I'm DISTURBED!!! Coraline Reaction (First Time Watching)

[@BrittanyArtPoetry]

When this was first written many publishers thought it was too scary. It was approved despite how scary it was because the writers co workers daughter said it was fine. Later she admitted she lied and that it was absolutely terrifying but she just really wanted to know the ending

[@mufinboi975]

Well thank god she did because this is such an a amazing movie. And kust because its scary doesnt mean it isnt good and I can assume that maybe she thought the same

[@BelBelle468]

@@mufinboi975 honestly the book is scarier (at least to me) than the movie. So she really toughed it out to get us this!

[@SianiLane]

I believe it was Neil Gaiman's Agent's daughter :)

[@mufinboi975]

@@BelBelle468 oh yeah. I forgot there was a book. That sounds like something I wanna check out now. Thanks for the reminder I guess lol.

[@jacksparrowismydaddy]

pretty much the reason I watched/read scary stories as a kid. besides you felt a little tougher after it. we heard/seen some dozies as kids. some with out happy endings even. fuckin' ichabod crane being chased by a dullahan that got his head blown off... Grimms brothers had an ogre dad that killed and ate his own kids because he mistook them for a few human kids in the middle of the night. witch burned alive in a stove she meant to put two kids in... the origonal story of snow white had the evil queen forced to dance in hot iron shoes till she died... the ugly step sisters mutilated their feet... childrens lit was a bloodbath.

[@TheDoctorfat]

Fun fact, those tools used to sew the doll in the beginning weren't sewing tools, they were *embalming* tools

[@ShovelMarshy]

I never knew that! Granted I've never seen embalming tools, but good catch

[@The_froggy_one]

Do you work in yhe funeral business how do you know this

[@TtimeXP]

​@@The_froggy_oneI actually picked it up because of the Haunting of Hill House show... later confirmed on TikTok by a professional who works in that business. 😅

[@voidvenus14]

​@@The_froggy_one there's a lady on tiktok who makes a bunch of observations and points out Easter eggs; she made a video on the tools because she recognized them, which worried her as her dad and grandfather were morticians. She followed up on her hunch and found that they were antique tools used in embalming :')

[@ThatOneGirlJae]

@@The_froggy_oneit’s common knowledge for most big fans of the movie. I think there’s a comparison tiktok showing how it’s exactly the same tools used

[@Ariovrak]

Fun fact about the whole Coraline/Caroline thing: Neil Gaiman, the book's author, was originally going to write a story about a young girl named Caroline, but made a typo early on and immediately thought "hey, actually, I could see a girl being named that and being frustrated when everyone around her keeps calling her 'Caroline'", and decided to keep the typo in.

[@bluecollarcanuck]

Love Neil Gaiman's work, too. Sandman and Lucifer were good stories.

[@redaxolotlUTUBE]

Sounds like something I would because I refuse to fix any of my typos

[@KateCantDraw]

As a person with the name "Kate" who constantly got asked what it was short for (nothing it's my full time), I understand that

[@filipkraljik9693]

The beldam is an evil fairy who in the book said she buried her mother alive. The book also mentions that the tunnel is older than her and that she even might be afraid of it. I love how little we know about her because that just makes her more creepy to me.

[@EspanolBot]

The Beldam is interesting as she's kind of a mixture of a bunch of old British fairy stuff smooshed together, with her name is a reference to an old poem called La Belle Dame Sans Merci, which was about a fairy that pretended to be a beautiful woman to trick knights into coming into her underground lair, where it'd trap them forever. Neil Gaiman changed it to her targetting kids instead (kidnapping children being something that also also traditionally did, even getting a casual reference to it in Shakespeare's plays), which works well for a horror story for kids. :)

[@MySerpentine]

To be fair I can't imagine the Beldam's mother being nice.

[@Lightice1]

Also, in the books the rats seemed to be independent agents who served the Beldam on their own terms, rather than slaves or constructs.

[@SianiLane]

@@MySerpentine What you're saying is Neil Gaiman actually started the trend of "the true villain was intergenerational trauma all along" kids movies??

[@MySerpentine]

@@SianiLane LOL maybe

[@tahraethestoryteller6079]

Fun fact, in the book this is based on. Coraline is the only kid at the Pink Palace. With only the cat for company. So when they made the movie they created Wybie so she wouldn't be alone

[@Stella81312]

Fun fact: the cake they gave Coraline when she first arrived in the other dimension that said welcome home had little circles in the o's. One circle in welcome and two circles in home. One circle means truth two circles mean lies. So Coraline is welcome, but she's not home.

[@hestiadumont725]

That's genius!

[@aquatus1]

So many people rag on Wyborne for his first appearance, rushing Caroline with his bike and snatching the stick from her hand. But Wyborne wasn't trying to scare her. The lad's just not good at dealing with people. It didn't occur to him to use his words. He just saw a girl handling a poison Ivy stick and he rushed to help her.

[@mollyd.9128]

I love that we learn about Wybie through Button-Eyed Wybie. Both come to Coraline's rescue, even when she hasn't been particularly nice to either. Because of Button-Eyed Wybie, we're not really surprised that real-world Wybie shows up to help; it makes sense!

[@saiyasha848]

To me, Wybie always read as slightly autistic and just bad at social cues. He clearly _wants_ connection, but he doesn't seem to have any friends, which yeah, could be because he lives in the middle of nowhere, but there clearly is a school and I'm going to guess that Wybie goes there and yet, there is no indication that anyone from shool ever comes to visit him

[@ryliedillman7391]

​@@saiyasha848I was literally just about to comment something like this! I'm autistic and also have scoliosis causing me to tilt to one side and making it hard to hold up my head for long periods of time, and the first time I watched this movie, I was absolutely enamored by Wybie, because his personality and mannerisms were so similar to mine, all the way down to the way he holds his head! Idk if any of that was actually the intended representation of the character, but what I do know is, that boy gave me a little more confidence and pride in who I am, and I'm very grateful for that.

[@aquatus1]

@@ryliedillman7391 I'm always amazed by anyone who can just go right up to people and introduce themselves. I had to go through so much self-training (there wasn't much help available for social anxieties back then) before I could pull it off effectively. Ironically, now I teach people from Japan how to do it with westerners.

