Discovery

Before BeetleJuice, Batman, Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure, and Sweeney Todd, Tim Burton directed a modern gothic violent retelling of Hansel and Gretel. Never heard of it before It exists. Although little evidence of its existence can be found. Chances are if you haven’t seen it, you never will.

This 45 minute (or 20 minute, depending on what source you believe) short live-action film featured a cast of amateur Japanese actors and was filmed for $116,000 on 16mm. The movie featured kung fu fights and Japanese toys, as Burton was obsessed with Japanese culture at the time of production. The design style and color schemes paid homage to the Godzilla movies and was heavy on special effects, making use of front projection, forced perspective and even some stop-motion animation. Hansel and Gretel must escape a witch and her gingerbread house to find their father.

Tim Butron’s Hansel and Gretel aired on the Disney Channel on Halloween night 1982, and was never seen or heard from again. This gem is near impossible to find. Tim Burton has publicly stated that he is embarrassed of this early work, which might explain why it has never been released on home video or DVD. I have yet to see this film, nor have I met anyone who has personally seen it. It’s become somewhat of an urban legend around Hollywood. I’m not even sure exactly how accurate the above description is because accounts of this short vary from person to person, and from source to source.