Sunday, February 08, 2009

Coraline in 3-D!!

Although Jim is absolutely mired in deadlines and isn't supposed to do anything but draw for the next two to three months (fun, noh?), we snuck out late last night to see Coraline in 3-D! First, I've been dying to see it since. . . well, since loving the book PLUS loving Henry Selick's previous movies (Nightmare Before Christmas and James & the Giant Peach), and I've especially been anxious to see it since a friend took us on a tour of Laika Studios, right here in Portland, where the movie was made. (Here's that post.)

So at last we've seen it, and it is so beautiful and fun. Great story, GREAT art! I love that little blue-haired girl. I'm not a movie-merch buyer usually, but I'm pretty sure I'll buy a Coraline doll if they're cool, and they freaking should be, since the whole movie is made with dolls.

I reallllllly hope the movie does well this weekend. Doesn't it seem like a movie either lives or dies by its opening weekend these days? I know some films can transcend that fate and slowly build a fan-following, a la Slumdog Millionaire, but in this case, a big juicy box-office would be swell, because: we here in Portland would LOVE to see Laika Studios succeed. I want Portland to become a city of animators! HERE is a good article on the studio's background; one HERE on the current state of things, including rumors of a stop-motion zombie action/romance/comedy in the works! You may not know that Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, is the force behind Laika. He envisions a new campus in the Portland suburbs, supporting some 1000 jobs, making a movie a year, and that would really be GREAT for the city, and the whole movie-viewing world. Also: the kind of skill involved in making a movie like this does not just grow on trees. These are highly specialized skills. These people are artisans, and these movies -- made entirely by HAND -- have soul in the way that sometimes CG lacks. Not to bash CG; I love me some Pixar too. But I love the hand-made quality of stop-motion.

This is all by way of saying: Hey you! Go see Coraline! Bring all your friends!

It's available in 3D in some theaters, and is the first feature-length animated movie ever in 3D. It's not super-dramatic jump-out-at-you effects; there's mostly just this subtle depth and dimensionality to it that showcases the fact that, in fact, the movie IS 3-D -- filmed on real sets, with real puppets, etc. So you can see more what it was really like, making the movie.

Here's a weird little featurette of Neil Gaiman talking about "koumpounophobia" -- the fear of buttons:

Seriously, it's a real phobia, yo. See HERE.

On an unrelated note: IF YOU HAVE EVER DREAMED OF TURNING YOUR BLOG INTO A BOOK. . . Here's something for you. The book-making site Blurb has software that can "slurp" your blog and format it as a book and then print it! Pretty cool, huh? Not that I think this site needs to be immortalized on paper, but yours might. Plus, I just like the term "blog slurp."

13 comments:

Stephanie Perkins said...

Neil is so achingly cool. I wish he'd come over and read me bedtime stories, but I guess I'll settle for his audio books.

And yes yes YES! Go see Coraline, everyone! It's WONDERFUL (and deserves our support in a big splashy box office way).

Liana said...

We saw Coraline in 3-D on Friday night!! We loved it. I just have to think about it and I feel all happy.
And it's caused me to find out more about Neil Gaiman-I already knew a bit about him (esp. his comics) but now I know a lot more about his books and I want them all!
That button-phobia video is...whoa.

And my husband Nate asks, re: koumpounophobia:"Is he (Neil) trying to raise awareness by making EVERYONE afraid of them??"

But we DID enjoy the movie. Yay Coraline! Yay for handmade! Yay for stop-motion! I, too, hope Laika succeeds. So cool! :)

violetismycolor said...

I really want to see Coraline, too. We went out and saw Gran Torino last night at the Tigard Cinema...is that the UGLIEST movie theatre you've ever seen, or what?

Teri Bayus said...

Hey and thanks for the Blog Slurp heads up, pretty exciting and reasonalbly priced.

I am a local film critic who has coveted Nightmare for years and was SO happy to see one of our theaters have Coraline in 3D.

This a great film, everyone should enjoy it!

Also very exciting about the Portland studio- thank you for the information. Teri

lizardek said...

I sure hope it doesn't take to long for Coraline to get over here to Sweden!!

I PDF my journal via LJBook.com (it does other platforms, too, I believe), and then have them bound and printed really cheaply at lulu.com :)

Lainey said...

*Pouts* I'm so excited to see Coraline! Sadly, I don't think I'll convince anyone to take me to go see it, seeing as I seem to be the only one in my family who appreciates the art of stop-motion with the exception of my sister, who is off to live the adventure of college. *Sigh* Thanks for the review though! Now I want to see it even more if that is at all possible!

Anonymous said...

Cool. I'll have to see it.

Anonymous said...

I just discovered your blog and I love your stuff!!! Saw your "ladies" at The Seven Muses in Tacoma. My favorite movies are also,among others, Firelight and The Fall. My daughter loves Coraline. Can't wait to hear your interview with Jamie. If you ever come to Tacoma ( or Puyallup) I would love to take you out for coffee. Now I can't wait to read your book.

persnickety_jen said...

Hi Laini!

I'm so glad that you wrote about CORALINE in your blog. I read an article about all the artists who moved to the Portland area in hopes of more 'permanent' work; I've also been tirelessly pushing everyone I know to go see the movie. My friends and I caught it Friday night and I was blown away - it was so beautiful.

Jay Asher said...

My wife and I saw CORALINE last night, but I'm such a stop-motion animation freak it almost wouldn't have mattered what the story was about so long as the animation rocked. And the animation did indeed rock! (Story was cool, too...)

And the 3-D? Unbelievable! I'm glad they didn't pull any "flying in your face" gimmicks. It simply made the world come alive so much more.

Christine Fletcher said...

We often wait for films to come to the pub theaters...but THIS we definitely have to see on the big screen! I'm so excited that you and others have already seen it and are giving it huge kudos. Can't wait!

Katie Anderson said...

I have GOT to find this movie! It didn't come to my tiny town (at least not yet...)

But I adore these movies. I wish I could write one. Maybe I will.

And that Neil guy is a stud. I wonder how he got the idea for this? Do you know?

Now who on earth is scared of buttons for pete's sake?!

Anonymous said...

Hey Laini . . .
it is always just pure bliss when I stop by Grow Wings! I planned to get out and see a movie this afternoon but here on the Eastern side of the Cascades, it's been a-snowin' like mad and I lost my motivation! Great to hear your voice in this fab post! Maybe someday we'll get to meet! Cheers!