Coraline (2009) - In Remastered 3D (2024)

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Since Coraline's original release in theaters in February 2009, I lost count how many times it was re-released thereafter to theaters again! The most recent ones, was the Re-mastered version this summer of August 2024 (a limited theater run), and now a newer 3D Re-mastered Coraline, again, to be re-released to theaters, October 31 &  November 2024. As far as I know, there are no new scenes. (link below)

The different re-releases of Coraline

The primary aspect of these re-releases are that they are re-mastered versions. This article also gives more details it better. (link below)

CORALINE Returns to Theaters for Halloween

Below ... a revisit of a few behind the scenes. This is 15 year old tech & methods but still cool for us stop motion nerd heads. Today, in high end stop motion features, the production pipeline is still basically the same with the continued emphasis on the "hand-made". In addition, currently there some more refined methods of printing puppet anatomical parts and also, there is much post production digital cgi combined with the stop motion.

Hand-Making Coraline - Laika Studio first Feature

The Stop Motion Puppets

Animator Eric Leighton's physical contortions doing Stop Motion

Hand Made in Stereo 3D

Henry Selick explains deleted scenes -Extra Features on Dvd (July, 2009)

BONUS

BONUS - BONUS

You can stream watch the original Coraline at the listed links below. Keep in mind that it may not be highest definition as in the re-mastered versions at theaters and you will not have the 3D immersion visual effect. Also, you will not have the experience of viewing movies in an actual theater with a live audience. Or what about missing the enjoyment of getting your tubs of heavily buttered popcorn and sugar-high soda pops?😁

Link > CORALINE on The Roku Channel - Free with Ads

Link > CORALINE on TUBI - Free with Ads

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StopMotionAnimation.com 1999 - 2024

Hot off the press! ....

"StopMotionAnimation.com in its current form, on the Ning platform, will be shutting down on 09/28/24. Be assured that I will be looking into other uses for the site. Since 1999, this website has been a important keystone in the Stop Motion Community. Thank you all for your participation over the years! Anthony Scott, Site Admin"

 _________________

SMA.com originally began online as one of the first Stop Motion Animation specialty discussion forums on April 22, 1999. Just think about that ... 25-1/2 years ago. Many of you were still in diapers or not even born yet! 😲

 

It was a close-knit (common, strong passion) community at SMA.com. Beginners & professionals gathered together to help each other and 'talk shop'. It really felt like a 'home'. However, as the years passed by, the 'Social Media' juggernaut began to take over the consciousness of the masses with the bombardment of endless distractions on the internet. SMA.com beginnings was before Yahoo Groups, Myspace, Facebook, Reddit, Youtube, Instagram, etc.. 

Very gradually, I saw that activity on SMA.com was becoming less & less. IMO, I believe it was the onslaught of all the social media 'candy' out there. Even myself ... I was unintentionally drifting away from SMA.com. I'm sure many of you also see how social media can be a 'mental stressor' especially if you partake of it too much. Many people are so addicted via their smart phones & computers ... but I digress!  

Some of you may not know who is behind StopMotionAnimation.com ... his name is (click >) Anthony Scott, a very seasoned animator. My path first crossed with Anthony in 1988, on (click >) 'Gumby Adventures', which was produced in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is hard to believe that I have known Anthony for 36 years! During those years Anthony worked on so many projects and I was privileged to contribute to some of them.

25 Year Reunion 'The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)' in 2018. Photo - Mike Belzer, Lionel Orozco (me), and Anthony Scott

With regards to StopMotionAnimation.com ... Anthony says that he is not calling an end to it, and describes it as a 'Hiatus'. He has a powerful website brand name and he totally owns it! No one else can use that website name. So it appears that Anthony is undecided yet what direction or other format for SMA.com. It seems like it would be so much work to attempt to archive SMA.com, specifically all the message board conversations. 

