Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

[DisneylandTraveler]

The only thread in the Movies forum I could fine on MiceChat regarding Frankenweenie was closed a while back. The film premiered today but there seems to be a distinct lack of buzz about it despite Disney promoting the bejeezes out of the movie. Is the concept (boy exhuming his beloved dead dog that was run over by a car and bringing it back to life) that unappealing? (My answer is Yes but that's just me). If Frankenweenie flops on the heels of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows failure, has the bloom fallen off the rose?

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I want to see it..but none of my Friends do..so I'll wait but it could be his best film in years

[Barbossa]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I've got a busy two weeks ahead of me, but I'm hoping to catch it just before Halloween. Did see ParaNorman yesterday though; that one was good!

[FigmentJedi]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Just got back from it. It was okay, but nothing special. Had a few story issues which came with some of the padding, but it still needed said padding because it really is a small story. Gotta say though, ParaNorman blew this out of the water completely.

[DisneylandTraveler]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

With a weak 11.5 million at the box office in its opening weekend, Frankenweenie should prove to Disney once and for all why it is a bad idea to placate a (sometimes) successful film makers whims instead of bank rolling the movies people want and expect you to make. Tim Burton's Frankenweenie along with Andrew Stanton's John Carter are both films that should never have received a green light. Hopefully wiser studio execs are now in place.

[indianajack]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I think it's gotten to the point that having Burton's name attached to a film turns some people off. And those "some" people encourage their friends to see another movie instead, such as Taken 2. Some are burned out on Burton.

[ALIASd]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I think it's gotten to the point that having Burton's name attached to a film turns some people off. And those "some" people encourage their friends to see another movie instead, such as Taken 2. Some are burned out on Burton.

Unless it was his previous Disney release, 'Alice in Wonderland' which somehow made over $1 Billion at the box office alone. And then add in revenue from DVD, merchandise, etc.

My guess is that despite terrific reviews that it was a combination of subject matter and a vast majority of the population's aversion/ignorance of stop-motion/animation and the fact that the film is in black & white.

[indianajack]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Alice was two years ago.
Burton's last three projects (Dark Shadows, Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Frankenweenie) have all underwhelmed at the box office. The schtick is wearing thin methinks; Alice was his peak.

[clara]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Alice was two years ago.
Burton's last three projects (Dark Shadows, Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Frankenweenie) have all underwhelmed at the box office. The schtick is wearing thin methinks; Alice was his peak.

This reminds me to watch Dark Shadows On Demand

I wanted to see Frankenweenie its opening weekend in 3D but my apartment community gave residents a great deal to see the movie on the 17th at a local theatre for $5 each person plus a free drink and small popcorn. I'm taking advantage of that as it will total only $10 for my son and I to see Frankenweenie and get two drinks and two small popcorns

And Lincoln:Vampire Hunter was a joke <----just my opinion.

[ALIASd]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Alice was two years ago.
Burton's last three projects (Dark Shadows, Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Frankenweenie) have all underwhelmed at the box office. The schtick is wearing thin methinks; Alice was his peak.

Burton was a producer not director the bold above. Most top tier directors don't release a new film every year, as a stop-motion film 'Frankenweenie' has been in production for the past few. 'Alice' would certainly still be regarded as relatively recent product, consider it's current not inexpensive life extension as part of evening entertainment at DCA.

And 'Dark Shadows' was an expensive Warner Bros. release. If anything it proved that Burton should probably steer clear of remakes/reboots/reimaginings in the future, not unlike his take on 'Planet of the Apes', and go with original fresh projects and collaborations.

