with manipulative conniving people mom
there's always going to come a moment
where they ask you to do something that
you're uncomfortable with you could stay
here forever we only want what's best
for you this film is such a cautionary
tale against the people in your life who
would give you everything that you ever
wanted we'll sing and play games and
mother will cook your favorite meals you
have to ask why and so there's a
cautioner tail not just about the
manipulators but also just about
escaping
reality isn't always the best but it's
also real do not go through little door
there is value in escapism but if it
overtakes everything nothing gets
better Henry celic and the whole team
what a bunch of weird Twisted crazy
Geniuses yeah like
[Music]
wow hello and welcome to cinema therapy
I am Alan crite professional filmaker
who needs therapy that is a different
person named Jonathan Decker licensed
therapist who loves movies what's going
on today man you're wearing a golf
shirt indeed I am don't hate the play or
hate the game son he's changing it up
it's not just polos anymore it's also
golf shirts produced by Polo which is
weird cuz you don't golf I I mini golf
do you top golf I I've done Top Golf I'm
usually just there for the wings and to
watch other people Top Golf I have come
here to chew Bubblegum and kick ass
today I'm going to have you react to a
movie film as we often do this one is
animated but not pictures clay
Coraline okay Coraline is the scariest
PG movie I've ever seen it's one of the
scariest movies I've ever seen it's so
damn scary well here's what it is it's
unsettling it's just it's deeply on a
gut level this is wrong and I don't like
being being here but you also kind of
like being here but I love it yeah it's
really really awesome it's so good oh
God it's so good you're a relationship
expert particularly with families I am
I've heard there's some family stuff
family drama I'm so excited parents
other parents so what did I do to you
when we say that these episodes are
unscripted here's the proof what the is
the script
oh had to get that animated film
F bomb in there got to get that f bomb
in there wo let's
go I almost fell down a well yesterday
Mom
uhhuh I would have
died that's nice so mom's aloof what are
they using for the droplets I think it's
perfect weather for gardening cuz it's
not just water F rain makes mud mud
makes a mess mom I want stuff growing
when my friends come to visit isn't that
why we moved here some something like
that but then we had the accident it
wasn't my fault you hit that truck I
never said it was can't
believe tent this is PLS this is the
only 3D movie that I thought was better
in 3D I never saw because it's all built
by hand it really pops when you see it
really that makes sense it's like being
inside a diarama yeah yeah it was super
cool that's cool okay I can get behind
that her dad looks like like how I feel
yeah hello Coraline and
Coraline
doll you know where the garden tools are
it's uh it's pouring out there isn't
it it's just raining what' the boss say
don't even think about going out Carline
Jones then you won't need the tools
uh I have had that exact conversation
and this
one oh you know this house is 150 years
old so so explore it go out and count
all the doors and windows and write that
down on list everything that's blue just
let me
work yeah yeah that it's a little too
close to home done that giving your kids
meaningless tasks just to
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for that so we see at the beginning
Coraline and her family somewhere up
there in the Northwest where it's rainy
and kind of drab and but her parents are
aloof wrapped up in their own stuff and
when I watch this when it first came out
and I was single and had no kids I
thought they were crap parents oh what
terrible parents and now I watch it I'm
like oh what relatable
parents it's not my job to entertain you
all the time you know when I was a kid I
had my my action figures and my
imagination and I was good go make some
friends you know like all this and so
they're not terrible parents and they
deeply love her but they're also just
kind of they're busy they got stuff to
do yeah they got to pay off a car
accident yeah It just strikes me that
what's negligent in the eyes of a child
and what's negligent in the eyes of a
parent are two different things yes very
often for kids it's I want you all the
time mhm I want you to be my buddy and I
want you to be my Social Security
blanket and I want you to you know the
adventures and the fun times and it's
really hard for kids to embrace boredom
oh man have a like at one point when
Audrey was like three or four she had
just been trailing Megan around the
house all day while Megan was doing you
know tasks and work and getting stuff
done and just being her Shadow for like
hours yeah and like kind of just kept
pestering and like poke poke poke poke
poke at Megan and uh Megan finally had