Just an idea for Anthony ... to have SMA.com as a 'front page' with specific links, to his Youtube channel, Instagram & Facebook, so that the followers/people can still be in touch with Anthony. Again, we do not know what Anthony will decide later, about what to do with SMA.com. Feel free to private message him and suggest any ideas!

Thanks Anthony for your dedication and your passion for the Stop Motion Animation Art & Craft and contribution of the Stop Motion Animation message-board/forum website!👍

Note - You might be wondering why the SMA.com logo is a Skull & Crossbones? Anthony has used it for many years. I suspect that the 'skeleton' is symbolic of the jointed metal armatures used inside the stop motion puppets ... also, it kind of has a Jack Skellington vibe!💀

StopMotionAnimation.com

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NEW 'Brisk Iced Tea' Ad

Just released, a new 2024 version of a Brisk Iced Tea commercial in the style similar to the classic ads from back around the mid to late 1990s, when they first appeared on TV. If you do a (click >) Search of this new ad, apparently, the ad agency & almost everyone else is referring to it as (click >) Claymation?  Well, the 'Animation Puppets' are NOT Clay! 😠 The correct description is 'Stop Motion Puppet Animation'! Those classic early Brisk ads were stop motion caricatures of well known or iconic celebrities. This Brisk ad features 'Doja Cat'? 😲 I have no idea who that is and so I looked it up ...(click >) she is a 'Rapper'. Hmmm ... I assume someone that appeals to the Gen Z'ers. Sigh 😕... not like the old school days of the Brisk Tea ads.

Here it is ....

It appears that 3D printed replacement faces were used. With most of the publicity press releases, they did not mention who actually did this work. I did find it ... Peter Sluszka is credited as the Director. Here is the website page link where you can see all the credits ....

 BRISK - ENCHANTED FOREST

I also see that  the studio, (click >) Standing Figure Studio is credited. Someone who I have known for a long time, a veteran in the Stop Motion sphere ... Patrick Zung who is one of the studio team members. He is an inventive engineer, machinist,  creative designer, problem solver, etc., not only Stop Motion but just about anything that has to do with the 'Mechanical & Gadgeteering'. 

___________________________________


TIME TRAVEL ... Brisk Iced Tea History

Compilation of some of the Brisk commercials ....

Making of Frank Sinatra Brisk Tea ad.  At video time stamp 3 minutes 14 second you will see some of the stop motion puppet fabrication details by (click >) Mackinnon & Saunders ....

Making of Danny Devito Brisk Ad. I think (click >) Loose Moose Productions, a UK based studio did the stop motion work here, including the older original, black & white versions of the Brisk ads ....

The Way of the Brisk - MMA Champ, Chuck Liddell. The puppet armature by (click >) John Wright Modelmaking, the intricate head mechanism by (click >) Ron Cole, and I think, (click >) David Bell or his studio did the puppet fabrication. David and (click >) Tatia Rosenthal did the hands on stop motion animation ....

Time lapse of one the later versions of the Brisk Tea commercials and the stop motion animator is (click >) Webster Colcord ....

 

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BeetleJuice 2 (2024) - Where is the Stop Motion?

So, BeetleJuice 2 boasts much 'Practical' ('real', not Cgi) special effects. In general with today's big box office movies, they will always use Cgi. My observation with BJ2, although the practical effects which includes, prosthetics, animatronics, rod puppetry, etc which of course, they are present in the film ... however .... in the film crew credits for BJ2, there is Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nada attribution to traditional Stop Motion Animation. Therefore at this time, I can only conclude that there was NO Stop Motion in BeetleJuice 2. In a few of the teasers, you briefly see the Sandworm creature. I am fairly certain that appeared to be CGI.

Here is my evidence Click > BeetleJuice 2 (2024) CREW LIST / IMD  Do you see any screen credits for Stop Motion Animation? I have not yet seen BJ2. IF there was Stop Motion, why was there no screen credit?

