Tim Burton

I totally nerded out the other day.  Well, I got sideswiped by a metro bus, and then I totally nerded out. Seriously. But I’ll tell you about the whole getting sideswiped by a metro bus thing later. Unwilling to let an idiot bus driver who is unaware of the dimensions of his own vehicle ruin my Halloween spirit, I drove my banged up little car to check out the Tim Burton exhibit at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art.

Confession. I had never been to the LACMA. Nor had I seen Nightmare Before Christmas. But I love Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. And Edward Scissorhands. And you guys, I love Tim Burton. Not as much as, say, Tim Burton loves Johnny Depp. But a lot. And with over 700 pieces featured in the exhibit, it was so cool to get a peak inside the mastermind that is Tim Burton. 

So cool that I even took notes, like a nerd, so I wouldn’t forget a single detail to share with you. You’re welcome.

Early sketches, projects that were never realized, iconic props and storyboards from some of the most major motion pictures filled the walls. It was a full spectrum body of work. Next to the wicked striped sleeves worn by Beetlejuice was a story outline written on a yellow legal notepad. The simple story thought needs to be two nice old fashioned people die, and when an awful family moves in, they try to get rid of them. Right there. In his own words. Written by the man himself. And then realized, brought to life, and represented in costume. Right there. In front of my own eyes.

And I just about died, and tried to touch, the suit Johnny Depp wore in Edward Scissorhands. Thank goodness the actual scissor hands were in a glass case. Character Profile: Edward is a robot. But by all appearances he is very human. Human except for his hands, long metal fingers that are razor sharp and resemble many pairs of large scissors… His hobbies are making ice sculptures, and playing the steel drums. Someday he hopes to vaction in the Caribbean Islands. Sounds kinda like his match.com profile or something. Cool, huh?

After snapping a picture of the scarecrow from Sleepy Hallow, getting in trouble for snapping a picture of the scarecrow from Sleepy Hallow, watching Bones – the music video Burton directed for The Killers, and saying goodbye to the melted figures reminiscent of Disney’s It’s a Small World from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I was out the door with the exhibit booklet I purchased from the gift store in hand. And then I got to the parking structure and remembered what had happened to my car. Such a bummer.