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Finally... => General Discussion => Topic started by: Kagus on August 15, 2009, 02:21:53 am

Title: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 15, 2009, 02:21:53 am
So I saw this thing on a plane trip, and having seen a couple of the advertisements (and just the art style when it started playing), I thought it looked kinda like something that would crawl its way out of Tim Burton's head.  For clarification, that's a good thing (in my opinion).

I watched it with a relatively open mind, but I must admit to wanting something specific.  Even so, that didn't quite help out this movie.


I was rather disappointed, quite frankly.  It had all the potential to be the gorgeously twisted and sadistic fairytale I was hoping it would be, but it wasn't.  It even had the potential to be a fulfilling children's movie, but it wasn't that either.

To me, Coraline seemed like a movie that didn't quite know what it wanted to be.  The movie would switch between an original kid's movie, to a psychotic fantasy movie, to a mediocre video game.  The end result was something too scary for the kiddies and too kiddy for the scaries, while tossing in a smattering of video game-ness that wasn't suited for anybody.

I must say I felt sad for the film.  It had all the potential to be whatever it wanted to be, but it couldn't make a decision and stick with it.  I don't often leave a movie feeling sorry for the damned thing, but I have a sneaky hunch it's not a positive reaction.


Has anyone else seen this?  And if so, what are your views?
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 15, 2009, 02:24:59 am
Didn't see the movie, but I know the feeling (http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0).
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 15, 2009, 06:26:51 am
I dunno, I saw Coraline and I quite enjoyed it. Although it may be becuase of my normal salvation war syndrome.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Mr Tk on August 15, 2009, 06:42:16 am
The movie is based off a book of the same name by Neil Gaiman. His stuff is always better when you read the original material. (*cough* I'm looking at you Stardust.)
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Cthulhu on August 15, 2009, 10:01:44 am
Eh, my sister is a Hot Topic kiddie, so I have a deep-seated hatred of Tim Burton.  I haven't seen any of his movies since The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Gunner-Chan on August 15, 2009, 10:06:11 am
Quote from: Strife26 on August 15, 2009, 06:26:51 am
salvation war syndrome.

Okay, I've seen it enough to ask. What the hell is salvation war syndrome?
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Aqizzar on August 15, 2009, 10:08:50 am
A pretend thousand-yard-stare from watching too many war movies?  I dunno.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: ChairmanPoo on August 15, 2009, 10:15:34 am
I dont like Tim Burton movies in general.

The last one I was forced to watch (under the "fun for all the family" motto) was "The Corpse Bride".
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Cthulhu on August 15, 2009, 10:19:06 am
Seriously man, you say that all the time.

I assumed it meant starting a war to take out a despot without having any real justification beyond getting rid of a despot.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: sonerohi on August 15, 2009, 11:17:39 am
He read the Salvation War books and now feels like shitting himself in glee everytime his side rolls up with huge ass artillery versus some tribe people with pointy sticks?
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 15, 2009, 03:08:36 pm
Corpse Bride was just bleh.  I don't know what exactly went wrong for that one, but something certainly did.

And you don't have to swear off all Tim Burton movies because of the gothy aspect.  Big Fish is a good example (and, to be honest, the only one that comes to mind right now) of a Burton film that's characteristically twisted, but not gothic in the slightest.


Also, I watched and enjoyed Stardust without ever reading the original book.  But that might just have been because of Robert DeNiro prancing around in a tutu.  I think that could carry just about any movie.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 15, 2009, 11:53:20 pm
The Corpse Bride's EXACT fault I think can be best described as "The movie never comes to life".

Adding to this you honestly feel like ALL the characters are really along for the ride and just being dragged everywhere. No one actually does anything except give into someone elses whims.

The Story of Corpse Bridge:
Man: "I am getting married"
Woman: "I am getting married"
Corpse Bridge: "No your getting married to me!"
Man: "No I am getting married to HER"
Corpse Bridge: "No your going to marry me"
Evil: "No, I am going to marry the Woman"
Man: "Fine, Ill marry the corpse bride"
Corpse Bridge: "On second thought you should marry the woman"
Evil: "No she is marrying me!"
Man: "No she is marrying me"
Corpse Bridge: "It looks like I am all alone forever, what a happy ending"
Me: "Alright Did ANYONE do anything in this movie?"

Bigfish DID have one gothy part... but it was redeemed eventually. Though yeah it was an excellent movie.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: JoshuaFH on August 16, 2009, 12:26:25 am
The last claymation-type movie I saw was James and the Giant Peach. I really should catch up to the times.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Dragooble on August 16, 2009, 12:32:19 am
Quote from: Neonivek on August 15, 2009, 11:53:20 pm
The Corpse Bride's EXACT fault I think can be best described as "The movie never comes to life".
Hurray for unintentional puns!
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 12:37:46 am
It is fully intentional I assure you :D

Especially since that is part of what the movie wanted to potray. The land of the dead was full of life while the land of the living was grey and lifeless. Unfortunately other then one somewhat creepy scene it was just all rather stiff.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 16, 2009, 12:38:52 am
Did you mean to always type 'The Corpse Bridge'?

Because this isn't dwarf fortress discussion. But, we should totally be able to use corpses as building materials.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 16, 2009, 12:39:42 am
Quote from: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 12:37:46 am
Unfortunately other then one somewhat creepy scene it was just all rather stiff.

Was that one intentional?
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 12:43:21 am
All intentional.

Though to admit the most lively thing in the whole movie would be its theme musical score, it is just a shame that the acting was rather dead.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Dragooble on August 16, 2009, 12:45:22 am
Quote from: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 12:43:21 am
the acting was rather dead.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: ChairmanPoo on August 16, 2009, 01:23:08 am
Well,perhaps you are right, but I also attribute it to the vague necrophilia it radiated.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 01:25:38 am
Quote from: ChairmanPoo on August 16, 2009, 01:23:08 am
Well,perhaps you are right, but I also attribute it to the vague necrophilia it radiated.

It is rather hard to find the Corpse Bridge attractive when she seems to be falling appart. Even if the Gangrene and Post Mortum degeneration gave her a bit of color.

So I guess the Corpse Bridge was just a tough character to route for. Yes she was tragic, yes she was sorta beautiful. On the otherhand she was sorta the villain and pretty hideous in her own way.

Looking at some other Tim Burton films, one thing he seems to be good at is getting excellent and mood fitting musical scores.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 16, 2009, 02:55:59 am
That's probably because he keeps hiring Danny Elfman to do them.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 16, 2009, 03:43:21 pm
Quote from: Kagus on August 16, 2009, 02:55:59 am
That's probably because he keeps hiring Danny Elfman to do them.

That Danny Elfman really knows his stuff!
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Cthulhu on August 16, 2009, 04:18:31 pm
Danny Elfman's singing voice makes me temporarily gay for him.  I try not to listen to him.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Wiles on August 16, 2009, 05:09:24 pm
Quote from: Kagus on August 15, 2009, 02:21:53 am
The movie would switch between an original kid's movie, to a psychotic fantasy movie, to a mediocre video game.  The end result was something too scary for the kiddies and too kiddy for the scaries, while tossing in a smattering of video game-ness that wasn't suited for anybody.

I'm not so sure I agree about the scariness for kids. I heard a talk by Neil Gaiman once where he mentioned his book Coraline and how it was the adults who were coming up and telling him that the book had scared them, but the children approached the story differently, to them it was like an adventure. I imagine the same could apply to the movie.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 16, 2009, 05:15:15 pm
That may very well be the case, but I was just trying to describe how it switched between "vibes".  One thing is having a children's movie that's a little bit scary, or a scary movie that's a little bit childish, but Coraline didn't seem to blend anything together.  It just switched back and forth.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 16, 2009, 11:28:33 pm
Salvation war syndrome is what I use to describe my deep seated belief that even super-natural threats can be met with good old human weaponry. I'm the sort who says "5 rounds rapid" or opens up on the monster with a shotgun. It also progresses to the point where any fiction where mundane means can trumph the supernatural is cool in my mind.


Call me crazy, but I saw some Christian allegory in the movie too. Especially the cat.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 16, 2009, 11:38:09 pm
>Kill dragon
With what, your hands?

>Y
Congratulations, you have killed a dragon with your bare hands!
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 12:16:27 am
Nope. I sleep with a knife for that.
Title: -
Post by: redacted123 on August 17, 2009, 02:07:41 pm
-
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Gunner-Chan on August 17, 2009, 02:51:12 pm
Quote from: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 12:16:27 am
Nope. I sleep with a knife for that.

