Neil Gaiman

It's pretty darn hard not to be impressed by the miniature, handmade world brought to life in Coraline. The painstakingly careful process of making the movie is mind-boggling when you think about it and the end result is extremely cool to watch on a giant screen in 3-D. Stop-motion animation is an art form all its own, and it's truly a delight to watch this strange and sometimes very scary story told using this medium. Whether it's the real-life objects that are moving and talking or the 3-D experience, the fact is that it's remarkably easy to become absorbed into this world. Basically, Coraline is immensely entertaining.

The story, from Neil Gaiman's book, is more intriguing — and way darker — than most animated movies that are ostensibly geared toward children. The look and feel of the visuals only further darkens the tone. Coraline is a clever, no-nonsense girl who just moved into a new home with her parents. Both parents are writers who work from home — but that doesn't mean Coraline has constant companionship as they shoo her away at practically every turn. But one night, Coraline opens a small door in the living room, which leads her to a warm, colorful alternate world in which everything about her life is the same — only better. She has all the food and sweets she desires, her mother and father are engaging and attentive, and they create spectacular things for her. There's always a catch, though, so read more

Neil Gaiman's story Coraline is coming to the big screen courtesy of The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick and now we've got a deliciously whimsical, cute, surreal trailer for the February release. Dakota Fanning voices Coraline, a little girl who discovers an alternate version of her life — a way better and more interesting version. But when "Other Mother" (voiced by Teri Hatcher) tries to keep her forever, "Coraline must rely on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home."

I just love this style of filmmaking, and I think Selick has a real talent for bringing these other-worldly tales to life. To check out the trailer for Coraline, read more

Holy cow this is eerie. The animated movie Coraline, based on a novel by Neil Gaiman, is a bona fide ghost story, with Dakota Fanning voicing the main character. Now there's a sneak preview of the project and for such a brief clip of a project based on a children's book, it's very chilling.

Coraline is a young girl who becomes bored and unhappy in her new home — until, that is, she discovers a door that leads to a better version of her life, complete with an "Other Mother" who feeds and entertains her. Yet there's one small catch: there's something Coraline must do to remain in the magical world forever.

To check out the preview and tell me if you were as creeped out as I was, read more

"This is the story of how Tristan becomes a man... To achieve it, he must win the heart of his one true love." From the beginning of Stardust, there is a distinct waft of The Princess Bride. The warm, old-man voice (Ian McKellan, of course) narrating the tale like a grandfather telling a bedtime story, the fantastical adventure dotted with romance and humor, and even the echoing words "his one true love" made me feel nostalgic for that magical love story of my youth.

As it happens, Stardust is a perfectly adequate Princess Bride-style tale, a bright and enthralling adventure with plenty of danger, magic and love. In the story, the aforementioned Tristan (played by the outrageously attractive Charlie Cox) is a lovestruck young man tasked with the challenge of bringing back a fallen star for the petulant, conceited object of his affections, Victoria (Sienna Miller). He meets the star, a luminescent woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes) who has landed near Tristan's sleepy village, and he determines to bring her to Victoria as proof of his adoration. That's just the tip of this fantasy iceberg, though, so read more

Before Phasekitty left Comic-Con, she got to see a special preview of Coraline. The 2008 movie is based on Neil Gaiman's book of the same name, which tells the story of a girl who opens a door into a magical dimension where she meets another set of parents who want her to stay in their world forever. Phasekitty got in on a Q&A with Gaiman and director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) and even won an autographed copy of the movie's poster. Here's some of her report from the session:

We were treated to some animation tests of characters Coraline, Mom, Dad, Miss Spink (whose face jiggles when she talks), and Miss Forcible (whose chest is so big she looks as though she should crawl on all fours). The characters are incredibly unique looking and had a personality to them even as they were simply walking along.

The footage we saw was from the beginning of the film. Coraline discovers a little door in her boring house and begs her mother to open it. When they do, it is boarded up with a wall of brick and Coraline is disappointed. That night, she is lured back to the door by some mice she follows and discovers that this time, there is a brilliantly colored corridor leading to another little door. She enters that door and finds her house, but bathed in a warm and welcoming light. Her mother is in the kitchen, humming softly and cooking dinner, but when she turns around, Coraline sees that she has large black buttons for eyes.

Gaiman talked a bit about the voice actors, whom he didn't at first love in the roles, until he saw the footage and tests. In the footage we saw they were complete chameleons; I didn't recognize Dakota Fanning as Coraline or Teri Hatcher as Mom/Other Mother. John Hodgman rounds out the cast as Dad/Other Father, and Brit voice actors Ian McShane, Jennifer Saunders, and Dawn French lend their voices to the supporting characters.

Wow. I hadn't known much about this project or the book before, but now I'm excited to check them both out. Has anyone else read Coraline? What do you think of the adaptation?

The upcoming fantasy movie Stardust first caught my eye because of the stellar cast (Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Peter O'Toole, Ricky Gervais, and many others), and because of the whimsical atmosphere conveyed in the trailer. Knowing it's based on a Neil Gaiman novel only makes me more interested in the movie, which opens August 10.

Having posted a few things about the movie, I know some of you are major Gaiman fans or are otherwise seriously anticipating the film. And now I might have the opportunity to interview Stardust director Matthew Vaughn — but aside from the obvious questions ("What was it like working with Michelle Pfeiffer/Robert DeNiro/Peter O'Toole/Ricky Gervais?"), I'm not sure what I should ask him. Help me out, Buzz readers: What are you most curious about with this project? What should I ask Matthew Vaughn?

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