Tuesday, February 24, 2009

CORALINE


((FEB 25th EDIT!!!))

Ben won first place in the Skadi fan contest at DummComics!! Click the pic to go check out his winning strip... it's up NOW!!!


ANYWAY-
My review of Coraline? That's easy: It ROCKS.

It's a beautiful, magical stop-motion animated film that is the BIGGEST breath of fresh air in today's world of green ogre-farting CGI bunk. Not to mention a family film that finally has the balls to have some creepiness to it!

Older family films, especially in the 80s, had a lot of great adult and mature themes like elements of drama, horror and action sprinkled throughout (The Goonies, Beetlejuice, Princess Bride, Ghostbusters, etc). But, that all died in the 90s and 2000s and now we get bland watered-down family movies that are nowhere near fun for the whole family; sure, they'll keep your 5-year old sitting still, but you'll be left gritting your teeth in boredom.

So it's nice to know that the Coraline filmmakers feel the same way, and want to bring variety and fun back to fam flicks!

Look, people working with actual hold-in-your-hand material and hi-tech camera equipment wizardry! Where are the computers???! It's amazing.

Yeah so you can probably tell that I loved this movie. Here's some Coraline fan art I just farted out.

Crappy roughs, getting a feel for the character

Hmmm. Getting warmer?

Nailed it!! I like this one.

Stop-motion gems like this only seem to come around once a decade, so go see this movie if you haven't yet. Already seen it? Go see it again!!

Eeek!

27 comments:

david said...

your drawings are better than the desings in the movie! BAM

Unknown said...

The main thing about a good family film is to have it come from a book instead of some crappy writer's head. There's supposed to be another creepy film coming out at some time called "A Dirty Job," (my favorite book) but it won't be fer kids!

Molly said...

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said! I grew up watching creepy movies like Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters, and it never hurt me none. Yay for Coraline for bringing back the creepiness!

Zach Bellissimo said...

Coraline is the first animated movie in a really long while that I loved. I'm happy it exists.

Hehe love you drawings too. The last one is my fav.

Noooo! Button EYES@

Benjamin Anders said...

I want to see this movie, all I hear about it is good stuff. And Nico drawings? YES! Love them all! :) Great job!

Katie said...

ha ha ha!!! green ogre-farting CGI bunk....hee hee funny

I like the middle one you drew best! I agree with what you said, I hate all the boring "everything is happy and we are all friends" attitude that so many kid movies have now. And a lot of the times there are ones that try to have scary parts, but they're always overloaded with comedic side characters that ruin it. I know not everyone agrees with me, but that's why I like the Harry Potter books and movies for kids! They get super scary and dark!

Anyhow, awesome drawings!!! :D

Anonymous said...

Well, we haven't moved too far from the 80's. The 1980's cheese (a la Care Bears) is still alive and stinky in a lot of kid flicks.

This will probably be turned into a CGI movie, with minimal rewriting.

Christine Gerardi said...

I agree, it's a GREAT movie!

Kali Fontecchio said...

THat photo at the bottom is FRIGHTENING :( :( :(

Nico said...

David- thanks manwhich! I totally disagree, but THANKS!

Niki- Well I think good films should come from a GOOD screenwriter's head, before anything else.. but if there isn't one available, yeah i'd go with a book adaptation.

Molly- Someday I want to make a good 80s-inspired family film about a cute girl who roams outer space and encounters fun, creepy and exciting interplanetary adventures. I think you know who I want to be the leading lady.

Zach! Thanks for the sweet comment! and Yeah, the button eyes happens to the best of us. But you get used to them eventually (they also give you xray vision and you can see everyone naked)

Ben- thank you!! you are my favorite boy on the planet.

Katie- thank you!!!! you are my favorite girl on the planet.

Darby- shhh!!!!! Hollywood execs might be reading this!

Christine- Agreed!

Kali- Ha! Nice try. I know I turn you on.

Pavel Jakubec said...

Very good works,Nico,wonderful colors.

PotatoFarmGirl said...

Yay Coraline! I hope it does well enough that more diverse animated films will be made! Fan art is happy art!

Piotr said...

i gotta see the flick!

thanks for the link, I've done the same buddy!

Unknown said...

Hay Nico! I started on the picture cause as Stephen Colbert would say "I held my smart gun to my head and pulled the genius trigger!"

I wanted to know what was the stop motion gem last decade?

J Cola said...

those were awesome drawings. I haven't drawn fan art in a long time. I forgot how fun it can be.

Perhaps I will do my version of Coraline...

Amir Avni said...

I LOVED Coraline! :)

Nico said...

Pavel- Thanks man! I take colors quite seriously, hehe.

Brianne- thank you! We can only hope!

Piotr- Aw, thank ya sir! I'm starstruck to hear that, to be honest. Keep on rockin'!

Niki- Popular theatricals? Well, all the Wallace and Gromits (and the movie in 2005 i think) are fantastic.. James and the Giant Peach was okay, and Nightmare Before Xmas is very good and innovative. People are making stop-motion films all the time though, outside of the Hollywood system. you just gotta keep your eyes peeled!

Jenny- PLEASE DO!!!!! I would love to see a Jenny Coraline.

Amir- me tooo

Anonymous said...

Henry Selick and Aardman-- The hippest cats in stop-motion since Harryhausen.

Hryma said...

Great post on an awesome artform! With your Awesome art!
Cool.

Another brilliant stop-mo worth checking out is the trailor for a fellow blogspotter Max Winston's 'I live in the woods'
I'm kicking myself I missed the whole thing for free on itunes.
But honestly it's a must see...
http://www.vimeo.com/1082331?pg=embed&sec=1082331

Do it!

Patrick McMicheal said...

Nico, I really like the coradoll.png picture...especially the cool background...it makes the colors really JUMP!!!
My teenage son just saw that movie...He called it creepy and awesome! He may have even called it "Sick" if I remember correct! He's never made that assessment about ANY CGI movie!

Trevor Thompson said...

Is this done by the folks that designed James and the Giant Peach?

- trevor.

Tara Billinger said...

Ahaha I love the buttoned eye picture. It makes anyone look uber creepy. Awesome fan work! Gotta love the detail in the doll and the way you stylized Coralines hair and socks! Awesome work!

Unknown said...

I just made a post for you! Check it again later on Saturday and Sunday cause then I'll be more able to post the rest of it!

wade minter said...

I feel like a total nerd about this but, Coraline had CG effects, even done to the characters. But was used in a way that you wouldn't think, here's an interesting article

http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4924&page=1

Unknown said...

There we go!

Nico said...

Thanks Pat!

Tara- Thank you so much! I really wanted to keep that skinny, somewhat gangly Henry Selick look to the character in drawing her. Thanks again for liking my art, it means a lot coming from you!!

Niki- AWESOME!!!

Wade- Interesting read! Also, thanks for once again SUCKING THE FUN OUT OF EVERYTHING.

wade minter said...

but Nico! that's what 3D is all about! :)