Frankenweenie Feature
Jump to: Our Review | Premiere Photo Gallery | Charlie Tahan ("Victor") Q & A | There's an App for That! | The iBook Experience
About the Movie
Walt Disney Pictures | Release Date: October 5 | Rated PG
From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.
A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.
Featurette: Puppet Hospital
Film Clip: Bride of Frankenstein
Trailer
Our Review
Frankenweenie Adds New Spark of Life to Classic Story
by Derek J. Samms
Frankenweenie, Tim Burton’s retelling of Frankenstein, hits theatres this Friday, just in time for Halloween. Considering Burton first had the idea for Frankenweenie nearly three decades ago, it’s easy to enter the theater with high expectations. But as an entertaining tribute to classic horror films, and as a touching story of the child-pet relationship, the film doesn’t disappoint.
At the onset, we get a picture of life in the Frankenstein family (yes, they kept the name). Living in the town of New Holland, 10-year-old Victor (voiced by Charlie Tahan) loves science and enjoys making his own films. His parents (Burton alumni Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short) are loving and supportive, but his best friend is his dog Sparky, who does everything with Victor and even stars in his homemade movies. Sparky’s sudden and tragic death leaves Victor devastated and alone, but inspired by the science lessons of Mr. Rzykruski (a Vincent Price homage brought to life by Martin Landau), he sets a plan in motion to bring his best friend back—albeit in a stitched-up, electrified version. Reviving Sparky works fine for a time, until others start to learn of his undead existence. Danger and humor alike erupt from there, leading to a climax referencing a few of the classic scary movies.
Although the subject matter—re-animating a dead animal—threatens to provide excessively dark material for a family movie, and even though the film includes a number of frightening images and situations, Burton and screenwriter John August manage to maintain generally child-friendly parameters. The most violent and potentially disturbing events happen off-screen, and the horror elements are restricted to ones resembling classic films. Even with effective stop-motion animation, the figures are unrealistic enough to take the edge off the fear without losing the heart.
In the end, Frankenweenie is a sweet boy-and-dog story with enough twists to keep it original. The classic film references will entertain adults in the audience, and kids and kids-at-heart alike will relate to Victor’s difficulty with letting go. There are also plenty of laughs and a plot exciting enough to keep anyone entertained. Plus, the 3D and black-and-white are a perfect complement to the genre nods. If you’re looking for a seasonal delight that touches on horror without getting too frightening, Frankenweenie is a safe pick.
Frankenweenie is rated PG for thematic elements, scary images, and action. Other notable cast members include Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands), Atticus Shaffer (TV’s “The Middle”), Conchata Farrell (“Two and a Half Men”), Robert Capron (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), and Tom Kenny (voice of the immortal Spongebob Squarepants). The film opens nationwide October 5th.
The Premiere
The stars and filmmakers behind "Frankenweenie" gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate the premiere of the film and Disney was nice enough to share their photos with us! So we thought we'd share them with you!
Frankenweenie Red Carpet Photo Gallery
Meet Charlie Tahan ("Victor")
When did you realize that you wanted to be an actor?
Well I didn't just wake up one day and say "Hey, I want to be an actor!". I just really, really loved movies when I was little, and I was always acting out scenes and making up ideas for movies and dressing up in costumes and stuff. I was taking a pre-school movement class at the Y, and I loved it, and the teacher also taught acting so I started taking her acting classes. And then we had friends who were sort of in the business and they told my mom about it and we decided to try going on auditions for the summer. So, I started doing commercials. I loved it so then I started going on movie and TV auditions. I guess I realized that I wanted to do this for a long time when I was a little older and working on I Am Legend. That was a really cool set and I learned a lot... I guess I was old enough to understand everything that was going on and I remember thinking "Hey, I really love this!"
What were some of your first professional jobs?
When I first started acting I did lots of commercials. The first thing I booked I got to go to Germany for a candy commercial; I was like five years old. I did so many commercials after that... For banks, medicines, cookies, clothes, toys, department stores... Then I started going on movie auditions and the first movie I did I played the young version of Seann William Scott. It was cool but I dont think I ever even got to see that movie! The first really big, big budget thing I did was I Am Legend, and it was so much fun. Will Smith was so nice and fun to work with, and even though most of my scenes were cut out - I loved doing that movie.
What was your audition process like for “Frankenweenie?” / Did you do anything special to celebrate when you found out that you got the role?
I first auditioned for Frankenweenie I guess like 3 years ago. I didn't know it was for an animated movie, they didn't tell us that. Usually for animation auditions they just record your voice but all these auditions were filmed. I did know that it was a Tim Burton movie, though, so ... that was exciting. And when I finally found out it was animated I was psyched because I had never done voice work before, and I love animation. After a few callbacks I was getting excited ... but then I was in Canada working on Charlie St.Cloud so I couldn't go to the final callback in New York. I thought I didn't have a chance anymore. But then the casting director and the producer actually flew to Vancouver to meet me again to do my final audition. I couldn't believe it! I was so excited when I booked it. I went out and bought new DVDs of my old favorite Tim Burton movies to celebrate (my old ones were all on VHS!)