[@MCheshire]

​@@saiyasha848 The fact that he lives in the middle of nowhere can be a reason of why he don't get social clues right too. As someone who grew up my whole infancy and teeneger life alone and without company of people of my age, social isolation can be very damaging for your relationship with people (yet I have a suspicion of being autistic myself, so maybe that's why)

[@notsoaveragefangirl]

So glad you finally watched this movie!! Great reaction as always, babe! 🙌🏼

[@Thebookwormsjournal-s1x]

Just watched your creepy movie video! It was amazing! Have a wonderful day!!! 💜💜💜💜💜

[@ArtyAxolotl]

I didn't know she's never seen it before it's such a good movie This movie made my childhood

[@HeroNotFound05]

You guys make my day ☺️

[@BASILFOREVES]

Hiii 😍😍😍

[@Mothloverforever]

Real

[@DanGamingFan2406]

I absolutely love how Coraline's parents are written in this movie. They're a realistic portrayal of what overworked parents going through a stressful time are like: they're curt and exasperated when talking with Coraline, but they still maintain a level of care and empathy for her. I think this movie is incredibly important to show to young kids, despite how many nightmares it'll give them. It tells them something very important: Your parents are people just like everyone else and, although their stress might get the better of them sometimes, they still love you.

[@acidsprinkl3r8744]

Yeah. It really helped that my grandma put this on when i was seven

[@That-One-Dud3]

Yep this is the perfect example of what the movie is like 👍

[@cloverlucky5977]

I would argue that not all parents love their children. Speaking a bit from personal experience.

[@BelBelle468]

@@cloverlucky5977 actually that’s true…there can be overworked parents that love their kids, but also overworked parents who hate/blame their kids. It helps for recognizing the difference at least

[@Cheepchipsable]

Well you watch these movies WITH your kids, not just dump them in front of the screen then go off somewhere.

[@TheRhuen]

creepy thing about the Beldam that is usually missed, we never hear its natural voice (if it even has one), it doesn't talk at the beginning and even when it drops the mom disguise its still talking in the mother's voice. So imagine being a kid and this monster that had been disguised as your mother drops the disguise and is increasingly becoming this mechanical spider thing but its still talking in your mother's voice only a little harsher the whole time.

[@さくら-l8t]

This reminds me of a theory I heard that the Beldam is actually the same species as whatever Pennywise was from IT. Except instead of feeding off of fear, the Beldam feeds off of love.

[@TheRhuen]

@@さくら-l8t the two follow the same monster trope *takes on a disguise to put a child into a false sense of security and lure them in* as well as emotion feeders. However thanks to Stephen King going a tad...wild, with his world building the shapeshifting spider-clown that terrorizes and then eats kids is also the avatar of the embodiment of entropy its self...yeah somehow that makes it less scary, as now we have to be confused why a cosmic embodiment is dressing like a clown and eating children.

[@TheMeloettaful]

@@さくら-l8t That is a cool theory, and it does make a lot of sense 😲!

[@Jumpyman_thegamerYT]

@@さくら-l8t I also thought that Mary Poppins was the kind of the same too (more specifically, in the 'Mary Poppins 2' movie). In the Stephen King stories, there are multiple glamours (this is the species that Pennywise is a part of). These include: (I apologise in advance for the very long comment) A) The Wendigo from 'Pet Semetary'. In the later part of the original book, the creature shapeshifts into the deceased son of the protagonist (though in this part of the book, it's his wife that it appears too. She says the line 'It was foggy up on the landing, and she saw what looked like a monstrous creature, but then the form got smaller, and she realised it was her son, Gage. She realised it could obviously never have been anything else'.) When looking into the eyes of her 'son', she notes that she saw '3 yellow balls of light'. If you recall, this is the exact same description of the Deadlights (except the Deadlights are orange) as the one in IT. B) Dandelo from 'The Dark Tower'. Dandelo, a shape-shifter who uses the alias Joe Collins, lives in a friendly-looking house on Odd Lane in the White Lands of Empathica. He's encountered by the trio of Roland Deschain, Susannah Dean, and Oy, who almost end up dying at his hands. This is because Dandelo feeds off emotions, and takes the form of a standup comedian to prey on the laughter of Roland and his companions. They end up escaping this predicament and k*lling Dandelo with help from Stephen King himself, as the author inserts himself into the story in an extremely meta turn of events. It turns out Dandelo had been holding Insomnia character Patrick Danville captive, and feeding on different emotions at different times, as each has its own flavour. This includes fear, the preferred seasoning of IT's Pennywise. Adding to the parallels between the two are that Dandelo's true form is insect-like, while ITs is a massive spider, and the fact that Dandelo makes use of a maintenance robot called Stuttering Bill, in a clear reference to IT's Losers' Club. When the final Dark Tower book first came out, many King fans assumed Dandelo actually was IT, but King denied that, instead offering up the notion that the two creatures of are of the same species. Whether Dandelo might be ITs offspring remains unclear. C) Randall Flagg from 'The Stand'. This was teased by none other than Stephen King himself. Randall Flagg is a sorcerer and devoted servant of the Outer Dark, and is the main antagonist of the Macroverse. Flagg’s abilities include necromancy, prophecy, and influence over animal and human behaviour, and his goal is usually all about bringing down civilizations through conflict and destruction. Flagg made his debut in the 1978 novel The Stand as a demonic figure, and his second appearance (in The Eyes of the Dragon, in 1984) was as an evil wizard. Flagg, then, has appeared in different ways in different stories, but what doesn’t change is how powerful and charismatic he is - after all, he’s the embodiment of evil, as he’s the servant of the Crimson King, the ultimate evil. My theory about Mary Poppins being the same species (but being more similar to Dandelo, feeding off of positive emotions). At multiple points during the movies, there are various song and dances, which seem to start simultaneously, and are always directed by Mary. The characters act like they're being controlled, as she makes gestures of where they should go and what to do. And if you remember from the IT movies and the novel, Pennywise was able to control the townsfolk (one notable scene in IT chapter 2 is when Pennywise is singing 'I know your secret', and you can see the people behind Richie singing along and swaying from side to side. Mary Poppins is clearly supernatural (at multiple points, she takes the children in her care into 'pocket universes' if you will). I believe these to be kind of like the Macroverse, but nicer. There is also a circus tent featured in the 2nd movie, Mary's 'cousin' makes multiple Turtle references (She also appears to be supernatural, as she was able to make her entire house go upside down). Also a few lines stood out to me: "Be careful there, you almost lost your Georgie". This also happens after one of the children (named Georgie) is almost blown away holding onto his kite in a suspiciously strong storm. IT's awakening also results in stormy weather in Derry. 'The adults will all forget by tomorrow. They always do". She says this while looking into a red balloon, and if that isn't a 'on the nose' reference, then I don't know what is.

