Movie Review: Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie (2012)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau and Charlie Tahan

I reviewed this film for Next Projection.

Tim Burton's latest animated oddity heralds a return to form for the director. Although he distracted himself with big-budget remakes over the years -- many of which failed to resonate with viewers -- Frankenweenie is a welcome return to the Burton of old.

Expanding on a concept conceived back in 1984, Frankenweenie has gone from a 30-minute project to a feature-length film lensed in glorious black and white -- an homage to the horror influences of his childhood.

Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is devastated when his beloved dog, Sparky, is killed in a tragic road accident. However, when a grieving Victor learns about the effects of electricity while in his science class he concocts a plan to bring his dog back to life. But, in order to avoid detection, he must outsmart his parents (Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short), science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) and his nosy classmates. Although Victor's experiment initially proves to be a success, he is ultimately forced to confront the consequences of his actions when other people get their hands on the science behind bringing the dead back to life.

Influenced by the aesthetics and techniques used in the German Expressionist films that were prevalent in the 1920s, Frankenweenie also contains a memorable cast of eccentric outsiders -- all familiar features in Burton's oeuvre.

The craftsmanship is a wonder to behold. Frankenweenie is arguably Burton's most visually stunning work in years. Making the bold decision to release a family feature in black and white, the characters and their little town of New Holland are so vivid they appear to pop off the screen. To understand the painstaking process involved in creating a stop-motion feature, is to realize that Frankenweenie is a genuine labour of love for its director.

While the plot fondly borrows from films and literature of the past, it's the characters that keeps the action moving forward. The premise may not be original but the memorable cast of characters is all Burton's own creation. His signature long-legged, saucer-eyed characters tend to resemble grotesque marionettes but their personalities carry a lot of heart.

Despite all the impressively eerie visuals and classic film references, Frankenweenie is ultimately just a touching story about a young boy and his dog; the rare family feature that will appeal to both children and adults alike.

Burton's affection for his now-28-year-old story is undeniable as Frankenweenie proves to be the director's most successful outing in years.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Tim Burton Exhibit in Toronto

I went to the Tim Burton Exhibit which is currently in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. I expected to be underwhelmed ...not because I have anything against Burton, but because exhibits sometimes have the tendency to be overrated and low on actual quality content. That wasn't the case this time around, thankfully.

Burton has been one of my favourite directors since childhood. Some of my fondest film memories are of his unique and quirky films. I could recite (and probably still could) every word of Batman (1989). I also loved  Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). His weird, demented sense of humour and German Expressionist-inspired set pieces were a perfect blend of dark comedy and eerie fantasy.

As I got older I grew a greater appreciation for his art, both in terms of concept and design and lonely and strange central characters. I fell in love with Ed Wood (1994) and found an appreciation for his short films, especially Vincent (1982). Seeing all his script notes, early sketches and clay figurines made me realize that the man is a true auteur and a genuinely talented artist. I only wish his latest films would reflect that talent. Although I loved Sweeney Todd (2007), I've been disappointed in his other more recent films. I want him to get back to the dark, lonely dreamworlds of Edward Scissorhands or even Beetlejuice. Here's hoping he goes back to his roots.

If the exhibit ever makes its way to your city, check it out! There are some real gems in that collection, from costumes (one of Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands outfits), set pieces (those creepy musical plastic children from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) and bits and pieces from his own personal collection (photography stills of his stop-motion characters and, one of my favourite things -- his old high school notebooks and projects). Long live Burton!

Hollywood Profile: Edward D. Wood Jr.

Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924-1978)

I know very little about the life of the notoriously terrible film director, Ed Wood. What little I do know is gleaned from Tim Burton's 1994 tribute, Ed Wood, and various small articles and tribute videos floating around the Internet. But from what I do know...he makes for a fascinating Hollywood eccentric.

The infamous Mr. Wood has been the subject of numerous biographies, documentaries and films focused on his eccentricities and general awfulness. Ever since he passed away of a heart attack at the age of 54 in 1978, Wood has achieved an astounding cult status only a select few people ever obtain.

Known for his showmanship and his ability to attract every oddball in Hollywood, Wood "won" the honour of the Golden Turkey Award for Worst Director of All Time in 1980, only two years after his death. This only cemented his rise in popularity after his death.

