Vincent (film)
Encyclopedia
Vincent is a 1982 stop-motion short film written, designed and directed by Tim Burton
and Rick Heinrichs. At approximately six minutes in length, there is currently no individual release of the film. It can be found on the 2008 Special Edition and Collector's Edition DVD
s of The Nightmare Before Christmas
as a bonus feature and on the Cinema16 DVD American Short Films
.
The film is narrated by actor Vincent Price
, a lifelong idol and inspiration for Burton. From this relationship, Price would go on to appear in Burton's Edward Scissorhands
. Vincent Price later said that the film was "the most gratifying thing that ever happened. It was immortality—better than a star on Hollywood Boulevard."
, and it is his detachment from reality when reading them that leads to his delusions that he is in fact a tortured artist
, deprived of the woman he loves, mirroring certain parts of Poe's "The Raven
". The film ends with Vincent feeling terrified of being tortured by the goings-on of his make-believe world, quoting "The Raven" as he falls to the floor in frailty, believing himself to be dead.
, and Head of Creative Development Tom Wilhite. The two were impressed with Burton's unique talents and while not "Disney material", they felt he deserved to be given respect. As such, in 1982, Wilhite gave Burton $60,000 to produce an adaptation of a poem Burton had written titled Vincent. Burton had originally planned the poem to be a children's short story book but thought otherwise.
Together with fellow Disney animator Rick Heinrichs, stop motion animator Stephen Chiodo and cameraman Victor Abdalov, Burton worked on the project for two months and came up with the five minute short film. Shot in stark black and white
in the style of the German expressionist films of the 1920s, Vincent imagines himself in a series of situations inspired by the Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe films that had such an effect on Burton as a child, including experimenting on his dog—a theme that would subsequently appear in Frankenweenie—and welcoming his aunt home while simultaneously conjuring up the image of her dipped in hot wax. Vincent Malloy, the main character in the film, bears a striking resemblance to Tim Burton himself.
The film was narrated by Burton's childhood idol Vincent Price and marked the beginning of a friendship between them that lasted until Price's death in 1993. Burton credits the experience as one of the most shaping experiences of his life.
The film was theatrically released for two weeks in one Los Angeles
cinema with the teen drama Tex
. Before it was consigned to the Disney vaults
, it garnered several critical accolades when it played at film festivals in London, Chicago and Seattle, winning two awards at Chicago and the Critics' Prize at the Annecy Film Festival in France. Disney was pleased with the film, but they did not know what to do with it.
from The Nightmare Before Christmas
can be seen in the upper-left corner of the screen from 1:18-1:25 as well as in front of the embodiment of his deceased wife from 4:45-4:47. Jack also appeared in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice
and the stop-motion animation film James and the Giant Peach
. The first two cameos were years before production of Nightmare, though Burton had toyed with the original story idea while still an animator at Disney.
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
and Rick Heinrichs. At approximately six minutes in length, there is currently no individual release of the film. It can be found on the 2008 Special Edition and Collector's Edition DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s of The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
as a bonus feature and on the Cinema16 DVD American Short Films
Cinema 16: American Short Films
Cinema16: American Short Films is a DVD featuring American short films from directors such as Tim Burton, Alexander Payne, and George Lucas, as well as less well known names...
.
The film is narrated by actor Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, a lifelong idol and inspiration for Burton. From this relationship, Price would go on to appear in Burton's Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter...
. Vincent Price later said that the film was "the most gratifying thing that ever happened. It was immortality—better than a star on Hollywood Boulevard."
Plot
Vincent is the story of a young boy, Vincent Malloy, who pretends to be like the actor Vincent Price (who narrates the film). He is obsessed with the tales of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, and it is his detachment from reality when reading them that leads to his delusions that he is in fact a tortured artist
Tortured artist
The tortured artist is a stock character and real-life stereotype who is in constant torment due to frustrations with art and other people. Tortured artists feel alienated and misunderstood due to the perceived ignorance or neglect of others who do not understand them and the things they feel are...
, deprived of the woman he loves, mirroring certain parts of Poe's "The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
". The film ends with Vincent feeling terrified of being tortured by the goings-on of his make-believe world, quoting "The Raven" as he falls to the floor in frailty, believing himself to be dead.
Production and release
While working as a conceptual artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Tim Burton found himself two allies in the shape of Disney executive Julie HicksonJulie Hickson
Julie Hickson is a screenwriter and film producer. She helped write a 30-page story treatment for Batman in 1986. Was director Tim Burton's girlfriend in the 1980s.- Filmography :* Frankenweenie...
, and Head of Creative Development Tom Wilhite. The two were impressed with Burton's unique talents and while not "Disney material", they felt he deserved to be given respect. As such, in 1982, Wilhite gave Burton $60,000 to produce an adaptation of a poem Burton had written titled Vincent. Burton had originally planned the poem to be a children's short story book but thought otherwise.
Together with fellow Disney animator Rick Heinrichs, stop motion animator Stephen Chiodo and cameraman Victor Abdalov, Burton worked on the project for two months and came up with the five minute short film. Shot in stark black and white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
in the style of the German expressionist films of the 1920s, Vincent imagines himself in a series of situations inspired by the Vincent Price/Edgar Allan Poe films that had such an effect on Burton as a child, including experimenting on his dog—a theme that would subsequently appear in Frankenweenie—and welcoming his aunt home while simultaneously conjuring up the image of her dipped in hot wax. Vincent Malloy, the main character in the film, bears a striking resemblance to Tim Burton himself.
The film was narrated by Burton's childhood idol Vincent Price and marked the beginning of a friendship between them that lasted until Price's death in 1993. Burton credits the experience as one of the most shaping experiences of his life.
The film was theatrically released for two weeks in one Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
cinema with the teen drama Tex
Tex (film)
Tex is a 1982 American drama film released by Buena Vista Distribution Company and directed by Tim Hunter based on the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. Tex is about the life of two brothers after their mother dies, and their father walks out on them...
. Before it was consigned to the Disney vaults
Disney Vault
The "Disney Vault" is the term used by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for its policy of putting home video releases of Walt Disney Animation Studios's animated features on moratorium...
, it garnered several critical accolades when it played at film festivals in London, Chicago and Seattle, winning two awards at Chicago and the Critics' Prize at the Annecy Film Festival in France. Disney was pleased with the film, but they did not know what to do with it.
Cameos
An early form of the character of Jack SkellingtonJack Skellington
Jack Skellington is the protagonist in the 1993 Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack is the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town and lives in a fantasy world based solely on the Halloween holiday...
from The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas, often promoted as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a 1993 stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to...
can be seen in the upper-left corner of the screen from 1:18-1:25 as well as in front of the embodiment of his deceased wife from 4:45-4:47. Jack also appeared in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...
and the stop-motion animation film James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach (film)
James and the Giant Peach is a 1996 musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was produced by Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation....
. The first two cameos were years before production of Nightmare, though Burton had toyed with the original story idea while still an animator at Disney.
External links
- Vincent at Allmovie
- Screen captures from Vincent