Frankenweenie

Fans of Tim Burton's animated offering Frankenweenie will be thrilled to know that there is more 'weenie to come.

An all-new short film, "Captain Sparky vs. the Flying Saucers," is going to appear on the January 8th Blu-ray and DVD release of Frankenweenie.  You can get a sneak peek via two images after the jump.

According to USA Today: "Captain Sparky is another movie-within-a-movie, which finds Sparky recruited into duty when the most low-budget alien spacecraft ever begins attacking the planet."  Frankenweenie's animation supervisor Mark Waring helmed the short.

Meanwhile, Frankenweenie - if you missed the news - was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Film.

While down at Fantastic Fest, ShockTillYouDrop.com had the privilege of catching up with the legendary Martin Landau who lends his vocal talents to this week's release Frankenweenie as Mr. Rzykruski.  

You may recall, Landau previously worked with the film's director, Tim Burton, on Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow.  

Shock also spoke with Frankenweenie's Charlie Tahan who plays Victor Frankenstein.  Tahan's genre roots can be traced back to the tiger-in-a-house thriller Burning Bright.  

Head inside for our brief chats with both actors!

John August has spent nearly the last decade collaborating with Tim Burton.  Beginning with the heartfelt fable Big Fish, August went on to work with Burton on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows and, now, Frankenweenie, opening tomorrow (Friday, October 5th).

Earlier this week, we spoke to August about the film, which is an adaptation of Tim Burton's 1984 short film about an inventive young boy and his resurrected dead dog.  Inside, August discusses capturing the right tone, creating new monsters for the film and more.

Responsible for stylish action films like Batman, bizarre love stories like Edward Scissorhands and Academy Award-winning comedy dramas like Ed Wood, director Tim Burton, with this Friday's release of Frankenweenie, takes a very personal turn with a tribute to classic horror films, intricately crafted in 3D and black and white stop-motion.

Not at all unlike Victor, the young hero of the film, Burton serves a bit of a mad scientist, bringing new life to his 1984 short film of the same name. The spooky adventure begins when Victor Frankenstein loses his dog, Sparky, to a tragic car accident and decides to push the boundaries of natural order, harnessing the power of electricity to bring Sparky back to life.

Although Victor's experiment seems to go off without a hitch, the secret return of Sparky can't stay hidden and soon all the children in the neighborhood decide to bring about their own monstrous pets. Reuniting actors from past films, Burton's voice cast includes Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice), Martin Short (Mars Attacks!), Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Martin Landau (Ed Wood) as well as newcomers Charlie Tahan (as Victor) and Atticus Shaffer (as Victor's friend, Edward E. Gore).

ShockTillYouDrop.com and ComingSoon.net had the chance to speak with Burton and his cast. Check out the video interviews in the player below (in spine-tingling black and white!) and catch Frankenweenie in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters this Friday, October 5th.

Nods to classic horror monsters, amazing animation, and a return to old school Tim Burton form make Frankenweenie a lot of fun, but a largely spoiled plot and a bland lead character keep the film from reaching its full potential.

Victor Frankenstein is a young boy living in the town of New Holland. He's extremely intelligent, but he doesn't have many friends. Victor is OK with that, though, because he has his dog Sparky to keep him company. That is until Sparky is tragically hit by a car and killed. However, Victor isn't willing to say goodbye just yet. Victor uses his scientific knowledge to bring Sparky back to life! While he is overjoyed that his friend is alive again, Victor now must hide Sparky from the rest of the world. But it's not long before his secret gets out and the town is turned upside down by the revelation.

Tim Burton's Dark Shadows is making its way onto DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow (Tuesday, October 2nd) and Shock Till You Drop was offered the chance to speak to the original screenwriter of that film, John August.

August is out promoting another Burton effort, Frankenweenie, opening in theaters this Friday (October 5th), however, this writer wanted to know a bit more about his original vision of Dark Shadows before Seth Grahame-Smith came in and did a rewrite on the film.

Asked how much of his work is represented in the final cut, August told me, "Not a lot.  Dark Shadows, when it came to me, it was before Twilight had come out and before True Blood.  They said, 'Let's make a big gothic, vampire drama.'  I pitched that and I wrote a Godfather-like saga of the Collins family and Barnabas was at the center of it all."

Tim Burton's characteristic gothic vision returns to the screen this Friday with Frankenweenie, the black and white, stop motion-animated, feature-length adaptation of his 1984 short film of the same name.  

The original film heralded the '85 release of Burton's first feature - Pee Wee's Big Adventure - and starred Barret Oliver, Daniel Stern and Shelley Duvall.  Oliver played a young boy whose dog is killed in an accident and resurrected in Frankenstein-like fashion.

