Frankenweenie (1984)

Tim Burton: Frankenweenie (US 1984), his 30 min short with Barret Oliver as Victor Frankenstein.

US 1984. PC: Walt Disney Productions. P: Rick Heinrichs, Julie Hickson. D: Tim Burton. SC: Lenny Ripp. DP: Thomas E. Ackerman – b&w – 1,66:1. M: Michael Covertino, David Newman.
    C: Barret Oliver (Victor Frankenstein), Shelley Duvall (Mother Frankenstein), Daniel Stern (Father Frankenstein), Paul Bartel (Mr. Walsh).
    30 min.
    A Walt Disney Company print screened once with special permission at Cinema Orion, Helsinki, 9 Dec 2008.

A slightly dark and soft print, a slight unintended tint in b&w. We screened it at 1,37:1, but then twice mikes were briefly visible. – Revisited: the wonderful short, already a perfect Tim Burton movie. – The IMDB synopsis: "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. Written by Kathy Li". – A delicious variation on the Frankenstein theme. There is a new twist after the conflagration at the mill: the "monster dog" saves the boy, and the whole neighbourhood joins forces to jump-start the dog with the power from their car engines. Attractive music.