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Live everyday like it's Caturday: Cinema's top catsLive everyday like it's Caturday: Cinema's top catsRachel West8/8/2016 11:00:00 Am

Today is International Cat Day and we're celebrating our feline friends, turning to our attention to our purrfect pals on the big screen.

Cats are all the rage on cinema, every year it seems. This year, one of our favourite actors, Kevin Spacey, is playing a wealthy business-man and absentee father who gets trapped in the body of his new pet cat in Nine Lives. With this film out in theatres right now, as well as it being a day to celebrate cats, there's no better time to take a look back at some of our favourite felines on film. You can get your tickets to Nine Lives by clicking here!

In honour of National Cat Day and because we strive to live every day like it’s Caturday, here are...

Academy Award nominated Frankenweenie tells the story of a boy called Victor who brings his beloved dog Sparky back-to-life. To celebrate the Blu-ray and DVD release of Frankenweenie, we take a look at other famous Academy Award nominated or winning films where characters are brought back-to-life.

Frankenweenie

Victor Frankenstein lives with his parents and dog Sparky who is his best friend. Concerned with his son’s isolation, Victor’s father encourages him to take up baseball. Victor hits a home run at his first game, but Sparky is killed by a car pursuing the ball. Inspired by his science teacher Mr. Rzykruski’s demonstration of the effect of electricity on dead frogs, a depressed Victor digs up Sparky’s corpse and successfully brings him back-to-life with lightning. When Sparky escapes from the attic the whole town faces the unexpected and electrifying truth of what happens when monstrous experiments run wild.

They said it couldn’t be done. A fifth year of 31 Days of Horror? 31 more terror, gore and shower scene-filled movies worth highlighting? But Rejects always say die and never back away from a challenge, so we’ve rounded up the horror fans among us and put together another month’s worth of genre fun. Enjoy! Synopsis In the live action short film that inspired the full-length stop-motion film in 2012, young Victor Frankenstein turns to the powers of science and electricity to bring his dog Sparky back to life. After his experiment is a success, the young boy must try to hide the cute, misunderstood monstrosity from an easily frightened neighborhood. Killer Scene When his reintroduction to society goes awry, a frightened Frankenweenie takes off for the safety and solitude of the abandoned miniature golf course. Victor takes off in pursuit, only moments ahead of the angry mob intent on destroying the dog. In...

“A character has to last for a year or more of shooting, and as you’ll see, some of these things are very delicate, so we do quite a lot of hospital work, repairing things, and putting limbs back on where they’ve fallen off, or broken ears or fingers, remaking parts; just keeping them up to speed.”

Andy Gent’s job as head of puppet fabrication keeps him busy. The cast of Frankenweenie comprises around 250-300 puppets, each of which needs to be built, costumed and maintained. What’s more, as Gent puts it, “Ultimately, everything comes through here”.

The “here” Gent is referring to is the Puppet Fabrication Workshop – better known to the crew of Frankenweenie as the ‘Puppet Hospital’. It’s a fairly small space, hidden away up a flight of stairs at the back of one of the storage warehouses; a hard place to find, even...

The screenings are everywhere. It's harder and harder to keep up. Herewith some twelve word reviews of things I've seen recently in order to catch up. Naturally, I cheat (sort of) a couple of times. Twelve words is so few... just you try it!

Gayby (Opens Friday!)

Best friends from college, gay Matt and straight Jenn, decide to have a baby together... the old fashioned way. Hilarity ensues. Personal lives get confused.

12Wr:  Plotty but very funny. Celebrates rather than regurgitates stereotypes. Awesome Showgirls joke! B

Oscar? Not weighty enough even for Spirit Awards but warm and funny enough to age well on DVD shelves despite the "now" topic. It's best hope for awards is turning itself into a sitcom for the Emmys. I'd totally watch this crowd weekly (and it'd be way better than The New Normal which suffers from Ryan Murphy's now familiar Preachy Bull in Broadly...

Synopsis:

Young Victor Frankenstein conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

Review:

For those of us who dig animated films in the horror genre have been blessed as of late. Last month we were treated to “ParaNorman“, last week we got “Hotel Transylvania” & last Friday we got “Frankenweenie” which… More...