had enough and was like what what do you
want she was like I just want to be with
[Laughter]
you and on the one hand it's like that
is the cutest most adorable thing that's
ever happened and on the other
hand just we never get the timing right
you know when kids are clingy we want
them to be independent and then when
they're older and they're being too
independent we're like cling more you
know don't you just want to be with
me it's adorable
yeah something smells good so she's
crawling through the tunnel
this alternate Dimension here you notice
how gray everything is and blue
everything is in her real world and here
it's all warm and bright and cheery and
clean you're just in time for supper
dear why you're not my mother my mother
doesn't have but
buttons do you like them I'm your other
mother silly now go go tell your other
father that supper's
ready well go on he's in his study why
are why is it so creepy I well I mean
buttons for eyes is terrifying to begin
with hello look at this room
Coraline want to hear my new
song My Father can't play piano no need
to that was really fun in 3D play me oh
[Music]
bet up
[Music]
aine who does he sing for in real life
is it They Might Be Giants or Bare Naked
Ladies John hodin no he's a Mac or no
he's a PC oh he's that guy yeah he's
that
guy well he's great look at look at the
design on this look at this it's so much
fun and that is a tough shot to animate
she said to tell you the food's ready M
who's starving raise your
hand so obviously unlike her actual
father he's peppy and excited to see her
and pays attention to her is writing
upbeat tunes about her yeah that whole
song is just about her right and her
other mother is just there to meet her
every need and yeah something's off yeah
to your point about why is it so creepy
to have buttons for eyes yeah well
buttons are just creepy think about it
everything should be zippers or velcro
oh velcro is great velcro is God's own
fabric velcro Never Scared you buttons
do all the time no not the buttons not
my Gumdrop buttons so what it's what
it's really getting at here is if you
want to live in this world with them you
have to blind yourself to the reality of
like this isn't really real life later
on when she's with the black cat and the
Black Cat's guiding her through she sees
that it's a small world you reach the
edge of the of the lawn and then there's
nothing and then you walk in white
nothingness and then you come back to
this little created reality and I think
the symbolism of that for someone who is
predatory or someone who is uh
controlling and manipulative is they
want to turn your attention just to this
narrow tunnel vision of things uh and so
cuz ultimately they're going to ask her
to sew buttons into her eyes
[Music]
and welcome back darling alternate
universe hi so thoughtful of you to send
this nice cheddar Coraline
cheddar oh the mice bead would you go
fetch your father I bet he's hungry as a
pumpkin by now you mean my other father
your better father dear he's out in the
garden but my parents don't have time to
Garden
sh go
on everything's bright and colorful well
and just you know her real parents don't
don't have time mhm don't have time to
Garden yeah I mean narratively these
other dimensional beings that are luring
her in for nefarious purposes are paying
attention to what she likes right and
that's the thing about predators and
dangerous people is they pay attention
to what your wants and needs are where
you're feeling neglected where you're
feeling unhappy and then they give you
what you want and it's with a dark
reason and it's with a dark purpose it's
actually really beautiful relationship
skill and a healthy relationship to pay
attention to someone's likes dislikes
wants and needs M but it's all about the
motive behind it and this film is such a
cautionary tale against the people in
your life who would give you everything
that you ever wanted you have to ask why
yeah why is this happening yeah never
trust nice people wow wow wow wow wow
wow wow wow that's a good mess message
be friends with assho at least you know
where they stand I guess oh my Twitchy
witchy girl I think you are so nice I
give you bowls of porridge and I give
you bowls of ice cream why don't you
ever cook mom Coraline we've been
through this before your dad Cooks eye
clean and you stay out of the way I
swear I'll go food shopping soon as we
finish the catalog try some of the chard
you need a vegetable that's the thing
about escapism like SL me this is so
drab slime bedtime fuss
poot think they're trying to poison
me like who wouldn't want to escape to
the world where all the food on the
table is this giant delicious feast or
or the actual Garden is just full of
life and wonder and happiness yeah and
so there's there's a cautioner tale not
just about Predators but also just about
escaping right it can become all
consuming we want to go to these Virtual
