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Tim Burton is a rare filmmaker known for his dark, strange but heartwarming films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride and Beetlejuice. The director has also dabbled in stop-motion animation, adding a touch of fantasy to the real world as he does with Big Fish and Edward Scissorhands.
While Burton has a signature style, there are plenty of other movies that could pass as his work. Fans have probably seen popular titles similar to Burton’s pictures like Pan’s Labyrinthand The Addams Family, but there are several underrated movies every fan of Tim Burton should check out.
‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ (2009)
Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is the headliner of his traveling show who possesses mystical powers that can be both a gift and a curse. Years ago, Parnassus sold his daughter’s soul to the Devil who has come to collect but in one final wager, Parnassus attempts to save her with the help of a mysterious man named Tony (Heath Ledger).
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is directed by former Monty Python member, Terry Gilliam,and isan enchanting fantasy-filled adventure about the consequences of certain life choices. Before his passing, Ledger had completed a third of the movie and originally, Gilliam wanted to use CGI to transform Ledger into a different character. Ledger’s role was filled by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, who all donated their salaries to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.
‘The Frighteners’ (1996)
Frank (Michael J. Fox) is an architect turned ghost hunter who performs fake exorcisms on homes with the help of his spirit friends. When people in town start showing up dead, Frank must put his scamming aside and use his gift to figure out who or what is responsible for the mysterious murders.
Directed by Peter Jackson, The Frighteners is a horror comedy with a score written and composed by Burton’s frequent music man, Danny Elfman. The movie would have been a perfect Halloween release, but Universal Studiosmade it a summer blockbuster instead. While it didn’t do well at the box office, the movie was praised for its ground-breaking special effects and performances by Fox and the supporting cast.
‘Hellboy’ (2004)
At the end of World War II, the Nazis summon a demon from another dimension who is rescued by American troops and named Hellboy. Years later, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) is an agent for the Bureau of Paranormal Research Defense and is assigned to protect the country with the help of Abe (Doug Jones), a psychic merman and firestarter, Liz (Selma Blair).
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy is an action-fantasy film based on the Dark Horse Comics graphic novelby Mike Mignola. The movie is a mix of wit, heart and a sarcastic Perlman who had previously worked with del Toro on Cronosand Blade II.While Jones played Abe, David Hyde Pierce provided the character’s voice, but the actor refused to take any credit for his work or attend the premiere out of respect for Jones.
‘The Witches’ (1990)
While staying at a hotel with his grandmother, Luke accidentally spies on a convention of witches led by The Grand Witch herself (Anjelica Huston) and overhears their plan to turn all the children into mice. Before Luke can warn anyone, the witches catch him and turn him into a mouse.
The Witcheswas produced by Jim Henson based on the classic 1983 book by Roald Dahl of the same name. Huston’s makeup for the Grand Witch took six hours to apply and another six hours to remove it. During a monologue scene, Huston recalled that she was exhausted from being encased in makeup and prosthetics. The film earned positive reviews and one stated the movie is worth seeing just to see Huston’s performance.
‘A Troll in Central Park’ (1994)
Stanley (Dom DeLuise) is a troll with a green thumb who is banished from his world and sent to Central Park. Lonely and struggling in his new environment, Stanley meets Gus and his sister, Rosie but when the troll queen sees how happy Stanley is, she makes it her mission to destroy his new life.
Directed by Don Bluthand Gary Goldman, A Troll in Central Park is a visual spectacle with innocent humor, charm and a twist of darkness. DeLuise had worked with Bluth and Goldman in the past on other animated classics including The Secret of NIMH, All Dogs Go To Heaven and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.DeLuise was known to voice secondary characters, but A Troll in Central Park was the first animated movie featuring the actor in the lead role.
‘Mystery Men’ (1999)
Captain Amazing (Greg Kinnear) protects the people of Champion City but when he’s captured by Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) a group of citizens steps up to rescue the superhero. The unlikely heroes set out on their mission but they each have an unusual power such as throwing silverware and bowling that are not exactly super or helpful.
Mystery Men is a ridiculous comedy with an all-star cast includingBen Stiller, William H. Macy, Hank Azaria and Janeane Garofalo.The movie was pitched by Dark Horse Comics publisher, Mike Richardson, who loosely based the story on the Flaming Carrot Comics. According to the Los Angeles Times, the studio originally approached Danny DeVito to direct and star in the movie, but the deal fell through due to issues with the film’s soundtrack.
‘Penelope’ (2006)
When Penelope (Christina Ricci) was born, she was cursed with a pig’s snout and has been kept as a prisoner in her own home by her mother (Catherine O’Hara). One day, she meets a potential suitor (James McAvoy) who has secretly been hired to take photos of her, but the plan goes sideways when he falls in love with her.
Penelope is a British-American romantic comedy written by Everybody Love Raymond writer, Leslie Caveny and was Reese Witherspoon‘sfirst producing credit. While the movie received mixed reviews, Penelope is a modern fairytale with a charming cast consisting of Peter Dinklage, Russell Brand, Richard E. Grant and Burn Gorman.
‘Crimson Peak’ (2015)
Edith (Mia Wasikowska) recently married Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and has moved into his family’s mansion. As Edith settles into her new home and life, she starts noticing strange occurrences that lead her to uncover a dark, family secret.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Crimson Peak is a modern ghost story full of del Toro’s signature style mixed with a Daphne du Maurier-type mystery. The movie was originally supposed to star Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Stone, but the stars dropped out and were replaced by Hiddleston and Wasikowska who had previously worked together on Only Lovers Left Alive.
‘The Pagemaster’ (1994)
Richard (Macaulay Culkin) is a timid boy who is caught in a thunderstorm finding shelter at the library. The librarian (Christopher Lloyd) lets Richard use the phone, but before he can call his parents, he slips on the floor and is knocked unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a world full of classic literary characters.
The Pagemaster is a live-action/animated homage to the world of books featuring the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Stewart, Phil Hartman and Leonard Nimoy. While the movie wasn’t a huge success, it was still praised for stunning animation and its message encouraging audiences to embrace the magic of books and explore their imagination.
‘Goosebumps’ (2015)
Zach (Dylan Minnette) is unhappy about moving from the city to a small town but when he meets his new neighbor, Hannah, he changes his tune. He soon learns that her father is author, R.L. Stine (Jack Black) and when one of his books is unlocked, the monsters of Goosebumps are unleashed onto the town.
Goosebumps is a nostalgic nod to the iconic series and is full of familiar frightening faces including Slappy the Dummy who is also voiced by Black. In 1998, Burton was originally signed on to direct a Goosebumps movie, but the project stopped when development failed to choose a script. The project restarted in 2008 when Columbia Picturesbought the rights to produce a Goosebumps-based film.
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