Frankenweenie

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Frankenweenie
Directed by Tim Burton
Produced by Julie Hickson
Rick Heinrichs (associate producer)
Written by Tim Burton
Leonard Ripps (as Lenny Ripps)
Starring Shelley Duvall
Daniel Stern
Barret Oliver
Music by Michael Convertino
David Newman
Cinematography Thomas E. Ackerman
Editing by Ernest Milano
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s) December 14, 1984
Running time 29 mins.
Country USA
Language English
Budget US$1,000,000
IMDb profile

Frankenweenie (1984) is a short film directed by Tim Burton, and co-written by Burton with Leonard Ripps. It is a parody of, and homage to, the 1931 film Frankenstein based on Mary Shelley's book of the same name. Burton is currently working on a full-length stop motion remake for cinematic release.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Victor Frankenstein (played by Barret Oliver) is a young boy who creates movies starring his dog, Sparky (a bull terrier). After Sparky is hit by a car, Victor learns at school about electrical impulses in muscles, and gets the idea to bring his pet back to life. He creates elaborate machines which bring down a bolt of lightning that revives the dog. While Victor is pleased, his neighbors are terrified by the animal, and when the Frankensteins decide to introduce the revitalized Sparky to them, they become angry and afraid. Sparky runs away, with Victor in pursuit, and they find themselves at a local miniature golf course, and hide in its flagship windmill. The Frankensteins' neighbors, now an angry mob, arrive on the scene, and while using a cigarette lighter to try to see in, the windmill is accidentally lit on fire. Victor falls and is knocked out, but Sparky rescues him from the flames, in time to be crushed by the windmill. The mob realizes its error, and use their cars, along with jumper cables, to "recharge" Sparky. He is revived, and all celebrate. Sparky later falls in love with a poodle with a hairstyle strangely resembling the Bride of Frankenstein's.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Controversy

Burton was fired by Disney after the film was completed; the studio claimed that he had wasted company resources. After the mainstream success of Beetlejuice, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, and Batman, the film was given a home video release.[1] It is currently available as an extra, along with Vincent, on the Nightmare Before Christmas DVD and UMD for PSP.

[edit] Remake

In November 2007, Tim Burton signed a deal with Disney to remake the film as a feature length, 3D stop-motion film.[2] The film is produced by Allison Abate and Don Hahn and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the first since James and the Giant Peach.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "Trivia". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
  2. ^ Marc Graser. "Burton, Disney team on 3D films", Variety, 2007-11-15. Retrieved on 2007-11-16. 

[edit] External links

Frankenweenie at the Internet Movie Database

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Films directed by Tim Burton
1980s
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) • Beetlejuice (1988) • Batman (1989)
1990s
Edward Scissorhands (1990) • Batman Returns (1992) • Ed Wood (1994) • Mars Attacks! (1996) • Sleepy Hollow (1999)
2000s
2010s