I wanna say something, but GOD DAMN...
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 04:25:29 pm
You know what I mean. I sleep with a combat/survival knife belted to my leg. My bowie is usually under the pillow.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Cthulhu on August 17, 2009, 04:35:14 pm
That knife won't save you if the Hounds of Tindalos come.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 06:14:14 pm
Interesting, I'll have to write a story about Strife fighting a few.

Mind you, I have 4 buck for things like that.

Yes, I do in fact believe that a time traveling angle never before had an encounter last long enough to be described thing could be killed by proper application of a shotgun.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Cthulhu on August 17, 2009, 06:39:15 pm
If it were that easy, someone would have a body to describe.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 17, 2009, 08:50:51 pm
That keeping a knife under your pillow is stupid...

Unless it is made out of Cold Iron, Silver, and Annointed gold... in which case it is ingenius!
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 08:53:18 pm
I'm somewhat sure that the survival knife is iron handled, but I subscribe to the Leiberish theory that magic in general gets hampered by any drawn steel weapon.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Neonivek on August 17, 2009, 09:01:16 pm
Quote from: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 08:53:18 pm
I'm somewhat sure that the survival knife is iron handled, but I subscribe to the Leiberish theory that magic in general gets hampered by any drawn steel weapon.

Too bad you don't subscribe to the Celtic belief that being an Adult destroys magic.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: ChairmanPoo on August 17, 2009, 09:06:48 pm
Quote from: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 08:53:18 pm
I'm somewhat sure that the survival knife is iron handled, but I subscribe to the Leiberish theory that magic in general gets hampered by any drawn steel weapon.

Deep down you know you are only keeping that knife to cut your own throat when the Horrors from Beyond come fetch you.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 09:09:59 pm
I love how quickly this gets away from a discussion about what may or may not be a children's movie.

Honestly, if I was forced to kill myself, I'd use the bowie as opposed to the combat. It has more of a sharp point and more suitable to gouging out my jugulars.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 17, 2009, 09:11:38 pm
You can't see their posts -they are, of course, Ninjas- but my ninja lackeys say they could totally beat you up.

@NinjaLackey3: It'd be easier NOT to use magma, you know.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 18, 2009, 01:42:23 am
I'm sure there's a connection between Coraline and Lovecraft.  Given enough time, someone else will find it.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Jackrabbit on August 18, 2009, 07:31:46 am
Aaaaaaaanyway, I saw Coraline with a few friends and liked it. But, then again, I agree with Kagus about the feel of the whole movie. I suck at scary movies. I'm terrible. If there's someone with me, I try and keep out of their line of sight so they don't seem me squirm or close my eyes. But the only thing in this movie I found genuinely scary (and even then not 'hide behind the couch' scary) was the part where the
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
. All the other scares I could predict before they happened (the taffy scene, for instance), and yet it was definitely something that would freak the hell out of my kid brother. I liked the movie, liked the acting, like the imagination, like the characterization, kinda sorta maybe liked that scene in the theater (oh God the breasts, the only thing that made that bearable was that it was Dawn French playing the part and she is hilarious) liked all that, but if the movie had just taken one path and stuck with it I feel like I would have enjoyed it more. Oh, but Bobinskey and the Cat were both crafted by a benevolent god out of pure awesome.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Armok on August 19, 2009, 01:44:48 am
Quote from: Sofia on August 17, 2009, 02:51:12 pm
Quote from: Strife26 on August 17, 2009, 12:16:27 am
Nope. I sleep with a knife for that.

I wanna say something, but GOD DAMN...
Seconded. Also, what I wanna know is how he does it without getting all sliced up!
That'd be something to explain to the doctors, wouldn't it?
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 19, 2009, 01:49:30 am
Sheath, dude. Sheath. With a notch so you have to use significant force to remove the knife. Hell, maybe it has a clip, so you can wear it with your pajama pants. Or on the bandoleer of grenades and .50 cal ammo you also sleep with.

Now, obviously neither of the last two would be useful if you were assaulted or intruded upon in your home. You have them because chicks dig it. I do in turn have no reason to suggest that chicks dig it other than that you have them, which you don't.

Actually, if you sleep with a knife, you are probably very lonely.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Kagus on August 19, 2009, 01:58:06 am
Quote from: Sensei on August 19, 2009, 01:49:30 am
Sheath, dude. Sheath.
DUDE. 

You just made a bad joke much, much worse.
Title: Re: Coraline
Post by: Sensei on August 19, 2009, 01:18:03 pm
Am I missing something?

Edit: Oh, I get it! Pun not intended.