[@Lightice1]

Wybie is supposed to have scoliosis, that's why he stands and moves the way he does. And Coraline's mom is cranky because they had a car accident (hence the neck brace) and she still has to keep the deadline for work. I'm a bit sad that the explanation for the Beldam's hand coming after Coraline was left out of the movie, though. In the book she swore to let Coraline go if Coraline found the childrens' souls and when pressed, she swore by her right hand. She lied so she ended up losing the hand and the hand went after Coraline in revenge.

[@foxsoulofnature7114]

Up until now I thought the mom wore a turtleneck

[@AnitaTapio]

​@@foxsoulofnature7114i used to think so too

[@AnnekeOosterink]

@@foxsoulofnature7114 I'm pretty sure the mom even mentions having a car accident in the movie.

[@JackJames-exe]

​@@AnnekeOosterinkthey call it "the accident" but never directly mention cars or physical side effects, but visually it tells the story

[@queenidragon4489]

​@@JackJames-exedoesn't Coraline literally say it's not my fault you hit that truck

[@cramerfloro5936]

The other mother is called a "beldam", which is an old term that means hag. But here it is probably a reference to John Keats' poem "la belle dame sans merci", in which the titular "beautiful lady without mercy" is a fairy woman who lures many people into her realm and took their lives. The narrator is saved by the ghosts of her victims warning him of her cunning.

[@Elyse1606]

There is also a faerie circle at the start that Coraline walks into and in faerie lore they're dangerous and you either get transported to the faerie world (the other mothers world) or you get trapped in the circle, I noticed only recently that a lot of this movie has bits and pieces based on witchcraft etc and it's really cool

[@Haze-xr9rc]

your face at ms forcible's reveal as aphrodite was priceless (also yes miss spink and forcible were originally written as a sapphic couple)

[@MasonJWMyers]

No they are

[@Ixshs3a]

They still are a sapphic couple

[@WorsePoke]

They weren't originally a couple, they were actual roommates, but then the book got published, people started shipping them and Neil said "yeah, we can make that canon. I see it." They are a sapphic couple, yes, and always will be, but originally they were just besties.

[@Hey-Its-Dingo]

I always saw it as "They are a couple, still in love, but they never talk about it to anyone because they are so old, they may have known too many of their queer friends' lives ruined from people finding out back in their youth.

[@Mothloverforever]

Love that

[@reveriemephisto1995]

The ring of mushrooms is called a Faerie Ring. It usually means that a circle of faeries were dancing there and the number of mushrooms could equal the number of fae that were dancing. It is also believed that these rings can act as portals to the otherworld or traps to capture humans with. This one in particular is surrounding the well, so it most likely means it's a portal. KZbinrs like The Theorizer and abitfrank go into way more detail about the world of Coraline via the book and movie.

[@Cheepchipsable]

People are growing up in their own little worlds nowadays, so what was once common cultural knowledge is not common any more, which means they don't get a lot of references.

[@Convel_Ferg]

Get ready for a long comment: The way that Coraline's mother is written is perfect, at least in my option. There are details about her character that aren't noticed on first glance. For example both her and Coraline, near the beginning, talk about some accident and Coraline's mother has a neck brace on. It's not noticed in that first day because of her white sweater, but it becomes more noticeable as the movie goes on when she wears different clothes. Another detail, that makes it more noticeable is how the Other Mother wears a turtleneck instead. You can see that with how Coraline's mother brace goes up to her chin, while the Other Mother's turtleneck stop at her neck. This suddenly explains why both Caroline's father and mother act the way that they do. They are both stressed. It seems that due to this accident that Caroline's mother had caused them to move. They couldn't continue paying for their old home after having to pay off the medical bills. They moved to The Pink Palace due to the place being cheap, they also probably lied about having a daughter, which explains why they were able to live there. They both want this gardening job to go well, which of course it does. That explains why their demeanors change at the end, they can now support themselves and Caroline, probably not as good as before, but good enough to buy the things any of them want, rather then what they need. This is from my doing a film analysis of this movie for a class a few year back. It changed a bit how I saw the movie. This still doesn't excuse their behavior towards Coraline, but helps understand their situation better.

[@0racle.sunrise3570]

I think autocorrect changed Coraline's real name spelling in this comment. /g

[@laurainathunderstorm]

I read a theory that Wybie's grandma knew the Jones had a daughter and she rented to them because she didn't want Wybie to get taken, so Coraline was sort of a sacrificial lamb for the Beldam. Kinda dark but also really interesting.

[@teragram38crows49]

Actually, Wybie’s grandmother allowed the Jones family to move in because she had to change the no kids rules at the Pink Palace for legal reasons.

[@slushiieee_6299]

​I reckon wybie's grandma thought coraline would be safe as long as the doll remained out of coralines possession so the other mother couldn't reach her to spy, and poor wybie accidentally started it all 🤣

[@Ariovrak]

A lot of the clothing in the movie was actually hand-knitted with miniature knitting needles, some of which were "as thin as a human hair", and each took anywhere from six weeks to six months to complete.

[@EspanolBot]

Funnily enough, the song the Other Father sings on the piano actually gives away the Other Mother's plan right at the start (or how she spies on Coraline through the doll and the button-eye situation at least), only it being a warning/spoiler only works in retrospect.

[@SianiLane]

Yes! They Might Be Giants did the song, and the lyrics are totally a warning: Making up a song about Coraline She's a doll (a toy) She's a peach (food) She's a pal of mine (I'm a friend, I'm trying to help) She's cute as a BUTTON IN THE EYES of anyone Who's ever laid their eyes on Coraline Our eyes are watching Coraline (she's watching you)

[@AMStryx]

@@SianiLane You mixed up the doll and peach lines. Wasn't aware of that last line being part of it.

