Where the Wild Things Are

[Abagadro]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

[Soln]

aye could be a classic.  Hope so.

[Mrbloodworth]

This could go one of two ways.

[Ookii]

Looks AWESOME! 

[Mattemeo]

I don't know if it's just because of an immensely clever use of an Arcade Fire song, but the feel of the trailer seems spot on, to me. I don't know anyone born in the last 20 years or more who hadn't read the book a thousand times as a child, and as an illustrator who also works in the realms of children's illustrations, it's one of my go-to inspirations. Really, really looking forward to the movie - I respect Jonze as a perfectionist and when it transpired he wasn't happy with how things were going early last year (rumours abounded of a total reshoot), I knew he was making the movie out of love rather than the easy kiddy-dollar.

[lamaros]

It'll be very hard to pull this off. Hope it's good, though the Trailier seems half cliche child/adventure in parts. Hard to know if that's just how they've tried to make it look, or if that's how it actually is, though.

[Viin]

Looks AWESOME! 

Btw, love your new avatar Ookii - cracks me up.

[jason]

Saw a screening of this last night... it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.  Not a very good kids movie, they'll probably be bored except during the more active scenes.  Its a movie about a kid with behavior/family problems who runs away and meets some monsters who may or may not teach him that things aren't so bad.  Overall, I thought it was beautifully made but uninteresting.

[K9]

I have seen this film receiving a lot of hype, but I am honestly clueless as to the source material. Is this story a particular US phenomenon?

[Nebu]

I have seen this film receiving a lot of hype, but I am honestly clueless as to the source material. Is this story a particular US phenomenon?

Popular children's book many of us grew up with.

[Engels]

Saw a screening of this last night... it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.  Not a very good kids movie, they'll probably be bored except during the more active scenes.  Its a movie about a kid with behavior/family problems who runs away and meets some monsters who may or may not teach him that things aren't so bad.  Overall, I thought it was beautifully made but uninteresting.

Its sometimes very hard to tell what will captivate kids. You know Jar Jar Binks? Wildly popular with 4-5 year olds.

[Nebu]

Its sometimes very hard to tell what will captivate kids. You know Jar Jar Binks? Wildly popular with 4-5 year olds.

I wonder how marketing approaches this.  You want to attract parents for theater showings, but ultimately you have to captivate children to make boat loads of cash in the dvd market.  I'm guessing that nostalgia will drive the popularity of this and was exactly what was intended.

As for Jar Jar Binks, that character turned me off to Star Wars completely.  I used to be a big fan of the initial trilogy, but can't even get myself to watch the prequels. 

[jason]

Its sometimes very hard to tell what will captivate kids. You know Jar Jar Binks? Wildly popular with 4-5 year olds.

The screening I saw it at was about 1/3 kids, most of whom were fidgety and talkative after the first hour, restless because the movie wasn't holding their attention.  Jar Jar was at least colorful and loud.  The Wild Things are mostly brown and subdued.

[K9]

I have seen this film receiving a lot of hype, but I am honestly clueless as to the source material. Is this story a particular US phenomenon?

Popular children's book many of us grew up with.

Thanks, so it's fair to say that most Americans would read this as kids? I'm interested to hear if any non-US people did, I know I had never heard of the book before this.

[Nebu]

I'd say that many of us read it as kids during the 70's and maybe the early 80's.  I'm not sure how popular the book was after that. 

[Engels]

I'm pretty sure he's considered a classic by now. I know all my nieces and nephews will have Sendak forcefed them, for their own good :)

[lamaros]

Read it as a kid in australia. Quite well known here among kids/adults I know.

[Sheepherder]

I read Animal Farm when I was young.

[Jherad]

Thanks, so it's fair to say that most Americans would read this as kids? I'm interested to hear if any non-US people did, I know I had never heard of the book before this.

I read it as a kid (in England)- a quick call around the office gets me blank stares, but they're mostly young'uns.

[Khaldun]

In the late 60s, early 70s, it was actually quite a controversial book in the US. Sendak had demonstrations of concerned-mothers groups picketing some of his signings after the book was published. But since then it's morphed into "beloved classic" and it's very nearly mandatory reading.

[K9]

Thanks, so it's fair to say that most Americans would read this as kids? I'm interested to hear if any non-US people did, I know I had never heard of the book before this.

