Move over ABOMINABLE, it’s time for another big animated feature film to hit the ole’ multiplex. Unlike the past Summer’s hit TOY STORY 4 and the upcoming FROZEN 2, it’s not a sequel, but it’s not exactly an original concept or idea. Even though the characters have been kicking around the pop culture ozone since 1937, they’re now in “uncharted territory”. Yes, it was over eighty years ago when Charles Addams debuted this frightfully funny family in the New Yorker magazine. They were part of a series of “one panel” cartoons so popular that they continued to pop up in issues, eventually being collected in book form. Eventually their creator gave them first names (Gomez, Morticia) along with the same surname as the artist. It wasn’t until the 1960s that they gained their greatest fame as part of the fantasy TV sitcom fad (begun by MY FAVORITE MARTIAN and encompassing BEWITCHED, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, and some equally odd neighbors living at 1313 Mockingbird Lane). Now, there’s a bit of controversy around who arrived first. The Addams project was first announced in the “trades” and eventually “beat” THE MUNSTERS to the airwaves by six days. After its brief (only two seasons) run on ABC-TV, the family returned as a Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon in 1973 (with son Pugsley voiced by Jodie Foster), and was revived by the same studio in 1992. The previous year saw the release of an enormously popular live-action feature film, with a sequel coming out in 1994 (25 years, wow). Now, after a recent Broadway musical, they’re back on the big screen, not in live-action or in 2-D “cell” animation, but in 3D-like CGI renderings. So, as that peppy ole’ theme music from Vic Mizzy says, “…it’s time to pay a call on… THE ADDAMS FAMILY”.
The cartoonist creator and his kooky creepy clan
Let’s label this romp an “origin story”, to borrow a term from the superheroes. Thirteen (of course) years ago, the entire Addams clan is gathered in the “old country” for the midnight wedding of Gomez Addams (voice of Oscar Isaac) and Morticia Frump (Charlize Theron). Unfortunately, before their first dance, the locals arrive with the pitchforks and torches (they may have wondered over from the Universal backlot). There’s only one place the lovebirds can go. With the helping hand of Thing, they make it to America. After “acquiring” their hulking servant Lurch (Conrad Vernon), the Addams newlyweds settle into their new home. Not a museum (as the song states), but an abandoned, haunted asylum. As we forge into the present day we view pics of the family’s expansion, first with gloomy daughter Wednesday (Chloe Grace Moretz), then son Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard). They adore their secluded haven until a red balloon drifts into the yard. The fog lifts to reveal, far below them, a brightly painted planned community. Said “planner” is none other but cable TV’s design and decorating diva Margaux Needler (Alison Janney), who now has “designs” on the creepy mansion overlooking her “picture perfect’ village of Assimilation. Gomez decides to take a break from preparing Pugsley for his Mazurka sword ceremony, assisted by the newly arrived Uncle Fester (Nick Kroll). and greet their new “neighbors”. Wednesday bonds with Margaux’s teenage daughter Parker (Elsie Fisher) and decides to join her at the “middle school”. Can she possibly “fit in”? And what nefarious scheme is Margaux plotting as the Addams distant relatives begin to arrive for Pugsley’s “big day”? Will the celebration become a catastrophe? And, just what is Cousin It (Snoop Dog) babbling about?
An interesting mix of actors (a couple of Oscar winners) and comedians have been assembled to give voice to the famous family and fiends…er, friends. Isaac is a smooth as silk classic Latin lover type as patriarch Gomez. Theron’s Morticia is the epitome of the oh so cool vamp as the matriarch. There’s a terrific energetic raspy cackle to Kroll’s Fester. Margaux has a patronizing “sing-song” delivery, all saccharine with a hint of strychnine thanks to Janney. Unfortunately, the kids feel a tad bland, with Moretz trying to come across as an aloof sounding menace, but seems more bored than demented, while Wolfhard only gives Pugsley an anxious, breathy quality. Luckily comic vets Bette Middler as Grandmama along Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short as the Frump ghosts (SCTV reunion…yes) provide lots of chuckles in their limited screen time. And Vernon gives Lurch a most impressive guttural growl.
In addition, he’s co-director with Greg Tiernan on this, their first big project since 2016’s racy and raunchy SAUSAGE PARTY (quite a turnabout from those R-rated hi-jinks to this family-friendly PG project). For the most part, they recreate the look of those classic characters from the pen and ink panels of Mr. A, though many of the supporting players get into a bit of a design rut, resembling potatoes with “pipe cleaner” thin arms and legs. And the faces are small features surrounded by a fleshy circular ‘noggin. Luckily the fam’ is more interesting. Gomez’s rotund, “striped beach ball” torso works well with his round Peter Lorre caricatured head (great dark sunken eyes). I missed the ever-present cigar that John Astin twirled ala’ Groucho, but I guess that was nixed to get the PG rating. Those same eyes and torso (they’re brothers after all) work well with Fester, paired with his droopy banana nose. Morticia, on the other hand, is comprised of “hard angles” with cheekbones and a chin so sharp they could “thin slice” deli meats. And rather than shoes we see the spider-like hem of her skirt as she glides across the floor (not teeny tiny steps, but hovering). Not sure if the high forward of Wednesday works, but the twin egg-like eyes of Pugsley that look as though they may fall out of his head are quite expressive. The brow and heavy-lidded eyes are a nice nod to the classic Frankenstein monster for Lurch, whose bulk appears to be a black mountain looming and blending into the house’s shadowy corners. And his mouth “quiver” as he delivers the classic “Yoooou rang?” is superb. Ditto to the massive blond bouffant of Margaux, balanced by her plump hips that almost burst out of her blue jumpsuits. Her daughter Parker has a much different look with a button nose and huge expressive eyes making me think of the talented young actress Joey (WISH UPON) King.
