MO VI ES
BY MO LLY T E MP LE TO N
A BOY AND HIS (UNDEAD) DOG
Burton returns to full-Halloweenie form
Frankenweenie, then, is a kind of comeback, and one
that goes straight to Burton’s roots: It’s a full-length, stop-
motion remake of the director’s 1984 short of the same
name. Clever, gloriously animated, dark but funny, loving
but spooky, zippy but not too light — Frankenweenie is
magically macabre, a more-than-worthy entry into a whole
handful of movie categories: It’s a boy and his dog movie,
a creepy-delightful Halloweenish flick, a love song to
monsters that aren’t all that monstrous, and a story about a
loner who isn’t really alone.
Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), like seemingly
everyone else in the small, timeless town of Dutch Hollow,
has a weighty name and spindly little legs. A fan of movies
FRANKENWEENIE: Directed by Tim Burton. Screenplay by John August,
based on a story by Leonard Ripps, based on an idea by Tim Burton.
Cinematography, Peter Sorg. Editors, Chris Lebenzon and Mark Solomon. Music,
Danny Elfman. Starring the voices of Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin
Landau, Winona Ryder and Charlie Tahan. Walt Disney Pictures, 2012. PG. 87
minutes. 00001
I
f you’ve been thinking that maybe Tim Burton has
slipped a little, you’re hardly alone. This spring’s
Dark Shadows came and went, hardly a blip on the
radar screen of pop culture, and 2010’s Alice in
Wonderland was such a murky muddle that even
Johnny Depp and a plethora of talented actresses
couldn’t turn it into something watchable.
1 0 /11
and science — rarely a popular combination — Victor
spends much of his time alone, directing monster movies
starring his beloved dog, Sparky, and making things in his
attic laboratory. His dad (Martin Short) worries about
Victor, and makes him a deal: Victor can participate in the
science fair if he’ll also try baseball. The weird girl in
school tells Victor her cat dreamed about him (the evidence
for this is gleefully grody), which means something big
will happen, but the warning doesn’t make the unexpected
outcome of the baseball game — the loss of Sparky — any
less of a shock.
Victor, bereft, turns to science to bring his friend back.
His success has the requisite unintended consequences for
the whole town, as competition for the science fair trophy
takes a morbid turn. His classmates vie for the secret of
reviving pets; his teacher, Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau),
faces an angry populace that blames him for injuries
caused by experimentation; Sparky, sewn together but
cheerful as ever, gets just the kind of reception a reanimated
corpse usually receives, cinematically.
Burton’s film is referential, but never needlessly so;
what he’s referencing, whether he’s nodding to monster
movies or to his own previous work, is a long-running
sympathy for the outsider — as well as a love of cinema
and storytelling that makes Frankenweenie a black-clad
cousin to shinier, gussied-up love-letter films like Super 8
and Hugo. But Burton’s source material is equal parts
Frankenstein, Old Yeller and a boundless understanding
for people who do crazy things out of love. As Mr.
Rzykruski notes, it’s only when the variables change
— when Victor’s classmates tried to outwit him for the
sake of greed and competition — that things go awry.
Frankenweenie, which made me cry almost as much as the
audibly sobbing kids in the theater, is a big-hearted
optimist’s tale beautifully warped through Burton’s
trademark twisted vision. He’ll earn the adoration of
another generation with this one, and he deserves it. ■
10/12 1 0 /1 3 1 0 /1 4 1 0 /1 5 1 0 /1 6 1 0 /1 7 1 0 /1 8
THU schedule for 10.11 - 10.18 FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU
BROOKLYN
BROTHERS
BEAT THE BEST
A
R
T
C
I
N
E
M
A
S
LAND WHERE MY HEART LIES 7:00
followed by Q&A
and musical performance
8:10
ENDS TONIGHT!
Closed for
Members-only
Events
NEXT:
LAND WHERE MY HEART LIES
$15
by Director Tinh Mahoney
feat. Tinh Mahoney (Oct. 12 only)
No passes SOON: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN
SOLACE: WISDOM OF THE DYING
Benefit
for
Village
School
Foundation
4:20
(Oct. 12 only)
IT’S SUCH A
BEAUTIFUL DAY
BEAUTY IS EMBARASSING
10:25
SOLACE:
ENDS TONIGHT!
