Can anybody explain the appeal of "Sweeney Todd"?!1

[UTUSN]

The non-musical, BBC version (made for t.v.) was on Saturday night. I came in late, about halfway through, meaning that I missed the supposed "rationale" for the crimes. Later IMDb and Wikipedia filled in the blanks, that there have been MANY versions dating back to 192(3?), that the print versions date back to the early 19th century, that the rationale was added on as time went on, about the dude's wife and child being violated by a judge, hence the revenge.

Now, Oedipus tearing his eyeballs out is horrific, but this Sweeney crap, despite the predictably sublime British acting, was repulsive, disgusting, and every horrible word.

This movie got me to cringe and react more physically and scarified than anything ever. Not in a good way. With all other, um, art I have this very high threshold of disbelief, like, the premise is always, "This is just a movie" or whatever. This thing was just too repulsive.

Maybe the Greeks were literally jumping up off the stones in horror at the Oedipus thing and is "Sweeney" going for the same reaction and it takes something that horrible to get that reaction from us?

I can't even conceive the musical version, and there was actually a BALLET version.

Spell it out for me.

[MrScorpio]

1. There have been three different versions on cable, all in the last month

All three of them very different, with different characters, with the exception of S. Todd and Mrs. Lovett.

I don't get it either

[UTUSN]

2. Oh, I forgot, Wiki "credits" it for being one of the first urban legends.

Iow, in the earliest literary versions it was said that the dude was a real person, that it was a true story, but scholars have debunked it, making it an urban legend.

[blueraven95]

3. when it's done right

the musical stage version is as least as good a production as any Greek tales I've seen. Most film versions tend to take the violence so over the top that it ceases to have the emotional impact.

[applegrove]

4. Yup. Not something I ever plan to see. No matter what version it is.

[UTUSN]

5. You've got my vote. I don't see the ART. Sorry to all who do. n/t

[rug]

6. My daughter knows all the words to all the songs of the Johnny Depp version.

She's 7.

:scared: