I was sent a copy of Mark Salisbury's book to review here on jdr. I received the book last week and I've been waiting anxiously to share my review. I hope you all buy this book, it's 175 glossy, big pages with more than 200 photographs and illustrations. You won't be sorry you brought it home or gave it as a gift! Or both!



Salisbury's SWEENEY TODD is razor sharp!

I was prepared to like Mark Salisbury's SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I like the musical it was based on. I like Depp and Burton and Sondheim. What I wasn't prepared to do was love this book! Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton have teamed up again for this film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's acclaimed musical thrilled "Sweeney Todd." mark Salisbury's book is an in depth, informative chronicle of the making of the movie which opens here in the US this December. Mr. Salisbury's book never gets boring and the author never lectures the reader while sharing this book's story. Salisbury hit all the right notes when he wrote this companion book by layering the backstory of the legend of Sweeney Todd with the present day circumstances that put the players in the right spots at the right time to bring this version of SWEENEY TODD to the screen.

The well crafted book with 175 glossy, big pages with more than 200 photographs and illustrations and it is divided into two parts. Salisbury uses pictures and production artwork to tell the "making of" story in Part One, weaving in quotes from producer Richard Zanuck, director Tim Burton and cast members Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman as well as crew and other cast members to help the reader grasp the goings on behind the scenes. Salisbury was wise to also add his own first hand experiences while on the SWEENEY TODD set at Pinewood Studios to bring an overview of the different pieces that brought this musical thriller together. The author then has the reader "attend the tale of Sweeney Todd" in Part Two, by adding illustrations, production stills and sketches to text pieces from the script. This is no ordinary companion book, this is a companion book that brings humanity and heart to an often macabre, gruesome and bloody story. It's easy to see that this is a labor of love by the author.

Mark Salisbury is the former editor of Britain's Empire magazine and is the author of numerous movie books, many in collaboration with Tim Burton. Mr. Burton penned the forward to this book.

This is not your average glossy, trendy coffee table book. It's a must read for SWEENEY TODD fans, the fans of Stephen Sondheim, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. And it also serves as a wonderful invitation to those who've never met the demon barber of Fleet Street, to those who've never seen a musical and to those who've not yet seen the magic that Burton and Depp bring to a project, to get to know how a book can work hand in hand with a film. Mark Salisbury has written what I consider to be a Sweeney Todd primer. Get one for yourself and several as gifts. Neither Sweeney Todd nor Mark Salisbury will let you down.

SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET is published by Titan Books
Hardcover $30.00.
ISBN 13-9871844767044 - 175 pages
Publication date: December 2007
www.titanbooks.com


Copyright © 2007 by Dream Works LLC and Warner Bro's. Entertainment, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

Thanks for the review I hope mine comes soon from Amazon. :) Anne r

I have mine on order from Amazon. I was just notified today that it will be sent a week later than originally promised, but it should be here in time for a Christmas present to myself. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the great review. :sweeneytodd

Debbie

Thanks for the review, Karen. I did my best to find this book today. At Borders two people scoured the place looking for it. Their computer showed that they had received it but couldn't find it. They said to check back in a day or two. Then I went to Barnes & Noble and they hadn't even ordered it for the store. However, the woman I spoke to immediately put in an order for two copies for the store. I think all it took was one look at the Johnny Depp cover!

I was able to find the New York Mag (almost caused the cashier to have a heart attack!) and the Film Review with the Sweeney cover so all was not lost!

Question: is the NY magazine the same as The New Yorker? that has been published for ages-a weekly magazine with alot of "literary" articles about films, plays, exhibits in New York? or is it a supplement of the newspaper? would it be found in Texas? thanks for the info. Anne r :)

Anne, New York Magazine and The NewYorker are two different publications and I think you can find both of them at larger Borders stores and maybe Barnes and Noble.

Thanks Karen--I'm anxiously waiting for amazon to ship mine. I had a ship date of 12/11, but it doesn't look like it shipped. :( It sounds like others have rec'd delay notices, so I hope it ships soon! :)

Thanks for the review, Karen. I have this on order, too, and now am even more anxious to receive it - sounds like an amazing book! :thumbsup

Sherry

Thanks so much for the review, Karen! :) I also ordered this from Amazon a while ago and am anxiously waiting for them to ship it together with the ST soundtrack deluxe edition! I think however that it won't arrive before Mid-January, here!