If only the same amount of thought and planning of the look of the cast had gone into the uneven script. Yes, there’s much of the same subversive spirit that Paul Rudnick gave to those 90’s features, but the screenplay (credited to three writers) seems to run out of “juice” after the one hour mark, falling prey to the usual funny flick third act “lull”. It abounds with so many great visual gags (Thing’s internet interests) and one-liners (Kroll’s timing kills), but the story has the feel of three sitcom episodes “stitched” together, bouncing haphazardly from plot “A” to “B” to “C” and back again. And these stories mainly focus on the Addams kids, making Morticia and Gomez into secondary support players. And with that PG rating, much of their smoldering sexy banter has been neutered (in the tame 60s sitcom-world, these two generated real “heat”). Only one bit of Gomez driven wild over Morticia tossing out a phrase in French…C’mon?! Still, a few sequences are full of inspired satire, particularly the “Up with People”-style anthem sung by the cheerful Assimilation quintet and Wednesday’s take on biology class (a 70’s sci-fi movie classic reference). But these are shuffled aside to make way for the convoluted plottings of Margaux, who often seems to be at cross purposes. It’s a muddled mess, but the wee ones should be amused by the creepy but not too scary elements (the pet lion Kitty Kat looks like a massive stuffed doll). Even though they’ve seemingly been with us forever, this kooky clan’s non-conformist ways still feel fresh and needed today. Thankfully, despite the script bumps, these folks (cue the big guy on the harpsichord) are still “altogether ‘ooky’, THE ADDAMS FAMILY”. “Snap, snap!”
With the year’s end “light at the end of the tunnel” in sight, 2018’s parade of distinguished feature documentaries marches on with another “crowd-pleaser” bringing up the rear. Cinemas have been host to truly exceptional works of non-fiction filmmaking. This week’s release joins the impressive list of the “celebrity showbiz profile” sub-genre that includes the box office hit WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR along with WHITNEY, MCQUEEN, and QUINCY. Though music doesn’t play as big a role in this subject’s life as in several of these films, she made her greatest cultural impact on television, just as NEIGHBOR’s Fred Rogers. Oh, and her works were much more “adult” in nature, While Rogers was a daytime TV king to countless kids, she was the first real “queen of late-night TV comedy”. And while she’s been gone for nearly three decades, her influence seems to be felt now, more than ever. This film profiles Ms. Radner, the superstar who ended nearly all her writings with two simple words: LOVE, GILDA.
The film begins with footage from the show that made her famous, with Gilda commanding everyone’s attention at a trendy “watering hole”. It then backtracks over twenty years with snapshots and jittery old 8mm silent home movie footage of plump-cheeked little Gilda, perhaps 6 or 7 years old, her eyes darting about in search of the camera, ready to perform a dance or make a funny face. Older brother Michael tells us of the food issues that started very early, and how her mom got “diet pills” (speed, basically) prescribed for the out-going, “zaftig” ten-year-old. Then her journals and diaries are brought out. When Gilda’s own voice isn’t availible, several current comic actors are enlisted to provide the audible. Many are connected to Gilda’s TV alma mater “Saturday Night Live”. Frequent “guest host” and current “queen of movie comedy” Melissa McCarthy, current SNL cast member Cecily Strong, and SNL vets Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, and (token fella’) Bill Hader read different passages (Hader seems like Indiana Jones finding a long-hidden treasure, stifling a plea that “These belong in a museum!”). We’re told of Gilda receiving love from an elderly nanny named “Dibby” while poppa and mama were too busy with business and high society in Detroit. When she left home for the University of Michigan, Gilda continued to search for love, amassing many boyfriends, before following one, a sculptor, to Canada. When that romance fizzled, Gilda plunged into the theatre scene, and became part of the Toronto cast of “Godspell”. Show creator Stephen Schwartz, piano accompaniest Paul Shaffer, and fellow castmate, and former beau, Martin Short share their memories, along with a funny audio recording. We see Gilda jump from the stages of the Toronto Second City to the NYC sound booth of the National Lampoon as part of their radio show and comedy album ensemble (and her first encounter with John Belushi). After a couple of NatLamp stage shows, Lorne Michaels signed her up (really, Gilda was the first to be hired) for a new live weekend late night comedy/music NBC show. Michaels is interviewed along with fellow SNL-ers Chevy Chase and Laraine Newman, and writers Anne Beatts, Rosie Shuster, and Alan Zweibel. The filmmakers provide us with a refresher course on the many characters Gilda inhabited during her five year run on the show, all while still searching for her soul mate (much is made of the long affair with Bill Murray), and battling various eating disorders. We’re treated to several behind-the-scenes videos from her Broadway show (turned into the feature film GILDA LIVE!), and see her cavorting with future husband, guitarist G.E. Smith. When her stint at SNL ended, Gilda was adrift until landing a movie role in the film HANKY PANKY opposite movie “comedy king” Gene Wilder. After divorcing Smith, she married Gene, then signing letters with “love, Gilda Radner-Wilder”. This should have been her “happily ever after”, but several failed pregnancies eventually led to the discovery of Ovarian cancer. The film then chronicles Gilda’s health struggles, her remission, an attempted comeback via TV’s “It’s Gary Shandling’s Show”, and the disease’s final fatal return. Aside from her TV comedy legacy, several cancer screenings programs bear her name along with many cancer-affected family support centers around the world bearing her name and image, “Gilda’s Club”.
