Diablo Cody's new goth rom-com 'Lisa Frankenstein' is a Midwestern 'coming of rage'
Screenwriter Diablo Cody sits with director Zelda Williams on the set of their film, Lisa Frankenstein, which is scheduled for release Friday. Diablo Cody wrote her Oscar-winning film Juno while living in Minnesota and has set several films in the state.
Mason Novick
Valentine’s Day is around the corner and there’s a new, goth rom-com opening in theaters Friday.
It comes from writer Diablo Cody, who’s also known for the Oscar-winning movie Juno, which she wrote while living in Minnesota. More recently, she won a Tony for her Broadway adaptation of the Alanis Morissette album, “Jagged Little Pill.”
Diablo Cody is the pen name of Brook Maurio. She’s originally from Chicago. But her time in Minnesota shows up in her work again and again — and not only Juno.
Her 2009 horror comedy Jennifer’s Body and the 2011 film Young Adult are also set in the state. Her movie out on Friday is called “Lisa Frankenstein.” She talked to MPR News guest host Nina Moini about the film.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Well, believe it or not, Valentine's Day is around the corner and there's a new goth rom-com opening in theaters Friday. It comes from writer Diablo Cody, who is also known for the Oscar winning movie Juno, which she wrote while living in Minnesota. More recently, she won a Tony for her Broadway adaptation of Alanis Morissette's album Jagged Little Pill.
Diablo Cody is the pen name of Brook Maurio. She's originally from Chicago. But her time in Minnesota shows in her work again and again-- not only Juno, but her 2009 horror comedy, Jennifer's Body, and the 2011 film, Young Adult, are set in the state. Her latest movie is called Lisa Frankenstein. Let's hear a clip.
- Oh, Lisa. Did you smash the mirror in the bathroom?
- Last night, I--
- Told ya. Your dad wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I knew. I always know. I'm an IP, Intuitive Person. Took a whole seminar about it.
- Janet.
- There was a damn tornado last night. Hail damage on the sedan, yard full of debris, and now I guess I got to clean up the bathroom too.
- It was a tornado watch, Mom, not a real tornado.
- Well, no. It was quite a storm, though, Taff. Did you see that ball lightning? Big green ball in the sky? I never saw anything like that.
- Dale, you need to stop munching the grape nuts and be a father right now.
NINA MOINI: And Diablo Cody joins me now. Thank you so much for being here.
DIABLO CODY: Thank you for having me. This is awesome.
NINA MOINI: It is awesome. You know what's awesome is I got to watch an advanced copy of the movie last night, and I really enjoyed it. I remember that scene. I have to ask. Lisa Frankenstein was filmed in New Orleans, but is it set in Minnesota? I kind of felt the vibes.
DIABLO CODY: So I got to be honest with you. It is set in the Midwest.
NINA MOINI: OK.
DIABLO CODY: Technically-- as much as I would love to say that is set Minnesota, it's technically set where I grew up in Illinois.
NINA MOINI: That's OK.
DIABLO CODY: But, you know, you can kind of tell watching the movie that it was filmed in New Orleans because it's hard to hide.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Yeah. It's really beautiful in watching it, the clothing and everything. Can you give folks a preview of just kind of what was going on in that scene we just heard?
DIABLO CODY: So in that movie, Lisa is-- it's her new stepmother is accusing her of having trashed the house to get attention and is accusing her of being sort of emotionally unstable and acting out. When in reality, the reason the house is trashed is because the night before an undead corpse broke in and trashed the place. Wait-- if I have the timeline correctly. Anyway, yeah, this is basically a kind of a romantic comedy about a living girl and a dead guy.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And you know what's so interesting? Mary Shelley was just 19 when she wrote the novel Frankenstein. So it's fitting that this story is also centered around this teenage girl. Had read Frankenstein when you got the idea for this film?
DIABLO CODY: Yeah, definitely. And I was also very interested on a meta level in the story of Mary Shelley and the origin of that novel and how it was kind of a contest. And I don't think anyone was expecting this 19-year-old woman to write the greatest gothic novel of all time. And so, yeah, she was definitely an inspiration for me.