[@SianiLane]

@@AMStryx hah yeah I didn't actually go back and check or Google it or anything. I've seen the movie and read the book so many times that I just did it from memory

[@voidvenus14]

​@@SianiLane​ The last part is actually "when she comes around explorin', mom and I will never ever make it boring, our eyes will be on Coraline", but it works either way :3 Also, wow,,,, I was so obsessed with that song for a while, I can't believe I never noticed how in-your-face the foreshadowing was in retrospect lmao

[@bloodybee3553]

If you pay attention to the lyrics, the two old women are talking about themselves in the performance. April says "I'm known as the siren of all 7 seas. The breaker of hearts by the bay. So if you go swimming with bull-legged women, I might steal your weak heart away" Miriam says "A big-bottomed sea with may bask through the waves and hope to lead sailors astray. But a true ocean goddess bust fill out a bodess (bra) to present an alluring display" And for the record, yes they were originally intended to be a sapphic couple

[@milliegoodwin5389]

You've also got to appreciate the other father trying to warn Coraline with his song ' She's a peach' possibly hinting that the other mother wants to eat her, 'She's a doll' warning her to be wary of the doll, and then 'She's as cute as a BUTTON IN THE EYES of everyone who ever laid their eyes on Coraline ' you couldn't get more obvious than that

[@TheRhuen]

Always thought this concept was scarier for adults watching, the idea their child is in communication with some unknown individual and believing the kid is just making it up, only for them to just vanish one day with no idea where they went.

[@Cheepchipsable]

I notice some people project more onto their kids when they get older. The stuff they loved as kids they are suddenly squeamish about when their own kids see it.

[@theheroesofcrash311]

According to Wikipedia... The name "Beldam" is a reference to a fairy-tale being, also known as "La Belle Dame sans Merci" ("the beautiful lady without pity") from the poem of the same name by John Keats. The poem tells the story of an unnamed knight wandering in a barren and haggard land, who encounters a beautiful and mysterious woman with bright and wild eyes who draws him to her secret grotto with claims of love, then puts him into an enchanted sleep. The knight dreams of ghostly beings who warn him that he is under la Belle Dame's thrall; when he awakens, the woman and her home have vanished, leaving him back on the barren hillside. The word "Beldam" is also an archaic word meaning "Witch" or "Hag".

[@bloodybee3553]

Just want to say: Coraline's parents are likely going through a lot of stress, which kind of explains their behavior. Car accident, which means medical and motor bills, moving (we saw her tip the movers with a $1, and they're low on food, which means they likely are low on money to begin with), they're both swamped with this gardening catalog, whereas neither of them seem to actually like gardening, etc. My point is: Clearly they've got a lot going on. And they're not always like this, or else Coraline wouldn't expect more from them. This is a stressful time, and their stress is causing them to make mistakes, primarily just temporarily neglecting Coraline. On top of that, she seems to be around 13 years old, which means they SHOULD be able to leave her on her own for a bit.

[@Celestia282]

It is understandable in a way because the story specifically presents things in a way that makes the real world cold and unappealing so that the other world is warm and enticing. We're seeing things from Coraline's perspective, so we're supposed to dislike the parents. The problems emerge when people are incapable of analyzing the story after the fact and fail to see the realistic explanation behind the parents' understandable behavior. Almost all negative opinions towards great stories come from a lack of reading comprehension, and this one is no exception. People dislike the parents, especially the mom, because the story tells them to, but once the story is over, they refuse to look any deeper and claim that the parents are just bad.

[@bloodybee3553]

@@Celestia282 Exactly. Even Wee Lass was guilty of it, because she assumed at the end that the parents would "fall back into old habits of neglecting her" However, I've seen Wee Lass theorize and figure things out before, so I know she's very smart, and I hope she eventually figures it out, or reads a comment like this

[@marbles3315]

Fun but unsettling thing to notice: Look at the well. The pattern of the walls going down. The silhouette of the well's cover as they closed it up. Look familiar? Look at the pattern of the walls of the portal going into the other world. Look at the button silhouette covering the moon. Wybie said "It's supposed to be so deep, that if you feel to the bottom and looked up, you'd see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day." There may be one key, but is there more than one portal? I really want to know more about the lore of that well. It had to have been there for more than just a way to throw away the key. And the mushrooms growing in a circle around it, I think I read something about that being a sign of an evil fairy. There are so many little details and Easter-Eggs in this movie, but I'll leave those to the rest of the comment section.

[@MySerpentine]

Mushroom circles are where the faeries dance.

[@normalgamergal]

The person above is correct, but that isn't a good thing. In folklore, fairies have been mostly malevolent with some occasionally being kind (usually because they were forced/tricked into it). The Beldam being a fairy is very keeping to their nature, as fairies are supposed to commonly take people that fall into their realm (kids being especially common). The stories are mostly supposed to be parables to scare children into surviving into adulthood, which also keeps to the story's message. In any case, people who walk into a mushroom circle (colloquially called a fairy ring) are said to disappear from this world to only be seen years later, if at all. (Sorry for the long explanation, but I love folklore, myths, and fairy tales.)

[@MySerpentine]

@@normalgamergal Oh yeah, the faeries are definitely terrifying. It would almost be better if they were evil, then you might be able to predict them--instead they have a moral system somewhere far from ours where being rude is far worse than murder and will often be responded to with the same. Take Hannibal Lecter, give him hypnotic powers and immortality and you have a pretty good approximation of a faerie.

[@voidvenus14]

No because I've been thinking about this for years. If that well was another portal, she just fought off the Beldam, almost got strangled trying to keep the key away from her, then promptly dropped in right back into her realm where she can get it again,,,, and that's so horrifying and upsetting

[@MySerpentine]

@@voidvenus14 This is a *real* faerie tale, that's the very reason I think it might be true

[@wratched]

The Other Mother is inspired by classical fairy (or faery) mythology. Fairies were said to kidnap children, ensnare mortals with promises of pleasures, and then feed on their souls. They were believed to like games and to create false worlds with glamour (an old word meaning "illusions") One of the things you should never do when entering a fairy realm was eat the food.

