Lisa Frankenstein

A series by UnpauseIt | There's no way this movie will "crimp" your style, especially if you're a child of the 80s! Lisa Frankenstein is out in theaters, and if you're GenX and have a hankering for the movies Heathers and/or Edward Scissorhands, get your old legwarmers out and make way to your nearest showing.  

Join Jeremiah and Rachel as we chat about Lisa Frankestein - directed by Zelda Williams, daughter of legend Robin Williams - on The Car Ride Home. And there's more! Check out UnpauseIt online for more movie and adventure reviews from behind the wheel. 

For more podcasts by the But Wait, There's Moore podcast network, or to learn more about the podcast and Rachel Moore, visit us online at ButWaitTheresMoore.com.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:09

I can't fight this feeling any longer.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Dude.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Well, first things first, is it recording? It's recording.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

I have look, there's a red light and it is moving.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Yeah. And there's a really awesome Argyle post show ride home that is now gone forever.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Yeah. Sorry everybody. I would have gotten you an Argyle post show, a car ride home, but I didn't hit the record button. And I'm the one in this family that does podcasts. So I don't know. Let the read into that what you will.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, that was three out of whatever it was, at least. It was horrible.

SPEAKER_00 0:49

It was really bad. But this movie. What movie? Lisa Frankenstein.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Lisa Frankenstein.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Which I will admit you were like, let's go see it in the first and like okay, I'll go with you if you want. Oh my gosh. So first of all. First of all. One great thing mentioned this to you in the theater about Alamo Drafthouse. Um because they don't they do traditional previews, but there's a whole pre-show before those start. And they always tie in the previews or those that pre-show to parts of the movie. Themes, actors, whatever. And so some of the delight you get from seeing a show at Alamo Drafthouse is some point in the movie, you're like, oh like if you don't get the correlation, you get it at some point. The light bulb goes off at least once.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

So at Alamo, the pre-show was amazing. Aryo's being lagging.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yeah, and I was singing really loud because, well, and was really happy to see that was manifested in the movie.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

I did not realize that this was directed by Zelda Williams, the daughter of Robin Williams, who was named after Princess Zelda in the Legend of Zelda Virginia series. That's right. But, you know, I thought it was directed masterfully.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

It was.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

And it's not an original film in any way.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Yeah, it's a lot of derivative going on there.

SPEAKER_01 2:15

Definitely an homage film.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

And not, you know, people would say, oh, well, Tarantino's films are all homage films. Yeah, but he's probably one of the best directors of all time at that. This isn't that. But it if you like Heathers, if you like Weird Science, if you like Young Frankenstein, if you like Evil Day, you will probably like this movie.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Yeah, it was. I definitely got so many Heathers feelings in it. And hey, you know, have fun. Wear your favorite 80s get up to this movie because you're all going back in time.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Yeah, I went in dark, I didn't know that it was set in the 80s. It had this like 80s vibe movie poster.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

The pre-show was definitely tons of 80s.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Yeah, that's what kind of tipped. I was like, this maybe this is set in the 80s, and like it was. I liked how it was the weird science outcast, and then this other thing comes in, Edward Scissorhands, you know, type thing.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

The idea was good, we'll get there in a minute, but it kind of subverted a bit of the tropes. It definitely had the clicky high school jocks and high school, whatchamacallit. Yeah, just the cheerleaders.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Yeah, the different groups, the cliques.

SPEAKER_01 3:36

Yeah, we're like super, well, I'm not gonna even want to be seen with you type person.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Including and then also goth was very good.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

It was 89, so yeah, it was a thing. But it was a little bit satisfying when certain people die. Full spoilers. Yeah. When the rapist kid dies.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Oh yeah. Yep. And you and I felt we're like, he's like, oh, let's go have you sit down somewhere. And as soon as they start going toward the bedrooms, we're like, oh god, this kid.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

You were right.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Yeah. He got what was coming.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Definitely did. Yeah. It's definitely way better than Argyle. Oh. Got a text message. So we're right next to a rocket, actually.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah, you can see the SpaceX rocket from here. It's off of Santa Fe Boulevard in Littleton, Colorado. It's kind of weird. It's got blue lights around it.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Those are like anti-vandalism like monitor things, whatever. But the premise, right? So this woman, this girl, senior, her mother was killed by an axe murderer. Scream style. Yeah. Right? She flips out, her dad gets remarried to the worst woman ever. Oh, and I don't remember her name, but uh Carla Cagino and her character's name was Janet.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

And she's from recently the house fall of the House of Usher. So it was that was delightful to see her in that role.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

And she's in a lot of things like that. She's in Spy Kids.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

She's a really good actress. Nails this bitchy role. Like she's like, ugh, after she's dead. If they can't find her, they're filing a missing person's report, and her daughter is in detail describing her and like what she wears. And they said, oh yeah, she's total bitch. Like just because that's what she like was wearing the bitch uniform.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Yeah, then everybody's even still like, you know, it's kind of nice that she's not here. She's a terrible person.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

I loved but the sister who was very vapid and shallow ended up being pretty sincere, actually.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Yeah, yeah. She was shallow, but she was actually probably the kindest person in there, at least to Lisa. And I will say I loved Lisa's arc. I got a lot of joy out of that because you do just see her just miserable, rightly so, at the beginning of the movie. And through the darkest, in the dark, darkest possible ways, she just kind of blossoms through the end of the movie. It's awesome. And very dark.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

It is super dark. It is super campy. Oh, so campy. And done very well.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

The writing was great. The dude, I haven't looked up the names.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Oh, it's cold. Yeah. Okay, yeah. I don't know what he thought when he was doing this.

