As the April 1st release date nears, the first reviews of Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd DVD are starting to hit the web. Why do we care? Thrillpeddlers are featured in the documentary Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition included on the 2-disc collector’s edition. It looks like the DVD producers did an excellent job of lining up some truly interesting bonus features, and it’s great to see that they’re getting some good press.

This from Fangoria:

Disc two includes a fine collection of featurettes that cover specific elements of the SWEENEY production, as well as the tale’s background. The latter are actually of the greatest interest, as Sweeney’s London takes a look at the squalid side of the city’s history, along the way revealing the gruesome origins of the traditional barber pole, while Sweeney Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber chronicles the character through historian and author interviews and vintage illustrations. (It’s pointed out here that the villain was partially inspired by 16th-century Scottish cannibal Sawney Bean, who also influenced THE HILLS HAVE EYES and other contemporary chillers, and that the flesheating which some might find SWEENEY’s most shocking element was actually a staple of many traditional fairy tales.) Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition takes a fascinating look at the famous French showcase for onstage gore, noting its origins as “naturalist” drama, its influence on early Hollywood fright fare and how it fell out of favor in the wake of the horrors of WWII.

Can’t wait to see it (and find out if any of my interview made it into the final cut). I’ll post a full write-up on the Grand Guignol featurette as soon as my copy arrives.

You can order the two-disc collector’s edition from Amazon for only $22.99 ($12 off). So what are you waiting for?