Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Director ~ Tim Burton

Writers ~ Tim Burton, Leonard Ripps

1984, b/w, USA

Stars ~ Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, Barret Oliver

Tim Burton’s 1984 short shows that his approach was already clearly determined: he’d been making shorts since the Seventies, including an adaptation of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ and ‘Vincent’, about a boy that wants to be Vincent Price and succumbing to his taste in fantasy. Burton was the one to turn to for cookie dark fantasy and made him a poster boy for fun Goths. This sensibility is perfectly epitomised in ‘Frankenweenie’s central image of what appears to be a mini-golf course in a pet cemetery.

‘Frankenweenie’ features Shelley Duvall and the kid from ‘The Neverending Story’, Barrett Oliver, and a young Sofia Coppola. There are several distinctive shots, not only the mini-windmill and the car bearing down on the dogs-eye-view, but my favourite being young Victor’s brainwave framed between two electrically stimulated frog’s legs. 

When his beloved dog is hit by a car and dies, all Victor wants is his late dog back. Through the influence of Mary Shelley, James Whale and old Universal horrors, Victor brings his dog back to life: the attic laboratory made from ordinary household appliances is a treat. Instead of defying God, Victor here is simply defying grief and the true villain being not the cute dog-zombie but he hysteria of suburban America. In that, it is very much in the trend of the Eighties that the picket fence of slick Americana being sold and dominating screens across the globe was not necessarily to be trusted. But mostly it is a fun gateway horror that packs a lot of genre vibe in its short running time.

Disney judged it too scary and fired Burton. Of course, Burton had the last laugh as his sensibility proved perfect for capturing the camp and horror of Batman. Grown in reputation, ‘Frankenweenie’ hits that sweet spot as a gateway coming-of-age horror for melancholy outsiders: grim, funny, quietly subversive, sugar-coated bad taste, a little freaky and a little innocent.

 

Frankenweenie

Director ~ Tim Burton

Writers ~ Leonard Ripps, Tim Burton, John August

2012, b/w, USA

Stars ~ Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short

In adapting his renowned short, Burton’s expansion incorporates many more horror Easter Eggs and grotesqueries, including ‘The Munsters’, ‘Gremlins’, Kaiju amongst others. It embraces the freakishness far more than the original, wallowing in the otherworldliness and excess that animation allows. This isn’t grounded in the reality at all, and yet the emotional core is still relatable as coming-of-age concerns. This time, though, it is notable that Vincent (voiced by Charlie Tahan) is less an outcast – because how could he be with this menagerie of classmates? – but a wilful loner, taking solace in his genius. And this time, there’s room to give all the other misfits their own amusing subplots: highlights being the rooftop DIY rocket and the precognitive-poop cat.

The black-and-white stop motion is gorgeous, of course, sharp and clean and excellently lit, with Burton’s designs being typically pointy, rounded, ikky-cute. Even Victor simply walking home through the suburbs in the rain is impressive as a visual. How Burton balances between the wholesome and grim is quite the marvel and at the core of his talent and crossover success.

As always, there are gruesome details, like bolts inserted into gaping scars and the patchwork zombie dog wagging his tail off. The lynch mob hysteria is somewhat toned down to greatly disapproving locals and the tone less melancholic. It may all turn out okay in the end, and there’s certainly the essence of Burton being genre comfort food, but there is always a thread of real danger with the detail and fun always beguiling. ‘Frankenweenie’ is also agreeably, declaratively pro-creativity and pro-science, as proclaimed by the Vincent Price-ish teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau). One minute you’re making a home-made space invasion movie; next, you’re reviving your dead dog with household accessories.