COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - LISA FRANKENSTEIN (UNIVERSAL BLU-RAY)
No group of people is more nostalgic for the 80s than horror fans. Want to test this theory? Just find a Facebook group of genre lovers and post something akin to “the 80s was the worst decade for horror” and watch as bodies behind keyboards explode with anger taken out on their laptops. While we don’t advocate for such self-inflicted ridicule, it does prove the point that for many horror fans, the 80s was untouchable. A decade that was defined by improving practical effects, increased amounts of greed, and some of the most iconic ear worms ever heard. This has made the 80s a coveted decade for a large chunk of horror fans who often will opine on how they miss, or wish they were alive during such an important time for the genre. In 2024, nostalgia is now at epidemic levels as you can’t go too far without seeing a reboot, rehash, or revival of beloved series and characters. It’s also the backdrop for the Diablo Cody-penned and Zelda Williams-directed Lisa Frankenstein. A clever name, but is it just that or is there more to this nostalgia trip horror comedy?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A coming of RAGE love story about a teenager and her crush, who happens to be a corpse. After a set of horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a journey to find love, happiness - and a few missing body parts.
HOW IS IT?
“One-of-a-kind” is a phrase that has lost some of its luster in the content-rich era we live in today. While there is no shortage of innovative ideas and challenging new ways to use technology, uniqueness in storytelling is often sparse in a genre as popular as horror. “Lisa Frankenstein” is in many ways a singular film without any direct comparison. Much like the title and inspired by the characters suggests, “Lisa Frankenstein” is a film that is an amalgamation of different inspirations and ideas melded into one monstrous whole. True to form given her previous genre outing, Jennifer’s Body, Diablo Cody takes on love, grief, and high school while under the neon glow of the 1980s combining quick-witted dialogue with silly/serious commentary on sexual politics and power. It doesn’t all work in service of the film’s point, but that also could be because this reviewer may not be the intended audience. It harkens back to films that are familiar to someone in their late 30s like me, but the nostalgia can only carry a film for so long without its own sense of identity.
To be clear, there is absolutely a confident aesthetic put forward in this film that bears the unique stamp of Cody’s style. The characters are all caricatures of 80s teen comedy archetypes and are a combination of John Waters’ high camp with the darkly comic undertones a la Heathers. At the core of the story is Lisa Swallows, whose traumatic backstory is more dark than funny, who finds herself living with a new stepmom and stepsister after her father remarried shortly after her mom was murdered. The impression we are left with is that Lisa has a hard time fitting into her new life because she is the new girl in town and the rumor mill is churning out varying degrees of truthfulness to her backstory. One of Lisa’s saving graces is her stepsister Taffy, who is a polar opposite of Lisa, but has compassion for her and wants to see her find community. The relationship between Taffy and Lisa is tender and sweet, even though Lisa seems to be quite insufferable at times…and therein lies the film's biggest problem. Lisa is a really hard character to like. You feel sympathy for her given her horrendous trauma, but then you see her character change into a narcissistic murderer and we are expected to now root for her. Calling her an “anti-hero” may be a stretch considering she is only in service of herself and not others, and while there is some comedic enjoyment to come from this self-obsession, it also makes for an odd viewing experience when you really aren’t rooting for anyone the entirety of the film.
Many of these problems are linked to tone and how uneven it all is. “Lisa Frankenstein” is a significant departure from “Jennifer’s Body” in that it is almost the exact opposite. The latter is more subtle in its humor and more heavy-handed in horror, whereas “Lisa Frankenstein” is too unserious to ever let the darker parts of the story matter and the motivations for the characters feel authentic. Sure, hurt people hurt people, but the shift from “grieving daughter” to “murderous mistress” feels more forced than a natural character arc. Then again, this all could be a matter of preference as it may just be that this film isn’t meant for me. It is important to acknowledge that “Lisa Frankenstein” is extremely confident in the kind of film it is, even if it struggles to find the same emotional connection to characters that you do in “Jennifer’s Body”. This is a film that will divide viewers into “love” or “hate” camps because it stands firmly in its decision to not pander to all audiences, and as such can be hard to recommend to anyone without knowing just how much they enjoy the vibe that it puts out. While Cody’s writing is part of the recipe, Zelda Williams’ directing adds more chaos than cohesion as she emphasizes more style than storytelling. So many of the film's scenes are just there to put Lisa on a pedestal of “cool” while doing very little to flesh out her character or address the myriad of real issues she is facing. The growing and blossoming genre of “good for her” movies is the easiest barometer to determine if you’ll enjoy “Lisa Frankenstein”, as it isn’t bothered with creating a compellingly grounded world with complex characters. Instead, you get a hyper-stylized nostalgia-fueled fever dream of big hair, goth rock, and tanning beds. It’s a world that considers trips to the mall, not the psychiatrist as self-care and a place where characters exist in extremes rather than nuances. And while it wasn’t exactly this reviewer's cup of Tab, it most certainly could be for someone else.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
“Lisa Frankenstein” arrives on Blu-Ray in 1080p maintaining the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Given the film’s recent release, there is no restoration required and for all intents and purposes, the transfer to home video looks great. The vibrant neon-soaked scenery pops off the screen in stark contrast to some of the darker hues and shades. Curiously, a 4K UHD version was not released, but perhaps we will get that at a later date. Images from this release are used throughout this review and can be seen below.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
For sound, “Lisa Frankenstein” has a 5.1 DTS-HD audio track that is well-balanced and has an impressive range despite not getting the full Atmos treatment. Given the soundscape is comprised mainly of dialogue, backing music, and some occasional action there isn’t a lot for the rear speakers to do, but they do perk up when it matters most. The sounds are vibrant and don’t muddy at higher volumes, and there are multiple subtitle options available for the hearing impaired and/or non-English speakers.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Special features on studio releases are becoming a thing of the past, but thankfully the fine folks at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have cobbled together some extras that are sure to delight fans, even if they are still sparse. One of the first features we checked out was Resurrecting the 1980s, a 4-minute featurette that has a selection of short interviews with both cast and crew on the approach they took to re-creating the looks, locations, and attitudes of the decade. It’s a nice feature that offers only a surface-level glimpse into production design, and has a lot in common with the other feature we reviewed, A Dark Comedy Duo. This is another 4-minute short covering the influence that Diablo Cody had on the story, actors, and direction. The cast heaps a lot of praise on Cody, and she talks about having wanted to not make this a comedy but found so many of the situations naturally comedic. She and Williams seemed to work closely together during production, and it shows in their admiration for one another. A full list of special features included in this release is listed below.
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Resurrecting The 1980’s
An Electric Connection
A Dark Comedy Duo
Feature Commentary With Director Zelda Williams
LAST RITES
“Lisa Frankenstein” is not a film for everyone, and that’s okay. While it may not be successful in carrying two wildly different tones, the audacity contained within will surely delight those who enjoy more snark and camp in their horror comedies.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Mandy Kay Marketing for providing a review copy for the crypt! Lisa Frankenstein is available NOW and can be purchased via Amazon!
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