How did you research and/or prepare to play “Victor?”
I didn't really do much research. Tim wanted me to be natural and sort of just be like, a regular kid. I had already seen some of the old monster movies and I also love Young Frankenstein so I kinda knew about the basic story line and old monsters and stuff. The one thing that helped was that after I booked it, we got a dog! We always wanted one, but my mom was never ready. But I guess the time was right so we got a puppy, Sam. I think having her definitely helped me relate to Victor more, and I used that when I was doing my scenes with Sparky.
Were you familiar with Tim Burton’s work before working with him?
Yes, I was very familiar with Tim Burton's work before working with him. One of the first movies I remember being obsessed with, starting when I was like two, was Pee Wees Big Adventure... and then of course Nightmare Before Christmas... and now I have seen most of his movies he directed or produced. I seriously always wanted to work with Tim Burton but never really thought it would happen. It was kind of like a bucket list thing that I actually got to check off.
How would you describe “Victor?”
Victor is a quiet, kind of shy kid who loves science and making movies. He really doesn't have any friends except his dog, Sparky. He has a really strong bond with Sparky. Even though he is sort of a loner, Victor likes just doing his own thing. His Dad kind of forces him to try to be more like the other kids, and makes him join the baseball team, but that turns out to be kind of a bad idea.
How is doing voice over work different from being in front of a camera? Were you able to work with any of the other actors or were you mainly by yourself during recording?
Doing voice work is really fun. I have never done it before. It is easier (than on-camera) in some ways because you don't have to do hair and make-up. I actually showed up in my pajamas a few times. And you don't have to worry about memorizing lines and blocking and stuff. You can just focus on your voice. But it is weird because there are no other actors to work with. I actually had a stuffed animal in the booth to pretend it was Sparky that I was talking to. I never got to meet any of the other actors until the premiere.
Do you have a favorite scene from the movie?
My favorite scene is the Dutch Day fair, when all the other pets are back to life and it is like a crazy old monster movie, chaos! My other favorite scene is when Victor brings Sparky back to life, it is a really cool, visual scene with not a lot of dialogue but it is just amazing to watch.
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time... I like to skateboard - but I have to take a break from that for a while because I had a bad accident this summer. I fell at skateboarding camp and had a really bad concussion and I broke my eye socket. (Yes - I was wearing a helmet!) So I can't skate until I get cleared to go back. I also play Magic the Gathering, it's hard to explain, it is a kind of card game. I go to public school, and I live in a small town so I spend a lot of time hanging out with my friends... I play a little guitar, too.
Do you have any other projects coming up that we should keep an eye for it?
I just filmed a few scenes for a new Woody Allen movie. It doesn't have a name yet. Oh, and I also shot a few scenes for a movie called "Blood Ties," a crime drama set in the seventies.
Are there any charities that are particularly close to your heart?
The charity that my family mostly donates to is St. Judes Children's hospital. They do research and treatment mostly for kids with cancer. I have donated money and supplies to other charities too, like the animal shelter and kids in Haiti and Japan. Oh, we also give to the Red Cross, they help people after disasters. So I don't really have just one charity, I guess wherever I think it will help at the time.
Can fans find you on-line, like on Facebook or Twitter?
I am actually not into Facebook or Twitter. I have one small private Facebook page that is only for close friends and family, but I hardly go on it... and I have a Twitter but I literally NEVER use it. But people made fake Twitters with my name... It's really weird and annoying! And there are a bunch of fake Facebooks, too. I don't know why people do that, make fake accounts? Too much free time I guess?
Can you comment on what it is like to be part of the Disney family?
Well, it's really cool to be "part of the Disney Family." I mean, almost every kid grows up watching Disney movies, and dreams about going to Disneyland and stuff. It's like, part of growing up, you know? Well, I actually got to go to Disneyland for some Frankenweenie events, and it was awesome - it was so much fun. And now I am actually part of a Tim Burton and Disney movie... that's just crazy. Crazy! I still kind of can't believe it.
Get Interactive with the "Frankenweenie" Free Level Pack on the Where's My Water? App
Disney launched today “10 Days of Frankenweenie,” a new free level pack for the hit mobile game Where’s My Water? Free. Inspired by Disney’s stop-motion animated film “Frankenweenie,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tim Burton, the level pack features new black and white levels that combine the film’s retro look and feel with the gameplay of Where’s My Water?.
Players of Where’s My Water? Free will enjoy the new movie-themed comic panel featuring Sparky, the beloved dog from the film, in addition to the “Frankenweenie”-themed locked level icons, collectibles and more. “10 Days of Frankenweenie” also features a brand-new soundtrack inspired by the film, featuring a child choir, all new music mixes for the levels and spooky sound effects.
"Frankenweenie: An Electrifying iBook" Now Available for eReaders!
Capturing the creative process from concept to completion, the interactive book integrates videos, vibrant music, and original sketches to offer readers a fully immersive behind-the-scenes look into the making of the movie. Available on the iBookstore, this book is Disney Publishing’s first to be created with Apple’s iBooks Author. Download your FREE copy of the iBook at this link : Frankenweenie: An Electrifying iBook