Coraline, Necropolis and Fever Crumb

[slowfox]

P and I have just come back from having watched Coraline at the cinema in town: we caught the early showing, which meant that the cinema was crowded - nearly eight people in! ;-P

Coraline wasn't quite what I expected, I must confess. I much prefer the book (as any true fan surely must), but did feel myself warming to the feel as the story unfurled. The opening sequence is well freaky! :D

I've finished Necropolis, book four of Anthony Horowitz' Power of Five series. I quite enjoyed the Hong Kong setting, having ambled around some of the locations myself, it made it a little easier to visualise. Overall, though, the tale did feel as though Horowitz was trying just a bit too hard on this one - nonetheless, I'm keen to find out what happens next with the gang.

I was in Tescos getting the shopping yesterday, and happened to notice a new Philip Reeve novel: Fever Crumb. Better still, it's a Mortal Engines novel, although I'm not clear whereabouts in the timeline it's going to sit. Still, Mortal Engines was an absolutely fantastic (in the proper sense of the word) world, and anything that expands upon the legend of Municipal Darwinism can only be a Good Thing, write very large.

And finally (cue Mood), just settling down to listen to Radio 5's coverage of the Premier League's final day relegation battle. The portents don't look good for Hull, I fear - could well be us playing Championship^* football next season...

* note to the unschooled in football proper: Premiership is the topmost league, beneath which sit the Championship, then League One and then League Two in that order.

Comments

[carolanne5]

I saw Coraline at the BFI in order to attend the Q&A session with Neil Gaiman and Henry Selick, it was very good. Although you did get the impression it was towards the end of the press tour and that they´d already repeated each answer a thousand times!

[slowfox]

The Q&A would have been good, I'd have thought. Neil always seems to be such a generous speaker in that regard... But I can well imagine that having done the routine so many times previously, they were getting used to hearing the same questions time and again.

[glittertine]

How was Coraline different from what you expected? Keeping in mind I've seen trailers and read Neil's journal, I didn't think it could be that much different from the book, except for the additional character. Good different, bad different? o.O

[slowfox]

Well, obviously the additional character was a bit of a jolt. It didn't help that he was a little extra-zany (although, on the plus side, the Other-new-character was that perfect Gaimanesque balance between sinister and sad, and served to underline the Other Mother's malevolence at a point in the film where that wasn't immediately apparent).

I think, stylistically, the film sometimes got a bit carried away. But, at the same time, it all worked. It's just that the book was different - tighter, somehow, I felt.

That said, Coraline, now, will forever be the blue-haired girl of the film, no matter how many times I re-read the book.

And also, they got the cat's voice wrong (for me, at least: I'd always imagined him to have a very refined, cultured delivery...)

As for good different or bad different? Hmmm. I started off feeling disappointed with the film, but grew to like it as it went on. It may have been a mistake seeing it in the middle of the day; methinks this is a film that'll work best when it's dark outside :-)

[ex_simon644]

What were you nervous about? ;)
I think that was a poor end of season - it seemed more four teams battling to get themselves relegated rather than battling to survive.

[slowfox]

Well, at least next season we can say we're there on luck, not merit. Oh, wait, it's desirable for that to be the other way 'round, isn't it? ;-P

It was one of the most anti-climatic final days of the season I can remember. Once Villa had got the lead in their game, it sounded as though Hull's players gave up completely, thinking that it didn't matter what they did. A goal from Newcastle would have sent us down in their place, but you really didn't get the sense that that urgency had percolated through to the pitch.

Unless Hull can sign some decent strikers in the close season, we have to be amongst the favourites for the drop next year.

[ex_simon644]

I fell asleep during the second half. The 5live lot were not excited enough to suggest that I would miss anything if I took a nap!

Yep. This season you had a fantastic start. Next season will be a battle from the off.

[slowfox]

Wolves, Birmingham City and Burnley are the new boys. I suspect Hull, Sunderland and Portsmouth aren't looking terribly secure. So my guess is that it'll be betwixt those six. Historically, it's been rare for more than one newly promoted side to escape immediate relegation, so my guess would be Wolves and Burnley to go straight back down, with the third being drawn from the remaining four I've mentioned...

[soupytwist]

I like the book better too; I did think it was very effective artistically though. I saw it in 3D which probably helped, but I thought it was visually stunning. And it did work story-wise; I just like the original way it goes more. (Also, that Coraline is more whiny and her parents even more distant; that makes sense for a movie, but I like the balance hit in the book better.)

[slowfox]

It was very artistic, agreed, and the execution was flawless. Certain elements really worked well, and the more I look back on the film, the harder I find it to pick flaws!

I think the thing that bothered me most was that the New Character took away part of the Cat's role, and I loved the Cat in the book...

[soupytwist]

OMG yes, the Cat is awesome and things taking away from that (however well done and creepy-effective with the sewn-up thing) is bad!

[slowfox]

That opening sequence with the stitching was amazingly creepy-effective!

[sophie8]

*weeps on your shoulder*

[slowfox]

*consoles*

tbh, I really thought you guys would do it, and condemn us instead...

[hamsterwoman]

Haven't seen Coraline yet, though I plan to eventually. I find changes from the book don't necessarily interfere with my enjoyment of the movie so long as I know about them beforehand, so *reads all the spoilers*

[slowfox]

Oh, it's worth seeing - there are some truly freaky moments, but I'll personally always prefer the book.

[aome]

Was Coraline only recently landed in UK? Or was this one of those late-run cinemas, hence the whopping number of movie-goers? :D

I got to see Star Trek today (I didn't cross-post with DW, sorry - but you can view on LJ if you choose); not a perfect film, but loads of fun.

[slowfox]

Yep, Coraline opened earlier this month - ages after you guys got it. Whereas Star Trek opened on the same date here and there. Odd.