FrankenÂweeÂnie by Tim BurÂton (1984) by FlixÂgr
If you’ve gone to the movies lateÂly, you may well have seen the trailÂer for Tim BurÂton’s upcomÂing FrankenÂweeÂnie. While its black-and-white stop-motion aniÂmaÂtion looks nifty — and it’ll sureÂly look even niftiÂer in IMAX 3D — BurÂton enthuÂsiÂasts know full well that the film isn’t entireÂly new. The origÂiÂnal FrankenÂweeÂnie, a much shortÂer and rougher-edged but nevÂerÂtheÂless uniqueÂly charmÂing picÂture, came out 28 years ago, and you can watch it free on Youtube today. A live-action film with a kinetÂiÂcalÂly askew visuÂal senÂsiÂbilÂiÂty, this first FrankenÂweeÂnie tells the same stoÂry as the new one: a boy brings his beloved dead dog back to life using the revivÂing powÂer of elecÂtricÂiÂty, but few resÂiÂdents of his small town approve of the resultÂing bolt-necked, stitched-togethÂer creaÂture. BurÂton has made the long, hard road to accepÂtance faced by well-meanÂing but ramÂshackle beings one of his domÂiÂnant themes, so his desire to make a secÂond FrankenÂweeÂnie comes as no great surÂprise — espeÂcialÂly since he also made the first one.
WorkÂing for DisÂney at the time, the young BurÂton manÂaged to land playÂers like ShelÂley Duvall, Daniel Stern, and a 13-year-old Sofia CopÂpoÂla for this charmÂingÂly goofy homage to FrankenÂstein. SadÂly, the stuÂdio ultiÂmateÂly conÂsidÂered the project a waste of monÂey, and too scary to screen for chilÂdren, and sent BurÂton packÂing. But howÂevÂer disÂcourÂagÂing the expeÂriÂence must have felt in the moment, it gave him 30 full minÂutes to tell a stoÂry. His earÂliÂer shorts, like the thirÂty-secÂond HouÂdiÂni: The Untold StoÂry above, had to operÂate under much more comÂpressed conÂdiÂtions. (LegÂend has it that BurÂton turned that film in to a teacher in lieu of a book report.) After his 1985 feaÂture breakÂthrough Pee-Wee’s Big AdvenÂture, he still found the occaÂsionÂal chance to make a short, as when he creÂatÂed The Jar, for the teleÂviÂsion series Alfred HitchÂcock Presents.
Some viewÂers like BurÂton’s movies betÂter the more resources he has to make them; othÂers preÂfer the fruits of his more conÂstrained (and thus restrained) years. To best decide for yourÂself, you’ll want to take this highÂly enterÂtainÂing course in the forÂmaÂtion of his disÂtincÂtive style by watchÂing his earÂly shorts, six of which have become availÂable online.
- HouÂdiÂni: The Untold StoÂry (1976)
- Stalk of the CelÂery MonÂster (1979)
- Luau (1982)
- VinÂcent (1982) (see also our earÂliÂer post on it)
- FrankenÂweeÂnie (1984)
- The Jar (1986) (origÂiÂnalÂly aired as an episode of Alfred HitchÂcock Presents)
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Tim Burton’s The World of StainÂboy: Watch the ComÂplete AniÂmatÂed Series
FrankenÂweeÂnie: Tim BurÂton Turns FrankenÂstein Tale into DisÂney Kids Film (1984)
VinÂcent: Tim Burton’s EarÂly AniÂmatÂed Film Tim BurÂton: A Look Inside His VisuÂal ImagÂiÂnaÂtion
500 Free Movies Online ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
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