Directed by Zelda Williams
Written by Diablo Cody
Starring Kathryn Newton, Liza Soberano, Cole Sprouse, Henry Eikenberry
On Blu-ray & DVD April 9

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

Synopsis:

As the official synopsis states this is a “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.” “A coming of RAGE love story”. That simple sentence was all I needed to be excited about Lisa Frankenstein. Zelda Williams makes her directorial debut and teamed up with Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) for an 80s teen Frankenstein tale. 

As a huge fan of Jennifer’s Body I was excited for another monstrous woman tale from Cody. I was not disappointed and found so much to love in this neon blood soaked love story. About 20 minutes in I noticed a smile beam from my face that stuck with me throughout the entire runtime. I immediately knew it was a piece of media I wanted to add to my collection. 

You can find Editor in Chief’s Rosalie Kicks Old Sport’s review here.

What features make it special? 

• Collector’s Editor Slipcover

• Deleted Scenes

• Gag Reel 

• Feature Commentary with Director Zelda Williams

• Behind the scenes focuses on:

• “Resurrecting the 80s”: How the different production departments came together to embrace the style and tone of Diablo Cody’s world.

• “An Electric Connection”: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and the filmmakers explain how Lisa and Creature find connection and meaning in their relationship across a century-long divide. 

• “A Dark Comedy Duo”: A look into Diablo Cody’s inspiration for this genre-blending take on the Frankenstein story, and why Zelda Williams was the perfect partner for the project. 

Why you need to add it to your video library… 

As a collector of physical media, when I decide what newer films I want to add to my collection much of my decision comes down to re-watchability. After my first watch of the movie I knew it was an instant favorite and was the perfect blend of love, horror, and comedy to make me keep coming back to it. It is a comfort watch from the aesthetics and worldbuilding to the memorable characters. This also had a similar critical/audience reception as Jennifer’s Body, which has found much love in the horror community over the years. I knew this was something I would want to come back to, especially as more people see it and get the chance to find the same love for it that I found. 

I also love collecting media from women filmmakers who are still severely underrepresented in the film industry. Diablo Cody has such a unique tone that many find comfort in, and this is such an impressive debut for Zelda Williams who I hope to see in the directors chair again. Even without all of the interesting behind the scenes footage, and gag reels (something that it seems we are finally getting more of with recent comedy releases!) I knew the cinematography and expert blending of the silent film era with 80s teen comedies was something I wanted to revel in again and again. This year seems to be the beginning of a renaissance of monster movies with Nosferatu, The Bride, Your Monster, and others inspired by classic monster films. Making this a piece of a fascinating chapter in horror and film history. 

If you enjoyed Lisa Frankenstein you will find much to love in seeing deleted scenes and gags from the production. The behind the scenes features also dig into some of the most fascinating aspects of the film; the production design and vision, building a love story amidst all the horror, and how the incredible filmmakers of this movie came together to share a vision and create something so special. There are so many elements worth coming back to and this is a great movie to show to friends. It could be a great gateway horror movie for those younger audiences getting into the genre but at the same time it is great for a nostalgic sleepover with some of your favorite ghoul friends!