LIVING
RIVER FILM FESTIVAL
7:45 IRON
SKY
(Oct.
13 only)
SLEEPWALK
WISDOM OF THE DYING Donations October
WITH ME
31:
MOOD AREA 52 presents
6:10
Hosted by Hospice of Sacred Heart Accepted NOSFERATU & Georges Melies
ENDS
TONIGHT!
SAMSARA THE LIVING RIVER FILM FESTIVAL
$10
4:50 benefiting McKenzie River Trust
per
7:10
9:30
492 East 13 th TONIGHT!
ENDS
686-2458
bijou-cinemas.com
For tickets and schedule visit
www.mckenzieriver.org
screening
No passes
*Adults—$7 * Students w/ID—$6 * Seniors—$5 * Matinees—$5 * Miser Mondays—$3*
TIX $2 Tix 21 & FOOD
$5 Sun & Tues ovER MENU
762-1700 | 180 E. 5TH AVE
davidminortheater.com
THURS OCT 11 – WED OCT 17
THU
LCC & STUDENT PRODUCTIONS ASSOCIATION
PRESENTS
Charlotte’ s
Web
Directed by Sparky J Roberts
A CAT IN PARIS
5:30
THE CABIN IN
THE WOODS
7:25
BERNIE
5:30
D DARK SHADOWS
9:30
ROCK OF AGES
7:25
THE FIVE-YEAR
ENGAGEMENT
9:30
“NO LONGER SNEAKING BEER INTO THE MOVIES SINCE 2008”
“TEXT-A-BEER” 541-913-5733
ORDER DRINKS & FOOD RIGHT FROM YOUR SEAT
24
October 11, 2012 • eugeneweekly.com
OCT. 4-6, 11-13, 18-20
7PM SHOWTIME
OCT. 14 SUNDAY MATINEE
Tickets 541-463-5761
or www.LaneCC.edu/tickets
$10 General; $5 Youth (ages 8-12)
®
Purch Adv Tix @ cinemark.com
800-326-3264 + Exp #
CINEMARK 17
Gateway Mall - Beltline @
*DWHZD\ ([S&RGH
ARGO (DIG) R
1:45, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00
ATLAS SHRUGGED PART 2 (DIG)
PG-13
11:45, 2:30, 5:05, 7:45, 10:25
DREDD (DIG) R
12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30
END OF WATCH (DIG) R
12:00, 2:35, 5:10, 7:45, 10:20
FRANKENWEENIE (3D) PG
SPECIAL EVENT PRICING: $3.00
UPCHARGE ALL TICKETS
12:00, 4:40, 7:00
FRANKENWEENIE (DIG) PG
2:15, 9:20
HERE COMES THE BOOM (DIG) PG
11:45, 2:20, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (3D) PG
SPECIAL EVENT PRICING: $3.00
UPCHARGE ALL TICKETS
4:50, 9:50
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (DIG) PG
11:50, 2:15, 7:20
HOUSE AT THE END OF THE
STREET (DIG) PG-13
12:10, 2:40, 5:05, 7:40, 10:10
LOOPER (DIG) R
1:45, 4:25, 7:10, 10:00
THE PERKS OF BEING A
WALLFLOWER (DIG) PG-13
11:55, 2:25, 4:55, 7:25, 9:55
PITCH PERFECT (DIG) PG-13
1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION
(3D) R
SPECIAL EVENT PRICING: $3.00
UPCHARGE ALL TICKETS
11:55, 4:50, 7:25, 9:55
RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION
(DIG) R
2:20
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (DIG) R
12:05, 2:40, 5:15, 7:50, 10:25
SINISTER (DIG) R
11:50, 2:25, 5:00, 7:35, 10:10
TAKEN 2 (DIG) PG-13
12:10, 1:25, 2:40, 3:55, 5:20, 6:25,
7:40, 8:55, 10:15
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (DIG)
PG-13
1:55, 4:35, 7:15, 9:55
MOVIES 12
Gateway Mall - Beltline @
*DWHZD\([S&RGH
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
PG-13
9:30
THE BOURNE LEGACY PG-13
12:40, 3:50, 7:00, 9:55
BRAVE PG
12:10, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10
BRAVE (3D) PG
SPECIAL EVENT PRICING: $2.00
UPCHARGE ALL TICKETS
1:30, 3:55, 6:20, 8:45
BULLY (2012) PG-13
