When Victor's dog Sparky is tragically hit and killed by a car, Victor decides to try a science experiment and reanimate him using electricity. He tries to convince his family and neighbors that the reanimated Sparky is still his loyal pal, but things go dramatically wrong when some of Victor's classmates copy his experiment and create monsters that threaten the peaceful town of New Holland, Pennsylvania.

This is one of my all-time favorite films. It's animated in black and white, which is more in line with the 1950s, the time frame of the film. The narrative talks about the value of science in our society, and the need to have people who are willing to question and experiment.

It also deals with the pain of grief. Quite often, the first grief any kid experiences is the loss of a much-loved pet. You want them back, but they are not quite the same, even if they are, as the film aptly points out, always in your heart.

We saw Frankenweenie for the first time in the theater. From there, we purchased the disc and have watched it every Halloween since. It's an amazing film on multiple levels.

The cast includes Charlie Tahan as Victor Frankenstein, Winona Ryder as Elsa Van Helsing, Martin Landau as Mr. Rzykruski, and Martin Short and Catherine O'Hara as Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstein (and assorted other voices).

Note: Frankenweenie was originally filmed by Burton as a 30-minute short film that was released in 1984. That version, which was included as a DVD extra along with the special edition of The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD, starred Barret Oliver as Victor Frankenstein and Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern as Susan and Ben Frankenstein. Read the full review of the short feature here.