First-time feature director Lisa Dapolito has done a terrific job of wrangling the massive amount of archive footage while eliciting funny, honest responses from her interview subjects. While viewers might wish for more complete SNL sketches (the inspired Fellini parody “La Dolce Gilda” would have best illustrated her complex, conflicting thoughts on fame), but we get enough of on insight on her many recurring characters (a taste of Emily Litella, Roseanne Roseannadanna, etc.) to grasp her importance on the show’s infancy. And some still living folks are sorely missing from the “talking heads” clips. The third of “Chevy’s Angels”, Jane Curtain might have some great backstage stories. And any comments from Bill Murray would have been a major coup (doubtful of that ever happening, since Gilda barely mentioned him in her memoir, “It’s Always Something”). I was hoping to know a bit more about the time just after SNL. No mention of THE FIRST FAMILY, Gilda’s first big-time feature film, post-SNL, which bombed. Nor do we hear of her part in Jean Kerr’s play “Lunch Hour”, which bounced around to several theatres to little fanfare. This would help explain those limbo years, the very early 1980’s, in which the studios had no idea how to capitalize on her incredible popularity. It’s a great choice to have much of Gilda’s written thoughts interpreted by several members of the exclusive comedy club she helped establish. The stars bring the prose to life along with graphics that highlight passages for dramatic effect. And the early childhood home movie footage bookended with the jumpy video-cam shot scenes of domestic bliss with family and friends at Casa de Wilder give the film an extraordinary intimacy. The comic icon morphs into a warm, sympathetic human being. While many big fans (myself very much included) bemoan some exclusions, the rarities included, particularly the awkward spot with Tom Snyder on “Tomorrow” and the chaotic live prime time New Orleans SNL special (in which the cast realized that they were akin to rock stars), more than make this a pop culture event. Though the tale comes to a real tragic conclusion, the film is a real celebration of a remarkable talent who truly reached through the TV screen and grabbed the public by the “funny bone” and the heart. All those touched by her story should love LOVE, GILDA.
4.5 Out of 5
LOVE, GILDA opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
One of my favorite films at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival was LOVE, GILDA. Not only did it do an amazing job at capturing her spirit, but it is incredibly relatable… especially if you (like me) have ever fought an intense disease or illness.
In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner looks back and reflects on her life and career. Weaving together recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with her friends, rare home movies and diaries read by modern-day comediennes inspired by Gilda (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Bill Hader and Cecily Strong), Love, Gilda offers a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story.
Produced and Directed by Lisa D’Apolito, LOVE, GILDA leaves viewers with an incredibly positive way to look at life… with laughter. Reading from her own words, Poehler, Rudolph, Hader, Strong and more learn more about one of their biggest inspirations. We learn about Radner’s feelings about herself, her weight, her rise to fame, romances and her battle with cancer through her own tapes.
It starts in the 1950’s, with home movies of a young Radner and her family. She describes her relationship with her father and mother, and the impacts that they had on her. She is quite candid, talking about the death of her father, and her mothers’ thoughts on her weight – including the time she gave Radner diet pills.
It’s apparent, instantly, in the home videos that Radner has an energy that is larger than life. We learn about her relationship with food due to an eating disorder and watch as she seamlessly rises to fame due to her electric personality and impeccable sense of humor. During this time she also went through a lot of boyfriends, including those that she worked with. The good news is that all of them seemed to remain friends, judging by the tone of the doc.
Behind all of the fame lived someone who was unhappy. Radner was her own worst critic. She was constantly looking for love and acceptance. She later found a life full of love with actor Gene Wilder. The film touches on her yearning to have a child, which was hindered by suddenly learning that she had ovarian cancer.
One thing that I love about this film is Radners’ positive spirit as she fought this disease. Throughout her battle, she constantly tried to make people laugh. Her goal was to make cancer funny. Normally, a diagnosis like this would be enough to destroy someone’s spirit. Nor Radner. She was more worried about others, and living life to the fullest. During her struggle, Wilder was by her side. Their love for each other is inspiring.
Throughout the film, Radners’ courage and positive attitude shine through even the darkest of moments. LOVE, GILDA is sure to make audiences laugh and cry.
Just in time for Christmas and awards season contention, Warner Bros. Pictures has released the wild first trailer for INHERENT VICE.
The movie is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel.
The film stars Oscar nominees Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin and Owen Wilson; Katherine Waterston; Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and Benicio Del Toro; Martin Short; Jena Malone and musician Joanna Newsom.
When private eye Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a loony bin…well, easy for her to say.
It’s the tail end of the psychedelic `60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that “love” is another of those words going around at the moment, like “trip” or “groovy,” that’s being way too overused—except this one usually leads to trouble.
With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD Detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists… Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp—all Thomas Pynchon.
Oscar nominee Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood,” “The Master”) directed INHERENT VICE from a screenplay he wrote based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon. Anderson also produced the film, together with Oscar-nominated producers JoAnne Sellar and Daniel Lupi (“There Will Be Blood”).
Anderson’s behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Elswit (“There Will Be Blood”), production designer David Crank (“The Master”), Oscar-nominated editor Leslie Jones (“The Thin Red Line”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“The Artist”). The music is by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
INHERENT VICE opens in limited release on December 12, 2014 and expanding on January 9, 2015.
The film is rated R for drug use throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some violence.
