Ep 2: Spooky Stories - Coraline & I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House

Are you afraid of ghosts?  Alternate realities?  People with buttons for eyes?!  Join us on Parallel Fiction, where Jeff and Heather go through two stories that feature spooky elements. Heather covers the beloved graphic novel Coraline, while Jeff will be breaking down the Netflix ghost story I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House.  After a casual synopsis of each work, Heather and Jeff share their analyses and recommendations for similar films and books you might enjoy if you like spooky stories. In this episode, spooky was taken as a broad idea of paranormal, supernatural, or scary stories.

Directed by Oz Perkins, I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House is a tense, psychological movie with very high contrast in dark scenes, and sterile brightness in day light.  Starring Ruth Wilson, Bob Balaban, Lucy Boynton, and Paulina Prentiss, the scares that come from this ghost story are built on anxiety and fear of the unknown.  This is the perfect movie for Halloween season, especially for viewers who aren’t too keen on movies with gore or jump scares.

Fun fact: Director Osgood (Oz) Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, the original actor who portrayed Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho 1960

Coraline, written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by P. Craig Russell, is a young adult graphic novel following the life of young teenager Coraline.  The titular character is faced with being held hostage in an alternate reality by the “Other Mother” for all eternity, unless she can release the souls of her family and of ghost children stuck in the Other World.  Heather notes the award winning achievements of this story, even learning about it first in college where it was part of a young adult fiction course. 

Did you know? The name Coraline was a typo from writer Neil Gaiman.  He liked the sound so much he kept it in the book, replacing the intended name Caroline.

Tune in to hear Jeff and Heather’s candid thoughts on the masterpiece scenes of each spooky story, how I Am The Pretty Thing Who Lives In The House and Coraline compare, and how Jeff and Heather relate to aspects of each. Share this episode with anyone who you think would enjoy it and let us know your thoughts on these spooky favorites!

Rating System Breakdown-

Trash – The worst, can’t recommend

Nice – Pretty good, but not mandatory knowledge

Very Nice – Exceptional work, go out of your way to check it out

Super Nice – Untouchable, if you haven’t experienced this work, go do it now! 

Heather’s Rating Coraline: Very Nice – Must read for all, whether comic book lover or young adult fiction fan.

Jeff’s Rating of I Am The Pretty Thing Who Lives In The House: Very Nice

Watch I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80094648

Find Coraline here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/coraline-graphic-novel-neil-gaiman?variant=32123303788578

About Parallel Fiction:

Parallel Fiction is the perfect supplemental companion to all of the stories you consume. We will be covering movies, television, books, graphic novels, video games, and music whenever it applies. Learn more about things you love, and get to know us a little bit better as we give you a peak into our lives and opinions.

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