I have also ordered it. ;) But still waiting to arrive. :ciggy

:thanks for the review. Mine wil larrive on Friday from Amazon.


Yvonne in LA :shistle

I just bought this book today at Borders, and Karen is right, it's fantastic and definitely a must-have for anyone interested in this movie. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I skimmed through it a bit, and the pictures are gorgeous. The behind-the-scenes tidbits and comments from the cast and crew are fascinating too (lots of new quotes from Johnny!) It's worth every penny! :)

Oh, this is great to hear, Karen. I'm going in to Borders tomorrow to pick mine up. Thank you :)

I picked this up this morning - along with the new Esquire - and am happily ensconced with it as snow blankets the world outside. I've just flipped through the photos so far but good heavens, they're beautiful! The whole book is lovely and very very high quality. I love the set and costume design drawings scattered throughout. For those who want to save any surprises for the film, though, just gaze at the cover but don't on any account open it.

Thanks Karen! My copy should arrive tomorrow.
Joanie

I just heard from Amazon and my order has been shipped too! :snoopy
I'm really looking forward to this! woohoo

Oh I can't wait for you all to get yours so we can discuss it after the New Year.

I also rec'd confirmation from amazon that mine shipped. Keeping :crossfingers it gets to me by the weekend!

-Donna

I also got an E-Mail today, that mine has been shipped. :snoopy It will arrive than next week I guess. ;) woohoo

I can't afford it, but I am anxiously awaiting Miroux to bring her copy over next weekend so I can drool over it! woohoo

It sounds just lovely!

It's beautiful---I'm about halfway through it right now. A LOT of spoilers for those that haven't seen the film yet.....

-Donna

I was lucky to find a copy at Barnes & Noble...one of 3 copies. (There were NONE left when I checked yesterday!) It is a gorgeous book, well-written with so many great BTS tidbits. And yes, the pictures are fantastic! (I LOVE the pic of Johnny at the recording studio ) :wub:

But DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT open this book if you don't want any spoilers.

After devouring the pictures and artwork, I'm now actually reading it and it is very interesting and informative.

They didn't have it at the B&N store here, nor were they planning to get any in. (imagine!) So I ordered a copy...I'm not sure I'll buy it, but I want to have a look. And a customer order is a good way to alert the ordering department to get some in stock! :thumbsup

I just received mine today and it is a beauty!
I can't wait to discuss this with all of you!

:snoopy I received mine today and already read the whole thing!! It IS a beautiful and nice book. I love it!! :snoopy

I also agree..DO NOT OPEN IT IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS!! I think I have figured out the whole movie just by the pics and then I read the book and I was right (I think)!! I have never seen or really even heard of Sweeney Todd until Johnny was involved. Well, I'll take that back..I did start to watch a movie awhile back and it was too bloody for me and I turned it off and never looked at another one since. But, after seeing some of the pics in the book and some of the BTS and clips, I think I will be ok watching this movie!! I am so excited to see this!! I am going on Thursday to a special screening (thanks to Karen for the link) and I can not wait especially after reading this book!! And the pictures are amazing!!! Mark did a wonderful job on this book!!

~Denise~ :sweeneytodd

I received mine yesterday. woohoo I also love it of course. ;) All those beautiful pictures and many of them were never seen before. :D I was very surprised! :claphands

Found two at a Brooklyn B&N yesterday. The cashiers was exciting to see it and asked when the film was opening. I gave him the low-down.

It is indeed a beautiful book. The ending change is not revealed. My only complaint is the tiny type for the photo captions. I need a magnifier to read them with thee old eyes.

Thank you--I thought it was just me-lol!

-Donna

I have only one thing to say. Page 34. :upinsmoke I'm toast.

Page 80 ain't so bad either! :upinsmoke

I'm with ya on that one, Rose. Very nice. I really thought all of Johnny's hair was a wig. It was interesting to read in the book that just the white part was. I can see now, from page 80, that it was his hair.