Frankenweenie has released a brand new batch of movie posters, which take their cues from the classic monster movies of old, complete with lurid taglines and a host of ghoulish creatures. The film follows the exploits of young Victor as he experiments with the process of resurrection on his recently deceased pooch, Sparky. When his science project turns out to be more successful than he ever could have dreamed, word soon gets out, and before long his home town is being stalked by all manner of recently-deceased pets. Some of these zombie...

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Plot: Young Victor Frankenstein is a loner, with his only refuge being science and his beloved dog Sparky- who.s promptly hit by a car and killed. Victor is able to bring him back to life via his scientific know-how, but- naturally, there are complications. Review: A big-screen, stop-motion remake of his landmark 1984 short film- Frankenweenie is interesting in that it comes from Walt Disney Pictures- the same company that shelved his short back in the eighties because it was .too...

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.

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At this point, there have been enough trailers and clip releases that you should have a very good idea of what to expect from Frankenweenie. However, if you’re looking to see more of the movie, we have another clip that was recently released.

“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.”

Frankenweenie was directed by Tim Burton and will open in theaters on October 5th. The movie features a voice cast that includes Charlie Tahan,...

If you’re like me, you’re a little reluctant to wear your Sleeping Beauty tank outside of the house. Well put that trepidation to rest, PopWatchers, because there’s finally some Disney merch that’s fan-tastic and fabulous.

Walt Disney Pictures held a contest on the t-shirt website Threadless that asked fans to submit their designs depicting classic villains from Disney animated films, Slashfilm reports. The 15 submissions with the most votes made the cut, and let me tell you, they make Ursula and Maleficent look sexy. The tees will be available on the site for a limited time only.

Remember back in May when everyone (including us) was deriding Tim Burton for his adaptation of "Dark Shadows" and claiming it was evidence that the director was doomed to make turdburgers like it and "Alice in Wonderland" and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" till the end of time? What a difference a few months makes, as it looks like everyone is in love with Burton again (including us) and his upcoming "Frankenweenie," the stop-motion animated big-screen version of his 1984 live-action short. Like the original short, "Frankenweenie" borrows liberally from Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" as it tells the story of a young boy named Victor who, distraught at the loss of his pet dog Sparky, discovers a way to bring him back to life. The story is vintage Burton, and brings several of Burton's favorite actors such as Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Landau to voice several of the characters.

Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick was recently working on a stop-motion animated film project for Disney. There wasn't a lot of information on the film, but Disney ended up pulling out of the project and production was shut down. Disney spent $50 million on the project before they let it go, why? Because apparently it was too dark, which is interesting because they did the same thing with Tim Burton's Frankenweenie concept back in the 80's, only they didn't spend $50 million on it. 

The project isn't dead though! Selick is currently in discussions with the stop-motion animated production company Laika. They recently released Paranorman, which was fantastic! Selick already has a relationship with the studio because he worked with them on Coraline.

The previous title of the movie was ShadeMaker, and all that's been revealed on the story is that it is the story of two brothers. According to...

With the arrival of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie (review) officially in sight, a new clip has made its way online that proves once and for all that fishes don't sleep. In fact, they're very animated. Check it out!

The Frankenweenie voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands), Catherine O’Hara (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas), Martin Short (Mars Attacks!), and Martin Landau (Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow), along with Charlie Tahan and Atticus Shaffer.

Related Stories: Frankenweenie News Archive

Look for the film in theatres on October 5th, 2012.

Synopsis

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,...

A new clip has just been released from Frankenweenie and we have it for you to watch. The latest film from Tim Burton will open in theaters on October 5th, and features a voice cast that includes Charlie Tahan, Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Landau.

“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.”

We’ve included the new clip along with all of the recently released clips. Visit our earlier...

