The Morning Watch: 'Coraline' And Ancient Storytelling, The Williams Of 'Almost Famous' Reunite & More

The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.

In this edition, watch a video essay that explores how Coraline uses ancient forms of storytelling like fairy tales and ghost stories to enhance the film's central themes. Plus, Cameron Crowe sits down with his big screen surrogates Patrick Fugit and Michael Angarano to look back at Almost Famous. And finally, a timely horror short provides a scary perspective on the masks we wear.

First up, Lessons from the Screenplay digs into Henry Selick's stop-motion masterpiece Coraline, based on the story of the same name by Neil Gaiman. The video essay examines how the underlying fairy tale structure shapes the protagonist's journey, how the film also incorporates grotesque imagery and classic ghost story elements, and how utilizing all these ancient forms reinforces its central themes.

Next, since this year marks the 20th anniversary of Almost Famous, Variety had Cameron Crowe sit down for a chat with Patrick Fugit and Michael Angarano, the two actors who played the younger version of himself at the center of the story. Crowe said, "If it's uncool to show your endless enthusiasm and appreciation, then viva uncool. Because just to sit and talk with my Williams here is the coolest uncool thing ever. And they're the maestros of the uncool."

Finally, directors Dan Allen and Adam Huber and writers Zack White and Todd Spence deliver a timely horror short in the age of coronavirus. Face Mask finds a neighborhood man made uneasy by a masked visitor on his street, resulting in a tense interaction, the likes of which feel all too unnerving during these times. Stick around to the end.