[rwsmith]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I think it's more of a case of a film/concept that meant a lot to Burton, but few else. There was a reason he was fired in 1984 when he spent $1,000,000 making the live action version. It's not "Disney". It's black and white. The characters are visually unappealing as in Corpse Bride. It's like Burton made a movie for his taste and not broad appeal, which is hit or miss when it comes to broader success with the masses. I bet he sat in a screening room with a huge smile in his heart. This is probably a vision from his youth that's realized. The only reason this film was made and the live action version was included in the Nightmare Before Christmas Bluray is his other successes. If his next film is a home run all will be forgotten. His films aren't mainstream enough for the Pixar effect, where EVERYTHING that they do is great to the masses. There could have been a test pattern on the screen and Ratatouille would have made money. To me the fact that it was Pixar is the only reason it was received better than Meet the Robinsons.

[AdventureBlueDude]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Hi. Haven't posted on Micechat in like two years, but I just wanted to put my thoughts on Frankenweenie.

Honestly, in comparison, as it seems, to most of the posters on this thread, I absolutely loved Frankenweenie. It was very obvious that it was a personal movie for Burton, especially since he spent almost 30 years making it the way he intended it to be, a feature-length stop motion film. Being a horror fan, I noticed a lot of the references and the massive amounts of detail in the movie. Nassor looking and talking in a way reminiscent to Boris Karloff, the teacher looking like a caricature of Vincent Price and talking somewhat like Bela Lugosi(I'm making this connection solely because he was voiced by Martin Landau who played Lugosi in Ed Wood) and some of the smaller details like the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea poster in Victor's room and the recreation of the stair scene from Nosferatu. I just absolutely loved this movie. I think Ed Wood, another of Tim Burton's films, could be the closest comparison to Frankenweenie. Obviously, they're both shot in black and white and both are a love letter to something special to Burton. Ed Wood the filmmaker in Ed Wood and the horror movie genre, more specifically 50s B-Movies, in Frankenweenie. It was just obviously a labor of love and I really wish more people appreciated it the way I do. It might be because I've been watching the original for the bulk of my childhood(though I haven't seen it in a good 7 years) or the fact that I'm a fan of horror movies, but the movie just stuck with me. I only wish others felt the way that I did. Though, of course, it's understandable; the movie was kind of "niche", being shot in black and white and having a dark story in general.

Also, just as one last note, Frankenweenie has been with Nightmare since it's VHS release.

[Maid of Horror]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Hi. Haven't posted on Micechat in like two years, but I just wanted to put my thoughts on Frankenweenie.

Honestly, in comparison, as it seems, to most of the posters on this thread, I absolutely loved Frankenweenie. It was very obvious that it was a personal movie for Burton, especially since he spent almost 30 years making it the way he intended it to be, a feature-length stop motion film. Being a horror fan, I noticed a lot of the references and the massive amounts of detail in the movie. Nassor looking and talking in a way reminiscent to Boris Karloff, the teacher looking like a caricature of Vincent Price and talking somewhat like Bela Lugosi(I'm making this connection solely because he was voiced by Martin Landau who played Lugosi in Ed Wood) and some of the smaller details like the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea poster in Victor's room and the recreation of the stair scene from Nosferatu. I just absolutely loved this movie. I think Ed Wood, another of Tim Burton's films, could be the closest comparison to Frankenweenie. Obviously, they're both shot in black and white and both are a love letter to something special to Burton. Ed Wood the filmmaker in Ed Wood and the horror movie genre, more specifically 50s B-Movies, in Frankenweenie. It was just obviously a labor of love and I really wish more people appreciated it the way I do. It might be because I've been watching the original for the bulk of my childhood(though I haven't seen it in a good 7 years) or the fact that I'm a fan of horror movies, but the movie just stuck with me. I only wish others felt the way that I did. Though, of course, it's understandable; the movie was kind of "niche", being shot in black and white and having a dark story in general.

Also, just as one last note, Frankenweenie has been with Nightmare since it's VHS release.

Wonderful post! I also loved Frankenweenie. This film is so close to Burton's original vision, and I agree that it's a labor of love, which makes it so special.

[Bronco21]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Hi. Haven't posted on Micechat in like two years, but I just wanted to put my thoughts on Frankenweenie.