Fantastic Fest is well underway in Austin and we've already seen tons of films including Frankenweenie, Sinister and more. Tim and Jeremy have been recording audio blogs for films they feel need discussion and have compiled them in a single episode from the first few days. The guys are joined by various critic friends (many of whom have been on the regular podcast) including the likes of Fs' James Wallace, Brad McHargue (Dread Central), J.C. De Leon (ScreenInvasion), Eric D. Snider (Movie B.S.) and others. They also got to sit down with good friend of the show C. Robert Cargill (aka Massawyrm) and director Scott Derrickson to talk about their new horror film Sinister. Listen in for a recap of the first 4 days of Fantastic Fest 2012! Films discussed in this episode screened at Fantastic Fest include: Scott Derrickson's Sinister (Jeremy's review), Tim Burton's Frankenweenie (Jeremy's review...

It's been a strangely good year for the art of stop-motion animation. While not performing too well at the box office, critics absolutely fell in love with both Pirates! A Band of Misfits and ParaNorman, and Tim Burton's Frankenweenie has gotten positive buzz from its premiere at Fantastic Fest. But while there has been success for the medium in 2012, there was also one significant piece of bad news. Henry Selick, best known for directing films like A Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, was developing a new stop-motion project at Disney, but in mid-August it was reported that the project's plug was being pulled. According to reports, Disney felt that the tone of the movie was too dark and that the production was moving too slowly, but now there's some news that could turn that negative into a positive. Thompson on Hollywood has learned that Laika, the studio that made...

Those familiar with ABC's family-focused comedy The Middle may recognize a familiar voice among the cast of Tim Burton's upcoming 3D stop motion-animated comedy horror Frankenweenie. Two clips have arrived online which give us a look at the character voiced by young Atticus Shaffer, who's likely best known for his role as the youngest Heck, Brick, in The Middle. Inspired by Frankenstein, Tim Burton's Frankenweenie follows young Victor (Charlie Tahan), a boy who loses his dog Sparky and uses the power of science to bring him back to life. It seems that miracle was something he was hoping to keep a secret, because he doesn't seem very thrilled in the clip below, which has Shaffer's Edgar revealing that he knows about the dog. Edgar appears to be a troublesome little Igor-ish guy (in need of some serious dental work). The next clip, which comes courtesy of iTunes, has...

The cast of Tim Burton's new movie "Frankenweenie" has been busy promoting the flick this week -- and the promo tour has been doubling as a "Beetlejuice" reunion!Both Winona Ryder and her movie mom Catherine O'Hara voice characters in the new animated movie, and though they recorded their parts months ago they didn't actually see each other until the press junket and premiere over the weekend."She's so beautiful! Oh my lord, she looks the same as she did at 13, 14 on 'Beetlejuice,' O'Hara told the press Sunday. "Same sweet little baby face!"Burton echoed Catherine, saying "She hasn't really changed much at all, which is great. I love working with her and I haven't worked with her for many years ...  but because it [Frankenweenie] was a project that means a lot to me, it was nice to have somebody like her who I love."So, with Tim,...

For some reason (and we're convinced it was a cosmic misunderstanding), the various studios are releasing three horror-themed animated films in three consecutive months. Last month, we got the marvelous (and unfairly marginalized) "ParaNorman," next month we have Tim Burton's triumphant "Frankenweenie," and this week we have "Hotel Transylvania," about a gothic safe haven for all manner of things that go bump in the night. To set itself apart from the pack, "Hotel Transylvania" has opted to forgo any intentional spookiness and focus purely on comedy – mostly of the broad, physical variety. And while "Hotel Transylvania" doesn't have the eeriness or resonance of the other two films, it is admirably energetic – a pinball machine of a movie, one that's painted with cartoon monsters and really, really loud. In a prologue set a hundred years ago, we see Dracula (Adam Sandler, his accent just this side of...

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. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O.Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder.

Presented by Disney, Frankenweenie is directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, from a screenplay by John August, based on a screenplay by Lenny Ripps,...

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With summer having passed and the glitz of the big superheroes faded, we set our sights onto the fall. The final months of the year is a time frame usually reserved for critical darlings being released with just enough time left so the aged members of the Academy can hopefully remember them by February. However, this season looks to be unrelenting in its release sheadule, especially since there will be more than two Halloween-centric kid films this time around. Without further ado, here are a list of films that will be released before the year's up.

