"McMahan's verbal lucidity is as impressive as the visual designs of Burton's films, and much more accessible. From Burton's early campy stop-action tribute to Vincent Price (Vincent) through his blockbuster films like Batman, the author paints this director's oeuvre as an intertextual, idiosyncratic, and fascinating set of projects. However, what is unique about McMahan's approach is her larger cultural and contextual concerns with "animating live action in contemporary Hollywood," considerations that inform and direct her lively analysis. She is as interested in narrative, marketing, mythmaking, CGI and SFX, and the music of Danny Elfman as she is in the individual films. She closes with an invitation to consider other alternative postmodern directors such as Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black). Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers; all levels." - Choice, January 2006