No. 7 — ‘ParaNorman’

Every once in a while we get an animated film for children that's just as appealing to adults -- the kind of film that doesn't talk down to its target audience and doesn't seem to discriminate between young and old. 'ParaNorman' comes courtesy of Laika, the animation studio that brought us 'Coraline,' and somehow the animation this time around is even better. 'ParaNorman' is a spooky story about a boy who is ridiculed for his ability to see and speak to the dead, but when an old curse is unleashed on his town, he's the only person who can stop it. It's a charming and surprisingly melancholy little tale that pays homage to horror classics without getting muddled down with mimicry. Bonus: the score from Jon Brion is absolutely lovely.