September

September 14. Finding Nemo 3D (G): Pixar keeps up with the trend of rereleasing old films in 3D with a conversion of their undersea epic.

September 21. Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13): Originally rated R, Emma Watson stars in one of her first post-Potter films.

Chicago – There are very few directors who have a more distinct career halfway point than Tim Burton. With very few exceptions, I vastly prefer the first half of his career, when he took chances on films like “Edward Scissorhands,” “Batman,” and the great “Ed Wood,” recently released on Blu-ray for the first time to coincide with the Blu-ray release of “Dark Shadows” and the theatrical release of “Frankenweenie.”

Rating: 4.5/5.0

The jury is still out on “Frankenweenie,” although buzz is good and we’ll have a full review next week, but Burton’s career has been so disappointing lately that it’s fun to go back to when his movies had that distinct energy and creativity that’s lacking now. “Ed Wood” is simply a great film, filled with love for moviemaking, love for eccentricity, and just love for life in general. It’s one of Johnny Depp’s best performances...

Actor Martin Landau has been in the business of making movies and delighting audiences for over 50 years. There isn’t much, at this point, that he’s not seen. From working with directors named Hitchcock and Coppola to winning an Oscar in the role of Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, he’s had more than a few moments worth remembering. It’s the kind of talent that demands reverence. The kind of man you’d like to sit with and listen to for hours on end. No questions. No soundbytes. Just stories. The premiere of Frankenweenie at Fantastic Fest 2012 brought just that kind of opportunity. Before I was even able to sit down at the table for our interview, there was an energy about him. There, in an otherwise large and empty conference room at the Austin Four Seasons hotel, sat a man ready to tell me a story. Before...

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: John August

Featuring: Charlie Tahan, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara

Kicking off Fantastic Fest this year was the world premiere of Frankenweenie, Tim Burton's latest effort. With it, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief, because Burton's back to true form.

A Disney stop-motion remake of Burton's live-action short film from 1984 (which subsequently got him fired from Disney), Frankenweenie is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young boy who brings his dog, Sparky, back to life after an unfortunate incident with a car. However, Victor's friends easily discover his secret, which predictably causes a town-wide catastrophe.

As perfect for adults as it is for kids (especially if you love horror), this is easily Burton's finest film in years. Sliding thankfully away from projects featuring a breakdancing Johnny Depp or vampires in the 1970s, Frankenweenie is heartfelt and adorable.

Fantastic Fest 2012 is underway and they kicked things of with the red carpet world premiere of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie on Thursday night, followed by a red carpet premiere for Dredd, starring Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby. The stars showed up for both films along with director Tim Burton. Check out our videos from both premieres below.    

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What was your relationship to monsters as a child? Were they the boogeymen under your bed, or were they the things of wonder that fueled your imagination? My experience growing up follows the latter, filling my young mind with freakish fascinations. Clearly, the same goes for Tim Burton, who has taken his popular 1984 short film of the same name and expanded it into his newest feature film. Frankenweenie (2012) is still a stop-motion animated film, in 3D this go ’round, adding even more of Burton’s uniquely dark charm to the semi-autobiographical story of a strange loner of a boy and his undead pooch.

Frankenweenie is shot in glorious black and white, capturing the moody universe of Burton’s imagination. Much like the original short, the story begins by painting a picture of young Victor’s daily life, his time at school, his personality. Victor, voiced by Charlie Tahan (Charlie St. Cloud...

If you were at the Fantastic Fest last night, you may have seen the world premiere of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie. To celebrate, Burton and company have released a special IMAX poster for the film, which will be given to fans who attend the 12:01 Am IMAX screenings of the film on October 5th, 2012. Check it out! For an IMAX poster, it’s pretty…low tech. But I like it.

The film features the voice talents of Atticus Shaffer, Christopher Lee, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, and Charlie Tahan.

