Title: Coraline
Year: 2009
Genre: Dark fantasy/Horror
Cast: Dakota Fanning,
Teri Hatcher, Robert
Bailey Jr.
Synopsis
While exploring her new home, Coraline discovers a hidden door which leads to an alternate world that closely mirrors her own, but better. Little does she know, that her Other Mother and the rest of her parallel family are trying to keep her there forever.
Interesting facts
>The snow on set was made from baking soda and superglue.
>The "Welcome Home" cake made by the Other Mother has a double loop on the O in "home" but not in "welcome." According to Graphology, a double loop on a lowercase O means the person who wrote it is lying. There's only one double loop, which means she's welcome, but she's not home.
>The Other Mother's name, "Beldam," is an archaic word meaning a malicious and ugly woman. The term is believed to have stemmed from 'Belle Dame' (French for 'beautiful lady').
>When Coraline finds the old well, she discovers it's in a fairy ring she previously stepped in. In Western Europe, stepping in fairy rings can be either a good or bad omen. They're often seen as hazardous places, such as humans getting trapped in the fairy realm for stepping on their 'sacred ground'. Sometimes they can be linked with good fortune, like being allowed to interact with and enjoy the company of fairies for a night. In the film, Coraline experiences both the good and bad consequences of stepping in the fairy ring.
>Near the end of the movie, Coraline's mother puts away a toy
tank. The tank closely resembles the world's first tank, the
Mark I,
developed during WWI and nicknamed "Mother". Pretty coooool.
My thoughts
I was creeped out by this movie when I first saw it. Stop-motions in general made me uneasy but then one day I became freakishly obsessed with
them. (LAIKA does it best.)
This movie is so creepy-cute. I couldn't help but want to watch it over and over again. It's impossible to get bored of Coraline.
The 3D version was just out of this world. I feel damn sorry for you if you've never had a 3D TV back in the days of the craze. Fuckin' looooser.
The soundtrack is enchanting, Bruno Coulais is a fucking genius.
Yeah, I'm always harping on about soundtracks, but you should never underestimate the importance of a good soundtrack.
It can make or break a movie...
The character design is TOP TIER, they're all so unique and crazy charming.
I also love all the little details, you really have to pay attention.
Despite this being one of my favourite movies of all time, I've never even read the novel. Such a fake fan I am.
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