  Edgar_rhode Member Username: Edgar_rhode Post Number: 22 Registered: 09-2007 |
"coraline" is a stop-motion / animation movie in theaters now. it's not computer generated. think "king kong" from the 30's, "jason and the argonauts" from the sixties, "wallace and grommit" from the 90's and 00's. more specifically think "nightmare before christmas" or "james and the giant peach" - which share the same director / animation master - henry selick as does "coraline". these aren't necessarily just "kid flicks" but thats not what i'm here to discuss. selick is from new jersey. neil gaiman ( the author of the novella the movie is built upon ) is from england / now living in minneapolis. so how is it that the parents of coraline are "from detroit", the father wears a michigan state sweatshirt**, coraline has friends at a pontiac high school, and a snowball souvenir from the detroit zoo plays a prominent role in the movie? ( i think there is a MI reference on a moving van at the start of the movie as well ) i tried IMDB and wikipedia but the only reference i can find is that one of producers went to michigan state ( ** the father's sweatshirt was originally scripted to be from the U of M ) i don't need this to descend into the typical "state" vs "U of M" bashing silliness. just wondering if anyone knows why there is a strong detroit connection in the movie? -- ps :: we saw it in 3D and it truly is an amazing feat of animation. it might be too intense for some tykes. | ||
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit Post Number: 1972 Registered: 11-2003 |
http://www.freep.com/article/2 0090206/ENT01/902060324 [Producer] Mechanic says that Michigan, and specifically MSU, "did a lot for me. This is just one of the ways I can give something back." With Michigan offering up to 42% tax rebates for movies made here, he's excited about the possibility of working on films in his home state. In fact, he was in town recently scouting locations for a new project, set in 1930s Cleveland. Though he agrees that the Motor City seems to be a likely double for Cleveland, he may have to settle for the real thing. "Architecture is really important," he says. Cleveland residents "take better care of their past." ---- Nice, until the very last sentence. | ||
Blt Member Username: Blt Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2008 |
East Detroit: "Nice, until the very last sentence." It's sad but true  I didn't know the movie had such a strong connection to Michigan. I've got one night more to see it! This is it's last weekend in theaters so I better hurry up. | ||
Edgar_rhode Member Username: Edgar_rhode Post Number: 23 Registered: 09-2007 |
east_detroit :: thanks for the link and info. i don't believe any of the film was "made" in detroit:: from wiki :: At its peak, the film involved the efforts of 450 people, including from 30 to 35 animators (many of whom moved to Laika's Portland headquarters to do the work after being lured away from Disney, DreamWorks, and other places) and more than 250 technicians and designers. One crew member was hired specifically to knit miniature sweaters and other clothing for the puppet characters, using knitting needles as thin as human hair. Coraline was staged in a 140,000-square-foot warehouse which was longer than a Hillsboro city block; the building was formerly the home of a company called Southern Plastic Mold. The stage was divided into 50 lots which played host to nearly 150 sets. Among the sets were three Victorian mansions, a 42-foot apple orchard, and a model of Ashland, Oregon (complete with tiny Oregon Shakespeare Festival banners) -- maybe when the various proposed film production houses settle here in detroit this type of work will be available to the many creative types in this region. ( one can hope ) -- regarding the "intense" comment. this kind of treatment hearkens back to a classic ( ie not nanny state kids flicks ) childrens books or films. pinocchio is scary intense as are han christian anderson stories. parts of the harry potter books spooked me. then again i don't go for gore films. by the same token i've seen parents bring their kids to insanely inappropriate movies ( gore and sex ) - so its all a matter of personal responsibility. | ||
Mama_jackson Member Username: Mama_jackson Post Number: 490 Registered: 06-2006 |
I wonder....would the producers get to claim some of the tax rebates the state is offering by using the Michigan references? | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 1117 Registered: 07-2007 |
"I wonder....would the producers get to claim some of the tax rebates the state is offering by using the Michigan references?" No. | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 574 Registered: 06-2004 |
LOl. I took my 8/5 year old boys.. they liked the movie but cowered under their coats for half of it. | ||
Rooms222 Member Username: Rooms222 Post Number: 180 Registered: 04-2005 |
My nine year old saw it when we were in Yonkers (14.75 per ticket in 3-D!!! Wish we saw it in Michigan, as cheap as $6.00 at a matinee, even with the 3-D surcharge). She loved it and loved the Michigan references,especially the Detroit Zoo snowglobe......He adult niece said that it was weird, but it was really cool. | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 398 Registered: 08-2006 |
Well, Bruce Campbell lives outside Ashland, OR That's a pretty close connection for me. Henry Selick is a pretty nice, easygoing guy | ||
Mikeydbn Member Username: Mikeydbn Post Number: 115 Registered: 04-2004 |
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20090223/O PINION03/902230384 | ||
Rooms222 Member Username: Rooms222 Post Number: 181 Registered: 04-2005 |
Speaking of Snow Globes, on the trip back from LGA, there was a TSA sign with an illustration of a snow globe stating that Snow Globes are prohibited in carryon luggage....Having a daughter who collects snow globes, and where two people bringing snow globes to her have had them confiscated, this is important information!! | ||
Gumby Member Username: Gumby Post Number: 992 Registered: 11-2003 |
I have a Michigan connection for you, Anthony Scott (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm077 8850/) the animation supervisor is from Michigan. His mother lives in Grand Blanc and his brother, Mike, went to U of M-Flint with me and is one of my best friends. It was pretty cool because when "Corpse Bride" came out he was in town and a large group of us went to see it with him. | ||
Flyingj Member Username: Flyingj Post Number: 399 Registered: 08-2006 |
Gumby, I hope you all stood & applauded when your friend's bro's name came up in the credits...as is the protocol. Your screen name is yet another Michigan animation reference; http://www.gumbyworld.com/memo rylane/histgum4.htm Clokey went to school about 5 miles West of here, his animation studio in West Cpvina is where Rick Baker, who was 5 miles South of here got his first Hollywood job on "Davey & Goliath" | ||
Gumby Member Username: Gumby Post Number: 994 Registered: 11-2003 |
Of course we did Flyingj. Anthony is a really cool guy. Yeah, I didn't realize that about Gumby until today, you'll notice if you go to the imdb page for Anthony you will see he was an animator on "Gumby Adventures" as well. I didn't know that but just goes to show you what a small world it is as I have had the nickname Gumby since 8th Grade long before I met Mike or his brother. |
