The Philosophy of Tim Burton

Contents

Contents Introduction 1 Part 1. Burton and Identity Fishing for the [Mediating] Self: Identity and Storytelling in Big Fish 9 Ken Hada Catwoman and Subjectivity: Constructions of Identity and Power in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns 31 Ryan Weldon The Consolations and Dangers of Fantasy: Burton, Poe, and Vincent 47 Daniel Sullivan Johnny Depp Is a Big Baby! The Philosophical Significance of Tim Burton’s Preoccupation with Childhood Consciousness in Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood 67 Mark Walling Part 2. Burton and Authority Mars Attacks!: Burton, Tocqueville, and the Self-Organizing Power of the American People 85 Paul A. Cantor “Pinioned by a Chain of Reasoning”? Anti-intellectualism and Models of Rationality in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow 111 Steve Benton Culture, Hermeneutics, and the Batman 131 Kevin S. Decker Burtonology: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Essences, Christmas, and Vincent Price 151 Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray Part 3. Burton and Aesthetics A Symphony of Horror: The Sublime Synesthesia of Sweeney Todd 171 Jennifer L. Jenkins Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and the Fantastic 193 Deborah Knight and George McKnight It’s Uncanny: Death in Tim Burton’s Corpus 215 Jennifer L. McMahon Affect without Illusion: The Films of Edward D. Wood Jr. after Ed Wood 243 David LaRocca Little Burton Blue: Tim Burton and the Product(ion) of Color in the Fairy-Tale Films The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride 267 Debbie Olson List of Contributors 287 Index 293 ...