An A-list roster of voice talent has been assembled for the English-language version of Studio Ghibli’s THE WIND RISES, which opens in select North American theaters on Feb. 21, 2014, expanding wide on Feb. 28, 2014. The film marks director Hayao Miyazaki’s final feature, as the legendary animation veteran announced his retirement in September 2013.
The voice cast of the English-language version follows.
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT (“Don Jon,” “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For”) lends his voice to Jiro Horikoshi, who harbors strong ambitions to create his own beautiful airplane. A bubbling mix of wild excitement, extreme focus, individualism, pride, realism and idealism, Jiro also has a cool and brilliant mind and is recognized for his talent.
JOHN KRASINSKI (“The Office,” “Promised Land”) provides the voice of Honjo, Jiro’s college friend and fellow aviation engineer.
EMILY BLUNT (“The Young Victoria,” “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Into the Woods”) voices Nahoko Satomi, a beautiful and cheerful girl who is a passenger on the same train as Jiro on the day of a natural disaster. Ten years later, they reunite.
MARTIN SHORT (“Father of the Bride,” “Saturday Night Live”) was tapped to portray Kurokawa, Jiro’s grumpy boss.
STANLEY TUCCI (“Julie & Julia,” “The Hunger Games” films, “The Devil Wears Prada”) provides the voice of Caproni, an airplane creator known worldwide from the dawn of Italian aviation through the 1930s, who appears in Jiro’s dreams to stir up, advise and voice Jiro’s thoughts and emotions.
MANDY PATINKIN (“Homeland,” “The Princess Bride”) lends his voice to Hattori, the senior designer at Mitsubishi.
WERNER HERZOG (“Jack Reacher,” filmmaker “Grizzly Man”) voices Castorp, a mysterious visitor to Japan who encounters Jiro at a mountain resort.
WILLIAM H. MACY (“Shameless,” “Fargo”) steps into the role of Satomi, Nahoko’s father.
MAE WHITMAN (“Parenthood,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) was called on to voice Kayo Horikoshi, Jiro’s younger sister, who adores him. Whitman also voices Kinu, Nahoko’s caretaker.
JENNIFER GREY (“Dirty Dancing,” “The Cotton Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) provides the voice of Mrs. Kurokawa.
DARREN CRISS (“Girl Most Likely,” “Glee”) lends his voice to Katayama, a jovial junior engineering colleague of Jiro.
ELIJAH WOOD (“Wilfred,” “Grand Piano,” “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy) voices Sone, a studious engineering colleague of Jiro.
RONAN FARROW (“From Up on Poppy Hill”) is the voice of the Mitsubishi Employee.
Also featured in the English-language version of THE WIND RISES are Zach Callison (“Sofia the First,” “Mr. Peabody and Sherman,” “Steven Universe”), who voices young Jiro; Eva Bella (“Frozen,” “Despicable Me 2,” “Almost Heroes 3D”), who lends her voice to young Kayo; and Madeleine Rose Yen (Broadway’s “War Horse,” “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas”), who provides the voice of young Nahoko. Rounding out the English-language voice cast are Edie Mirman (“Epic,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” English-language version) as the voice of Jiro’s mother, and David Cowgill (“Madagascar”) as the voice of the flight engineer.
The English-language voice cast of THE WIND RISES is directed by Gary Rydstrom, a seven-time Academy Award®-winning sound designer (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Titanic”) who worked on “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Brave.” Rydstrom also directed the English-language versions of “The Secret World of Arrietty” and “From Up on Poppy Hill.” The English-language version of the film is produced by Studio Ghibli and executive produced by Frank Marshall, who produced dozens of landmark films, including the “Indiana Jones” series, “The Bourne Legacy” and “War Horse,” and executive produced the English-language versions of Studio Ghibli films “PONYO,” “The Secret World of Arrietty” and “From Up on Poppy Hill.” Mike Jones (“In the Event of a Moon Disaster”) is credited with the English-language screenplay adaptation for THE WIND RISES.
THE WIND RISES was released in Japan in July 2013, topping the Japanese box office and the $120 million mark. The film opened for Academy Award® qualification engagements in New York and Los Angeles Nov. 8-14, 2013, showcasing the original film in Japanese with English subtitles.
In THE WIND RISES, Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and becomes one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. The film chronicles much of his life, depicting key historical events, including the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan’s plunge into war. Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko, and grows and cherishes his friendship with his colleague Honjo. Writer and director Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in this epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.
Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park International announced today that the company has picked-up international rights to directors Will Finn and Daniel St. Pierre’s 3D animated family adventure film LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN starring Lea Michele, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi and Kelsey Grammer. The film is from a script by Adam Balsam and Randi Barnes, based on the series of books by Roger Stanton Baum. Bonne Radford is producing alongside Ryan Carroll and Roland Carroll of Summertime Entertainment.
The film, scheduled for a May 2, 2014 domestic theatrical release by Clarius Entertainment on a minimum of 3,000 screens, will be introduced by HPI’s President Eric Christenson and will screen at the upcoming Marché du Film. Cannes screenings are scheduled for Saturday, May 18th at 4:00pm at Olympia 2, Monday May 20th at 4:00pm at Olympia 2, and Tuesday, May 21st at 4:00pm at Olympia 8.
The film will also screen in competition at the 2013 Annecy International Animation Festival. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will be handling home entertainment distribution for North America. Sony will be distributing the soundtrack.
