Frankenweenie

WHIRS and HUMS. The screen flickers.

Splices pop through the gate.

And then, today's feature film:

MONSTERS FROM BEYOND!

The title card is made from cut cardboard, and very

blurry.

MOM (O.S.)

Victor, I don't know that it's...

VICTOR (O.S.)

Mom, you have to wear the glasses.

MOM (O.S.)

Oh! Yes of course.

Thick frames slide past. Now we're looking at the title

card in real 3D.

done.

It's very homemade, but charmingly

The next card:

STARRING SPARKY:

DAD:

In 3D honey.

Reveal that we are...

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

Victor's MOM and DAD share the couch with SPARKY THE DOG,

30-odd pounds of canine goodness. They're watching the

homemade movie through vintage 3D glasses.

Behind them run two projectors, manned by the filmmaker

himself, VICTOR. He's more mad scientist than film

auteur -- he built this twin projector system himself.

MOM:

So that’s where my candlestick

went.

DAD:

Oh, isn’t that your grandmother’s

table cloth.

MOM:

That looks great!

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Final Shooting Script_2012_01_18_v2 2

BACK TO THE SCREEN

The pterodactyl swoops across town. People run in fear

and panic. The monster attacks!

DAD:

Oh that is so...Woah! I just felt

I was attacked.

MOM:

Oh. That’s scary.

Troops and tanks spring into action.

DAD:

Send in the marines!

ARMY FIGURE:

Over here men. This way.

To no avail.

MOM:

Oh! Watch out!

DAD:

Whoah!

ENTER SPARKYSAURUS

MOM:

Sparky!

DAD:

Sparky that’s you!

Sparky barks as he sees himself in the movie.

MOM:

Oh!

DAD:

You tell em’ Sparky.

Sparky defeats the monster and the troops and townsfolk

rejoice.

DAD:

Bravo!

Suddenly, one of the projectors JAMS on a splice. The

film melts, then the tail WHIPS AROUND, getting snared in

the second projector's reel. The two machines SMASH

TOGETHER in a shower of sparks.

MOM:

Oh! Oh!

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Final Shooting Script_2012_01_18_v2 3

DAD:

Um. Maybe just unplug it.

Sparky YANKS the power cord from the wall. The bulb

dims. The spinning stops.

Darkness for a moment, then Victor flicks on the light

switch.

MOM:

Well it certainly was exciting!

DAD:

Yeah, it was a big finish. Well

done son.

VICTOR:

I can fix this. C'mon boy!

CUT TO:

INT. HOUSE / STAIRWELL - DAY

Victor lugs the two projector upstairs. Sparky follows

behind.

DAD (O.S.)

All that time he spends up there.

A boy his age needs to be outside

with his friends.

MOM (O.S.)

I don't know that Victor has

friends, dear. Other than Sparky.

INT. BEDROOM HALLWAY - DAY

Victor walks up the stairs into the attic. Sparky is

right behind.

DAD (O.S.)

That's my point! I don't want him

to turn out, y’know, weird.

MOM (O.S)

There's nothing wrong with Victor.

He’s just in his own world.

MUSIC RISES as we finally enter...

January 2012

Final Shooting Script_2012_01_18_v2 4

INT. ATTIC WORKSHOP - DAY

MAIN TITLES begin, as Victor carries the projector up

into his attic workshop. Sparky follows at his feet and

they pass various inventions and movie set pieces that

cram every corner of this sloped-roof wonderland.

Victor disassembles the projectors, nimbly swapping

pieces in and out.

Sparky happily trots on a little treadmill Victor

designed. He stops to scratch himself and slides out of

frame. He bounds back a second later and tries to get

Victor to play with him by licking his face.

Victor

Easy boy.

Victor finishes his tinkering and splices the broken

film. Satisfied, he snaps the reel back on the projector

and starts to roll it again.

On the reel of the projector we

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