I read it as a kid (in England)- a quick call around the office gets me blank stares, but they're mostly young'uns.

Guess I'm just in the wrong generation then

[KallDrexx]

Maybe I don't remember it well enough, since I haven't read it since I was like 3, but what was so controversial?

[Broughden]

In the late 60s, early 70s, it was actually quite a controversial book in the US. Sendak had demonstrations of concerned-mothers groups picketing some of his signings after the book was published. But since then it's morphed into "beloved classic" and it's very nearly mandatory reading.

I didnt like it as a kid. Thought the story and art work of the book sucked. Richard Scary books were my favorite illustrated books as a kid.
I was more into the brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Anderson and finally got into Tolkien.

[Abagadro]

I have two acquaintences with tats of Max in his monster suit.

[bhodi]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=49362

Reporter: "What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?"

Sendak: "I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate."

Reporter: "Because kids can handle it?"

Sendak: "If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered."

Jonze: "Dave, you want to field that one?"

Eggers: "The part about kids wetting their pants? Should kids wear diapers when they go to the movies? I think adults should wear diapers going to it, too. I think everyone should be prepared for any eventuality."

Sendak: "I think you're right. This concentration on kids being scared, as though we as adults can't be scared. Of course we're scared. I'm scared of watching a TV show about vampires. I can't fall asleep. It never stops. We're grown-ups; we know better, but we're afraid."

Reporter: "Why is that important in art?"

Sendak: "Because it's truth. You don't want to do something that's all terrifying. I saw the most horrendous movies that were unfit for child's eyes. So what? I managed to survive."

[jason]

I don't think any kids will be scared by this film.

Bored, probably, but not scared.

[dusematic]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

The "material?"  Unless you're saying Spike Jonze is a huge pile of shit then I don't know what you mean.  The illustrations are the only saving grace from that book.

[dusematic]

In the late 60s, early 70s, it was actually quite a controversial book in the US. Sendak had demonstrations of concerned-mothers groups picketing some of his signings after the book was published. But since then it's morphed into "beloved classic" and it's very nearly mandatory reading.

Mandatory reading?  For who?  Retards?  The book is like 19 pages long with 3 words on each page. 

[pxib]

Eggers: "The part about kids wetting their pants? Should kids wear diapers when they go to the movies? I think adults should wear diapers going to it, too. I think everyone should be prepared for any eventuality."

Dave Eggers' humor can get distractingly pedantic in print, but he always interviews well.

[Khaldun]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

The "material?"  Unless you're saying Spike Jonze is a huge pile of shit then I don't know what you mean.  The illustrations are the only saving grace from that book.

Holy god, but you can be a cunt.

[WindupAtheist]

I was born in the late seventies and never heard of this book until the media slapped me in the face and told me it was a classic a couple years ago. Mostly when I was watching that one Simpsons episode like "Am I supposed to know what the fuck is going on here?"

[Abagadro]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

The "material?"  Unless you're saying Spike Jonze is a huge pile of shit then I don't know what you mean.  The illustrations are the only saving grace from that book.

Isn't there some statute of limitations against making a douchey reply to a 7-month old post?

[lamaros]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

The "material?"  Unless you're saying Spike Jonze is a huge pile of shit then I don't know what you mean.  The illustrations are the only saving grace from that book.

Isn't there some statute of limitations against making a douchey reply to a 7-month old post?

But then you're just out and out banning him from necroing any discussion.

[dusematic]

New full trailer is up.  Jonze seems like a good match for the material so he might be able to pull it off. Will be interesting.

The "material?"  Unless you're saying Spike Jonze is a huge pile of shit then I don't know what you mean.  The illustrations are the only saving grace from that book.

Isn't there some statute of limitations against making a douchey reply to a 7-month old post?

Well to be honest, I generally agree with everything you say.  I'm probably your biggest fan.  But what the fuck do you see in Where The Wild Things Are?  I don't get it.  It's a childrens book, and a shitty one at that.  It doesn't even have a point.  The kid gets in trouble then has a fucked out dream and then his Mom gives him dinner anyway even though he didn't do shit.   There's no literary merit.  The pictures are cool, that's it.  It also does the fucked out kiddy book cop-out where they stretch out sentences ("And he sailed, and sailed, and sailed *FLIP THE PAGE* and sailed some more!")

[Abagadro]

You probably hate Shel Silverstein too.