Honestly, in comparison, as it seems, to most of the posters on this thread, I absolutely loved Frankenweenie. It was very obvious that it was a personal movie for Burton, especially since he spent almost 30 years making it the way he intended it to be, a feature-length stop motion film. Being a horror fan, I noticed a lot of the references and the massive amounts of detail in the movie. Nassor looking and talking in a way reminiscent to Boris Karloff, the teacher looking like a caricature of Vincent Price and talking somewhat like Bela Lugosi(I'm making this connection solely because he was voiced by Martin Landau who played Lugosi in Ed Wood) and some of the smaller details like the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea poster in Victor's room and the recreation of the stair scene from Nosferatu. I just absolutely loved this movie. I think Ed Wood, another of Tim Burton's films, could be the closest comparison to Frankenweenie. Obviously, they're both shot in black and white and both are a love letter to something special to Burton. Ed Wood the filmmaker in Ed Wood and the horror movie genre, more specifically 50s B-Movies, in Frankenweenie. It was just obviously a labor of love and I really wish more people appreciated it the way I do. It might be because I've been watching the original for the bulk of my childhood(though I haven't seen it in a good 7 years) or the fact that I'm a fan of horror movies, but the movie just stuck with me. I only wish others felt the way that I did. Though, of course, it's understandable; the movie was kind of "niche", being shot in black and white and having a dark story in general.

Also, just as one last note, Frankenweenie has been with Nightmare since it's VHS release.

I agree 100%! This film was fantastic (I just got back from seeing it). Remember when movies didn't feel like their only purpose was to make money? They had a purpose similar to a painting. They were there to stir up emotions and make you think about something (sometimes something you may/ may not be comfortable thinking about). But they had a much broader purpose than just making money. I fear that our world has lost it's interest in films like this except in small film festivals like Sundance. Frankenweenie was a perfect example of a film meant to be viewed as one would view a work of art. If you want mind numbing violence, unrealistic explosions, and simplistic storylines that never invite the viewers to contemplate anything, go see Taken 2. Taken 2 involves everything horrible that has happened to movies over the last 20-30 years and, sadly, it will probably end up making a bunch of money even though its is not only technically weak, but also a depiction of everything horrible that the world seeks after. Films like Frankenweenie are a dying breed, and its a real shame.

[MSVRider]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

In all honesty, Tim Burton films are either a hit or miss for me. So, the draw for me seeing this film was not based on his name attached. But, admittedly, I absolutely LOVED this film. And, while I agree it was faithful to his original, I also thought it was so much more. Interestingly enough, the relationship between Victor and Sparky was so much more real in the animated version than in the live action version. The idea of the dog dying seemed much less of a way of moving the story along and being more the heart of the story. Maybe it's because I own a dog and I also know what it's like to lose a dog, but I found myself genuinely weeping at times.

I really don't think the reason for the film's failure has anything to do with the story nor do I think it has anything to do with the fact that it's stop motion or black and white. I think it has everything to do with the fact that it was released one week after "Hotel Transylvania." "Hotel Transylvania" has popular star voices, is colorful and, from the previews, looks much lighter hearted. I'm not saying that makes it a better film or that animated films should have popular star voices, be colorful and be lighter hearted. But, in this case, I think it definitely divided the market with word of mouth for "Hotel Transylvania" winning out in the long run.

It's a shame because I really do think "Frankenweenie" is a good film. I'm hoping that word of mouth will try to save it, but, unfortunately, I think the bottom line has ultimately been damaged.

[LordVader]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I'm sure that if it passes its budget of 39 million than it will be fine.

[jcruise86]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

My daughter, 7, & I saw it yesterday. We also liked it, & I wouldn't mind seeing again.

CONGRATULATIONS to Tim Burton for earning a 74 on Metacritic.com:
Frankenweenie Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More - Metacritic

Tim Burton is a brilliant filmmaker, but he's not a marketing genius. Before his "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" came out, he insulted "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and annoyed what should have been part of his core audience. But I've liked that Johnny Depp version more and more as time goes on and I think this "Frankenweenie" will have real legs.

