It’s a persistent bias. Hollywood and the general public (at least critics) still downgrade the work of female directors. I watched Lisa Frankenstein and loved it. It’s a movie that was recommended both by a friend and the New York Times. Okay, so it’s a comedy horror, but it’s well done and again, told from a female point of view. It reminded me quite a lot of Edward Scissorhands and a bit of Frankenweenie. But let’s step back a second. Lisa is a high school senior whose mother was murdered by a maniac with an axe. She lives with her father, step mother, and step sister in a new town and she’s got Goth sensibilities. She hangs out in the overgrown cemetery, particularly at the grave of a Frankenstein. A lightning strike brings the Victorian-era corpse back to life and since Lisa had said she wanted to be with him, he comes to her.
Missing some body parts, including his tongue, he begs Lisa for help restoring them. This they do through murders (at first, accidental) so fresh parts can be sewn on. After each addition an electric shock revitalizes the organ and makes the creature more human. Of course, Lisa goes through the usual high school difficulties and her relationship with her bubbly, cheerleader step-sister keeps her going. Especially since the step-mother is wicked. With plenty of nods to classic horror, and an innovative story arc, I found it quite enjoyable. It isn’t a perfect movie, but it is a very good one. It shares a writer with Jennifer’s Body, which I discussed not long ago. The movies have a bit in common, but are distinctly different while dealing with issues of girls becoming women.
I have a soft spot for gothic tales, as regular readers know. Lisa Frankenstein manages to be gothic while also being funny. Like Stranger Things, it revels in the culture of the 1980s and the sound track is quite good. Written and directed by women, it falls into that category of movies that should’ve received more advertising. I wouldn’t have known about it had not a friend recommended it. While comedy horrors may be an acquired taste (I still prefer straight-up gothic tales), they often work well. Another tie-in is clearly Corpse Bride. There’s a healthy dose of Tim Burton aesthetic here. Mixed with that pathos we all remember as high school. The period when our chrysalis begins to crack painfully and we start to take our first steps as adults. No matter what the cultural bias says, women’s experiences are just as valid as men’s. And Lisa Frankenstein understands that.