Frankenweenie (1984)

A young boy sets out to revive his dead pet using the monstrous power of science.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Leonard Ripps (screenplay), Tim Burton (idea)

Stars:

Shelley Duvall, Daniel Stern, Barret Oliver

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Shelley Duvall	...	Susan Frankenstein
Daniel Stern	...	Ben Frankenstein
Barret Oliver	...	Victor Frankenstein
Joseph Maher	...	Mr. Chambers
Roz Braverman	...	Mrs. Epstein
Paul Bartel	...	Mr. Walsh
Sofia Coppola	...	Anne Chambers (as Domino)
Jason Hervey	...	Frank Dale
Paul C. Scott	...	Mike Anderson
Helen Boll	...	Mrs. Curtis
Sparky	...	Sparky
Rusty James	...	Raymond

Storyline

When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his appearance, Sparky's still the good loyal friend he's always been.

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Plot Keywords:

monster | neighbor | dog | boy | chase | 

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Taglines:

A comic twist on a classic tail!

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1994 (Spain)

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

29 min

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was originally scheduled to be released on the same program as the 1984 re-release of Pinocchio, but was pulled after test screenings upset children.

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Quotes

Victor Frankenstein: [after resurrecting his dog] It's only Sparky.
Ben Frankenstein: What do you mean it's only Sparky?

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Connections

Spoofs Frankenstein (1931)

User Reviews

A cute take on the legend

Along with Vincent, this short is featured on the DVD of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Since I first read about it here on IMDb, I've wanted to watch it. It's a delightful little film version of Frankenstein, seen from a child's perspective, and with charm and a sweet sense of humor. You'd be hard pressed to find a film that, whilst remaining somewhat dark, still manages to appeal to the kid in all of us so well. Most anyone can enjoy this. The fact that Burton was fired from Disney for making this kind of film is quite sad. This short displays beyond any doubt that Tim could easily have handled great children's films. The plot is well-written and moves along nicely. The scene of Sparky's demise is almost painful to watch, as it is so easy to see where it's going, how it'll end. But Burton holds us there, keeps us in a position where we can only watch, anticipating what will happen but do nothing. The way the story develops and ends works very well. I shouldn't write it out in detail, as it is far too great to spoil. The acting is solid, with few, if any, performances lacking. The characters are credible, if slightly grotesque at times(a trait Burton brings to most of his projects, be they about the living or otherwise). The writing is very good all-round. The humor is neither cruel nor juvenile... just about everyone can laugh at it. It is at times somewhat dark, though. Not much left to say... I enjoyed this simply shot, fun little movie, a sign of great things to come for Tim Burton. I recommend this to any fans of him and anyone looking to watch alternate re-tellings of the great novel. 7/10