NINA MOINI: And so in this movie-- I don't want to give too much away-- but Lisa is really going through some truly nightmarish times in her life. Were you trying to say something about dealing with grief throughout this film?
DIABLO CODY: That's exactly what I was trying to say because I feel like in other eras, such as the Victorian era, people had rituals in place to deal with grief. And today, we live in such an accelerated culture that just wants to sell us things and just wants us to move on. And in this movie, this girl who's grieving her mother, gets to literally embrace death in the form of this man who rises from the grave.
NINA MOINI: And so when people are watching, what do you hope they take away?
DIABLO CODY: I hope-- first of all, I hope people get a warm sense of nostalgia because this movie is really a love letter to the '80s, when I grew up. And I also hope that they feel like it's OK to be emotional. It's OK to miss people. It's OK to feel things deeply and be goth, so to speak, because that's what we were made to do.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, the big hair, big sleeves, big prints-- I loved all of it. I also heard that this is the first feature film directed by Zelda Williams, the daughter of Robin Williams. What was it like to work together?
DIABLO CODY: I mean, I just adore Zelda. And I can't believe that it's her first film. I never got that feeling from her because I've been doing this a long time. And you know, I expected her to be kind of unsure and learning on the job. And that was not the vibe at all. And I think some of that does come from the fact that she grew up on sets. But she is just a really confident filmmaker. And she had such a specific vision for this movie, and I ate it up. I love what she did with it.
NINA MOINI: And I was reading about one of your other movies, that there might be a remake of Jennifer's Body. Is that true?
DIABLO CODY: I wouldn't call it a remake. I don't think I would remake that movie, but I definitely want to do something else in that world, whether it's a sequel, a TV show, a musical, something because I really don't feel like I got a chance to do everything I wanted to do in the world of Jennifer's Body. I feel like there's a universe there.
NINA MOINI: Sure. And that one was set in Minnesota, if I'm correct?
DIABLO CODY: Oh, yeah-- Devil's Kettle, Minnesota for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah we're always bringing it back to Minnesota here on Minnesota Now.
DIABLO CODY: Please do. I love Minnesota.
NINA MOINI: What is it that you like so much about making movies that are sort of horror comedies?
DIABLO CODY: I think, in a weird way, even though it's kind of a crazy, gonzo genre, it feels true to life because life is both horrifying and funny. And being able to get those two reactions out of an audience-- the fear, the shock, and then also laughter-- as a writer, that's very gratifying to get to experience those visceral reactions.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I'm watching it and I'm like, I feel like I'm straddling a rope or something. I'm like, oh. But, oh, that's funny. Do you like to make people-- not uncomfortable in a bad way, but just that discomfort?
DIABLO CODY: I do like that. I feel like that's-- I mean, maybe it's a little bit manipulative, but it's so enjoyable as an art. It's so enjoyable to be a provocateur as an artist. It's the best.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I think what that does is it challenges us to challenge ourselves in our own perceptions of what's around us. So when you were in Minnesota-- bringing it back again-- what do you remember most from your time here?
DIABLO CODY: Oh, gosh. You know what? Feeling embraced by a community of artists and writers. That's the thing that I'm most grateful for because I lived in Chicago before I came to Minneapolis. And I love Chicago. Do not get me wrong That's like my hometown. But I never felt confident as an artist, and I never really found my people in terms of what I wanted to do with my life.
And then when I came to Minnesota, I just found there's something in the lakes-- I don't know what it is-- in the Twin Cities that really produces these great offbeat artists. And I felt like I had found a place where I could spread my wings and where I belonged.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so I heard that the premiere, again, is this Friday. What's your plan for that? What's that going to look like? Where is it going to be?
DIABLO CODY: Well, the movie's opening this Friday. But we had the little party last night, where we did the red carpet and all that stuff.
NINA MOINI: Oh, fun.
DIABLO CODY: That was super fun. I know, I'm like-- I'm tired. I brought my children, so it was kind of-- it was kind of a job. You know how it is. But this Friday, I'm really excited for it to open up. I'm going to go around and surprise some theaters, which I love to do, and talk to people. So it'll be cool.
NINA MOINI: That's wonderful. So one last question for you. If you could meet-- this is kind of a fun one-- if you could meet Mary Shelley, what would you ask her?