[@-nav-398]

My favorite scene is where it's the DOOR that's chasing Coraline down the hall. I love how unsettling it is because it's not just the door, but the thought of what's behind it.

[@clockw0rkkuroki303]

Should I say it? I'm gonna say it. The Beldam was the first owner of the Pink Palace, more than 150 years old, that fell into the well into the Other world. It kept her young and gave her the power to create amazing things but, at the same time, drained her own life force and joy to do so. That's when she got hungry for the life force of others, particularly children because of her, although twisted, motherly nature. Her fist attempt failed, making her body deteriorate in that sort of undead state, getting her to use some common use objects to replace parts of her body, which was rotting away consumed by that huge, lovecraftian parasite. Broken plates for her face, needles for her hands, pillows, blankets and sewing material, all from the Pink Palace, making her appearance more equipped for hunting and trapping following an old passion of hers, spiders. (look at the bug walls still in the actual house at the start) And with this I'll also mention the ending for Coraline isn't really happy. She did free the ghosts and kill the Beldam but the monster below is still alive. Now, with no souls or vessels to parasite from it will look for the next person to take the Beldam's role. Yes, it's Coraline. No, I do NOT wanna see a Coraline 2. They'd water it down lots because it's too scary because every animated film needs to be for children for some reason.

[@Kadash10]

My favorite thing about this movie is that the Other Father and Other Wybee aren't evil and are actively trying to help her. It's so rare that we get "friendly evil henchmen" trope that isn't just annoying comedy relief or "trying to be evil but failing" types.

[@najhoant]

17:42 Yes, Gaiman has actually confirmed that Ms. Forcible and Ms. Spink are lovers

[@justaghostinthesea]

Another Gaiman W

[@alexisdied4558]

I mean are we suprised...people will still say their just roommates but they argue like an old married couple

[@davidbodor1762]

Fun fact - The patch Bobinsy is wearing is a Chernobyl Liquidator patch, given to volunteers who helped clean up after the disaster.

[@laurarival6]

There is a theory that Neil Gaiman has not denied. It could be that Coraline is related to The Sandman. The other mother would be an escaped dream/nightmare. She created her own little world (note that she uses sand to create the others, the magical sand from the Dream world?) and it's likely that the cat is Morpheus/The Sandman. Morpheus sometimes appears in the form of a black cat. In the comics and Netflix series he appears as a cat to attract a dreamer (Alex).

[@alexjewett7455]

5:21 Circles of mushrooms are usually associated with fairies, not witches. In some stories, fairy rings, as they're commonly called, are caused by fairies dancing in a circle, and if you step in one, you're forced to dance until you pass out. In others, they mark portals to another world.

[@_Aceus_]

I find it interesting that no one seems to notice the connection between the cat saying “you probably think this world is a dream come true, but you’re wrong, *the Other Wybie told me so.*” and Other Wybie looking sad sometimes. He outright told the cat that the Other World is dangerous, he knows that Coraline isn’t safe there, and listening to her talk about how great the place is while he knows that that’s so far from the truth and he isn’t even able to tell her that can’t possibly be a good feeling

[@sarab3888]

27:00 fun fact. If you watch this on tv, the station will actually skip the theater part of the scene and skip right to the trapeze

[@planclops]

For more lore and analysis about Coraline, Abitfrank made an excellent video combining all her previous videos explaining the story and possible ideas behind the written work. It’s definitely worth a watch 😊

[@A113-p9e]

“Of fell to the bottom and looked up, you’d see a sky full of stars in the middle of the day.” And where do we see it being night no matter the time of day?...

[@itzmehDevi]

Fun fact: In the book..U know how she had the Wybie to help when she came back to normal world but her parents are not there? In the book..This 11 year old girl is desperately trying to get adults to help her find her parents and other stuff with Beldam..But noone takes her seriously..and NO WYBIE CHARCTER IN THE BOOK..So this child is just completely alone and scared.And like I felt bad for her

[@jaxcraft2848]

Helluva Boss- "I'M DISTRESSED!!!" Coraline- "I'm DISTURBED!!!" 😂

[@TocaEmilyyy]

Fun fact: The voice actor of the black cat actually voices Husk from Hazbin Hotel! (Keith David). Fun fact 2: When the cake shows it says, "Welcome home". But the "o" is double looped which means "welcome NOT home."

[@DupreeBlosch]

“He pulled a loooong face, and mother didn’t like it-“ is the scariest part I swear

[@themorenajay]

This is one of those movies where you can rewatch a bajilion times and find new things over & over again. I just figured out the fairy ring weirdness XD But it's everywhere - in tiniest details like paintings, things seen in the windows, wallpapers, etc. It IS my top favorite kids' horror film.

[@300DBenz]

11:57 America doesn’t have any gerbils native to the continent, but we DO have Kangaroo Rats, which are native to the southwestern desert (they have long tails with some floof on the tip.)

[@Ansixilus]

Jerboa, not gerbil. It's a similar family of basically also kangaroo mice, but native to northern Africa and southwest Asia. I'm pretty sure the ones in the movie are meant to be jerboas based on the tail tufts, ear size, and how they remain on their toes even at rest, though they might be based on hopping mice from Australia which are very similar. Kangaroo mice/rats have small ears similar to field mice, while jerboas have large, mobile ears for heat dispersal (same as desert hares). But I actually came here to applaud her for knowing what jerboas even are and instantly naming them, they were one of my favorite animals as a child.

[@angelinakang4014]

I still can’t believe this movie is for kids Also fun fact: the lyrics to the song the other father wrote for Coraline, were warnings about the other mother “Making up a song about Coraline” = the other mother making a world all about Coraline “She’s a peach” = the other mother plans to eat her “She’s a doll” = reference to the doll of Coraline that the other mother uses to spy on her “She’s a pal of mine” = saying that the other father doesn’t want to hurt her “She’s as cute as a button in the eyes of everyone who’s ever laid their eyes on Coraline” = talking about everyone in this world has button eyes and the other mother wants to sew buttons on her eyes “When she comes around exploring, mom and I will never ever make it boring” = the other mother will try to lure her with what she wants “Our eyes will be on Coraline” = he doesn’t mean they will pay attention to her, he means their eyes will literally be on Coraline

[@wierdgamer3067]

In European folklore, at least given what I have read, a mushroom circle can be called a fairy circle, and stepping into one basically means you stepped into fae territory. Like a gateway of some kind.