After watching Frankenweenie for the first time at its Fantastic Fest premiere last night (read our review), it's not hard to walk away from it without immediately recalling Tim Burton's earlier films, most notably Beetlejuice. There are a lot of similarities between Frankenweenie and Beetlejuice -- from a camera-obsessed kid, to the mysterious (and ghoulish) happenings in the upstairs attic, it certainly feels like Burton tapped in to pieces of his earlier works (the suburban landscape felt very Edward Scissorhands-ish) while conjuring up the world of Frankenweenie, itself based on an earlier live-action short Burton made four years before Beetlejuice. This also seems to be the case with Winona Ryder's character, Elsa. Not only does she resemble a younger version of...

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This week on Toh, we consider new Oscar season entry "Hitchcock," interview Brian De Palma, Richard Gere, John Hillcoat and Sally Potter, review Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" and much more! Check out the best of the week below: Awards: Oscar Talk: Considering New Entry "Hitchcock," Moving Oscar Dates, the Zeitgeist, and Foreign Language Fox Searchlight Opens "Hitchcock" In Time for Awards Consideration, After "The Girl" Debuts on HBO Jennifer Lawrence Talks "Silver Linings Playbook," Russell, "Hunger Games" and Prepping for that Money Scene (Exclusive Video) Interviews: Director John Hillcoat and Screenwriter Nick Cave Talk "Lawless" Brian De Palma Q&A: "Passion," McAdams vs. Rapace, Sex Tools Sally Potter Q&A: "Ginger & Rosa," Elle Fanning's Face, Narcissistic Parents, Digital Painting, Forces Against Women Directors ...

Winona Ryder has a telepathic connection with Tim Burton. At least that's how the actress describes her working relationship with the director. There's no surprise there, either. Beetlejuice was a breakout movie for both Burton and Ryder, and their movie magic together only magnified with Edward Scissorhands.    It's been over 20 years since their last feature film collaboration, but the stop-motion-animated Frankenweenie has brought the two together again. In it Ryder voices Elsa van Helsing, the next door neighbor of a young Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious lad who brings his dog back to life after it's accidentally run over.    We sat down with Ryder at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX to talk about what it was like to work with Burton...

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There is no mistaking a Tim Burton movie for anything other than a Tim Burton movie. The director of huge hits like Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, and Alice in Wonderland has become a brand unto himself. Even the most casual of movie fans know that a Tim Burton movie means off kilter, macabre-tinged humor and art design. And that certainly is still the case with Frankenweenie, Burton’s second film this year after Dark Shadows. This black-and-white, stop-motion animated film is actually a remake of the live-action short film that got Burton fired from Disney in the ‘80s for essentially being too scary for kids. Now, over 20 years later, he’s re-teamed with the studio to make the movie he dreamed of, and the result is a heartfelt story about a boy who...

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Get 'em while they're hot! A batch of new bonus posters have debuted, and since they're all worth seeing anyway, what better way to feature them than wrap up all three together? I recently stumbled across this very odd "animated", or almost painted, poster for Rian Johnson's sci-fi Looper over on JoBlo. From there I came across a few others, including the IMAX midnight poster for Tim Burton's Frankenweenie, which is just a simple white sketch of the dog. Still very cute. Finally, AICN has debuted a poster for Fantastic Fest doc The American Scream, which I thought was kooky and unique enough to include, as a bonus itself. Up first, here's the very gothic but fascinating poster for The American Scream, a doc about our love of haunted houses. For more info on the project, hit AICN or visit Fantastic Fest, where it's soon premiering. Here's the...

Last night the Disney animated movie Frankenweenie held its premiere at the beloved genre film festival Fantastic Fest-- which might seem like a weird place for a children's movie, until you realize Frankenweenie is a story about a dog risen from the dead. The movie looks to be Tim Burton's return to his roots, an animated adaptation of the live-action short he made in the 1980s, and the first animated film he's directed since 2005's Corpse Bride (no, the CGI-heavy Alice in Wonderland doesn't count). So to celebrate the midnight monster movie spirit of Frankenweenie, Disney has released a new poster for its IMAX midnight premiere, happening at 12:01 am on October 5. You can see it below and click on it for the larger version. To get a look at what the actual Sparky character looks like, stitches and bug eyes and all, you can see much more from...

