Growing up on scary movies, Coraline was my favorite movie as a kid and still is one of my favorites to this day. There is something so charming about the twists and turns, amazing claymation, and storyline that drew me in. Because this movie is claymation, it took around 4 years to complete, with every single detail being carefully planned out. This movie has many twists and exciting details leading to many fan theories, and who does not love going down rabbit holes on TV shows or movie conspiracy theories whenever they can? I have compiled some of the best Coraline easter eggs here to get you started on your deep-dive journey!
Mr. Bobinsky Did anyone else wonder why he was blue or why he acted the way he does? Well, I have an answer for you. The medals he wears? If you zoom in on them, you can see that they are liquidator medals. These medals were given to the heroes who went in and cleaned up after the Chornobyl disaster. This constant exposure to radiation is what would have altered his appearance and mental state.
The “Welcome Cake” The welcome cake that the other mother gives to Coraline may not be as happy as it may seem. The O in the word welcome is written with double loops on the top, which means lying or betrayal, implying that the other mother is saying she actually not welcome, and should not feel welcome in her home.
The orange monkey slippers The dad and Coraline both point out the father’s monkey slippers throughout the movie, and there is a good reason for it. These slippers are a nod to a character in the 2001 Henry Selnick movie MonkeyBones. It’s kind of cool he is proud of his old works right?
Henry Selnick is in the movie… but not as a character When the movers (who are actually a nod to two of the animators who worked on the film) get done, the mother hands them a dollar bill as a tip. But if you look closely, George Washington is not the one staring back, Henry Selnick is!
Jack Skellington also makes an appearance! When the mom is making breakfast for dinner (I love breakfast for dinner) there is a shot of her cracking an egg into a bowl. If you pause on the egg yolk, you will see something familiar- Jack’s skull in the yolk! This is a nod to his movie Nightmare Before Christmas. And yes, I was also shocked that the movie was not by Tim Burton.
The theme song Have you ever tried to sing along to the theme song or google the lyrics? You will notice they are all gibberish- and there is good reason. Composer Bruno Coulais’s who wrote the theme song did this on purpose. He made the lyrics gibberish to give the feeling of something you have heard of before, but can not fully recall what it is. This is meant to mimic Coraline’s feelings when in the other world.