Worlds we want to go to the movie worlds
or the video games and all of this is
fine in moderation but what happens when
you never come back out yeah and some
people watching this right now going
that sounds fantastic sounds awesome see
you there I'll see you bright and early
9:00 be there or be square but there's
danger there there's danger there in
that things never get better right and
there's danger there in that you never
actually grow you just get more and more
scared and more and more trapped you
know I I knew somebody one time whose
entire life was inside an apartment
playing video games and watching movies
because they were too afraid to live
their life and honestly as as great as
it sounds to live your life eating junk
food playing video games and watching
movies he was one of the most miserable
people I've ever known oh yeah you know
because there was no balance because
there was no life because it was all an
escape from I don't like how my life is
and instead of facing it and changing it
it was just I'm going to keep going
deeper and deeper away from it and
that's not a healthy Behavior I mean
obviously
obviously so yeah she's getting slop and
GRL in the real
world my mom used to say if something
seems too good to be true thanks and ask
to bless it probably is Golden Chicken
[Laughter]
Breast something seems too good to be
true probably is it's very much the
table at Hogwarts right
except better than the table at Hogwarts
cuz there's a train on it hungry aren't
you you do love trains I Love Trains I'm
a such a dork here comes the gravy train
choo
choo that must have been fun in 3D yeah
well a lot of it isn't like a lot of 3D
they they they do things to that are
gimmicky right sweet PE and this is just
more about the
texture I'm real diry of course anyway
requests mango
[Music]
milkshake home we've been waiting for
you Coraline for me yep wasn't the same
here without you kiddo I didn't know I
had another mother of course you do
everyone does so here's here's my
question for you from a film making
standpoint there's a lot I see in movies
where you take something that's supposed
to be wholesome and sweet and happy MH
and then making it unsettling yeah cuz
on on the surface this should this is
heaven sure it's great so why do I feel
so creeped out all the time other than
the button eyes if you're playing a lot
of music on bells in a minor key with a
choir going
o like going to creep you right
[Music]
out that's real scary and the the sugary
sweetness of her other mother it's too
much like everything is what you would
want and then just slightly too much of
it yeah and that's what makes it just
like itchy at the back of your head
like again back to predators and
manipulators that's their bread and
butter but there's something off right
and even though her real life is drab
and unpleasant it's safe and it's real
and it's reliable M whereas this because
like you're saying it seems too good to
be true so it probably is if you're
Coraline and and they do a good job with
this in throughout the film you could
see that even though she enjoys it she's
always questioning it with manipulative
conniving people there's always going to
come a moment where they ask you to do
something that you're uncomfortable with
right and something that you would have
automatically said no to at the
beginning but they've spent so much time
they've tried to acrw so much like
Goodwill yeah and you're safe and this
is fine and if you're young enough you
might just go right along with it
because not know because they've they've
they've painted this whole picture
that's made you feel warm and safe and
welcome and loved and so then they'll
ask you to do something and you'll be
like okay because this is just part of
it if you're a little bit older it's
it's you get that sick feeling in your
stomach of this is a betrayal you get
the sick feeling of your stomach of I'm
not safe this isn't what I thought it
was and in her case they ask her just so
buttons into her eyes into her eyes so
sharp you'll barely feel a thing oh my
gosh what is so creepy creepy thing to
say so she refuses and usually that's
when the switch flips y because in their
in their words I did all of this for you
and you can't do this for me and that is
a manipulative Behavior do you want to
see this but also ER and no ads you can
at our patreon patreon.com cinematherapy
director's cuts and lots of other great
stuff and you support us and we feel
good you may come out when you've
learned to be a loving
daughter I love the black lightness of
it all yeah really
[Music]
fun who's there
hush and shush for the Bell Dam might be
listening
you you mean the other
mother hush and
[Music]
shush who are
you don't remember our
names but I remember my true mom
Mommy why are you all here the Bell
D she spied on our lives through the
little doll's eyes and saw that we
weren't happy so she lured us away with
treasures and treats and games to play
