Peaches N' Dreams: Henry Selick's James and the Giant Peach

Before being adapted to the screen, Roald Dahl's children's book, James
and the Giant Peach captured the imagination of several generations of readers since it was first published in 1961.

By Wendy Jackson | Wednesday, May 1, 1996 at 12:00 am

The "shark" attack. © Walt Disney Pictures

Peaches N' Dreams
On the other hand, the sequence following the scene where James is tucked into a web bed by Miss Spider after a rowdy round of peach-eating and singing is something else. You know what they say about how eating before bed affects your dreams? Well, don't blink, because what follows should make all animation fans start eating peaches at bedtime. The dream sequence is a daringly experimental 30 second mini-masterpiece that employs two-dimensional cutout animation, much in the manner of Selick's Slow Bob In The Lower Dimensions (1990) done for MTV.

Another instance of Selick's unique visual style is reserved for the die-hard credit-watchers. At credit's end, there's a brief but clever sequence in the style of his freakish MTV Top of the Hour spots. It features "Spike the Aunts," an 18th century-style mechanical toy which plays revenge on James' wicked aunts. A thoroughly delightful sequence, obviously created just for the fun of it, but representative of the charm and brio that characterizes the whole film.

James' delightful insects companions. © Walt Disney Pictures

What's next for Selick and his team of talents? As part of a three-picture deal with Miramax, Selick's San Francisco based production company, Twitching Image will create a movie version of another unusual children's book, Toots and the Upside-Down House by Carol Hughes. In development now, the film will be yet another marriage of live-action, stop-motion and CGI.

Production on Toots will start next summer, and in the interim, Twitching Image animators are being provided with finishing funds to complete a handful of animated shorts. Finally, a studio that realizes the value of fostering the talent and imagination of its' individual contributors. Henry Selick understands this concept well; after all, his own creative inspirations are rooted in the films he produced independently.

Wendy Jackson is a Sales Representative for Animation World Network. Previously employed as General Manager of the International Animated Film Society's Los Angeles chapter (ASIFA-Hollywood), she coordinated events such as the 1995 Annie Awards and the 1996 Animation Opportunities Expo.