Word: burton
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...March Hare came in like a lion. On a weekend when all movie eyes are peeled for tonight's Oscar ceremony, Disney's Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, demolished early-year records with a $116.3 million opening for three days at North American theaters, according to studio estimates...
That imposing number just about covers Alice's $200 million budget; it's the most expensive new movie since Avatar, and Disney probably spent another $100 million or so to advertise it. The Burton picture is unlikely to come near the $2.5 billion global gross of James Cameron's epic, which become the all-time top grosser in Energizer fashion, by just going and going and going. Alice got so-so reviews from critics, but it achieved a healthy A- rating from Cinemascore's poll of people who'd just seen the movie; and it should hang on through spring...
...unexpected pairing. Burton's music tends toward the funky side - a bit of hip-hop here, a few tape loops there - whereas the Shins are the melodic band skinny kids in Converse sneakers name-drop if they want to sound sensitive. "People tend to be split on this album," says Burton by phone from his Los Angeles home. "They either think it sounds like what they'd guess the two of us together would sound like, or they say it wasn't like anything they expected...
According to Burton, it sounds pretty much as billed. "We chose 'Broken Bells' because the music sounded like that," he explains. He and Mercer make use of hand claps, drumbeats, harmonized vocals and the kind of soothing melodies that get stuck in your head for days. The album's opener, "The High Road," mixes fluid, head-bobbing rhythms with Mercer's somber lyrics for a bittersweet feeling that continues throughout the record. The music won't blow your mind, but it's a solid effort with several standout moments...
...high-profile collaboration was bound to receive a lot of hype, but the duo kept Broken Bells quiet for as long as possible. A cryptic website and stealth-marketing campaign used anagrams and binary code to increase the mystery. And they're touring with the same sort of restraint. Burton and Mercer promise a follow-up album and a full U.S. tour, but only a handful of shows have been scheduled. "There are always so many expectations," says Burton. "We're just trying to make music that we really like...