MirrorMask

Go. See. MirrorMask. Now. Two words sum this thing up. “Wow“, and “Acid Trip”. Wait that’s three words. But nevermind. I sat, partway through this movie, and thought, I’m watching an acid trip with my eleven-year-old daughter. And the sad thing is, I can’t explain to her how cool that is, not yet anyway. What […]

Go.
See.
MirrorMask.

Now.

Two words sum this thing up. “Wow“, and “Acid Trip”.

Wait that’s three words. But nevermind.

I sat, partway through this movie, and thought, I’m watching an acid trip with my eleven-year-old daughter. And the sad thing is, I can’t explain to her how cool that is, not yet anyway.

What makes up for this is that she got the movie. And I don’t know any other kid her age who would. She can’t think of a single one of her friends who’ll get it, and she has geeky friends. She lists Coraline as her all-time favorite book; she worships Wolves in the Walls and loves The day I swapped my dad for two goldfish. She can’t wait to read American Gods and wanted to know all about Anansi Boys, which is on my bedside now.

She gets Gaiman. She gets Dave McKean‘s art. She gets the crazed multi-media world he lives in.

She understands, without my having to tell her anything, what the inside-out dreamworld of MirrorMask was all about.

We walked out of the movie both saying wow together; geek rapture, but also art rapture. Because while MirrorMask is a movie, what it really is, is three-dimensional, moving art. like few movies I’ve ever seen, this film is complete, pure art.

It’s hard to describe. The closest you cam come in spirit is to say it’s like Yellow Submarine. But it looks nothing like Yellow Submarine. What it looks like, feels like, is walking into Dave McKean’s mind and wandering around, a place where schools of fish swim through the sky, where you need a net to catch books, where stone giants float in the sky and old ladies keep sphinxes as pets. I guess one part Yellow Submarine, one part Cabinet of Doctor Caligari; with a side of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and a pinch of Tim Burton.

And no, that really doesn’t capture it.

What’s it about? Hell, it doesn’t matter, at all.

Just go see it.

And let me add, I’m in love with Stephanie Leonidas, who looks like she’s about fifteen in this movie, but is evidently old enough that I can buy her a drink if I ever run into her into a hotel bar.

I wanna do drugs with these guys, I tell ya.

14 thoughts on “MirrorMask”

  1. I ordered all three of the kid books for my children. You know, years and years ago, I took your advice and got the Lemony Snicket books for Sierra… they’ve had a pivotal effect upon her personality…heh.

    Is Anansi Boys good? I’m running out of books to read…

    xoxoxoxo

  2. Anansi boys is great so far but I’m less than 100 pages in. Gaiman is a great writter, and getting better. And yes, Snicket had that same effect on my daughter. Too bad the movie didn’t do those books justice.

  3. Mirror Mask.Very strange movie.Watching it right now and wish I had some Acid.I am recording it.Next time I’ll be ready.

  4. Finally, people who understand Mirrormask. I’ve been showing everyone I know this movie and it seems to have no effect on them. Noone understands what this movie is. To me it is brilliance in true visual form. I feel like I can lock myself up in a room and watch this movie for the rest of the days of my life. Over and over again. Absolutely captivating. I can only dream more writers are born who can dream up such masterpieces similar to Mirrormask. These are the kind of movies we need. Life changing ones. Thank God there are people who get it.
    P.S. I adore Stephanie Leonidas. Stunning and terrific actress.

  5. Brian, i just bought the DVD the other day. I’m afraid to put it on for anyone for fear they won’t get it. But yes, there are a few of us.

  6. Maybe my life is too much these days, too hectic, but I can’t sit still for MirrorMask. I’ve tried, multiple times. I love the little Gaiman I’ve read (all too little) and I love surreal movies, but after a few minutes I have to get up and walk around, nervous energy making it impossible for me to stay put and immerse myself in its beauty.

    Maybe it’s just too much for me right now. Soon, though. Soon.

  7. CE, thing is, it’s not really so much Neil Gaiman (partly, sure), it’s Dave McKean. You really have to know, grok, and love his stuff to get what makes MirrorMark work. He’s a deeply strange, deeply surreal artist, and this movie is like literally walking into the middle of his brain.

    I suggest you wade into The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish or The Wolves in the Walls sometime or at least google him up to get a vague feel for that.

    It might not speak to you though. Art’s like that. And this movie, more than any I’ve other seen, is fine art.

  8. Hey again, I just saw the movie Bridge to Terabithia and I was just wondering if you had seen it. If so, what do you think? And if not, I suggest seeing it in you spare time. It’s based on a book though I had never heard of it before the movie. So…if you could just get back to me about that. PS-I cried.

  9. Why do you think there are people who can get it and people who can’t get it? And when they can’t get it, it’s nearly impossible to explain how you get it. I just don’t understand why?

  10. And i’m talking about understanding movies like Mirrormask and Bridge to Terabithia.

  11. Brian, it’s like trying to explain irony. You just can’t.

    It’s like trying to explain why the Sopranos finale was brilliant. It was, but there’s a vast number of people who need things to fit in a box they make for themselves. Things like these great films – things like that series ending – don’t fit into the universe of things that are easily grasped, labeled, boxed.

    Art isn’t tidy. It doesn’t fit in a category. It can’t be captured with a blurb. And you gotta feel it. You can’t intellectualize it.

    It works – or it doesn’t.

  12. Hey, I just finished watching Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”. I thought it was terrific. I am getting the soundtrack first thing tomorow because I thought that’s what really stood out. If you’ve seen it, I was just wondering if you would share any comments on the movie. Thanks.

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