Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie (1984) is Tim Burton's live-action short film you can watch online on iFILM. Shot early in his career for Disney — and quickly shelved by them — this 29-minute piece is a precise preview of everything Burton would later do at feature length: suburban dread, a lonely kid, and a monster that is purely misunderstood.

Victor Frankenstein is a quiet boy who casts his dog Sparky as the creature in his backyard horror movies. When Sparky gets hit by a car, Victor refuses to grieve quietly. He applies what he learned in science class, rigs up the equipment, and pulls his best friend back from the other side — complete with neck bolts. The neighbors take it badly.

Barret Oliver plays Victor with a straight face that makes the whole thing work, while Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern bring the parents to life with just enough suburban awkwardness. A young Sofia Coppola appears in a small role. Burton returned to the same story with an animated feature in 2012, but the original short has a rough, personal quality that the remake couldn't replicate. Watch Frankenweenie (1984) online on iFILM.