"Lisa Frankenstein"

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[00:00:24] Price and participation may vary cannot be combined with any other offer a combo meal Alright everyone, you were just listening to the trailer for Lisa Frankenstein and the

[00:01:44] story is as follows. for having me. Way to make Dan and I feel old. No, no. Thank you so much for being here. We really, really do appreciate it, especially because, too, you know, Dan and I were getting ready to do this and we realized it was only going to just be the two of us. And I was like, I feel for this particular movie, we need a female perspective pretty

[00:03:01] badly.

[00:03:03] So I'm very happy that you could be here with us today to discuss this film. definitely, it's meant to be something different this Valentine's Day, I would argue. And so, is it something that holy works? Because Diablokodi, even though, like I said earlier, won that Oscar for Juneau, it feels like the output since then has had peaks and valleys,

[00:04:20] you know, for every young adult or a tully, you then get something like paradise, for example. music videos in the past, I was very excited to see her aesthetics and Katherine Newton's always great. And so going into it, I also just was very excited for a new Diablo Cody script because I was very late to Jennifer's body. I was very young when it came out. I was like seven when it came out. So I didn't get to see like the beginning reviews of it,

[00:05:43] but now I've been able to see how it's kind of been labeled

[00:05:46] as like a cult classic. been able to get an audience for it. Yeah. Let's hear from Dan Baer. Dan, what did you think? Did this one live up to the hype for you? Diablo Cody, I've missed you so much. My reaction to this interview within the opening of Five body was for like the real hardcore horror gurleys, which is a reference to them in a movie, my heart just immediately boils over with warmth and affection. So this movie definitely was speaking to me at times.

[00:10:45] twining young teenage love with just straight up murder.

[00:10:50] It's like, and we can get into this a little bit more because I'm pretty sure this is gonna be the point

[00:10:52] of contention on this podcast for all of us here.

[00:10:57] I'm just somewhat torn on these are Frankenstein

[00:10:59] as a result of that creative decision.

[00:11:01] I do believe it is striving for a balance

[00:11:03] between a voking late 80s nostalgia

[00:11:06] and carving out a place for itself I have some issues overall. So let's start off with that. I've already kind of laid it out there for both of you. My issue is that as cute as the romance is and as charming and compelling, Katherine Newton is as a young actress who I've adored in many movies.

[00:12:21] I think she's a fantastic lead in,

[00:12:25] especially in the comedy scene.

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[00:13:26] get any size iced coffee, including caramel and French vanilla,

[00:13:29] for just 99 cents before 11 a.m.

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[00:13:35] Vada nup, bop, bop.

[00:13:37] I mean, I didn't have a problem with it.

[00:13:40] Like, I'm just being honest.

[00:13:43] And the reason I didn't have a problem with it was because

[00:13:46] like everything else in the movie, and maybe didn't necessarily deserve it, but the other two I was kind of like, well, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I don't disagree. I mean, you know, listen, there's a character who, you know, makes advances towards Lisa and, you know, he, spoiler alert, FYI, he ends up getting his hand cut off.

[00:15:01] And I was like, okay, like that makes sense.

[00:15:03] Like that's completely deserved in this case. the shadow on the wall. A particular prop, what's it say? It's so good. I mean, it was pretty funny. I have to admit, it was amusing. Don't get me wrong. That is one of those moments where everything is coming together perfectly,

[00:16:22] the rhythm of the editing, the cinematography, the music choice. was sometimes a bit sloppy. Like there was a feeling of first time feature, filmmaker kind of 101 kind of going on here. I do think that it did have a kind of a first time feature thing, but I think it was more for me anyway, relating to the performances.

[00:17:40] This is a very tricky tonal kind of balancing act

[00:18:48] the tone at the right level, but the moments when it slips, it really deflates the movie in those moments. Everything just goes like off.

[00:18:52] Would you agree with me if I said that I felt that Diablo Cody's script is better than the

[00:18:59] movie itself? Oh, yeah. Yeah. I would agree with that. Yeah.

[00:20:01] I was like, whoa, who is this? Like very magnetic personality that jumps off the screen

[00:20:05] in a major way.

[00:20:06] I then looked them up online and found out

[00:20:09] that they have millions of followers.

[00:20:13] I was like, who is she?

[00:20:15] Is she like a TikTok person?

[00:20:16] Like what is this?

[00:20:18] No, she has quite a filmography that actually

[00:20:25] has only just started,

[00:20:26] has only just started, mind you, To which that replies. Oh, he's in a wheelchair And that's the thing to is that the Oblokoty's dialogue still zings She's still got it. She's still got like that ability to Pull lines out that are just so unexpected but yet bring a smile to your face because of how I

[00:22:46] Absolutely. It's very like, I know that it's based on Frankenstein, but the whole movie felt very, what if Lydia Deets hadn't met Beetlejuice?

[00:22:55] That's a good way of looking at it, yeah.

[00:22:57] And that vibe was just very, it was very 80s.'s such like a blunt screenplay where I feel like everybody is like constantly at odds with one another and like the insults being thrown back and forth. I was like, oh, taken aback by it because like it is a teen romantic comedy, but it feels very modern day.

[00:24:20] I feel like the best way I described it in the late 80s and try to make what's old feel somewhat new again. I do kind of like that twist. I like that presentation overall. And I definitely think it works in the film's favor here because like I was saying, I don't think that this movie

[00:25:40] is a bad movie.

