When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Tim Burton movies -- OK, I'm still obsessed with Tim Burton movies. And any self-respecting Burton connoisseur knows the original live-action short, Frankenweenie, was pure magic. So, while we wait for the new stop-motion film to hit theaters next month, Disney was kind enough to release the interactive Frankenweenie: An Electrifying Book to the iBookstore.
If you head over to iTunes on your desktop, or an iPad with iBooks 2, the new Frankenweenie book is available for the best price of all: free. Inside, you'll find storyboards, concept sketches, and even videos giving an inside look at the new film's production process.
Just taking a cursory glance, the app is pretty slick. If you -- or your maybe your kids -- are interested in checking out the movie on October 5, this looks really neat.
“We’re thrilled to give fans a look at how Tim Burton and his creative team brought Victor Frankenstein and Sparky to life in the town of New Holland,” said Disney Publishing Worldwide's Lyle Underkoffler. “Using iBooks Author, Disney Publishing was able to include more digital content than ever before—including previews of animated storyboards documenting the transition from sketch to screen.”
Apparently, the iBook also provides some history of Frankenweenie, detailing how Burton's idea developed from a 1984 short -- has it really been that long? -- into a stop-motion feature film. The book also features a foreword from actor Martin Landau.
Personally, I'm waiting for some type of interactive iBook for Ed Wood. Maybe you can dress up Wood in a selection of fine sweaters!
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