The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

When I was fourteen I was obsessed with the movie Jersey Girl, which was this comedy-drama by director Kevin Smith. It wasn't a popular movie and happened to be a box office bust but I loved it anyways.

In the movie Ben Affleck's daughter wants to see the musical "Cats". He tells her no, claiming its a terrible show but promises that he will to take her to see one. One day, while the girl is looking in a newspaper, she comes across an ad for the musical Sweeney Todd. Ben tells her that the musical is not suitable for a seven year old girl but she demands to see it anyway. Ben gives in and takes his daughter to the gruesome musical and the girl loves it.

Now from watching this movie I was introduced to the main idea of the play. An 18th Century barber kills his customers and sends them down to the woman who owns the pie shop beneath him. She then proceeds to cut the people up and put them in her meat pies and sells them to half of London. It sounded interesting enough to me so from that point on I showed a great interest in the story.

In 2005 I found out Tim Burton, who happens to be my all time favorite director and movie writer, was making his very own version of Sweeney Todd staring Johnny Deep who is my favorite actor.
I knew before I had even seen the trailer that it was going to be the most amazing thing my eyes had ever gazed upon. Three of my all time favorite things collaborated into one.

I haven't been able to see the original Sweeney Todd, but from what I understand it started out as a 1973 play and was turned into a musical in 1979 by Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim. The only version I have seen is the one starring Johnny Depp by Tim Burton but I would love to see the original because there were multiple musical numbers that were cut out in the Tim Burton adaptation.


Sweeney Todd is about a barber named Benjamin Barker who was transported or "exiled" from London for 15 years on made up charges. Upon his return he finds out that his wife had poisoned herself after being raped by the judge who had made up these false charges. Benjamin vows his revenge on the judge and changes his name to Sweeney Todd. He becomes "business" partners with Mrs. Lovett the pie maker who runs a business below his barbershop and together they slaughter London and turn them into meat pies and feed them to the locals.

This musical is very dark and wonderful all at the same time. I guarantee that if you love musicals and a little bit of gore and horror this one is right up your alley. It is my favorite of all time. Tim Burton did a wonderful job with this and I honestly am extremely excited to find the original so I can compare.