That’s right, folks, Coraline – the movie that made a whole generation afraid of buttons – is coming back to theaters! In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the terrifying tale of young Coraline and her adventures on the Other World will return to the silver screens newly remastered.
Coraline was originally released in 2009 by the Portland-based stop-motion studio LAIKA, and made over U$130 million at the box office. And, following its enormous success, the studio has now produced four more motion pictures, all made using the same technique.
In case you are asking yourself “what on earth is stop-motion?”, let me try and make things a bit clearer. This is a way of making animated films that has been around since 1898, when british filmmakers Albert E. Smith and James Stuart Blackton created this technique to animate a toy circus in a short film called The Humpty Dumpty Circus.
In simple terms it works like this: an object is physically manipulated and photographed, then again, then again. At the end, all of the photos (the so called frames) are placed in a sequence to create the illusion of movement. This video by Mashable explains it all really well if you feel like peeking a little bit more behind the curtain.
A huge number of famous movies, short-films and clips are made using stop-motion; So, here’s a list of a few of my personal favorites that I think are really worth checking out!
LAIKA STUDIOS, YES, ALL OF IT
For transparency’s sake, I’ll just get this out of the way: LAIKA is my all-time favorite stop-motion studio. Every single one of their movies captures you and tells you a story in the most endearing, beautiful and creative way possible.
Not to mention the spectacular visuals that turn them into instant classics. The characters, clothing and set design are all, in a word: flawless. In case you want to understand just how much work goes into one of these movies, you should watch any behind the scenes video they have on their YouTube channel.
Also, LAIKA caters to all tastes. Fancy a nightmare-inducing movie about a girl that travels to a different dimension and faces off against an evil version of her mother? Look no further than Coraline. Or maybe you prefer a heartwarming adventure of a boy raised by a community of quirky creatures that live in boxes? Then The Boxtrolls will fit you just right.
But the movie that lives closest to my heart is Kubo and the Two Strings. Over the background of Samurai-inspired culture and fables, it tells the story of Kubo, a young boy who plays a shamisen and brings origami to life in a quest to defeat the evil Moon King. It’s a delicate, moving, touching film that keeps you thinking about it for weeks after watching it.
If not for the plot, Kubo and the Two Strings is worth the watch solely due to its visuals. The stop-motion style works seamlessly to create Kubo’s world and is simply breathtaking. Adding to that you find a sublime soundtrack that blends elements of Japanese instrumentation and modern arrangements. The highlight being a cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that plays over the final credits.
I really can’t do the movie justice by describing it, so I’d strongly recommend you give it a go.
TIM BURTON’S FAVORITE ANIMATION STYLE
What better way to showcase Tim Burton’s brilliance than stop-motion animation? The filmmaker relies on the freedom that this technique provides to design his otherworldly universes and characters.
To this day, Tim Burton has directed two feature films: Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie, both of them shrouded in a distinct style that makes them instantly recognizable as one of his creations. The first one tells the story of a tragic love triangle that involves an arranged wedding and murder, all set in a Victorian scenario. And the latter is about a student that uses electricity to resuscitate his beloved dog, Sparky.
Tim Burton was also involved in the production of James And The Giant Peach, which follows a young boy’s journey to get to New York on a – you guessed it- a gigantic peach.
Last, but definitely not least, we have what is (at least in my humble opinion) his best stop-motion creation: The Nightmare Before Christmas. In this movie we watch as Jack Skellington, the ruler of “Halloween Town”, grows tired of Halloween, falls in love with Christmas and tries to take over the holiday.
With its iconic visuals and remarkable soundtrack by Danny Elfiman, this movie has become a staple of Halloween and Christmas watch parties.
WES ANDERSON’S SHOT AT STOP MOTION: FANTASTIC MR. FOX
What happens when you combine one of Hollywood’s most popular directors with stop-motion animation? Well, you get the likings of Fantastic Mr. Fox.
This time around, Wes Anderson uses stop-motion to tell the story of Mr. Fox who, after living in tranquility for 12 years alongside his wife and family, tries to steal food from the neighboring farm. This leads the owners of the farm to chase the Fox family, leading them deep underground.
The result can only be a deep, emotional, thought-provoking movie that ties it all together with a touch of humor.
THAT’S IT, ROLL THE CREDITS
There’s something quite fascinating about a technique that was developed over 120 years ago still being utilized and improved. Generation after generation of filmmakers get in touch with stop-motion and put it to wonderful use, pouring tons of effort into each frame.
The range is literally as wide as the imagination allows. And there are an infinite amount of movies I wish I could add to this list, but I’ll just leave it at that so this text doesn’t turn into a trilogy.
I mean, Wallace & Gromit, anyone? What about Shaun The Sheep, Chicken Run and The Little Prince? All amazing stop-motion productions that live near and dear my heart. Or maybe we travel back in time and take a look at classical productions that used this technique like King Kong, The Adventures of Prince Achmed and Jason and the Argonauts.
Hopefully I’ve managed to show that stop-motion animation is a powerful tool that can be used to tell moving, fun,creative stories and bring to life the most amazing characters. Enjoy!
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The article above was edited by Brisa Kunichiro. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Cásper Líbero for more!