When films were shot in black & white

When films were shot in black & white
In seats the crowds would stay.
With colors gone they could delight
In many shades of grey.

Reflections, shadows, light and dark
Made classic joys and tears,
But best of all these artists caught
Our nightmares and our fears.

[darkamor]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

I <3 ' d it (then again, I also <3 ' d the original live action shorter version, too) & if you have fur kids (pets)? Chances are the story will touch you, also ....


FRANKENWEENIE isn't for everyone (just as I don't like every single PIXAR film - especially that boring as heck A BUG'S LIFE that I saw no reason to base a section of DCA upon), but for its fan base? Let's just say that the Walt Disney Co has another Film for October (which I wouldn't mind seeing featured in the Theme Parks for Halloween) and there are some clever merchandise in the Disney Stores right now ...


One complaint? This Film didn't have to be in 3-D (I did not see any reason for the 3-D up charge, unless its the sign of the times where Hollywood Studios will try any gimmick to get an extra dollar out of Consumers while a film is in theatres). You can see this film in 2-D and not miss a thing. I can honestly say that I do not <3 everything that Tim Burton has done (least favorites? Willy Wonka, Planet of the Apes, Dark Shadows), but what I do <3 that is done by him? I treasure ....


have a Happy Halloween everyone -

C J

[Wild Ol' Dan]

Re: Frankenweenie: Disney and Tim Burton, Feast or Famine

Howdy Pards,

Ahhhh...the youngun's around today...many have never seen that wonderful 1931 Black and White version of Frankenstein. They have never known the artistry of Boris Karloff. Some could not possibly watch a film that was, for artistic reasons, painted in glorious black and white... Karloff put heart into the monster, but back in those days the whole concept was terrifying. People fell in love with that movie for many different reasons...I remember in the days of my youth being a real classic horror movie fan...like many...I sided with the monster.

At Universal Orlando they have a Classic Universal Monster Cafe with various rooms dedicated to these classic films...you know...the Mummy, the Wolfman, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, and, of course, Frankenstein.

Earlier this month I visited that cafe on several occasions and delighted in setting in the Frankenstein monster room watching old clips from the movies...Bride of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein...even Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. They were, in my not so humble opinion, true classics and it is a shame that today's youth do not know or understand the magic found in them.

Tim Burton obviously knows cause he just produced a wonderful love letter to those great old films...in Frankenweenie. But, you folks are right...if you do not have the same foundation of knowledge of those great old classics then you'll pick the bright, colorful, sparkly, fun-filled thing instead and head to Hotel Transylvania. Most movie goers these days were born last Thursday don't ya know?

I went to both...loved both. And, I believe that Frankenweenie is destined to become a Halloweentime classic...catching on in the DVD and Blu-ray market...after it is aired once or twice on TV.

Jcruise86 hit the nail square on the head with that wonderful little poem...

When films were shot in black & white

When films were shot in black & white
In seats the crowds would stay.
With colors gone they could delight
In many shades of grey.

Reflections, shadows, light and dark
Made classic joys and tears,
But best of all these artists caught
Our nightmares and our fears.

Alas, however, you had to be born long before last Thursday to truly know and understand... Those great ol' black and white monster movies have stayed in my heart for an entire lifetime...I guess that's why they are truly classics...and I guess that's one reason I went to and truly enjoyed Frankenweenie. And, that's why I loved resting in the air-conditioned comfort of the Frankenstein monster room at Universal's Classic Monster Cafe...sippin' some ice tea...lookin' at old movie clips, old 8 x 10s and posters and such...and just rememberin'...

Adios for now. Talk to ya on down the trail.

Wild Ol' Dan

[jcruise86]

Frankenweenie

Thanks, Dan!

So far, Frankenweenie has won three critics awards for "best animated feature" of 2012.

Metacritic.com keeps track of the awards, and this list of theirs will get filled out as we approach 2013:
2012 Film Awards and Nominations - Metacritic

Tom Sinsky