[@cas2762]

The older I get the more I understand Coraline’s parents. At first they definitely seem like Stereotypical Mean Parents, but the more you notice… it’s most likely that the family fell on a hard time lately (they’re publishing a book, that’s not a very secure job), which might be why they had to move to an old and kinda falling apart apartment like that. The mother is also injured (as evidenced by the neck brace), which considering the movie is set in America would also mean she had to pay *a lot* for medical bills most likely. They’re overworked, and stressed about affording to put food on the table for their kid. They’re curt and short-tempered with Coraline, yes, but they’re just people, trying to survive. They still care about her very deeply.

[@Xalerdane]

They’re designing and publishing a _seed catalog._ So it’s all the work and stress of self-publication, combined with all the work and stress of starting your own business.

[@classicalconspirator3345]

Wasn’t till I got into Celtic and Scottish mythology that I realized that the stone the sisters gave Coraline was an Adder stone. :3

[@SirCraigius]

39:59: Its a variation of the gesture of tapping your nose to indicate that something is a secret. Its her way of saying she's not going to give Coraline a clue as to where her parents are.

[@kevinkanhai2761]

That Spider Demon is called a Beldam - they have an affinity for consuming children by luring them with food. I still remember the first time I saw one, in Pan's labyrinth - this one is tame by comparison. Also - apparently there's a book, it describes the tunnel she goes through as being goopy and furry, almost as if she was travelling through an intestine. It's such a Lovecraftian story but I love it so.

[@maskedwriter4088]

Fun facts! The wallpaper in the beginning shows birds, specifically cuckoo birds, which is the first hint for the plot! The tools used on the dolls were embalming tools, and the method of stuffing the dolls matches with the act as well! In the background you can always see mist is present in the real world and only leaves once she makes it out completely, as if it's a part of whatever is going on! In the book there is one thing the other mother/beldam fears, and it seems to be the tunnel! In the book the tunnel keeps getting longer, moister, warmer, and windier, as if it's a living thing waking up as the story progresses! Also after the mirror escape you can see the clothes of all of the ghost children in the tunnel, so you can tell who got caught quickest and who made it the furthest! That's all I can remember off the top of my head but there are amazing videos out there that explains all of these points in far more detail! They're so worth the watch!

[@bengrimm5935]

Another fun fact the reason the other bobinsky is gone at the end is supposed to signify that his "mice" ate him and took his place to trick and eat her. And the clothes hanging outside were other wyborns

[@heylinspongesprite]

27:20 Yes, they're both voiced by British actresses! Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible are voiced by Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, respectively. They're best friends in real life as well.

[@obsidianwolf1999]

This studio also made Paranorman, The Boxtrolls & Kubo & the 2 strings

[@Jeremy_theGent]

ParaNorman is one of my favorite animated movies.

[@zwerg4246]

Kubo is SOOOOOOOOOO good!!! I was hooked from the moment I saw the first teaser trailer that included a cover of George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' with Japanese instrumentation.

[@eow4317]

And missing link but nobody cares about that one. And now they are making a Wildwood adsptation

[@animationbird9440]

13:33 I love the other father’s song and fun fact is actually a secret message for Coraline

[@deathocats]

"Giraffes don't just fall from the air." But what about that song by Barracuda from a couple decades ago? _"Put giraffes in the air, put giraffes up in the air!"_

[@Rmlohner]

The female duo are voiced by French and Saunders, who are Welsh and English respectively.

[@MichelleK.B.]

Thanks. I was looking for this comment. The one born in England has a comment in her IMDB a bio saying she spent a lot of her childhood with her grandparents in Ayrshire, Scotland though. That might be there in her voice.

[@Boo62666]

One thing to love about Coraline: Everything is done for a reason, with it being stop motion they make everything count💜👻

[@ryangacha39]

The song is actually a hidden message. The Other Father Theory stated that this other father is warning Coraline and the song really was prophetic. And I really had an LSS on this song.

[@DarcOne13]

Oooo, I'm a writer and did some research on this! The mushroom ring is called a "Faerie Circle." It's how the fae mark sacred spaces and portals to the fae world.

[@Honey-Moon-Star]

Funfact the bowls of candy, they have year's of the three dead kids, each year of each kids deaths thats why they're clothes is in different eras clothes, and the other mother eats the souls of kids, she also says the dad is hungry as a pumpkin and calls hin that a lot showing before that hes a pumpkin, also the songs he sing has like deep meanings

[@MrDevintcoleman]

I’m only 12 minutes in and this is already one of the most impressively analyzed reactions to this movie I’ve ever seen!

[@narutolover4694]

The Beldam, also known as the Other Mother, in Coraline is based on many mythic monsters. The word "beldam" is an archaic term for a kind of witch. It can also mean "sinister old woman", which fits several common fairy tale tropes. The Beldam was partially inspired by "The New Mother", a strange story by Victorian author Lucy Clifford. It may also have been inspired by the French word belle dame, which means "beautiful woman". Other connotations include belle-mere, which literally translates as "beautiful mother" but also means "stepmother".

[@moonmystery7469]

if you listen when the other father sings, he tries to warn coraline without the other mother finding out. in the song the other father says he is her friend and warns that the doll that looks like coraline is the other mother's eye when coraline go home

[@aubryellaotero1064]

There’s a theory that the Beldam is not a witch, but a fairy. And I have to say the idea of her realm does tie more into fairy lore than witch. Also the detail of Coraline stepping in the mushroom circle in the beginning, also known as a fairy ring

[@zebbailey1727]

Keith David is definitely the voice of the cat, he's as intimidating as Spawn in the HBO Series even Mortal Kombat 11

[@voidvenus14]

Just a couple more details that idk if anyones mentioned yet: In the other house, there's framed photos/paintings in the stairwell. In the real house, you can see outlines of where the paintings/photos would be Also, the Ghost Children's clothes are in the tunnel when Coraline is trying to escape (including the Little Blue Boy's clothes, which implies he was real) ex: the one girls' straw hat, wybie's grandma's sister's shoe (that was a mouthful)

[@Jeremy_theGent]

The Other Mother is scarier than many live action horror movie villains.

