Tim Burton isn’t looking to go down any dark holes on the World Wide Web anytime soon.
Ahead of the opening of his new The World of Tim Burton exhibition in London, the legendary filmmaker revealed to BBC News that “anybody who knows me knows I’m a bit of a technophobe.”
“If I look at the internet, I found that I got quite depressed. It scared me because I started to go down a dark hole. So I try to avoid it because it doesn’t make me feel good,” Burton explained. “I get depressed very quickly, maybe more quickly than other people. But it doesn’t take me much to start to click and start to short circuit.”
It’s safe to assume the director behind film classics — including Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wednesday, Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Batman, among others — isn’t looking to the internet for entertainment or creative inspiration.
When he’s not working, Burton told the outlet that he likes to keep himself busy by doing simple things, like looking at the clouds. He also finds enjoyment in his collection of 10 giant dinosaur models that he keeps in his backyard.
Another technological advancement that the filmmaker has previously expressed his dislike for is artificial intelligence. Last year, he reacted to a BuzzFeed story that used AI to show what Disney movies would look like if they were directed by Burton.
“I can’t describe the feeling it gives you,” he told The Independent at the time. “It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul.’”
While Burton acknowledged that some of the creations were “very good,” he added, “What it does is it sucks something from you. It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.”
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