gave all that we asked yet we still
wanted more so we let her sew the button
oh she said that she loved us but she
locked us here and ate up our
lives
well she can't keep me in the dark
forever not if she wants to win my
life beating her is my only
chance perhaps if you do your escap
they're so creepy like
the the thing that really sticks out to
me yes Miss and hidden them find eyes
the uh animation you know it's stop
motion animation but they're actually
doing fewer frames and then they're
doing that weird frame blending thing
between them uhhuh and it's
just because we've been in this world
you know stop motion animation obviously
doesn't look like real life at all it's
Clay or plasticine or whatever it is
doing weird stuff but we've been in this
world for long enough at this point that
it just feels normal yeah right coming
up with a new way to animate to throw
you off and feel weird in this world
that's already so weird is like a big
ask and Henry celic and the whole team
in Oregon that made this what a bunch of
weird Twisted crazy Geniuses yeah like
you wow great work super creepy
constantly inventive and new and just
yeah and what struck me as just now as
we're watching this to have this
conversation is how creepy and
terrifying the children are except for
you're not terrified of them right
you're terrified of what they've become
because of the other mother it actually
serves to make her scarier yep you don't
fear for Coraline in this space with
them you don't feel like they're going
to attack her she's okay but you just
see that this is what she could become
this is what's going to happen to her if
the Bell Dam has her way with her and
then the fact that their lips don't move
mhm like they and the one is just in a
scream all the time yeah oh my gosh I
can't I can't even there are gory
R-rated horror films that have unsettled
me far less so much less scarier than
this
yes oh
man oh her Russian neighbor MH with the
mouse
[Music]
circus but this is the otherw world
version which is hello
gka I'm
Corine is this what you're looking
for children's eyes you think vinning
game is good
[Music]
thing you'll just go home and be bored
and neglected same
as
stay with us speaking of the animation
listen to you and laugh with you
creepy
oh
oh if you stay here you can have
whatever you
want
always you don't get it do you I don't
understand of course you don't
understand you're just a cop happy she
made of the real Mr B not even
that
[Music]
anymore oh come
on oh my
gosh he says why would you go back
you'll just be bored stay with us we'll
love you we'll Entertain You Will and
that speaking of escapism versus reality
reality is isn't always the best in fact
it frequently isn't it's boring and you
get neglected and you eat weird sloppy
chard but it's also real and living in
it makes the Escape more enjoyable than
if you just spend your time like all day
every day and escape and I I have to
imagine there are those watching this
episode right now that there's an
unhealthy balance yeah sure YouTube's
great you know we're on YouTube We're
fans yeah uh but that this is your life
life and it's your life because your
actual life you don't want to face it
there is value in escapism but if it
overtakes
everything nothing gets better yeah
nothing gets put right or maybe
sometimes things can't be put right
which is why you escape so deep down
this rabbit hole but it's not right here
either because here you feel afraid and
what I love about the story of Coraline
is the serious amounts of Courage that
it takes for her to get out of the dream
world and then to go back to her drab
reality and and to accept the blaess of
life sometimes and to embrace it I mean
by the end she's embracing like all of
life including the just boring greenish
grayness of Oregon yeah well and then
things start to look up with her parents
because instead of avoiding them or
pressuring them she just starts to live
and then they follow her example and
then they're out in the garden you know
and it's muddy and it's icky and there's
worms and it's gross but they're doing
it you know and her mother does go food
shopping and sometimes things get better
if you weigh them out yeah and sometimes
they don't but we have to face them and
when things aren't that great that's
when we're at our most vulnerable to the
manipulators either in our real life
circles or you know in media media
whatever whatever it is wherever you're
escaping yeah and so stay alert and stay
focused and stay sharp that's me stay on
target stay on target we're too close
stay on target so until next time hello
[Music]
it's so sharp that you won't feel a
thing and watch
movies oh gosh I really don't know what
he was trying to say there galushka as
far as I know isn't a word in Russian I
think the idea is that he's he's so
drunk and he's such a pile of rats that
he's not saying anything real yeah I
think that's the idea okay there you go