SPEAKER_01 6:17

This person is weird. Yes. That's one thing about the Drive Home podcast is that we are actually driving.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 6:23

And I don't have a car in front of me and a car behind me like Jerry Seinfeld, because you know. Being a mediocre comedian with a great show.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

We're also not on video.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Oh, that gets you money. Yes. He has money.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

He does have a lot of money.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Talent? No. But money is. Ooh, you heard it here. Hey, happened. He's got one joke, and Gilbert Godfrey did it better.

SPEAKER_00 6:41

What is that all about?

SPEAKER_01 6:43

Pretty much. Anyway, I enjoyed it. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as you though.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

I got it. Okay. So remember, you know, I opened this with singing RO Speedwagon. Yeah, you karaoke. I get did karaoke it in the theater, and like I even was like gesturing with like the drums and everything. And then to see that happen in the movie, I was like, okay. Yeah, it was super cool. I just I liked it a lot. Like you said, it's super campy. And it just it gets so ridiculous, but not I there was never a like a groan moment. It it never reached that level. It wasn't like, oh, I can't believe they did that. It was just it was so entertaining.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Yeah. I'm gonna compare it a little bit to Edward Scissorhands a bit.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Because, you know, for the Alamo, Zelda Williams gets on and says, Well, this is inspired by a few movies. A few movies. Bridge Science, Edward Scissorhands, um Bride Frankenstein. Bride of Frankenstein, the Cabinet of Calosto. Yeah, I didn't remember. The 1920s film. It's a really great avant-garde French film. I think it's French, maybe it's German. I've seen it once. It was like a film class. It's really good. Definitely had the visual art style from that. And they kept on showing like the man and the moon, the one where they showed the rocket into the moon's face from like the 1920s or something like that. Yeah. Silent movie. But in Edward Citz's hands, the dude's out of place, doesn't really talk. Same here. And they just kind of accept that in the world. This one is they take that a little bit, turn it on its head a little bit. He's not accepted in the world, but they don't explain how it happens, except for giant ball of lightning, yeah, and um electricity is what did it, not like other things just weren't happening. And that was refreshing. You didn't have to get into the lore of it. Yeah, like this huge background. It's completely absurd, and they just lean into the absurdity. They really do. And it works.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

Like, and that's how they did it in Over Scissors. They just leaned into the absurd and made it work.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Coming up on like a lot of police activity right here.

SPEAKER_01 9:01

A rack here or something.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Yeah, something going on. Oh yeah. Yep. That's bad. Dude. Oh. Zoikes.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Yeah. Habits here a lot, actually. It is snowing.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

It's not even snowing. It's starting to snitch. It's barely starting to flurry. This is just looks like people driving like dumbasses and hit a couple of people and ended up in someone's house.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Yeah, it didn't look like it looked like it kinda hit the house. Kinda looked like that. So yeah, super cool. Again, if you're a child of the 80s, you should absolutely go see it.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah. If you liked Heathers, if you even kind of liked Edward Caesar Hands, you know, if you like uh sneaker phones. Yeah.

unknown 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

It was very 80s. Now one thing is the dad from Stranger Things. Yeah, he's the dad in the dad is the same character.

SPEAKER_00 9:55

It pretty much is.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

And I hope he gets more roles like this.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Super obtuse, just your garden variety, you know, not really paying attention. Disengage dad, yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

He's being typecast. I'm here for it.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

He's like he's actually more likable in this movie than he was in Stranger Things.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Yeah. But no, it's the like you said, the writing is on point. The jokes are great. I I really one of my favorites was like, like, was that Sherry? No, it's Lisa. I cackled out loud many times. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Very funny. It was good. Was never bored the entire time.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Yeah. And it's short. Speaking of that, the length is perfect.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Hour and a half type movie. It's good. Doesn't linger. It doesn't overstay its welcome. It's edited quickly. It's one I haven't looked at the budget or anything on this one, but it's probably fairly low budget. They have a couple of sets. Yeah. Mostly one house, basically.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Yeah, and a tanning bed.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

And a tanning bed is hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

What are you gonna rate it?

SPEAKER_01 10:54

So I'll let you go first on that.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

I'm gonna give it any like I said, entertainment value all of it for what it is. I'm gonna give it a nine out of ten. I figured you wouldn't. Stinky tears.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Stinky tears. That was that was probably the one joke they went to over and over again, and it always worked.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

It was it landed perfectly. Don't cry.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

Oh my god. I'm gonna get an eight out of ten back massagers.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Oh don't touch the end. Quote unquote. Back massager. Yeah, don't touch the end.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Yeah, I mean the comedy was just so on point.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

It was good. So yeah, so enjoy it. Wear your 80s if you know, get a group of your friends. It's still, I think it'd still be enjoyable by someone from today's standards. They're not gonna they're gonna probably be like, wait, did you did this really wear that in the 80s and stuff like that? But you could easily take this plot and drop it in the middle of today. Yeah, just with updated looks, and that's it.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

Yeah, it is definitely a do you need to see it in a theater? No. Nah. But you definitely need to see it with people.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Yeah. It's super fun with people.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Yeah.

unknown 11:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

It probably will be on video streaming.

SPEAKER_00 12:00

Also, might be fun if you're quirky like us. Great date night movie.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

It was good.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Yeah. Totally enjoyed it for that. Alright, that has been the car ride home. We are home. So enjoy Lisa Frankenstein. And I can't wait to get this live, unlike Argyle, but that one. If anything, the flack of a podcast means don't even go bother seeing that movie.

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Yeah, it was some good conversation, but not a good movie.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Exactly. Alright, adios, everybody.