DIABLO CODY: Oh my goodness. I would ask her what people keep asking me, which is why do you think that the Frankenstein legend has been done so many times, in so many films, in so many books? What was it about what she created that resonated with people over generations?
NINA MOINI: What's your answer, I wonder?
DIABLO CODY: I keep saying that the idea of creating life is always going to be irresistible to people, the idea of playing God like that. But I'd like to know what she would say.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. This was a lot of fun, Diablo Cody. Thank you so much.
DIABLO CODY: Thank you. This was a great talk.
NINA MOINI: Thank you. Diablo Cody is a writer and film producer. Her movie Lisa Frankenstein is out Friday.
Diablo Cody is the pen name of Brook Maurio. She's originally from Chicago. But her time in Minnesota shows in her work again and again-- not only Juno, but her 2009 horror comedy, Jennifer's Body, and the 2011 film, Young Adult, are set in the state. Her latest movie is called Lisa Frankenstein. Let's hear a clip.
- Oh, Lisa. Did you smash the mirror in the bathroom?
- Last night, I--
- Told ya. Your dad wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I knew. I always know. I'm an IP, Intuitive Person. Took a whole seminar about it.
- Janet.
- There was a damn tornado last night. Hail damage on the sedan, yard full of debris, and now I guess I got to clean up the bathroom too.
- It was a tornado watch, Mom, not a real tornado.
- Well, no. It was quite a storm, though, Taff. Did you see that ball lightning? Big green ball in the sky? I never saw anything like that.
- Dale, you need to stop munching the grape nuts and be a father right now.
NINA MOINI: And Diablo Cody joins me now. Thank you so much for being here.
DIABLO CODY: Thank you for having me. This is awesome.
NINA MOINI: It is awesome. You know what's awesome is I got to watch an advanced copy of the movie last night, and I really enjoyed it. I remember that scene. I have to ask. Lisa Frankenstein was filmed in New Orleans, but is it set in Minnesota? I kind of felt the vibes.
DIABLO CODY: So I got to be honest with you. It is set in the Midwest.
NINA MOINI: OK.
DIABLO CODY: Technically-- as much as I would love to say that is set Minnesota, it's technically set where I grew up in Illinois.
NINA MOINI: That's OK.
DIABLO CODY: But, you know, you can kind of tell watching the movie that it was filmed in New Orleans because it's hard to hide.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Yeah. It's really beautiful in watching it, the clothing and everything. Can you give folks a preview of just kind of what was going on in that scene we just heard?
DIABLO CODY: So in that movie, Lisa is-- it's her new stepmother is accusing her of having trashed the house to get attention and is accusing her of being sort of emotionally unstable and acting out. When in reality, the reason the house is trashed is because the night before an undead corpse broke in and trashed the place. Wait-- if I have the timeline correctly. Anyway, yeah, this is basically a kind of a romantic comedy about a living girl and a dead guy.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And you know what's so interesting? Mary Shelley was just 19 when she wrote the novel Frankenstein. So it's fitting that this story is also centered around this teenage girl. Had read Frankenstein when you got the idea for this film?
DIABLO CODY: Yeah, definitely. And I was also very interested on a meta level in the story of Mary Shelley and the origin of that novel and how it was kind of a contest. And I don't think anyone was expecting this 19-year-old woman to write the greatest gothic novel of all time. And so, yeah, she was definitely an inspiration for me.
NINA MOINI: And so in this movie-- I don't want to give too much away-- but Lisa is really going through some truly nightmarish times in her life. Were you trying to say something about dealing with grief throughout this film?
DIABLO CODY: That's exactly what I was trying to say because I feel like in other eras, such as the Victorian era, people had rituals in place to deal with grief. And today, we live in such an accelerated culture that just wants to sell us things and just wants us to move on. And in this movie, this girl who's grieving her mother, gets to literally embrace death in the form of this man who rises from the grave.
NINA MOINI: And so when people are watching, what do you hope they take away?