I then see this contradictory information which was part of the early media hype for BeetleJuice 2 Click > BeetleJuice 2 to feature Stop Motion

It just grinds my gears 😠 ... a major motion picture that devotes their huge budget for A list actors, all the set builders, practical effects, post production, CGI crew, etc. etc ... but they excluded  & dismissed Stop Motion special effects as used in the original BeetleJuice. Why? You would think the production would pay homage or tribute by using Stop Motion ... but NO. 

"Ladies & Gentlemen of the Jury, I rest my CASE!" 😎

UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 9, 2024:  I just received confirmation from (click >) Jim Randall that Stop Motion was included in BeetleJuice 2. I posted on Instagram, then Jim notified me that the UK company Mackinnon & Saunders were responsible for the Sandworm sequence done using classic STOP MOTION!!
👍😎  

Take a look here at this link ...

Mackinnon & Saunders - Sandworm

Okay, that was my short tirade. Moving on  ... perhaps you might enjoy re-visiting some of the original BeetleJuice (1988) scenes. We have the iconic Sandworm creature which was actual stop motion animation and some other scenes which I will post videos below ... ALL Stop Motion.

 Sandworm

 Deleted Hanging & Sandworm scenes

 BeetleJuice as Snake creature

Adam & Barbara, head transformation

Testing head transformation from unfinished documentary

Delia Deetz Sculptures come Alive - The Wedding Scene

Click > Artist Tom Spina, restores Stop Motion puppets 'Delia Deetz Sculptures'

Click > Behind the Scenes Photos, Original BeetleJuice


BeetleJuice 2 is  premiering in theaters, September 6, 2024
in the USA & UK --  I do not know the schedule for
other countries, so you need to research that

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

Just a reminder to 'you all' .... the title of this Blog is 'Stop Motion Works & Retro FX'. The 'Retro FX' = Old school general special effects (not just stop motion)! This 1959 film is based on the Jules Verne novel, 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864). Perhaps, this movie is  now a forgotten old classic in the science fiction genre. As an action & adventure story, I enjoyed it as a youngster and now re-visiting, it brought back good memories and I still LIKE it very much! For that time, this movie was long at 2 hours! Great performances from the earlier days of Hollywood  ... Click > James Mason, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, & Diane Baker. Also, especially, the powerful musical score by ... Click > Bernard Herrmann.

If you want to temporarily escape the current mind numbing news & social media bombardment, perhaps you might want to consider watching.  During the movie, near the end, at time stamp about 1 minute, 40 seconds .... my only small criticism was ... Where was Ray Harryhausen when this movie was made? The studio could not afford him? LOL 😆

It was a bit difficult finding the full movie, however, I scored these few and you can see which works for you. For best viewing: Your computer screen monitor (full screen) or hook-up your laptop to your large TV screen using HDMI cable and you will somewhat get the cinema experience! 📽️ 🍿

 

OR

 

Click > Production info / Cast & Crew IMDb 

Click > This is a Movie Review at Youtube (spoilers)

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Laika Studio - WILDWOOD (2025)

 

LAIKA STUDIO has recently released some very brief teasers of their 'in production' WILDWOOD. It has a very rich look to it. It is STOP MOTION, however (spoiler) after seeing the teaser, it sure has a tremendous amount of digital special effects. This is not a criticism ... just stating a fact. I have no idea what Wildwood is about.  I do like the darker aesthetics of it.  For example, Laika's 'Missing Link' (2019), looked so clean, smooth, bright & pristine almost having a CGI feel to it. IMO, Stop Motion should not compete with CGI. Stop Motion has its own unique organic, tactile & rawness,and a more spontaneous feel to it. They are real puppets and that is what appeals to niche audiences which perhaps maybe are appreciating more, as these A.I. farms will start saturating the market with their cookie cutter produced S#&T!😠

Apparently, the Wildwood story has been in development since 2011. That's 13 years ago!😮 My age is perhaps showing my growing impatience. I'll be pushing up daises, by the time these stop motion movies are released! Also, thankfully this will NOT be a Netflix movie like Del Toro's Pinocchio which was of course, spectacular and an Oscar winner! I am talking about the Netflix distribution model. Wildwood be released to actual theaters, the retro style of watching movies! Netflix and other subscription based movie streamers force you to subscribe to their services ... but ... you only want to watch specific movies. I say, SCREW that!

