Edward Scissorhands Turns 25 This Month. How Did That Happen?

We take a look at just at 10 things you might not already know about Tim Burton's gothic 90s masterpiece...

'You see, before he came down here, it never snowed. And afterwards, it did. If he weren't up there now... I don't think it would be snowing. Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in it.'

It seems only yesterday that Winona Ryder reduced us to a sobbing wreck as she uttered the closing lines above. We've got a newsflash for you: it was 25 years ago. 25 years since Tim Burton melted our hearts with his icy fairytale, exploring love and loneliness in Suburbia. That's a quarter of a century! Crikey, we feel old.

To celebrate our old age alongside Edward, we thought we'd explore just a few things you might not know about the ultimate gothic romance. The heartbreaking story of a gentle man with scissors for hands...

1. It's really all about Tim Burton's awkward teens

Burton grew up in suburban Los Angeles and his fictional neighborhood is based on his own memories growing up there. The director later revealed that he had problems socialising with the people around him and was unable to nurture friendships as a child.

2. Tom Hanks turned down the role of Edward

No, seriously. Fox studio was even keen for Burton to consider Tom Cruise - imagine that! Burton wasn't convinced. 'He was interesting, but I think it worked out for the best,' Burton on Burton quotes him saying in 2006. 'A lot of questions came up.' Even Michael Jackson expressed interest in playing the role.

3. Johnny Depp watched a LOT of Charlie Chaplin movies

The Hollywood star was keen to provoke emotional sympathy from cinema-goers without the need for dialogue. He watched as many silent movies as he could do prepare for the almost-mute role of Scissorhands. According to IMDB, Edward only says 169 words during the entire film.

4. Blink and you'll miss him. Ever spotted this cameo? Nick Carter from The Backstreet Boys has an uncredited extras role as a boy playing on the Slip 'n Slide when Edward rides past in a car.

5. Depp's transformation wasn't exactly easy

Depp's wardrobe and prosthetic makeup took an hour and 45 minutes to apply. We're guessing he brought a good book with him...

6. It even inspired fossil scientists

In 2013, a 500-million-year-old lobster fossil was named after Depp because of its scissor-like claws. The 'Kooteninchela deppi'. David Legg, from Imperial College London’s Department of Earth Science and Engineering, told The Sun at the time: 'When I first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species I could not help but think of Edward Scissorhands.'

7. Winona Ryder? Just call her Bambi...

According to Burton on Burton, the director was particularly tickled by Winona Ryder's transformation into a blonde cheerleader. The role was totally against type and was a huge challenge for the brunette indie star. 'It was so funny,' Burton says in the book. 'I used to laugh every day when I saw her walk on the set wearing this little cheerleader outfit and a Hayley Mills-type blonde wig. She looked like Bambi.'

8. Edward's barnet is a nod to The Cure

According to a 1991 Entertainment Weekly article, 'the character's retro hair and penchant for leather clearly draw on punks like the Cure's Robert Smith.' Tim Burton is a self-confessed fan of the kohled-up alt-band, so we wouldn't be surprised if this was true...

9. Small windows, major paranoia

According to IMDB, the film crew removed the house facades in the neighbourhood and reduced the windows size to make it look more paranoid.

10. It's a real place Edward Scissorhands was filmed in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. Each house was painted one of four distinct colours described by production designer Bo Welch as: 'sea-foam green, dirty flesh, butter and dirty blue.' Edward Scissorhands 25th Anniversary Blu-ray is available from 30 November.