DIABLO CODY: I hope-- first of all, I hope people get a warm sense of nostalgia because this movie is really a love letter to the '80s, when I grew up. And I also hope that they feel like it's OK to be emotional. It's OK to miss people. It's OK to feel things deeply and be goth, so to speak, because that's what we were made to do.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, the big hair, big sleeves, big prints-- I loved all of it. I also heard that this is the first feature film directed by Zelda Williams, the daughter of Robin Williams. What was it like to work together?
DIABLO CODY: I mean, I just adore Zelda. And I can't believe that it's her first film. I never got that feeling from her because I've been doing this a long time. And you know, I expected her to be kind of unsure and learning on the job. And that was not the vibe at all. And I think some of that does come from the fact that she grew up on sets. But she is just a really confident filmmaker. And she had such a specific vision for this movie, and I ate it up. I love what she did with it.
NINA MOINI: And I was reading about one of your other movies, that there might be a remake of Jennifer's Body. Is that true?
DIABLO CODY: I wouldn't call it a remake. I don't think I would remake that movie, but I definitely want to do something else in that world, whether it's a sequel, a TV show, a musical, something because I really don't feel like I got a chance to do everything I wanted to do in the world of Jennifer's Body. I feel like there's a universe there.
NINA MOINI: Sure. And that one was set in Minnesota, if I'm correct?
DIABLO CODY: Oh, yeah-- Devil's Kettle, Minnesota for sure.
NINA MOINI: Yeah we're always bringing it back to Minnesota here on Minnesota Now.
DIABLO CODY: Please do. I love Minnesota.
NINA MOINI: What is it that you like so much about making movies that are sort of horror comedies?
DIABLO CODY: I think, in a weird way, even though it's kind of a crazy, gonzo genre, it feels true to life because life is both horrifying and funny. And being able to get those two reactions out of an audience-- the fear, the shock, and then also laughter-- as a writer, that's very gratifying to get to experience those visceral reactions.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I'm watching it and I'm like, I feel like I'm straddling a rope or something. I'm like, oh. But, oh, that's funny. Do you like to make people-- not uncomfortable in a bad way, but just that discomfort?
DIABLO CODY: I do like that. I feel like that's-- I mean, maybe it's a little bit manipulative, but it's so enjoyable as an art. It's so enjoyable to be a provocateur as an artist. It's the best.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. I think what that does is it challenges us to challenge ourselves in our own perceptions of what's around us. So when you were in Minnesota-- bringing it back again-- what do you remember most from your time here?
DIABLO CODY: Oh, gosh. You know what? Feeling embraced by a community of artists and writers. That's the thing that I'm most grateful for because I lived in Chicago before I came to Minneapolis. And I love Chicago. Do not get me wrong That's like my hometown. But I never felt confident as an artist, and I never really found my people in terms of what I wanted to do with my life.
And then when I came to Minnesota, I just found there's something in the lakes-- I don't know what it is-- in the Twin Cities that really produces these great offbeat artists. And I felt like I had found a place where I could spread my wings and where I belonged.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. And so I heard that the premiere, again, is this Friday. What's your plan for that? What's that going to look like? Where is it going to be?
DIABLO CODY: Well, the movie's opening this Friday. But we had the little party last night, where we did the red carpet and all that stuff.
NINA MOINI: Oh, fun.
DIABLO CODY: That was super fun. I know, I'm like-- I'm tired. I brought my children, so it was kind of-- it was kind of a job. You know how it is. But this Friday, I'm really excited for it to open up. I'm going to go around and surprise some theaters, which I love to do, and talk to people. So it'll be cool.
NINA MOINI: That's wonderful. So one last question for you. If you could meet-- this is kind of a fun one-- if you could meet Mary Shelley, what would you ask her?
DIABLO CODY: Oh my goodness. I would ask her what people keep asking me, which is why do you think that the Frankenstein legend has been done so many times, in so many films, in so many books? What was it about what she created that resonated with people over generations?
NINA MOINI: What's your answer, I wonder?
DIABLO CODY: I keep saying that the idea of creating life is always going to be irresistible to people, the idea of playing God like that. But I'd like to know what she would say.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. This was a lot of fun, Diablo Cody. Thank you so much.
DIABLO CODY: Thank you. This was a great talk.
NINA MOINI: Thank you. Diablo Cody is a writer and film producer. Her movie Lisa Frankenstein is out Friday.
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