Beetlejuice director Tim Burton’s 1983 Hansel and Gretel film that aired on Halloween can now be watched online.
Nowadays, it’s hard to find someone immersed in pop culture that doesn’t know who director Tim Burton is. From Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and even Batman, Burton has produced one iconic film after another. However, back when he wasn’t renowned yet, did you know Burton worked for Disney and directed a small budget, quirky, Japanese-themed Hansel and Gretel film adaptation? It aired on the Disney Channel during Halloween in 1983 and has been presumed to be lost forever — until now.
Shown in the video is the complete live-action 35-minute film. It’s said to have had a budget of only $16,000, which is pretty evident given the rather flimsy props and setting the flick takes place in. It might not be cinema at its finest, but you can clearly see Burton’s dark and bizarre sense of taste. According to the YouTube uploader of the film, “After the initial airing, Disney Channel execs were so distraught by the frightening subject matter, that they never allowed the film to be shown again. Thankfully, someone managed to tape it that night, which provides us with this footage.”
What do you think of the film? And would you want to see Burton adapt more fairy tales into full-fledged feature films now with his own “slant?”
