(courtesy IMP Awards)
SNAPSHOT
The Boxtrolls are monsters living below the streets of Cheesebridge, who crawl out of the sewers at night to steal what the townspeople hold most dear: their children and their cheeses. Or so the townspeople have always believed… In truth, the Boxtrolls are just a community of lovable oddballs raising an abandoned and orphaned human boy named Eggs as one of their own. When the Boxtrolls are targeted by a villainous exterminator who is bent on eradicating them, Eggs must venture aboveground and team up with an adventurous young girl to save them. The Boxtrolls is co-directed by filmmakers Graham Annable (story artist on ParaNorman) & Anthony Stacchi (co-director of Open Season) as their only feature film made together. The script is written by Irena Brignull & Adam Pava, adapted from the novel Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow. The story is adapted by Anthony Stacchi & Phil Dale. The film first premiered at the 2014 Venice Film Festival and it was released by Focus Features in the US on September 26th, 2014. (courtesy First Showing)
There are movies I love, and then there are movies I LOVE.
The Boxtrolls is one of those films that sits well near the top of the pile in the latter group, and honestly, I don’t just LOVE it, but I ADORE it too.
It’s one of those perfectly-wrought stop motion gems which not only has sumptuously wondrously and richly imaginative animation, but which also tells a story full of hope, humanity and heart and which is a big arm hug as much as it is robustly instructive about the great value of inclusion, diversity and unconditional love and acceptance.
It’s a beautiful piece of filmmaking, and so on its 10th birthday, it’s delightful to have a new trailer to enjoy and to have an excuse – even though we don’t really need an excuse for a rewatch – to let this superlative piece of animation delight your eyes, warm your heart and remind your tired, flagging soul that there really is some good in this often hideously nasty world of ours.
Check out this official clip …