Walt Disney, part XLIX: The pits

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

1996

Directed by Henry Selick

Written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Roberts, and Steve Bloom (based on the novel by Roald Dahl)

Spoilers: moderate

Walt Disney, part XLIV: I'm bored from leering my horrible glances, and my feet hurt from dancing those skeleton dances

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

1993

Directed by Henry Selick

Written by Caroline Thompson, Michael McDowell, and Danny Elfman (based on the poem by Tim Burton)

Spoilers: moderately highish, I guess

Reanimation

WENDELL & WILD

2022

Directed by Henry Selick

Written by Jordan Peele and Henry Selick

Spoilers: moderate

Laika Week, part I: Cute as a button

CORALINE

Flawed as it is, this impressively dark fairy tale would still manage to stand on its own—and be fully worthy of being called great—even if it weren't the necessary forerunner of some even better things to come.

2009

Written and directed by Henry Selick (based on the book by Neil Gaiman)

With Dakota Fanning (Coraline Jones), Robert Bailey Jr. (Wybourne "Wybie" Lovat), Keith David (the Cat), Jennifer Saudens (April Sprink), Dawn French (Miriam Forcible), Ian McShane (Sergei "the Amazing" Bobinsky), John Hodgman/John Linnell (Charlie Jones), and Teri Hatcher (Mel Jones)

Spoiler alert: moderate