[@xenshaxiii1339]

I had a brother-in-law who was terrified of this movie, even to this day. For me, it was pretty chill to watch. Except for that one scene where the Other Mother slams the door towards Coraline as she’s escaping; and I saw this while I was in college.

[@willowhealy453]

i love this movie for its interpretation and inspiration from celtic fairy folklore, mostly taking from irish folklore but im sure it has other celtic influences too, one of the major ones being the idea of fairies kidnapping children for one reason or another, and one very direct link to irish folklore and spooky witchy folklore in general is the hag stone! the small rock she uses to see the truth about the world around her, also called an adder stone is a stone believed to have some power to reveal or protect against the supernatural that has a naturally formed hole in it

[@saiyasha848]

The parents really are interesting. Because we the viewer see the world through Coralines eyes, _and_ we only really see a snippet, we see mainly neglecful and short parents. But there are many hints that this is a very temporary situation, some of which you picked up on. 1. The brace. Coraline even mentiones an accident. This _is_ playing in amrica and both the parents seem to be selfemployed, so there is a good chance the medical bills have ben wreaking havoc with their finances. 2. The move. While te Pink Palace is big, it is a) sectioned off and b) seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Plus the house is very old. I would not be surprised if the rent is actually fairly cheap, which would also explain why Mrs. Lovak even rented to Corlaines parents. Maybe she really could not find any other renters and thus did what she said she would not do and rented to someone with a kid. All this underlines the Idea of a possible financial blow, one that forced them to move out of their old home into something cheaper. 3. The Gloves. In the store we see very clear pricetags andthe Mom refuses to buy them, but does so after the Catalogue goes through 4. The Catalogue Deadline. Clearly, both parents are in a non-stop slog right now, crunch time before deadline and they are doing that in the middle of a move _and_ while the mom is still healing and probably on painmedication. Obviously, if you had time to plan, you wouldn't move at crunchtime, so eitehr the move came suddenly, or the accident threw the schedule off. 5. Everything relaxes visibly after the Catalogue is done. All of this paints a picture of a really difficult time in Coralines parents lifes, one that they could or would not adequately explain to their daughter, leading to huge amounts of stress. After that period of stress is over, things relax visibly and go back to a normal pace (Also, the fact that Corlaine seeks the comfort of her parents when she is in distress after they vanish shows, that she expects to find it. It gives the impression that she is under the impression that, if she went to her parents with sadness or fear, they would comfort her and I believe that stems from the fact that they have done so in the past, and will do so again)

[@PringlestheToast]

I watched this when I was like, 5 and cried throughout the whole movie. But I saw this movie somewhere earlier this summer, and was terrifyingly amazing! Aside from the finale scene where Coraline was escaping the other mother, the scene that probably scared me the most was the first scene with the other dad and the piano. It was too joyous for this movie.

[@bennywark3103]

This movie freaked me out and gave me nightmares as a kid. But my little sister loved it and would only watch it when I was out of the house. It only took my visual arts teacher at highschool to show us it in class that it made me go over my fear of it and appreciate it's beautiful stop motion.

[@PuccaLover15]

If you look closely, whenever Coraline falls asleep in the other world, her Other Mother is sitting in the chair next to her bed and when Coraline wakes up in her world, the doll is sitting in the exact same spot. Even watching her too.

[@andrewlopez1106]

Lore: The Other Mother is a creature known as the Beldam. (The ghost girl close to the ending confirms this.)

[@vampbites89]

Fun fact! In the behind the scenes of the making of this movie (back when DVDs had that stuff) there was this older lady who helped with Coraline's outfits and hand-knit her tiny gloves!

[@delariean]

You’ve seen coralline…..now you must see paranormal by the same company if you have not seen it yet. Perfect companion to Coraline

[@Jeremy_theGent]

ParaNorman, you mean.

[@lanceferraro3781]

I used to live a couple miles from Liaka studios, got to see a lot on how the stop motion is done. The figurines are about 8 inches tall, the garden set is 60 feet across, the other mothers sweater was hand knitted from sewing thread!

[@bluedunmer8301]

the ghost kids called her a Beldam, the literal translation is an old woman but in the context of conversation it is a slur to mean a witch. So the Other-Mother is a witch who feeds on souls / life forse of the living so she can live forever.

[@jasonfurumetarualkemisto5917]

She's which form of Witch Lich?

[@ConnorSinclairCavin]

A perfect circle of mushrooms is traditionally called a “fæire ring” and was thought to be a way for the Fæ to step through to our realm and viceversa. However, most cultures have similar yet different stories. Claiming things from stepping into the realm of spirits, being exchanged for a doppelgänger, them growing from the blood of a witch laid (or shinto priest laid) circle to trap dæmons in, or a whole host of other myths

[@cyberwolf_1013]

Actually proud that you got through the whole movie without hugging Hamish to death. Cause it can get pretty creepy and scary at times. The Other Mother's actual nature is that of a Bedlam. A "real" folklore creature that is somewhat of a protective forest spirit. Or, that's what it started out as. When humans began encroaching on its wooded territory it began to lure the children away to kill them. The Bedlam's other world parallels Alice's fall into Wonderland and is far older than the creature itself. Though it can manipulate things there to meet its ends, it doesn't have full control, hence Other Father and Wybie showing a resistance to what is happening.

[@weirdling5203]

Me and my sister are dressing us as Coraline tonight, except I'm going to be the evil one with button eyes while she is going to be the normal Caroline. A great movie and I am so glad that you watched it!