LEGENDS OF OZ: DOROTHY’S RETURN is a 3D animated feature film based on the adventure books by Roger Stanton Baum, the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, and is a continuation of the world’s most popular and beloved fairy tales. In the story, Dorothy (voiced by Michele) awakens to a devastated post-tornado Kansas, but is soon whisked back to Oz and its new villain in this 3D-animated musical adventure. There she is joined by familiar faces including the Scarecrow (Aykroyd), the Lion (Belushi) and the Tin Man (Grammer).
Bonne Radford, one-time head of feature animation at Dreamworks and VP of Animation at Amblin, produced THE ROAD TO ELDORADO, as well as executive produced CURIOUS GEORGE. Will Finn is best known for animating such classics as ALADDIN, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LITTLE MERMAID. Daniel St. Pierre has worked as a director, production designer and art director on a number of hits including THE LION KING, SHARK TALE and TARZAN.
Hyde Park’s slate of films in production which will be presented at the Marché du film including ELMORE LEONARD’S SWITCH, with a cast led by Jennifer Aniston, John Hawkes and Tim Robbins, EVERY SECRET THING starring Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks and Dakota Fanning, A FRIGGIN’ CHRISTMAS MIRACLE with Robin Williams, Lauren Graham and Joel McHale, CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR starring Nick Jonas and Isabel Lucas and the Roger Spottiswoode-directed MIDNIGHT SUN.
With the release of FRANKENWEENIE just a few days away, I was invited to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA to talk with stars Catherine O’Hara (voice of “Susan Frankenstein”, “Weird Girl”, and “Gym Teacher”) and Martin Short (voice of “Ben Frankenstein”, “Mr. Bergermeister”, and “Nassor”).
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.
Myself, along with several members of the press sat down with both Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short to speak with them about their film. Since the two have been friends for many years, the room was filled with fun! Check out the roundtable discussion here.
Did you guys get to record your man and wife parts together on this one?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yes we did.
MARTIN SHORT: Yes.
Not your usual experience on an animated movie.
MARTIN SHORT: Yeah.
CATHERINE O’HARA: But smart on Tim’s part.
MARTIN SHORT: Yes. And… But we did. What was great is that we, usually in animation you do it by yourself, and we did scenes together.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah. Especially for the parents because the tone was set for the movie. And it… and it helped us get the intimacy that we needed.
Was it anything like in the old days when you guys did a lot of scenes together?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh it always is. But I’m fortunate enough to see Marty a lot in life. And we live not far from each other, so.
MARTIN SHORT: And we have cottages in uh north of Toronto near each other.
CATHERINE O’HARA: So we goof off all the time.
MARTIN SHORT: Yes. This is no… this is no uh big uh revolutionary world.
On the first day you guys got together, even though you see each other a lot, did it bring back memories?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh yeah. Well it scared me. Because…
MARTIN SHORT: Hahaha! It scared you.
CATHERINE O’HARA: The few times that we’ve worked together we don’t behave well. [LAUGHS]
MARTIN SHORT: Yeah. We have uh, we have an unfortunate history.
CATHERINE O’HARA: We did a CBC pilot.
MARTIN SHORT: We did a CBC pilot in seventy-eight. Bit different.
CATHERINE O’HARA: [LAUGHING] Don’t even give the name! We were so bad.
MARTIN SHORT: I mean, I can’t remember the…
CATHERINE O’HARA: They found a copy … He found a copy of it and gave it to me this year. I was like uhh (SCOFF) oh my Lord, no wonder we got bad reviews. We were just like, we were kinda cute actually.
MARTIN SHORT: You know what? I thought…Yeah I thought we were kinda cute.
CATHERINE O’HARA: So I do, yeah I do uh, yesterday to impress junket. [SOUND LIKE] I just spend way too much time laughing and being kinda foul-mouthed with Marty. [LAUGHS] But this is our first one today so you’ll get the clean version.
MARTIN SHORT: We’re recharged with our elegance.
CATHERINE O’HARA: But Tim kept us in line.
Have you guys seen sketches of your characters? And sketches of the environment you’d be working in before you do your work?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Absolutely.
MARTIN SHORT: Yeah the process uh, I think…w… what’s amazingly rewarding for an actor to work with Tim is that he, you know obviously he’s hired you. So it’s… he… the buck stops with him and starts with him. So he’s saying, you know you-you see a sketch and then for the first session or two he wants to hear how you see it. And when he starts laughing, um, then you know you’re on the right track. I mean he… And not necessarily laughing out of something’s funny been said, but laughing because now it’s fitting in to how he saw it.
MARTIN SHORT: I mean he had images… Burgemeister would be an example of someone he didn’t know what he would sound like, but he knew he should be disturbing, weird, odd, and uh… I remember at one point I said uh, what if he just had been a four packs a day smoker but had recently quit. With Tim just that’s the kind of thing. [LAUGHTER]
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah. They uh, they had these drawings on easels in the first recording session. I mean we went individually at that time. But that—on—these beautiful drawings of these characters that you see in the movie and then they tell you a bit of the story and-and I find with that kinda work, when you have such a beautiful thing to work from – these images, that um…that it is of course…
MARTIN SHORT: Did you say from or with?
CATHERINE O’HARA: I’m working from it.
MARTIN SHORT: I thought you were talking about me again.
[LAUGHTER]
CATHERINE O’HARA: No. That um, that you wanna honor that. Because first of all you did the short film twenty years ago, so that’s been in his head, and then people are imagining that this is a more personal story for Tim than some of his other movies. So I felt a great responsibility and also a great, you know, honor to be able to voice those characters that had been in his head. Because then we get to collaborate with him and actually… well how are these people actually… he knows them but how are they gunna sound? And-and-and we get to be a part of that
That’s where I’m told as a Boris Karloff character… have you ever done Boris before?
