Lisa Frankenstein appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This turned into an appealing presentation.
Sharpness usually fared fine. Some softness crept into a few interior shots, but the majority of the flick looked accurate and distinctive.
No issues with jagged edges or shimmering materialized, and I saw no edge haloes. Source flaws also failed to mar the proceedings.
With its 1980s setting, we got a broader than usual palette, as the film tossed out some bold purples and pinks. However, much of the movie opted for the usual amber and teal. Whatever the choices, the colors offered positive impact.
Blacks felt dark and dense, while low-light shots brought appropriate clarity. The image satisfied.
As for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Frankenstein it also worked well, as the soundfield offered a nice range of information. When horror-oriented sequences occurred, these gave us a lot of material.
For instance, a thunderstorm used the various speakers in an involving way, and a few of the Creature-related scenes also threw out good details around the spectrum. The surrounds added strong reinforcement and fleshed out the room well.
Audio quality appeared positive. Speech was natural and concise, without edginess or other issues.
Music felt usually robust, with solid range. Effects were also clean and dynamic. This was a very good track that served the film well.
When we shift to extras, we open with an audio commentary from director Zelda Williams. She provides a running, screen-specific look at the opening credits, cast and performances, hair and costumes, sets and production design, makeup, editing and cut scenes, changes made for a “PG-13” rating, music, and related topics.
Though the track starts a bit slowly, Williams eventually gets into a groove. This means that after this spotty beginning, we wind up with a commentary that turns fairly engaging and informative.
Five Deleted Scenes fill a total of three minutes, 37 seconds. Given the brevity of these sequences, don’t expect more than minor character embellishments from them. We get nothing noteworthy.
A Gag Reel runs two minutes, 26 seconds and provides the usual goofs and silliness. Nothing especially interesting arrives, but at least the compilation doesn’t last too long.
An Electric Connection spans four minutes, 43 seconds. It offers notes from Williams, writer Diablo Cody, and actors Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and Liza Soberano.
The reel looks at characters and themes as well as performances. Only minor insights arrive in this superficial piece.
Next comes Resurrecting the 80s. This four-minute, 34-second featurette involves Cody, Williams, Sprouse, Newton, Soberano, department head hair Donna Spahn Jones, costume designer Meagan McLaughlin Luster, producer Mason Novick, production designer Mark Worthington and actors Carla Gugino and Henry Eikenberry.
As implied by the title, we get a look at ways the movie attempted to recreate the look of the 1980s. Though brief, it gives us a good look at these efforts.
Finally, A Dark Comedy Duo goes for four minutes, one second. It brings info from Williams, Cody, Novick, Newton, Gugino, Sprouse and Soberano.
“Duo” covers the movie’s stabs at laughs. Much of it just praises Cody and Williams.
As a mix of black comedy, horror and satire, Lisa Frankenstein offers decent entertainment. However, it feels too much like “Tim Burton Lite” and doesn’t become anything memorable. The Blu-ray offers very good picture and audio with a few bonus features. Expect a watchable but not impressive film.