The animated redo expands on this idea and introduces a slew of monstrous surprises as well as a talented vocal cast of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan and Atticus Shaffer.

Shock Till You Drop met with Burton in Austin, Texas where the director was showing off the film before a Fantastic Fest crowd.

It's post-Fantastic Fest wrap-up time...  

ShockTillYouDrop.com's Ryan Turek and FEARnet.com's Lawrence Raffel are back from the 8th annual Austin, Texas event and they're here to tell you about the best and worst films.  Listen in as they weigh in on Antiviral, American Mary, Frankenweenie, Berberian Sound Studio, Come Out and Play, The American Scream and more!

As Fantastic Fest winds down in Austin, Texas, it's time to play a bit of catch up.  

Shock Till You Drop caught quite a few films at the event and while you can find many of my reviews at this spot, I felt it was time to present some capsule reviews of the other films (plus it will just allow me to get ahead of the festival coverage work load, to be frank).

After the jump, I weigh in on Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, the horror anthology The ABCs of Death and Here Comes the Devil which garnered multiple awards at the fest.

On the heels of its world premiere last night at Fantastic Fest, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie has revealed the design for a special poster that will be given away to fans attending 12:01am IMAX screenings on October 5. Check out a bigger version after the break!

Featuring the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell, Frankenweenie tells the heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog, 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.

Night one of Fantastic Fest has come to a close.  I'm currently gathering up thoughts on the films seen so far: American Mary, Antiviral and Frankenweenie, which held its world premiere at the Austin, Texas event.  

The latter played on multiple screens at the Alamo Drafthouse; the organizers even went so far as to have a specific screening just for dogs...and their owners (apparently it went off without a hitch and festival co-founder Tim League said an upholstery cleaning service was immediately descending on the theater post-screening).

In attendance: Director Tim Burton, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder and Charlie Tahan.  Shock was on the red carpet and you'll see interviews with the gang here soon (we got Landau to trip down memory lane and talk about Alone in the Dark).  In the meantime, head inside for access to our Fantastic Fest photo gallery which includes pics from the premiere.

Another clip from Tim Burton's Frankenweenie has found its way online.  This one focuses on the Frankenstein-inspired rebirth of the film's undead pooch, Sparky. Check it out inside...

Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on October 5th, the movie features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.

We'll be at the premiere of the film at Fantastic Fest later this week, stay tuned for coverage, photos and a review!

In less than a month, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie hits theaters and, today, Walt Disney Pictures has released a new clip from the black and white stop motion feature. Check it out in the player after the break!

Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on October 5, the movie features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.

With just over a month to go before the stop-motion film hits theaters, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie has debuted two new TV spots. Check them both out after the break!

Opening in 3D and 2D theaters on October 5, the movie features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.

Frankenweenie is the 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.

IMAX and the team behind Frankenweenie have released a new "policy trailer" in anticipation of the stop-motion animated film's October 5th release.  The Tim Burton-directed film - based on his short film of the same name - features the vocal work of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.  Head inside for the preview.

Walt Disney Pictures announced today that Karen O has written an original song that will be featured in the end credits to Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.

The song will also be included in the just-announced "Frankenweenie Unleashed!", a tie-in 14-track compilation that will be released on September 25, 2012. Check out the full track listing below! As singer/songwriter/composer and the lead singer for the rock band the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O has collaborated with artists in music and film over the past ten years, including Spike Jonze, Trent Reznor, David Lynch, Flaming Lips, Barnaby Clay, Carter Burwell and many others. Karen composed the score for the acclaimed 2009 film Where The Wild Things Are (with Burwell,) and she co-wrote the song "All is Love" (with Nick Zinner) which was nominated for a Grammy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for a Motion Picture. 

Disney has gone nuts and released nine new one-sheets for its October 5th release Frankenweenie.  In the promo items released to date, there has been a lot of emphasis on the characters featured in the film and these teaser posters are no different.  "Weird Girl," "Sparky," "Victor"...all are represented.  Head inside for a look.

Synopsis: 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" will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

Disney has forwarded on a series of new character shots from the upcoming Frankenweenie (opening October 5th).  There are five character profiles this time.  Head inside for a look!

Shock Till You Drop sat down with Atticus Shaffer at Comic-Con to talk about Frankenweenie. Atticus lends his vocal talent to the role of Edgar in the film. Shaffer chats with us about his role in the film, working with Tim Burton, and more.

Shock Till You Drop: Tell us about your character, Edgar

Atticus Shaffer: Edgar in Frankenweenie is kind of like the Igor character. He has a hunchback and Peter Lorre accent. He is friends with Victor. He is the strange kid in class. He really wants to be friends with Victor because Victor is a scientist. He wants to work with him on a science fair project. He pursues Victor and through the movie finds out what Victor has done. He becomes more and more attached to Victor as the film progresses.