12:00, 2:20, 4:40
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES PG-13
1:00, 4:30, 8:00
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (DIGITAL)
PG-13
11:55AM
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG
DAYS PG
12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00
ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT PG
12:15, 2:25, 4:35, 7:20, 9:45
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST
WANTED PG
12:25, 2:50, 5:05
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS PG-13
12:35, 4:00, 7:40
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
(3D) PG-13
3:20, 6:30, 9:35
MOONRISE KINGDOM PG-13
2:35, 7:15
PREMIUM RUSH PG-13
12:20, 2:40, 4:55, 7:25, 9:40
TED R
7:35, 10:05
TO ROME WITH LOVE R
12:05, 4:45, 9:25
TOTAL RECALL (2012) PG-13
7:05, 9:50
Assistive Listening and Captioning System Avail
Adv. Tix on Sale PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4
ARGO (R)
Fri. - Sat.(1245) 400 430 645 715 930 1000
HERE COMES THE BOOM (PG)
Fri. - Sat.(1130 200) 445 730 1015
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS (R)
Fri. - Sat.(1230) 415 700 945
SINISTER (R)
Fri. - Sat.(1140 215) 500 745 1030
ATLAS SHRUGGED PART 2 (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(1215 300) 630 915
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALL FLOWER (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(1150 230) 515 800 1035
TAKEN 2 (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(1155 1220 220 245) 440 510 705 735 940 1010
IMAX: FRANKENWEENIE 3D (PG) ★
Fri. - Sat.1210 240 505 725 950
FRANKENWEENIE (PG)
Fri. - Sat.(1145 210) 435 655
PITCH PERFECT [OC] (PG-13)
Fri.(1200 PM)
Sat.420 PM
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (PG)
Fri. - Sat.(1205 205) 425 650 920
LOOPER (R)
Fri. - Sat.(1235) 410 720 1020
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3D (PG) ★
Fri. - Sat.(1135 AM)
PITCH PERFECT (PG-13)
Fri.420 PM 710 PM 955 PM
Sat.(1200 PM) 710 PM 955 PM
WON'T BACK DOWN (PG)
Fri. - Sat.935 PM
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(1240 PM) 640 PM
END OF WATCH (R)
Fri. - Sat.405 PM 925 PM
Adv. Tix on Sale PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4
ARGO (R)
Fri. - Sat.(140) 420 720 1000
HERE COMES THE BOOM (PG) Fri. - Sat.(120) 400 710 940
SINISTER (R)
Fri. - Sat.(150 PM) 430 PM
TAKEN 2 (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(200) 440 740 955
FRANKENWEENIE (PG)
Fri. - Sat.410 PM 920 PM
FRANKENWEENIE 3D (PG) ★
Fri. - Sat.(130 PM) 700 PM
PITCH PERFECT (PG-13)
Fri. - Sat.(110 350) 650 930
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3D (PG) ★
Fri. - Sat.(100 PM) 640 PM
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (PG)
Fri. - Sat.(340 PM) 910 PM
ARGO (R)
TAKEN 2 (PG-13)
FRANKENWEENIE 3D (PG) ★
FRANKENWEENIE (PG)
LOOPER (R)
Times For 10/12 - 10/13 © 2012
Fri. - Sat.(100) 400 700 945
Fri. - Sat.(130) 430 720 1000
Fri. - Sat.(100 PM) 640 PM
Fri. - Sat.(350 PM) 900 PM
Fri. - Sat.(115) 415 655 935