[@wolfonitapack6544]

There are so many theories behind this masterpiece of a movie. But the foreshadowing is even better. Examples: The other dad's song, the lightning in the window when Coraline say" What rain?", And last but not least the pictures of the ghost kids in the wall behind Coraline when she eats dinner. My favourite theory is what was the reason wybie's grandma let Coraline and her family live there if no kids were allowed 🤔 ( I know why)

[@Grf1556]

I absolutely adore this film because it's theme of the dangers of escapism. We all escape from reality every once an a while, but if you delve too deep your escapism and fantasies become a trap, (a web if you will) that ensnares you until you can't get out of your escapism. I once knew someone who used escapism as his coping mechanism and all he did was play video games all day, every day. Nothing even changed, he never got better or improved as a person, reality started to upset him because he didn't like interacting with "different" people, and he was the most miserable and ignorant person I ever knew before or since.

[@sabertooth1980]

I loved how when the cat asked Coraline "How do you taste?" you were just scarfing down on a biscuit and almost lost a crumb! Made me giggle.

[@emilylyver729]

I saw this movie in theatres when I was just 12 years old and it absolutely shook me to my core. I was terrified of it to the point where I was well into my teens and still squeamish while watching certain scenes. And yet, I returned to it regularly, and at this point it's probably the movie I've seen the most amount of times! The concept itself is morbidly fascinating, the stop motion is pure genius, with incredible voice acting, and when I was young I really loved how it didn't talk down to me. It didn't underestimate what kids could handle. It's also one of those rare cases where I think the movie told a better story than its source material (not that the book is bad, but it has a very different vibe). It really pushed the envelope, and I'm eternally grateful that the creatives behind it pushed for this story to be made!

[@gracesiegel7849]

Ms Spink was played by Jennifer Jane Saunders from Sleaford England. She played Edina in Almost Fabulous Ms forcible was played by Dawn French from Holyhead in Wales.

[@Gayfrogsonlogs]

Fun fact: Quine isn’t even in the book. The creators made him so there was someone for Coraline to talk to and less inner monologue. Also makes you think about how much scarier that end scene would’ve been had she been by herself

[@TheDoctorfat]

Quine? Don't you mean Wyborn?

[@bennywark3103]

You mean Wybie?

[@BelBelle468]

Yeah the book is way scarier than the movie. But the movie is still quite nice

[@Gayfrogsonlogs]

Yes omg so sorry! My keyboard sucks sometimes

[@equusheart3344]

Fun fact, Caroline is supposed to be set in Ashland, Oregon. Also! If you watch closely, the Other Mother doesn't eat what she cooks.

[@mxumbrella9103]

In the other world in the backround are three paintings of little children that look like the three ghost children. The amount of detail and foreshadowing in this movie is incredible!

[@user-zl6ps4rp9g]

I can picture Jack Skellington bonding with Coraline like kindred spirits.

[@TheRhuen]

I have to admit the Other Mother was an inspiration for my own "Doll Collector" AKA "Mistress of Dolls" character; partially, a lot of fairy queen elements in them too and turning people into dolls to populate their Doll House world. I will add as it was asked at the end of the video on the folklore of this kind of creature. As a trope we can think of it as an "Ant Lion" kind of monster only worse, where things like Baba Yaga and so many fae type creatures you stumble into their world and get trapped their, this one is what I like to call a "Code Wonderland" a tempter, they have to have their victim's consent to stay, so they entice them with promises and treats and games (think Hansel and Gretle in a way), although the trapped there is usually because the victim ate something from there, but in that case Coraline would have been caught real quick. Basically a kind of dark fairy, not a common one though. It was probably scarier in olden times to say the Bodach would snatch naughty kids up the chimney or the water woman would dragon you into the river etc...than to have some creature backing pies in a little cottage or promising gifts if you walked through the little door in the base of the tree.

[@SinisterSouthernbelleReactions]

#horrorreactions @sinistersouthernbelle

[@Ferme_du_sorcier]

fun fact, the musics of this movie were made by Bruno coulais, which is a wonderful french music compositor who also made the musics for "wolfwalkers", "the boy who wanted to be a bear" and "the choristes" which are three wonderful (but old) movies (except for wolfwalkers of course) that I advise you to watch as well

[@KingsBard]

Fun fact! the song other father sings is sung by the lead singer of They Might be Giants

[@Arcane_Edits248]

I have a theory, everytime Coraline woke up in her world from her dream of being in the other world, I don't think she was dreaming, I think she DID fall asleep in the other world but the othe mother just put her back in her world every night so Coraline THINKS it's a dream, that's why she doesn't wake up in her world later, cuz the other mother wanted to keep her

[@mxbubbles4753]

Sorry but the "prehistorically speaking" made me laugh, I'm just imagining a bunch of dinosaurs around a cauldron brewing hexes

[@Robinsong8008]

I enjoyed seeing you come to the same conclusion as me. One thing that helped me deal with the lack of closure, we couldn't have had alot of the stuff i love about this movie without the to be continued. The mum stuff heaps of the alternate spiders, the reveal of the alt dimension, none would be as strong without the space a sequel provides

[@exomancer3632]

There are no shortage of video essays on Coraline, from the production to the story and especially the lore. The Theorizer and Abitfrank are the ones I watched for lore, diving into the details and drawing parallels with real world myth.

[@cookiekingdom6911]

The other mother is referred to as "the Beldam", which is an old word that's usually seen as synonymous with "witch", "hag", and "crone".

[@melodyfarmer8360]

well, the Creators of the movie themselves said(i dont have the quote) but, it basiclly says that Nothing in this movie is just "goofy", or to take EVERY detail seriously.

[@KyleOttoway]

I remember watching this movie when I was a kid and it was one of the movies that made me get into horror films. I love this movie even to this day, and I am so happy you watched it! This was really fun to watch Mosco! :D

[@fuzzylittlespider]

I was 19 when I saw this for the first time and it freaked me out! I watched it at my aunts house with my cousins in the dark and she had a little door under her stairs! After that first viewing it never scared me again lol😂

[@MetaLatias5]

People like to give Coraline's parents shit for not being there for her, being mean, being cheap, etc, but when you really pay attention to all the hints and think about it you realize that they're currently STRUGGLING for money They're stressed tf out because they just had to move, her mom recently had a (probably car) accident as she pointed out with her neck brace and they're absolutely rushing to get their magazine done so they can finally have some money again It explains why they both act and look the way they do, why her mom offered Coraline a ketchup-mustard-salsa-wrap for lunch and why the mom wouldn't buy Coraline the expensive gloves she wanted until the very end when they finally had some income again