The first film to bring Wood fame (or, rather, infamy) was based on the true story of Christine Jorgensen, the first well-known person to go through sex reassignment surgery. The initial working title was I Changed My Sex! (complete with exclamation point). Wood convinced producer George Weiss that he had something special that only he could bring to the film. That little special something? Wood's own secret desire of dressing as a woman (something his close friends and second wife, Kathy O'Hara, insisted was not a sexual inclination, but an emotional connection to angora material).

Wood immediately wrote the script and cast himself in the lead. The only problem was that Wood made the film more of an autobiography, veering away from the original premise. Wood retitled the film Glen Or Glenda and it was released in 1953 in only three American states. Surprisingly, the film co-starred former horror film legend, Bela Lugosi. Best known for his role as the original Dracula and his alleged rivalry with Boris Karloff, Lugosi appeared in the film both for the desire to work again (he hadn't appeared in a motion picture in nearly five years by that time) and as a favour to his new, vibrant young friend, Ed Wood.

Throughout the film, Wood appeared in full women's clothing. Despite its unpopularity it gave Wood the confidence boost he needed to start appearing in public in drag. His alter ego was Shirley and he would often direct in a full dress and wig.

Bride of the Monster (originally titled Bride of the Atom) was Wood's own brainchild. It starred Lugosi in his last speaking role. He played a mad scientist who wanted to create his own super-race. Every horror story ever told about the hardships of bringing this film to fruition are true. The backdrops were all hand-painted, the 400-pound Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson knocked over many of the set pieces during filming and Lugosi actually did have to thrash around in freezing water with a fake octopus despite the fact that he was old, frail and cranky due to his drug addiction. Even more noticeable was the stock footage of alligators and octopuses randomly inserting itself in the film. Released in 1955, Bride of the Monster was reviled.

Plan 9 From Outer Space, for which Wood is most famous, debuted in 1956. Originally, Wood wanted to film his script The Ghoul Goes West, but turned back to his Plan 9 script when a southern Baptist church group agreed to pay for the production with the promise that the film would be such a huge success that they would be able to make a film series on the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ. Wood and the Baptists made an unlikely pairing.Lugosi died before filming so Wood inserted stock footage of the late actor and hired his chiropractor to be Lugosi's stand-in. Terrible sets, lousy acting and an incomprehensible script helped lend a hand to the cult status it would eventually achieve.

Part of Wood's legend is his genuine friendship with Bela Lugosi. While some accused Wood of stringing along a frail, drug-addled old man who was desperate for Hollywood to want him again, Wood helped Lugosi through the worst period of his life. Through the duration of their friendship, Wood comforted Lugosi when he overdosed on drugs and convinced him to enter into rehab to get sober. Wood was one of the few people who attended Lugosi's funeral. Hollywood may have forgotten the former horror legend, but Wood was loyal to the end.

After Lugosi's death, Wood's fan base dwindled and the director turned to heavy drinking for comfort. He made a series of pornographic films and wrote sex novels for as little as $100 in an attempt to make as much money as he possibly could. By this time, Hollywood was officially done with Edward D. Wood Jr. He fell deeper and deeper into depression and alcoholism before succumbing to a heart attack. The last years of his life were marred by financial instabilities and empty attempts at making films that mattered to him. Wood was survived by his second wife, Kathy, and his daughter.

His ashes were scattered in the sea. Plan 9 and its cult status reached fever pitch. It even revived Lugosi's cult status.

FUN FACTS:
++Wood's mother always wanted a daughter and, when he was 12, she started dressing him as a girl when he was at home.
++He considered himself a heterosexual transvestite.
++He had a fetish for angora sweaters.
++Wood fought in the Second World War and participated in the Battle of Guadalcanal...while wearing women's underwear and brassieres (he didn't fear death; his only fear was that people would discover his secret).
++He was missing his top four front teeth and had a disfigured leg.
++Upon returning from the Second World War, Wood joined a freak show. He played the role of the Bearded Lady.
++Glen Or Glenda and Plan 9 have both been remade into porn films (Glen & Glenda and Plan 69 From Outer Space).
++In 1996, Reverend Steve Galindo founded the Church of Ed Wood. There are over 3500 baptized followers in Sacramento, California, where it was established. Worshippers refer to themselves as Woodites and celebrate Woodmas on October 10th (Wood's birthday).
++In 1998, the film I Woke Up Early the Day I Died was released. It was based on a Wood script. The film starred Billy Zane and Christina Ricci.
++The University of Southern California hosts an annual Ed Wood Film Festival.