MARTIN SHORT: I haven’t. And what I would do, uh, again there’s no real idea of what these characters are going to be, but then the suggestion of Boris Karloff. And so before each take, I said this in the beginning, I would you tube the old TV series Thriller. It’s going to be a thriller. And then this voice became a little more like a lisp. And so I’d have to get like… oh and let’s do it! ‘Cause my retention is not good.
Both of you have worked with Tim before, so how did he approach you for these roles? And because you’re doing voice acting as opposed to live action acting, how different was it working with him as a director?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Uh, well I got a call from my agent saying Tim wants you to come in and do three voices. I went really? Yes they’re Mother, Weird Girl, and Gym Teacher. I was like, Weird Girl?! Okay that’s great. And, but I thought um, oh I guess he’s giving me a shot at three voices. I did not for a second assume I was gunna be playing all three characters. And each time I went in at the beginning I thought… Oh actually each time I went in and every time I thought, oh I’m still doing three voices! I’m still doing three characters! Alright I’m still doing it.
CATHERINE O’HARA (Cont): But when you see him again, he’s just the same as he was for me on the set of Beetle Juice. Really fun and loose and – but absolutely knows what he wants, but is there, you know he’s so confident about knowing that he’s going to achieve what he wants, that he’s so playful and let’s you do whatever and offer whatever. And when you first open your voice I think it’s scary, whether it’s live action or recording but especially if it’s voice. And-and uh he makes you feel safe. So you just sort of jump in and start playing and have fun with him. He’s the same guy that way.
MARTIN SHORT: Yeah I find that, you know, I worked with him on a film called Mars Attacks and I wasn’t sure what it would be like to work with Tim Burton you know. And um, and right away you’re struck by… he’s just like a funny guy who wants to laugh and… and isn’t uh, particularly dark at all. But just joyful and really enthusiastic. And very much wants to hear what your take on it… even a scene. I remember we were doing a scene in Mars Attacks, which was complicated blocking.
MARTIN SHORT: He said well just go and try it. And then when you think of it, as I said earlier, he has hired you. So that’s been his first decision. Um, and, but I found that he was the exact same now ten years later, or fifteen years later. Um, on this he’s joyful, playful, what do you wanna do? Let’s try it. And then as you… as it narrows down he gets specific as to what he hears. He likes this, he wants that. Um, and I don’t find that he was particularly different. It was a new piece of art that he was creating.
CATHERINE O’HARA: I’ve had to… when you look at the drawings like that you don’t—I don’t take it as personally. Except times when you show up on a set for live action… or not show up but you start talking about the movie, you start working out what they’re gunna look like and how they’re gunna present themselves… and I find… I take that very personally and I wanna have a hand in it. I wanna help make decisions about what my character looks like. But in this case, that character is there. And-and so much is given to you already that-that uh, you just kinda wanna, uh… do it with respect. You know? Treat it with respect.
Do you find that it’s either more or less difficult to communicate emotion with just your voice? ‘Cause you’ve got a tool that you can’t use, you know, your facial expressions and such.
CATHERINE O’HARA: That’s a relief. For me [LAUGHS]. Mine moves too much.
MARTIN SHORT: I think that it’s just a different muscle. Uh, it’s like saying is it different to work on film than in theater. And… and it is a little different. If you’re doing a play, you have to…you can’t just talk to someone like this. You have to get the director to make sure that you might convey the same thought while going down stage to tie up your shoe. Because the audience is right there. And when you do…
MARTIN SHORT: Voice, you are just working with your voice. So you can… you can [MAKES GROWLING NOISE], you can create sounds. But if you were being filmed you wouldn’t perform that way. You’d make it organic and one. But that… this is one in that case and you uh follow that. So it’s just a different exercise for an actor.
CATHERINE O’HARA: And very focused. Very focused. And I think most people I know uh, kinda freak when they hear their own voice. For the first time. You think you sound like something and then you hear yourself and on the recording and go, what? And um, you know in a recording session you’ve got the headphones on [LAUGHS] so your voice is just really big and you hear every breath and [CLEARS THROAT] and if you haven’t swallowed properly you’re hearing that and you’re hearing everything in your lungs.
CATHERINE O’HARA: You know. So it’s just, it’s so focused. On the set with live action, everybody is in the scene, you know? And the set is in the scene. But when you’re recording, in that moment, it’s just your voice.
MARTIN SHORT: And you don’t have to do a shade and you don’t have to…
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh no. Don’t dress.
MARTIN SHORT: And I’ve always felt that I have a face for animation.
You’ve both worked with him before, have you seen a growth in him?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Well his work is, I think, ever-growing and ever-changing and although he certainly has great consistency in taking care of his characters and his visuals and, um, but he seems like the same guy to work with.
He was considerably younger then.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah he was. And I remember I think they were waiting to see how Peewee, uh Herman was going to do Peewee’s Big Adventure… before they would give more money for Beetle Juice or give it a release date, I remember there was talk about this movie Peewee. It was…everything was rested on how that was going to do. ‘Cause he’d done that before Beetle Juice, right? Yeah. So, that was kinda hanging over like we’ll see, we’ll see. And then that came and I was like wow. Well that’s who this guy is.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Um. But he – But just – You know. When you spend time with him he’s the same guy.
