The Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack of Tim Burton's Frankenweenie includes multiple versions of the film and a small but well-done collection of bonus features that make it a worthwhile purchase for fans of the idiosyncratic director's work.
Multiple iterations of the film make up the bulk of the content; there's the 3D Blu-Ray disc for those with 3D capability in their home entertainment system; the hi-definition Blu-Ray version, the standard DVD, and a digital copy for use with your PC, tablet or smartphone. As I said previously, whether you like Frankenweenie or not depends in large part on how you feel about Tim Burton's work; Frankenweenie is pretty much the definitive Burton film, as it contains examples of all his obsessions and stylistic quirks.
First among the bonus features is a short film, "Captain Sparky Vs The Flying Saucers," ostensibly one of the many home movies made by young Victor Frankenstein starring his dog. We see a short scene from another of Victor's movies in Frankenweenie, so it's fun to see another in the series here. In this one, the faithful canine repels an alien invasion. The film looks very much like a real 10-year-old's attempt at making a sci-fi film, and was no doubt inspired by Tim Burton's own childhood efforts.
The "making of" documentary, "Miniatures in Motion: Bringing Frankenweenie to Life," provides extensive looks at the construction of the puppet figures, props and sets used in the film. Aspiring young filmmakers may find themselves studying this short film as they learn to make their own movies; they will see how stop-motion figures are constructed, including the sculpting, construction of the armature and mold-making.
Another short film included in the package is a fairly brief look at the Frankenweenie touring exhibit which was displayed at the 2012 Comic-Con International in San Diego and in several cities around the world.
The Plain White T's perform their contribution to the film's soundtrack album, "Pet Sematary" in a music video featuring clips from the film.
Finally, there is the original Frankenweenie live-action short film from 1984, featuring Daniel Stern and Shelly Duvall. It's interesting to compare to the animated version and see what was kept and what was changed in the adaptation. The live action version, since it's a lot shorter, has a more straightforward storyline, focusing entirely on Victor and Sparky, with the other children and their pets never making more than brief background appearances.
When the film was produced in 1984, it was supposed to be the opening feature in the theatrical re-release of Pinocchio, but initial test screenings led the studio to conclude that it was too frightening for children, so it was shelved (and Burton was fired for "wasting studio resources" on it). An edited version was eventually released, but the original version was not available to the public until the VHS home video release of The Nightmare Before Christmas in the '90s. It has since been included in various DVD and Blu-Ray editions of the Halloween/Christmas classic, so it may already be in your home video collection. If not, the Frankenweenie Blu-Ray is a good opportunity to own it.
The discs don't seem to have any hidden menus or "easter egg" content; if they do, I couldn't find it.
