My birthday is exactly three weeks from today, and this year I’m getting a very special present. So special, I’m sharing it with millions and millions of people. Here’s a sneak peek:

Sweeney Todd was originally slated to have a limited release mid-December and then go nationwide in January, but someone must have told Tim and Johnny about my birthday. Isn’t it sweet of them to change the release date just for me?

Normally I wouldn’t be eagerly anticipating a movie about a barber intent on revenge and a woman who makes, shall we say, *interesting* meat pies. But the Broadway version won a Tony for Best Musical in ’79 — there must be a good reason why it’s been around so long.

You did know it’s a musical, right? And that Johnny does his own singing? Yup — the lead guitarist and backup singer from the rock band The Kids sings the lead in a movie based on a Broadway musical. If you didn’t take time to play the video linked above, you’re missing a real treat. (Go on, it’s only a minute six long.) Even in the extras on the DVD for The Corpse Bride we didn’t get to see Johnny in the recording studio. Given what he can do with his speaking voice I figured he’d have a pretty decent singing voice, but my oh my. Oh my.

Ahem.

You say you’re a Johnny Depp fan? Identify the movie that goes with the line(s). (No, none of them are from Pirates – this quiz isn’t for Johnny-come-lately fans. )

1. “You’re out of your tree.”
“It’s not my tree.”

2. “Okay, I’m going to freak right out.”

3. “The only thing that matters is the ending. It’s the most important part of the story. And this one is very good. This one is perfect.”

4. “Did you kill the man who killed you?”
“I’m not dead.”

5. “My dad always said that work was like a hat you put on your head. And even if you didn’t have pants, you didn’t have to walk down the street ashamed of your ass as long as you had a hat.”

6. “You make friends with us, you make enemies of others.”

7. “Any experiment of interest in life will be carried out at your own expense.”

8. “I hear you are good at … getting things out.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

9. “It’s better to run and live than to stay and die.”

10. “Wanna tell me what you really said to the president?”
“Yeah, I thanked him for his call and I asked him what he was wearing. And, uh, he started breathing kinda heavy, made a funny noise, and hung up.”

Bonus for the truly dedicated, devoted fan:
“I didn’t sell my soul, I sold my body, and the church forgives whores for doing that all the time.”

I’ll check in after to lunch to see how you’re doing…