Rare Tim Burton Movies You May Not Have Seen Yet

Director Tim Burton is known for his quirky and rather Gothic filming style. Many of his fans admire the aesthetic involved in his films, as his unique ideas bring a look to his movies that is not found elsewhere. He is one of the few directors to have found commercial success without sacrificing his original artistic vision. Most of his biggest fans are aware of his filmography outside of his most commercial movies. However, some newer fans and casual fans may not know about some of Tim Burton's hidden gems. Some of his rarest films and shorts are listed below, along with descriptions and where you can find them and purchase them.

The Island of Doctor Agor - Tim Burton filmed this in Burbank as a thirteen year old student in 1971 with a Super 8 video camera. It was an adaptation of H.G. Wells' story The Island of Doctor Moreau. Few people have actually seen this, but some claim to own copies of it. It is not currently legally for sale.

Stalk of the Celery or Stalk of the Celery Monster - In 1979, Tim Burton wrote, animated, and directed this pencil-drawn short when he was attending the California Institute of the Arts. Apparently, it caused some sort of interest or controversy within his class. The film eventually attracted Disney's attention and Burton was ultimately offered an animator's apprenticeship at the Disney studio. At the moment it is not legally for sale, but can be found on the internet.

Hansel and Gretel - In 1982, Tim Burton shot a live action adaptation of Hansel and Gretel starring Japanese actors, featuring a bit of animation, and having a length of about twenty minutes. Disney Channel aired it once, on Halloween night in 1982. The style is said to be very similar to that which was displayed in later films such as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. Used VHS tapes of this film can be found on sites like Amazon Marketplace for a high price, usually above fifty dollars.

Luau - This 1982 film has been described as bizarre and funny. The film is described in detail in the book Tim Burton by Jim Smith and J. Clive Matthews. It is extremely difficult to find this film and it is not currently for sale anywhere legally. However, clips of the film can be seen on A&E's biography of Tim Burton, entitled Trick or Treat.

Vincent - Also done in 1982, this is one of Burton's better known shorts. The black and white stop motion film has a running time of about five minutes and narration by Vincent Price. In poem form, it tells the story of a seven year old boy who desperately wants to be like none other than Vincent Price himself. Disney showed the film very few times, mostly at festivals, and despite the minimal coverage, it helped Burton progress more in Hollywood. Vincent is packaged with the 2008 rerelease of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD and Blu-Ray, which can be found easily in retailers and on the internet.

Frankenweenie - This black and white 1984 film starring Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, and Barret Oliver tells the story of a young Victor Frankenstein whose dog Sparky is run over by a car. Overcome by grief, Victor brings his dog back to life using science, only to disastrous results (as is to be expected with Frankenstein type stories). The film is about a half hour long and was released straight to video (in censored form) in 1994, though Disney had deemed it inappropriate for children's viewing and fired Burton for it ten years earlier. Recently it was packaged uncensored along with Tim Burton's other short film from around the same era, Vincent, in the 2008 rerelease of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton signed on with Disney in 2007 to do a full length stop motion remake of Frankenweenie, which is due out in theaters in December of 2009. It will also be in 3-D, according to statements made by people involved.

The World of Stainboy - In 2001 Tim Burton did a series of six short Flash animations (about five minutes each) about a character named Stainboy. Predictably, Stainboy possesses the power of being able to leave stains everywhere he goes (shades of Edward Scissorhands, anyone?). However, he manages to use this to his advantage throughout the humorous shorts. The Stainboy character was featured in two poems in Burton's 1997 book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy, as were most of the other characters featured in the series. The films were released for free viewing on the Internet and can currently be viewed on Atom Films, YouTube, and similar sites.

Other Tim Burton films and efforts you may not have heard of include Doctor of Doom (1979, very difficult to find), Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Jar (1986: Season 1, Episode 19; this season can be found on DVD on Amazon and similar sites), and Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1986: Season 5, Episode 1; for sale on Amazon in the complete collection).