Frankenweenie

Directed by Tim Burton

Screenplay byJohn August

2012, USA

Tim Burton’s original Frankenweenie short–which Disney shelved until Pee-Wee, Beetlejuice, and Batman, you know, all happened right in a row–was shot 28 years ago. Now established as a household name and Hot Topic’s raison d’etre, Burton is officially un-fired from the Frankenweenie project.

Burton’s return to his roots here, including the use of traditional stop-motion animation, is a welcome career choice as the director has been alienating certain reviewers lately with his bizarre mishandling of several established and beloved properties. Frankenweenie abandons the scope and outrageous design of Burton’s recent efforts for a surprisingly small tale of youth and a gushing love letter to Universal monsters. The design is classical Burton and the world is endearing and quaint. The film is not perfect, but it’s difficult to dislike.

Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a...

Sometimes, decoding a director's work comes down to one movie in their career, and the case could be made that with "Frankenweenie," Tim Burton has finally created the Rosetta Stone that perfectly encapsulates his preoccupations, his inspirations, and his own peculiar world view.  There is biography contained in many of his films, bits and details and a perspective on certain things like suburbia and childhood, and "Frankenweenie" could well turn out to be one of his most essential films in any discussion of who he is as an artist. John August wrote the script for this new version of the film,...

Look out, Tim Burton fans! The brand new IMAX 12:01 poster for “Frankenweenie” has been released! The poster is shown below. “Frankenweenie” is released in theaters and at Imax theaters on October 5th. As a part of IMAX’s 12:01 program – those attending the “Frankenweenie” midnight shows in the first hours of October 5 will receive a limited edition “Frankenweenie” print using an original sketch by Tim Burton. Check for list of participating theatres on imax.com; while supplies last. Official Synopsis: 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 [ Read More ]...

Victor Frankenstein hoists a cloth-covered cadaver through a skylight into a raging thunderstorm, hoping to install the spark of life into a corpse, while the camera captures every lightning crack in beautiful, Dutch-angled black and white. The joke here is that the cadaver is a dead dog, and Frankenstein is a young suburban kid. It’s not just a quickly recognizable homage, but an homage we’ve seen before, from the same director, Tim Burton, in 1984’s live-action short film of the same name, Frankenweenie. The changes to that short are mostly superfluous; he’s added a creepy cool science teacher and a handful of memorably unattractive classmates for Victor (one resembles Karloff as Frankenstein, one is a questionable “yellow peril” Asian...

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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.

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Tim Burton's return to stop-motion animation reanimates many of his favourite themes, from 50s Americana to Gothic horror, but fails to strike an emotional spark. It was back in 1984 when Burton, then a burgeoning young filmmaker in Disney's stable, produced a 30-minute live action short about a young lad named Victor Frankenstein who resurrects his dog in his parents' attic, following a fatal car accident. Originally intended to play ahead of a re-issue of Pinocchio, Frankenweenie was shelved after receiving a PG rating for its overall dark tone. Even back then, Burton had expressed a desire to develop the story into a feature film, but it would be another 28 years before that would come to fruition. Reuniting Burton with producer Alison Abbate (The...

We have three new clips from Tim Burton's upcoming stop-motion animated film, Frankenweenie. Based on Burton's own short film, Frankenweenie is the tale of young Victor who is distraught when his beloved dog Sparky is hit by a car. Inspired by a Vincent Price-like science teacher, Victor harnesses the power of lightning to resurrect Sparky. Unfortunately, some of his classmates want to do the same with their pets - with much different results. 

Frankenweenie hits theaters October 5th. Until then, enjoy these three new clips.

After almost a week of cooler than usual weather, Austin returned to the upper 90s just in time for the first official day of Fantastic Fest. Badgeholders lined up at 9:30 am to pick up their tickets for the day's shows, and travellers continued arriving throughout the day.

The Mondo pop-up store opened at noon, with new posters for festival films as well as the infamous "flat file" stuffed with goodies as well as a preview of the gallery's October show, which will feature Universal monsters.

Well before its 6:00 pm showtime, Frankenweenie had drawn crowds of festival-goers as well as dozens of dog owners dressed to the nines with their dolled-up pooches. Frankenweenie was followed by a Q&A with Director Tim Burton as well as stars Charlie Tahan, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau and producer Allison Abbate. Read Rod's review to find out more about the movie.