I hear that dog lovers love this movie. After best in show this could be like… [LAUGHTER]
CATHERINE O’HARA: I’m the dog-whispering actor. Yeah but well I don’t think I was, I don’t know if you, but I was not aware that it was… that that’s why we called it as almost kind of we were people in Tim’s life. Kind of a theme…for this movie. Yeah! And Martin Landau. Of course. Done a lot with him. The kids are new. And they’re good, aren’t they? Wow.
Was there more of a need to exaggerate and embellish the characters in a work like this than it might be in Beetlejuice or Mars Attacks?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Uh, I think they’re supposed to be real though.
MARTIN SHORT: I think it… it, you know, Peewee is a perfect example. Uh, what was brilliant that I thought about Peewee’s big adventure is that he took Peewee Herman, which was a broader than life character, but then he created the world to be as odd as Peewee, and then the equal equation was that it was all normal. So, I mean we live in a world where you go to the market and there’s a guy selling fish and he’s, you know, wearing uh kulots on his legs, and uh you know one of those bad shirts that are cut here and it guts out. And he’s not trying to do a sketch on Saturday Night Live. This is, he’s sincere. And that’s why it’s funny. So I think that you look at a sketch like uh, Burgemeister and you… or Massor in my case… and you wouldn’t necessarily say oh I know how he speaks. Hello I’m Burgemeister. No, you have to create something that fits that and that’s… And you start in a void and you start experimenting, experimenting, especially the first session. And then like all things you just – We were talking earlier that when we did SCTV, sometimes we wouldn’t particularly know what a character was gunna sound like. But you’d sit in the makeup chair, they’d put a wig on you, you’d look in the mirror, and then something connects.
Obviously you guys have seen sketches and read the script, so when the movie was completed sometime after you’d done your voiceover work and you saw it, was there anything different about the film that you weren’t expecting to see? Given that you’d had access to all those materials ahead of time.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh yeah, everything. Oh I was blown away. By the stop frame animation. You totally appreciate it as a story and you care about the characters and it’s just a beautiful, touch, funny, great movie. But it’s almost impossible to appreciate the work. The meticulous millisecond by millisecond handling of the characters in the set that goes into the flow. When you see that dog Sparky in the movie and the way he moves and jumps around, the little ball, it’s just so real and so alive. I can’t imagine what [STAMMERS]. You need to watch a six-month making of to appreciate [LAUGHING]. I mean six months solid. [LAUGHS AND LAUGHTER FROM OTHERS] Non-stop watching it. Yeah, you’re on the toilet and there’s food brought to you. [LAUGHTER] Not thinking about moving! I went there again.
MARTIN SHORT: You did. I agree and what’s… I think is kind of endearing about this project particularly you know Tim is a wealthy, successful man. So when he takes on a project, particularly something this personal, his agenda is to make it as good as possible. There’s no like ‘uh yeah whatever I gotta go to dinner.’ It-it-it’s a real work of love and art here. So, so I think sometimes you uh lend your voice to an animated movie and you see it, you kind of go:
MARTIN SHORT: Oh! And you… but you hear yourself a lot. And you kinda go: Oh I wish they’d, I seemed a little flat, I wish they’d done that. In this you just get completely lost because you’re such a small part of the wheel.
When you did see the movie, was there any one scene that popped out at you that you weren’t expecting at all?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Well the dog blew me away. I don’t know why. Just, it, well its such an important character in the movie. But just the way it moved. It’s little bum and then the tail. Uhh, I just, I can’t imitate it but you know…
Oh go ahead. [LAUGHTER]
CATHERINE O’HARA: I’m trying and it’s pathetic. Um…that and uh for our scenes as the parent’s with Victor I was really happy with how lovely they felt to me watching it. And I loved how they looked, and Charlie’s voice is so lovely as Victor. And those moments I think it felt better than live action [LAUGHS].
MARTIN SHORT: Well I think it was a great deal of… I was surprised with the amount of emotion. Sometimes, again in animation, emotion is… we’re told to feel emotion. The score sores, the teardrops. This is a little more sincere than that.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Oh and I’m sorry. And the cat changing. The cat whiskers transition is insane. Can you imagine? What is that? Six months? That is six months of stop frame animation. That is crazy. It’s like you see every atom in its body change. Oh it’s just madness.
Weird Girl is not an analogatated voice, Karloff or Peter Lorrie or anybody. It’s just…
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah I wonder. It’s probably a kid that Tim went to school with. ‘Cause I know I went to school with some weird girls [LAUGHS].
You had to pretty much flesh her out.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah. Yeah. Well before I got…
Did you access an inner weird girl?
CATHERINE O’HARA: Well I… Yeah. You wanna go, you know for the first session I really wanted to show up with something to offer and um, and I remember just trying to think of people that I went to school with that you try to avoid and say oh please don’t let me be made partners with them. But I’m sure p… I don’t mean to say this meanly about anybody else ‘cause I’m sure people felt this about me too. But yes! Definitely. But um, but you know the… and I think they have to have a soft way about them, because if they don’t sneak up on ya, you’ll… you’ll see them coming and they won’t getcha. So, they have to have this soft way that’s her way to… I felt it was gunna be soft and-and then I… we basically stole John Candy’s um, uh the, swallowing and not being able to get a thought out, John Candy… dear soul… did it in SCTV. He was doing a version to our makeup artist on, in a scene that I wrote. He was playing a kid. So I feel like, I wrote this scene so it’s okay. John wouldn’t mind. Um…
MARTIN SHORT: OOO HOO HOO!!! [LAUGHTER]
CATHERINE O’HARA: Thank you Johnny. [LAUGHS] Um, that-the softness and the sneaking up kind of and of course it was written that she takes herself so seriously as a lot of those weird kids in class do. It’s like really? I’ve gotta listen to this? You know. And the poo. That the poo…[LAUGHTER] and the first time I saw that in her hand I was like what?! That was great.
