Coraline

Coraline

2009

Directed by Henry Selick

I just saw this film during a preview weekend here in the UK. We have had to wait a little while longer to see this film here, but it was well worth the wait. Coraline is a film that everyone who has worked on it should be proud. 

I have always been a fan of Neil Gaiman's work and Henry Selick did a great job adapting the novel in a film. The film looks fantastic and there is such amazing detail put into every scene. Stop-motion involves such patience and hard work that it is hard to imagine just how many hours (well, days and years) it took to finish the film. 

The voice acting in this film was also very good. Teri Hatcher deserves applause for her chilling portrayal of the Other Mother... sweetness and light with little bits of dark and evil spilling through at just the right moments. I also enjoyed Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders performances as the old actresses, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink. They added just the right amount of eccentricity to their parts.

I did see this film in 3D and thought it looked great, but I could not see a reason just to see it in 3D. This is a film that would look great under normal viewing and I can't wait until I have it on DVD so that I can enjoy all of the little details that were added to this film.

Rustin Allison

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

2008

Written by Neil Gaiman

This was a great book to read. I have always enjoyed Neil Gaiman's books. My two favorite books of his were Coraline and Neverwhere. I think this one has just topped the list. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a boy named Bod who is raised by the spirits that haunt a graveyard. Much like Coraline and Neverwhere have parallels with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Graveyard Book has parallels with The Jungle Book. 

This is going to be a very short post (I am a bit pressed for time this week), but this is one book worth checking out. Gaiman has such a great way of telling a story and any fan of his will not be disappointed!

Rustin Allison