book has a certain tendency to be a bit more about Burton's movies than about the man himself. That doesn't really hurt, since with Burton the person there clearly seems to be less-than-meets-the-eye in a lot of cases. There is, however, a good bit of Burton the man here--all of it interesting, even if not all of it pretty (a fact not likely to please the diehard Burton fans). But what really counts is the book's ability to pin down Burton the filmmaker and clearly assess and analyze his work. This it does with precision and insight. (I was amused by the critique here that blasted the book's insights as being "merely" the author's opinions. Personally, I don't know what else they would be. I've yet to see a factual insight.) Ken Hanke has a real knack for discussing a movie in such a way that it genuinely evokes the >feel< of the film (often with a single deftly-turned phrase and just the right quote). Occasionally, he even makes a film read better than it plays--his chapters on MARS ATTACKS! are probably better than the movie itself. Unlike many books on movies and moviemakers, this is one that rewards the reader through multiple readings. The more you consider Hanke's insights, the more well-reasoned they seem--and the deeper they make one's appreciation of the films being discussed. I have tried to think of a better book about a filmmaker's work and have come up blank. Highest recommendation for this one!

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Summary: Worthwhile idea, poor execution
Review: While I agree that Burton's work cries out for analysis and for biographical studies of the man, this book is not nearly up to the task. The author's writing is, for lack of a better word, sloppy. REALLY sloppy. And the psychoanalysis of Burton, all based purely on the author's conjecture, is ludicrous. "Burton must be like I say he is," the author essentially wants us to believe, "because look at his films." While I agree that the films are autobiographical, the author's pushy assertions that every element of each film contributes clearly to an understanding of Burton smacks of hero-worship, as does the overweaning praise of all his films (with the exception of Mars Attacks). I am a Burton fan, but trust me, this is rehashed material. Don't waste your money, or at least wait until the paperback edition is issued.

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Summary: A very stupid, but moderately entertaining, book
Review: While Tim Burton is a fascinating subject, Ken Hanke has produced a truly stupid book about him. Most of his information is gathered from previously published interviews (few of which were conducted by the author) and when he has nothing of substance to say (which is most of the time) Hanke simply provides a synopsis of the particular film in question. Also, his attempt to analyze Burton's films in light of what sketchy biographical information Hanke has constructed is at best simplistic and at worst, inept. It is pop-psychoanalysis at its worst, on the level of a freshman class paper, instead of what one would expect from a professional journalist. This book should be considered to be on par with the other hastily-compiled unauthorized biographies of celebrities, fun for gossip, but not much else. Read "Burton on Burton" if you want to learn anything of substance .