Depp Teaches Us 'How the Dead Love'

How many movies is this guy gonna be in?

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Thursday, February 15th 2007 at 3:11 AM

Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors, but it seems like one of the things that made him so great is starting to fade, and that was his picky nature toward movie selection.

Early on in his career he made some fantastic and unique choices in roles to play starting with Cry-Baby and then films such as Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Those three movies were made in the span of 8 years with a few movies in between. However, recently he has made his move to more mainstream features with shit films such as Secret Window and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Yeah, I could even point at the Pirates franchise, but he is so perfect as Jack Sparrow it would be a shame if anyone else played that role.

However, amidst many rumored roles that he will be taking (many of which I have not even reported on such as him playing Freddie Mercury) yet another one pops up on the radar as rumor mill TMZ is reporting Depp has boarded a new animated film that mines four short stories from the hard-living poet and quintessentially L.A. novelist, Charles Bukowski.

The feature is titled How the Dead Love and Bridge to Terabithia helmer Gabor Csupo is aboard to direct.

Depp would voice the main character in the film, which is said to be much more for grown ups rather than the Saturday morning cartoon audience. However, I don't even think they show cartoons on Saturday mornings anymore… do they?

Of course after all my ranting above this film does sound like it is a good fit for Depp since it isn't your stereotypical animated film, just as Corpse Bride wasn't, but I just wish he would leave us wanting a little more. Also I am hoping he stears clear of Tim Burton after Sweeney Todd, I am starting to think Burton will have a hard time getting the greenlight without Depp attached, which might force him to make some better movies. At least movies we want to watch over and over again. Yeah, Big Fish was good, but watching it more than once is rough.