Shock: What did you do to prepare yourself for the role? Did you watch the original short?

Shaffer: I didn’t know that there was an original Frankenweenie. When I first read for the part, they said that they wanted it in a normal voice. Then, during the callback, they said they wanted it in a Peter Lorre accent. So, my mom and I rented Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, and just sat there and watched Peter Lorre. When we went in for the callback, they played the entire original short for us while we were waiting. Then, I was able to see the whole thing. I got to see the original Edgar and all of that.

Fresh from Comic-Con, it's the latest trailer for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.  Disney showed this "homage trailer" to con attendees in Hall H this afternoon.  (The film looks like a blast.)  Enjoy and to read about the other clips the studio shared, follow this link!

Disney has released a Comic-Con exclusive poster for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, via Yahoo!, and this one feels more apropos to the film's vibe.  It's got an old school Universal monsters touch.  

The film, of course, is being previewed at the San Diego event with a panel and an exhibit.  Look for the flick in theaters October 5th.

First announced last month, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie has arrived in San Diego with a special showcase called "The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition."

Following its debut at Comic-Con, the models and props will tour the world in advance of the film's October 5th release.

When the tour is complete, they will have visited seven countries, including Spain, France, England, Japan, Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A. "The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition" captures the magic of the filmmaking process and gives audiences an exclusive glimpse into the stop-motion animation process brought to life by visionary filmmaker Tim Burton. 

2011 marked my first year at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and I was instantaneously smitten.  A great event filled with great people, great movies and great food.  Yes, it's a multi-layered equation that amounts to a week of pure "awesome."

This morning, the organizers released their first press release, and, a look at the official event poster by Mike Saputo (you'll find a larger version inside).  Expect coverage of Fantastic Fest 2012 here on Shock for sure...

Fantastic Fest is excited to announce Walt Disney Pictures' Frankenweenie will have its world premiere on September 20 as the opening night film for the 2012 festival, happening September 20-27 in Austin, Texas at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

"Tim Burton stands as a titan of modern genre cinema.  To world premiere the feature adaptation of his early beloved short is a huge honor for me personally and for the festival in general," said Fantastic Fest Co-founder & Creative Director Tim League.

Walt Disney Pictures has released the new trailer for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie and you can watch it using the player below. Opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on October 5, the film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.

Frankenweenie is 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.

Earlier this year, we revealed the first part of our visit to the intricately detailed stop-motion sets of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie. Now, we're able to share some thoughts from Burton himself about his return to the world of one of very first short films.

"If you had the original 'Frankenstein', say," Burton explains, "this is more like 'House of Frankenstein' with some other creatures and monsters and, you know, other characters to fill it out."

The world of Frankenweenie has been expanded to not just feature Victor, but also his classmates. When they learn that their friend has created a living dead dog, they want to get in on the action and begin creating their own monstrous pets.

Walt Disney Studios announced today that they are launching a touring exhibition featuring the art of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, the acclaimed director’s stop-motion, animated feature film releasing on October 5, 2012.

The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition will premiere in Barcelona, Spain, at CineEurope, June 18-21, and in the U.S. at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego, California, July 11-15. When the tour is complete it will have visited seven countries, including Spain, France, England, Japan, Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A.

The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition captures the magic of the filmmaking process and gives audiences an exclusive glimpse into the stop-motion animation process brought to life by visionary filmmaker Tim Burton.  From original sketches drawn by Burton, to extensive props, sets and puppets, the exhibition showcases the artistic detail and vision that has gone into bringing this heartwarming tale to the big screen in 2012’s most highly anticipated animated movie. 

Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the new poster for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on October 5. Scripted by John August, the animated film is voiced by Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrell.

Frankenweenie is 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.

Head inside for a larger look.

IMAX Corporation and The Walt Disney Studios today announced that Tim Burton’s stop-motion, animated film, Frankenweenie will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX 3D format and released in IMAX digital theatres worldwide day-and-date on Oct. 5, 2012.  The film marks the first black and white Hollywood feature and first stop-motion animated movie to be presented in IMAX.

From Disney and directed by Tim Burton, Frankenweenie: An IMAX 3D Experience features the voices of Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Winona Ryder. The film is a remake of the live-action short directed by Tim Burton in 1984.

Tim Burton revisits Frankenweenie - a short film he helmed in the '80s - with a feature-length animated film opening October 5th from Disney.  

Told in black and white, this Frankenstein tale features the vocal talents of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron and Conchata Ferrellas and, today, a trailer has made its premiere.

So far, things are looking good...dare I say, it looks morbidly adorable.

Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the poster for director Tim Burton's Frankenweenie on the film's official Facebook page! You can check it out below and you can also click on it to see the motion version of the poster.

The stop-motion animated film is 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.