Frankenweenie (1984)

Directed by: Tim Burton | 29 minutes | comedy, short film, science fiction | Actors: Barret Oliver, Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, Joseph Maher, Roz Braverman, Paul Bartel, Sofia Coppola, Jason Hervey, Paul C. Scott, Helen Boll, Sparky, Rusty James

Victor Frankenstein (Barret Oliver) is an aspiring filmmaker who entertains his parents (Shelley Duval and Daniel Stern) and friends (including a very young Sofia Coppola under her stage name Domino, and Jason Hervey) with inventive stories he translates into the white cloth. The protagonist in his Super 8 movie is his dog Sparky, with whom the ten-year-old boy has a strong bond. Sparky is dressed as a prehistoric animal in this video and is attacked by some kind of Godzilla. His audience enjoys and afterwards Victor plays a game with his beloved pet. When the poor creature has already entered the third minute of ‘Frankenweenie’ and is hit by a car and dies, Victor is inconsolable, although his parents proudly say that he is very strong. During a physics class, Victor discovers a method to bring Sparky back to life.

‘Frankenweenie’ is a short film shot in black and white that the legendary Tim Burton made at the age of 25, early in his career, when he was still working at Disney. It was the first time Burton had a professional cast at his disposal. Reportedly, however, the studio did not appreciate Burton’s production; it was too dark and unsuitable for delicate children’s souls. That is why Disney refused to release the film, which was initially intended to be shown in cinemas with the re-release of ‘Pinocchio’. In addition, the film was not the highest priority of the studio. The film was eventually rated PG (Parental Guidance), while in some scenes much more intense ‘Pinocchio’ was rated G (say “All Ages”). It wasn’t the first time Disney’s views on children’s movies clashed with Burton’s. His work on ‘The Fox and the Hound’ (‘Frank and Frey’) was rejected because his designs for the fox scenes came out looking like road kill. Burton himself says of his time at Disney that it was his most depressed period.

‘Frankenweenie’ is not scary at all, there is no violence in it, no coarse language and what might be experienced as exciting happens off screen. Burton’s macabre humor is clearly present in this film. The scenes in the graveyard are beautiful and imaginative and the scenes where Victor is experimenting literally sizzle with electricity. The film can be seen more or less as a retelling of Frank Whale’s film ‘Frankenstein’ (1931) and its sequel ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ (1935), but in a contemporary setting. The plot is quite simple and the 30 minute length is therefore just right. The actors do a fine job, they sense Burton’s intention perfectly, although the local residents are put a bit over the top and react rather overwrought. Frankenweenie finally got a video release in 1992, just before the release of ‘Batman Returns’, and was released in 2008 as an extra on the 2-disc collector’s edition of ‘Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas’. In November 2007 Burton signed a contract with Disney (!) for the remake of this short film into a 3D stop motion feature film.