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If you’re planning on heading to a midnight screening of Frankenweenie on IMAX, you’ll be able to score yourself a limited edition poster, featuring a sketch from Tim Burton. We have a look at the poster art, along with two new clips.

Frankenweenie was directed by Tim Burton and will be released to theaters on October 5th. The film features a voice cast that includes Charlie Tahan, Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Landau.

“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...

Fantastic Fest is an eight-day feast of genre film. Some films are the meat course and others are dessert. The opening-night movie at this year's festival, Frankenweenie, is a flavorful appetizer. With this animated feature, Tim Burton has recaptured the whimsical mojo that he exhibited with his seminal film Beetlejuice.

Frankenweenie is the story of young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) and his dog Sparky. Early in the film, Sparky is run over by a car, sending Victor into a tailspin. But in science class the next day, his teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) demonstrates the effect of electricity on a recently deceased frog. Victor is inspired! Armed with a potential solution to return his dog from the grave, Victor concocts his own science project. Victor digs up Sparky, sets up a lab in his home's attic and waits for a lightning storm. His wishes come true -- after receiving a high voltage charge,...

On Thursday night in Austin, Tex., Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League welcomed a most enthusiastic audience — “one big pile of nerds,” as the always-exuberant tuxedoed host put it — to the eighth annual Fantastic Fest. The largest genre festival in the United States is geek heaven for horror, sci-fi, and to-the-guts weird film lovers. “The nerds have conquered the universe,” declared League. “This is our world now!”

Fantastic Fest’s opening-night film was the world premiere of Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, the wistful story of Victor, a grieving boy who figures out a way to bring his beloved dog back to life.

For those you who plan to attend an IMAX midnight screening of Tim Burton's great looking stop-motion animated adventure Frankenweenie, you're in luck. You'll end up getting one of these limited edition Frankenweenie posters that feature an original sketch by Burton.

The movie tells 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.

The movie stars Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Landau, and is set to be released on October 5th.

What do you think of the poster art? Are you excited about seeing the movie?...

Sitting down with Indiewire at Austin's Four Seasons hotel on Thursday, Tim Burton said he was a little jetlagged. With Burton, it's hard to tell if he's tired or just being his usual groggy self. Like the man, Burton's style hasn't changed a whole lot over the years, as his new stop-motion animated movie "Frankenweenie" proves beyond a doubt. In Austin, where "Frankenweenie" opened Fantastic Fest Thursday night, the filmmaker addressed how his experience making this gothic adaptation of his 1984 short -- in which a young boy resurrects his dead dog with electricity -- related to the entire arc of his career. He also explained why the flop of his last movie, "Dark Shadows," left him unfazed, and why he has considered leaving the studio game behind once and for all. I saw the movie at a promo screening that had a lot of young children in the audience. They...

Halloween has come a bit earlier this year with the world premiere of "Frankenweenie," which took place at Fantastic Fest in Austin. From creepy connoisseur Tim Burton comes a stop-motion animated adventure that plays off the classic "Frankenstein." The film follows Vincent Frankenstein, a grade-school youth with a knack for science. But, instead of resurrecting a monster, Vincent works his magic on his departed pooch, Sparky. Last night, Burton, Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan -- and a whole litter of pups -- were in attendance for the world premiere of "Frankenweenie." Take a look at all the stars below! "Frankenweenie" his theaters October 5. Photos:...

Each Friday, Digital Spy highlights the biggest and best videos of the past seven days. This week, it's a new trailer for The Hobbit, an exclusive Digital Spy interview with Dakota Fanning on her new film Now Is Good and the first UK trailer for crime-comedy Gambit. Also below, there's a new take on Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations and a clip from Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.

'The Hobbit' unveils new trailer in honour of Tolkien week

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Hobbit, a new trailer with unseen content was released this week. The film features Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins with the likes of Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Cate Blanchett reprising their roles from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was confirmed last month that a trilogy of films would be released, (more)...

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 it out below! 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...