[00:25:41] In fact, for most of it, I was actually leaning positive.

[00:25:45] It wasn't like I said, until we got to like the very,

[00:25:47] very end that I was choices, the costume production design, especially, immaculate, the lines of like very late 80s, you know, crimped hair. The crimped hair, when she puts on the lace dress and I'm sorry, the blossom hat, I die.

[00:28:22] It's such a perfect look.

[00:28:25] And it's one of those things where like like Edward Scissorhands for a new generation. And I do think that it, I really don't think it wholly succeeds. And I'm gonna once again, just go back to Lisa Soborano and her character here, because that's a character that I think

[00:29:41] could have been on the page, someone very unlikable

[00:29:45] and someone who could have been in conflict with Lisa hearing us to that character? Yeah, oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. It's just weird. It's weird to me. OK, I'll say this. I liked it because I was happy she survived. Damn. Like, I feel like that was what I was really judging in against, right? Like, a lesser movie would have had Lisa kill her

[00:31:01] at some point.

[00:31:04] But she doesn't.

[00:31:05] And I think that's to that character of like, well, all this trauma just happened. Gonna wrap it up with a nice big little bow stuffing in the back of my brain and never think of it again. Let's move on. I don't wanna get too far into spoiler territory so much,

[00:32:21] but there was also a part of me

[00:32:23] that also was wondering too.

[00:32:25] Is Lisa thinking about the consequences of the trauma understands the assignment no matter what that assignment is and she goes in a hundred 10%. I love her every little like every little twitch of her body was I knew exactly this woman was just from like the minute she walks on the screen.

[00:33:40] You're just like, okay, we I know say, like every time she was on screen, every single time, every line reading, just pure entertainment, because you could tell she just knew. She knew exactly what the tone of this was.

[00:35:00] She knew exactly how to play it.

[00:35:02] She knew that she needed to ham it up and bring's a very, very tricky part to play. And there are just some lines where Catherine Newton goes a little too dead behind the eyes or like underplays a line reading a bit too much.

[00:36:21] And I think especially in the latter half with the creature, I can't remember, I can't remember his actual name. I don't think he has a name. Yeah. And the credits, it's literally just called the creature. Okay, all right. So her, you know, I think her relationship

[00:37:40] with, with this reanimated corpse just me, I just always felt that she is who she is right from the very, very beginning of the movie. I understand what this romance kind of brings out of her, but I don't think that that's something new that she's experiencing. I just think it's internalized.

[00:39:00] The way that I viewed it was I feel like, I mean, underwent a personality transplant one night and all of a sudden was like, oh my God, I'm talking to people. I'm a people person now. Not just that Dan, but then also I am dismembering people and murdering people. Yeah.

[00:40:20] And it made her, it really did make her seem like

[00:40:23] she had a screw loose and not in a way States has been so partisan for so many decades, so five minute news is verified, truthful, independent, unbiased and essential world news. Daily. I will say that like, I think Carl sprouts did a very good job of playing someone who

[00:41:43] does not speak to them.

[00:41:45] Yes. And so I think I really liked it. There were some story issues that I did have problems with, but overall I enjoyed it. All right, Dan, how about you final thoughts? Yeah, Cole Sprouse is incredible in this movie. He's hilarious.

[00:43:01] The way he communicates so much about this character

[00:43:04] without a single line of dialogue And like worms. I did like the progression of his makeup throughout. It's incredible. Really, really incredibly done. I love the idea that his tears smell toxic. She can't even like she starts a gag whenever he cries.

[00:44:24] I did like they did it in a way that felt as unintrusive as possible. But she's talking to her friends and they're talking about like, you know, the this horrible thing that happened in her past and she's like, well, I can't tell you for personal and

[00:45:42] legal reasons.

[00:45:44] Also, I pinky swore, but I guess I can tell you.

[00:46:45] Well, Diablo Cody can modulate the tone of these screenplays. So I do think that this movie can be messy.

[00:46:49] I definitely think the tone is all over the place at times.

[00:46:53] There were some jokes that worked, some that didn't.

[00:46:57] Cavan Newton, I think, is pretty dang compelling and charming overall.

[00:47:05] Same thing with Cole Sprouse. I was like, you know, maybe it should have been rated R. Maybe they should have just gone full tilt with the sexual jokes and the gore and maybe that wouldn't made this more fun and would have fixed some of these tonal balancing issues. I agree. I mean, going into this, I did think it was rated R too.

[00:48:20] I mean, I've seen the trailers and I don't know why,

[00:48:23] but I sort of expected it gotten worse recently between like these two ratings. I mean, red, white, and royal blue being rated are I don't know what constitutes an R rating versus PG 13 anymore. This movie is so tame and obviously targeted at younger teens

[00:49:42] that I feel like the PG 13 is fine. It bit. But there were a couple things that I did have issues with in terms of like the story structure and some things like that. what usually gets considered for Oscars. I think it's our duty to say, no, this is something that should be recognized. And the hair and makeup work in this film is pretty spectacular. And I think that the branch should be open to more horror movies in general.

[00:52:21] And I know that a horror comedy is a big long shot,

[00:52:25] especially a teen-focused horror comedy like this. Yeah, but I admire the advocacy Dan I do Hey, you know, what are we here for? We're here to talk about movies All right, Leah, thank you so much for joining us here as a guest on the podcast tell everyone that's listening right now Where they could find you on V Internet