One last question. Given that this is a personal film, did he discuss when he was screening the 1984 short film? Was there any discussion about that?
MARTIN SHORT: There wasn’t with me.
CATHERINE O’HARA: No. No. And we’d seen it.
MARTIN SHORT: I mean I’d seen it too but I don’t think that he was saying okay now listen, part of your homework. You know again, to reiterate with Tim, which makes, I think when you are as successful as Tim you can be this way. Which is you don’t have to prove anything. You don’t have to walk into the set and say now look I’m the most important person here.
CATHERINE O’HARA: I’ve been living with this for twenty years.
MARTIN SHORT: Yeah. There’s none of that because we already know it. Everyone knows it. So he’s had so much success, he’s been so vindicated, that he couldn’t sit in a place… although he was like this-and he’d been successful-but he was like this in 96 when I worked with him.
CATHERINE O’HARA: Yeah he was. I don’t think… it’s almost sounding, and I know you don’t mean this at all-that he takes it for granted and he doesn’t either.
MARTIN SHORT: No, I think that he’s just walking in a saying I’m thrilled that… that… to be working with you, what…what… what… how do you see this? He’s not coming in and saying well first of all let me tell you about my journey.
Hey kids, Melissa here with some exciting news. This week I made the journey to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA to sit down with Tim Burton and the cast of FRANKENWEENIE.
Stay tuned, because starting next week I will be posting roundtables with Tim Burton (Director), Winona Ryder (voice of “Elsa van Helsing”), Martin Landau (voice of “Mr. Rzykruski”), Martin Short (voice of “Mr. Frankenstein”), Catherine O’Hara (voice of “Mrs. Frankenstein”), Atticus Shaffer (voice of “Edgar ‘E.’ Gore” ), Charlie Tahan (voice of “Victor”), Don Hahn (Executive Producer), John August (Writer), Allison Abbate (Producer) & Trey Thomas (Animation Supervisor). That’s a whole lot of FRANKENWEENIE talk!
Did you know that this is the third time Winona Ryder and Tim Burton have worked together? Their first film was BEETLEJUICE, followed by EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. It has been 21 years since the two worked together.
Tim Burton’s original short FRANKENWEENIE was made in 1984. This marks 28 years from the original short to the full length feature.
While you wait for the press day goodness, here is the FRANKENWEENIE trailer to hold you over:
In Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
See the electrifying new trailer and character banners (along with the descriptions) for Tim Burton’s FRANKENWEENIE.
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 an original idea by Tim Burton. FRANKENWEENIEreleases in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012.
Victor Frankenstein is a clever and industrious 10-year-old boy who is inspired by science. He lives with his parents and dog, Sparky, in the town of New Holland. Victor immerses himself in making films and inventing in his attic workshop. When Sparky dies in a car accident, Victor uses scientific ingenuity to bring him back to life.
(voiced by Winona Ryder)
Elsa Van Helsing is a soulful and somber classmate of Victor. She lives next door to him with her tyrant uncle, Mayor Burgemeister, who forces her to be this year’s “Little Dutch Girl” at the town’s celebration of Dutch Day. Elsa also has a beloved pet, her poodle Persephone, and truly empathizes with Victor when he loses Sparky.
(Voiced by Catherine O’Hara & Martin Short )
Mr. Frankenstein is a travel agent, friendly and social, who likes to dispense roundabout advice to his son. He is proud of Victor’s accomplishments, but is concerned he doesn’t have any friends other than Sparky. He would prefer his son be more social and encourages him to join the baseball team. Mr. Frankenstein has a playful and loving relationship with his wife, Victor’s mom.
Mrs. Frankenstein is a loving and supportive mother who encourages her son’s scientific pursuits, even when her kitchen appliances end up in his attic lab. She is an avid reader and loves to watch movies with her husband and enjoys the company of her family and her books.
Persephone is a perfectly groomed black poodle with an enormously large poof of hair on her head. She is curious and flirtatious with Sparky and fiercely loyal to Elsa, her owner. When Persephone and Sparky first meet in the backyard, the attraction is instantaneous and electrifying.
(voiced by James Hiroyuki Liao)
Toshiaki is over-achieving and mega-competitive. He delights in beating Victor at his own game and like a power-hungry, mad scientist, Toshiaki will stop at nothing to win the top prize in the school’s science fair—even if it means stealing Victor’s ideas to do it.
(voiced by Conchata Ferrell)
Bob’s Mom is a plump, suburban housewife who is prone to panic and hysteria when things go awry. She has very simple, stereotypical views on life, which she isn’t shy about sharing with the community. She dotes on her son Bob and believes her actions, though often misguided, are in his best interest.
(voiced by Robert Capron)
Bob is a momma’s boy who is the brawn to Toshiaki’s brains. He is agreeable and never mean-spirited, but on the flip side he’s easily led and gullible. Bob follows Toshiaki everywhere, but is the first one to run to Victor for help when he gets in over his head.
Tim Burton’s new film FRANKENWEENIE might not come out until October, but we have the new one sheet to try and hold you over!
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.
Starring Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, and Conchata Ferrell, FRANKENWEENIEhits theaters October 5th.