SUGGESTED READING:
"Nightmare of Ecstasy: The Life and Art of Edward D. Wood, Jr."
By: Rudolph Grey

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

DIRECTED BY: Tim Burton
STARRING: Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska Helena Bonham Carter and Crispin Glover

Despite it's huge haul at the box office, one of the most anticipated films of 2010 is also one of its biggest duds.

Tim Burton's disappointingly dull re-imagining of the famous Lewis Carroll story, Alice in Wonderland suffers from extreme bouts of boredom and poor script pacing.

Alice (Aussie newcomer Mia Wasikowska) is much older, but none the wiser, in Burton's Wonderland sequel. Now nineteen years old and expected to marry, Alice once again falls down that crazy rabbit hole and into a world fantasy and violence. She can't recall her first time spent in Wonderland as a child and brushes off her current adventures as nothing more than an outlandish dream. Along the way she reunites with old friends, specifically the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), who informs her that the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) leaves behind destruction and death wherever she goes. Alice is expected to slay a dragon (?!) and help the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) regain the throne she lost to the Red Queen after an epic battle.

Despite everything just mentioned, there actually isn't any discernible plot. Burton and his screenwriters have taken bits and pieces from both of Carroll's books and strung them together into little vignettes which amount to nothing of any significance. Alice still takes a drink from a bottle and grows in size. She still meets up with the Mad Hatter in the midst of a tea party. But why replay these scenes if this film is to be treated as a sequel? Despite the subplots of having to slay a dragon and aide the White Queen, Alice in Wonderland does very little during its two hour running time. The pace is so leisurely that it quickly becomes boring; something is never recovers from.

The much ballyhooed 3D amounts to nothing. Unlike James Cameron's Avatar, which made full use of its CGI and 3D technology, Alice in Wonderland pales in comparison. The 3D effects are so poorly utilized it's easy to forget you aren't just watching it in normal 2D.

Tim Burton's lavish sets (often inspired by his love for the German Expressionist films of the 1920's) are lacking due to the largely CGI-created visuals. The unique visual style Burton so often brings to his modern fables is missing here. Instead of dark, ominous corridors (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), structurally inept houses (Beetlejuice) and dark, threatening skies (Batman, Sleepy Hollow), we get a computer-animated world that bears no resemblance to the Burton films we know and love. One of the charms of Burton's films are his set designs and the fact that he rarely relies heavily on CGI. Too much green screen and so few actual props and sets makes for an unimaginative and an un-Burtonesque film.

Burton excels at bringing out the humanity in every quirk and weirdo in his films. Alice in Wonderland is full of these types of characters. What Wonderland lacked, more than anything, was that human touch that Burton so charmingly brought to life with his unique characters in Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood.

As Alice, Wasikowska is a bore. There is no reason to root for Alice or to even worry about her character's fate. She moves through each scene in a charming blue dress, with little to do or say. Granted, the script gave Wasikowska little to work with, however, she wasn't able to rise above the drudge and create a feisty heroine. Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter is given little to do. It's as though Burton decided to rely solely on giving Mad Hatter a strange costume and CGI-enlargened eyes; as though that would be enough to make everyone rave about Depp and the film. It would have been more effective had Burton and Depp conspired to make Mad Hatter a genuinely unhinged character; someone who wanted to help Alice while also making sure that his Wonderland maintained an air of lunacy. It seemed as though Depp was just going through the motions. Three excellent British actors (Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat, Michael Sheen as the White Rabbit and Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar)are all wasted in small speaking roles that are given such a tiny amount of screen time that their roles are rendered pointless.

The two standouts are the always reliable Helena Bonham Carter as the ranting and raving Red Queen and the wonderfully oddball Crispin Glover as her eye-patched henchman, Stayne.

What once seemed like an ideal pairing (Burton and Carroll) has instead become a major disappointment. Instead of a dark, dangerous and terrifying Wonderland for adults and teens, we get, at best, a mediocre children's film. Burton has such a strong resume that it's doubtless that he will bounce back and recover with a better film. Here's hoping he goes back to his roots doing what he does best: making Tim Burton films.

GRADE: C