For those who might not be familiar with the past stop motion Laika films. These Wildwood teasers, have cameo brief appearances of characters from Coraline (2009), Paranorman (2012),  Kubo & the Two Strings (2019), These characters will not be in Wildwood. I see, that it is a unique marketing, promotion strategy.
 

Click > Wildwood, is Laika's 'Hardest Film, incredibly ambitious


Click  > Coraline introduces Laika's Wildwood


Click > WILDWOOD - Production & Crew / IMDb

 

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Beyond T-Rex (1997)

 
Long ago, I actually crossed paths with persons who worked on Beyond T-Rex. Her name Shelley Smith and also her brother Tim Synder, both involved with the the stop motion production for Hall Train Studios in Canada. Years later, Shelley eventually traveled down to Portland, Oregon and then to SF bay area to work on some stop motion projects.

It might surprise you that the dinosaur armatures were WIRE ... NO ball & sockets! Shelley revealed this to me and I think, I might has seen a couple of photos that Tim emailed me. It did not occur to me to ask how the animation was so smooth? They perhaps used some kind of customized home made frame grabber or a  > video lunchbox? I do not know if there were computer stop motion frame grabbers tools back in 1996-97.

Production Crew > Beyond T-Rex IMDb 

This video copy on Youtube, the resolution not so good ... in those days, > old style TV video tape quality. Perhaps, the scenes could also have been intentionally photographed to have a soft swamp-like atmosphere which contributes to its hazy look. In addition, before you judge harshly, again ... wire armatures were used, and therefore full expression & fluidity of the animation perhaps limited (by the wires), however, I thought the feeling of massive size & sense of weight, looked reasonably good! In the overall documentary, the stop motion dino scenes are very few. Just a reminder, from the crew list, only 4 artists were responsible for the puppets, miniature sets, backgrounds, compositing & special effects!

Here are some of the stop motion only scenes from Beyond T-rex

Below, is the entire 1997 Beyond T-Rex documentary (52 minutes). Yes it's 27 years old but I thought it was still an entertaining & informative watch. Try to ignore the obnoxious large video water mark on lower right. The Youtuber who uploaded this documentary implying claim to it (?), but actually, copyright does not belong to him!

Let us not forget about the enigmatic & mysterious HALL TRAIN Studios! I wonder if that is his real birth name? It sure does sound bad ass ... Lol! His portfolio is bulging with past & present projects. Beyond T-Rex was one of Hall Train's earlier works using the stop motion animation technique. Since then, I believe that he has not done any other stop motion projects. He currently does work for natural history & science museums, exhibits, theme mark, film, television, media. 

Click > HALL TRAIN BIO

My reference to the 1999 'Walking with Dinosaurs' was in regards to; that I believe it was one of the first dinosaur documentaries, where the creatures were fully created using CGI specifically for the television market. If you think about it, the movie, Jurassic Park was released in 1993 which was an important cinema milestone back then ...  the first organic realistic creatures on the big screen that were computer generated (& animated). So 6 years later, the Discovery channel first introduced CGI dinosaurs which was perhaps, another milestone for television. Of course, today ... you have overflowing quantities of CGI dinosaur documentaries, with herds & herds of dinos dazzling you ad infinitum. They say bigger & more is supposedly better? 😉  

UPDATE: Apparently, Hall Train Studio also did work on another dinosaur themed documentary which also included Stop Motion,  The Ultimate Guide: T-Rex (1996). This is the full documentary. For the stop motion dino scenes, you will have to fast forward to find them. This video upload to Youtube is somewhat okay and the stop motion scenes have slightly improved resolution.  > IMDb

You want MORE? I just found this ... ALL the Hall Train, Stop Motion scenes from both documentaries!

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