Vincent

Spooky young VINCENT Malloy wants to grow up to become Vincent Price, in the worst possible way...

Darkly humorous, especially in shadowy black & white, this little stop motion animated cartoon is filmmaker Tim Burton's homage to his great friend, fright master Vincent Price (1911-1993). With its bizarre characters, grotesque story line & eerie visuals, it is a direct forerunner of Burton's feature length A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993). A treat for those who enjoy the macabre.

Narrated with creepy perfection, appropriately enough, by Vincent Price.

During his days as an animator in Disney, Tim Burton was very frustrated and bored with his work. So he decided to take a shot at directing. At the time he was still under contract with Disney so his first two efforts are shorts done by Disney. Both rejected for release for it's content. This is the first and Burton's directorial debut. The film is autobiographical because it features Burton's love for Vincent Price. Oddly enough the movie is narrated by Price himself. The film itself is unique and interesting but Burton still hadn't reached his strength as a director and that is normal since it's his first effort. Regardless it's a very good short film and showed potential for Burton and what he would become.

3(***)out of 4(****)stars

Back in the early days of his career, director Tim Burton was working as an animator at Walt Disney Studios when he decided that it was not exactly what he wanted in life. Unhappy with his work as his designs were always rejected (mostly due to its bizarre and atypical design), he chose to make his own animated film and the result was this modest short about a boy named Vincent. This wonderful six-minute short was then the first demonstration of Burton's artistic style and the beginning of his career as a director.

"Vincent" is the story of a little boy named Vincent Malloy, who rather than playing with the rest of the boys, he spends his time dreaming he is just like his hero, Vincent Price. While he is very well-mannered and noble, his constant macabre daydreaming worries his mother, as Vincent's great imagination combined with his obsession with Price's films make him believe he is living a tortured life of hideous experiments and lost love.

The story (written in verse) is narrated by Vincent Price himself, and is filed with references to the movies Price made (particularly the adaptations of Poe's stories he did with Roger Corman) that obviously had a strong influence over Tim Burton's young imagination. The poem is very well-written and while simple, it's insanely funny and cleverly original. Price's narration is simply perfect and it's obvious that he is enjoying the whole thing.

Visually is very impressive, and considering that it was done with a small crew and a very low-budget it's definitely a superb job. The stop-motion animation is very fluid and the cinematography and overall design works magnificently and showcases Burton's preference for German's expressionist films of the silent era. Many elements of his style are found here, and it's not difficult to see that the roots of many of his films can be traced back to "Vincent".

Fans of Tim Burton and/or Vincent Price will found a treasure in this wonderful short film that is a testament of Burton's admiration for his idol, Vincent Price. This amazing debut is at the same time a fitting homage to Tim Burton's cinema heroes and the beginning of his transition into one himself. Very recommended. 9/10

The art of the short film is one that is all too often overlooked by larger production companies. Which is just downright silly, really - OK, chances are they will provide less huge financial returns, but companies can afford to lose the odd dollar here and there, especially when films like "Vincent" are at stake. Funded by the Walt Disney Company whilst they were nurturing a budding young animator called Tim Burton, "Vincent" is a lovely little exposé on the secret thoughts that lurk in the back of most little children's brains. Lawks - I know they lurked in the back of mine.

Based on a poem that Burton composed himself, Vincent tells the story of a little boy who wants to grow up to be just like Vincent Price, the popular horror actor, and Burton's childhood idol. The narrative has a sing-song feel to it, and therefore retains an added grizzly-little-child-like nature, and the cinematography is a triumph, harking back to the classic B-movie horror films that Burton (and myself) grew up on. Vincent Price was, it seems, just as much an icon for Burton as for me: "House of Wax", "The Fly", "Theatre of Blood" - these are all films that made a great impression on Burton as a child.

Among other influences within the short are Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley, both of course prolific horror writers that have inspired many films themselves. It is clear that Burton was going on to great, great things - as indeed he did - and it says a great deal about the company that agreed to fund this unknown's obvious talents. It's sad to say, however, that there was little Disney felt it could do with the film (without damaging it's reputation as the family-friendly Mouse Factory), and so it remains largely unseen by most people (with the exception of those who see it at film festivals, and on laserdisc).

"Vincent" is, to my knowledge, the first major use of claymation, the animation technique that featured in "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas", directed by Henry Selick; and therefore a breakthrough in animation technique. More short films should be made to test the viability of such new devices - just like Disney's "Flowers and Trees" and "Steamboat Willie" were breakthroughs with their use of colour and sound respectively. But all too often, these new devices are left to major motion pictures (like the use of the IMAX format in "Fantasia 2000", and the new CGI animation Deep Canvas, being pioneered in "Tarzan"). The short film is an ideal way of discovering exciting new additions to cinema - both in technique, and in directing, acting and photography.

For more information about "Vincent", and to see some of the concept sketches that went into the creation of the movie, I highly recommend "Burton on Burton", a loose autobiography of Tim Burton's work so far. It certainly has lots to say about short films - when the running time is five minutes, as opposed to the standard hundred-odd minutes provided by a main feature, there is also a lot less scope for things to go drastically wrong. And practically nothing in "Vincent" does - it is a diverting, amusing and gruesomely imaginative addition to Burton's work, and also to Disney's showcase. All in all, "Vincent" is a sterling little film, with lots to recommend it, and a fine example of Burton's early work!

You keep getting sucked into Vincent's demented mind, and then spat back into reality whenever you see his mother. It is a cute story with definate tones of horror, which makes it good and definately unique. This film may be short, but it is very effective, creative and overall brilliant. Tim Burton is such a master, all the work of his that I have seen is excellent. Vincent Price narrates with a clever poem while you see the smooth animation and take in the storyline.