The DVD is said to have a ton of behind the scenes footage and interviews. It also boasts the animated short based on another Sendak story, “Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or There Must Be More to Life” featuring the voices of Meryl Streep and forest Whitaker. Spike Jonze produced the short directed by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski.

The Higglet Pigglety Pop premise:

Once Jennie had everything. She had two bowls to eat from, two pillows, and for cold weather, a red wool sweater. She even had a master who loved her. But Jennie didn’t care. In the middle of the night she packed everything she had in a black leather bag with gold buckles and looked out of her favorite window for the last time… Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More to Life follows Jennie’s surreal, suspenseful and unexpectedly moving journey to gain new experiences and realize her dream of becoming the star of the World Mother Goose Theatre.

And that’s not all.  If you’re a Spike Jonze fan, the month of March will be a treat for you.

Oscilloscope Laboratories has picked up Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait Of Maurice Sendak, the Jonze and Lance Bangs’ documentary that aired on HBO last fall. They will be releasing the forty-minute doc on DVD March 2nd, the same day as the DVD/BluRay release of WTWTA.  Tell Them Anything, is said to be an honest, melancholy, and biting tribute to the author and featuring the likes of James Gandolfini, Meryl Streep, Catherine Keener and Tony Kushner.  It is labeled as a frank and almost brutally naked portrait of Sendak, told by Sendak himself.  Recently I was in a Children’s Book Art store in Brentwood and ran across original sketches by Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak.

Dr. Seuss pencil sketch: $8,000

Sendak pencil sketch: $15,000

Film Savior purchase: None of the above

And lastly, let’s not forget about Jonze’s latest short film (trailer is HERE), the robot love story I’m Here which debuted at Sundance Film Festival. While details on who and how the short will be distributed are yet to be finalized, I’ve been hearing that a late March release seems likely.

March is  Spike Jonze month.  Like it, love it, embrace it.

Share this:

Check the universal four words right HERE.

As one of the normal folk, I will be seeing it on Saturday on IMAX 3-D. It better be as good as hyped.

Share this:

There are moments in life that change you forever.

Your first kiss. College acceptance. Your wedding day. Your first home.  A new baby.

The attached trailer for Avatar will be another one of those moments.  Never will you be able to see a film trailer with the same mindset.  The bar has been set so high, you’ll need Balloon Boy’s balloon to see it.

Imagine this on IMAX. Now imagine it in 3-D.  You probably need to change your pants.

Ladies and Gentlemen…Boys and Girls.  Film Savior proudly gives you: Avatar Trailer #2.

Share this:

There is a reason Where the Wild Things Are is located under the “Obsessions” section of the site.

In anticipation of the pending release of this already highly praised film (currently tracking at 86% approval on Rotten Tomatoes; 100% approval here at Film Savior), here is another clip. This one shows the melancholy pace the film sometimes takes, which really gives it more emotional power. This scene is also one of the very few that utilized green screen.  The majority of the film was shot in actual locations with the actual puppets roaming on set.  This gave the imaginary a sense of realism.

Share this:

Bear with us over the next few days as we unleash many things Where the Wild Things Are related in anticipation for the 10/16/09 opening.

Today, we present you with a 1 1/2 minute clip from the film. It gives you an idea of the delicate balance of lighthearted fun with potential monster terror.  You also get a glimpse at how well the puppet and CGI has been matched seamlessly.

Today is Thursday, October 8th. And we present to you Where the Wild Things Are “Destroy Stuff”

Share this:

Those simple words and understanding is why Where the Wild Things Are is such a whirlwind of delicate emotions: loneliness, jealousy, happiness, fright, love, and anger.  I can happily say with relief –  this film has lived up to all of the high expectations and beyond. This is the best film I’ve seen in a long time. And it is sure to be a classic for kids as years pass by.  It strikes emotions and lingers with you in unexpected ways. Simply put, go see this film!

In 1 hour and 35 minutes, Spike Jonze has maintained the soul of the original Sendak story while expanding it to something deep and remarkable. The question lingers in how parents and their children will respond. Will parents react to the film in anger, not wanting their kids to see the realistic complexities of kids? Or will they embrace this truth and go along with the imaginative journey of our protagonist Max? Sure, there are some dark and complex moments to the film. But I believe Jonze has successfully walked that tightrope of appeasing the kids while allowing adults to reembrace their own childhood.

At what point in your life did the child in you disappear? Where you could stare at a toy or stuffed animal or even a stick and share a world of adventure all alone with it for hours. To live life as a functioning adult, we are essentially told that we have to “grow up” and shed these childlike tendencies. As Jonze was recently quoted in GQ magazine, “I didn’t set out to make a movie they could put in the children’s section [in the video store]. I set out to make a movie that was about being 9 years old.”

Spike Jonze has accomplished something amazing here. He has captured the essence and complications of being a child. Where every cause has an effect. Where the possibilities are endless, yet seemingly, limited. Where fun and laughter quickly turns to tears and anger. Where the wild things are…inside your imaginative mind.

Last night, I was lucky enough to attend an advanced screening of Where The Wild Things Are along with a Q&A w/ Jonze and Catherine Keener.  It brought me back to my college days, specifically in ’99. I had the absurd idea in my LMU Screenwriting class that I could adapt the Where The Wild Things Are story into a feature length script. I failed miserably. The biggest sticking point was finding clarity and reason within the Wild Rumpus and The Wild Things themselves.  I looked at it from adult eyes trying to look from a child’s point of view instead of becoming the child’s point of view. At the Q&A, Jonze summed up his adaptation clearly. He wanted to explore the wild emotions within a child, which were all portrayed among the various Wild Things.

Some thoughts on the film (with very minor spoilers):

The Characters:

• Max (Max Records) – 9 year-old boy with wild emotions
• Max’s Mother (Catherine Keener) – Trying to date and live life as a single mother
• Carol (James Gandolfini) – The mirror image of Max; complicated emotions get the best of him
• Douglas (Chris Cooper) – Carol’s loyal right hand man
• KW (Lauren Ambrose) – The nurturing Wild Thing
• Ira (Forest Whitaker) – A shy follower, great at digging holes
• Judith (Catherine O’Hara) – Self proclaimed “downer”, very confrontational
• Alexander (Paul Dano) – The smallest, most emotional, and most insecure of the Wild Things

Overview:

Max (Max Records) is just like every 9 year-old boy.  He is full of energy, imagination, and hunger for attention. He has struggles with the absence of his father through divorce and his older sister who is more interested in boys than her pesky little brother.  There are sweet moments throughout the first 20 minutes of the film that subtly show Max not as a bratty little kid, but just being a kid. Confused at his actions he is consequently shocked by the reactions. His alone time is filled with building forts, causing havoc with the dog, again, just being a kid.  As we know from the book, his Mom (Catherine Keener) has had enough with his outbursts and Max slinks into his imagination.

When we meet the Wild Things, we learn that they are as complex as the inner workings of a child’s mind.  And in reality, they are Max’s mind. They question everything. They yearn for emotional protection (as Carol states “protection from the sadness.”).  They want to all be together as one family, although some want to explore, be independent and learn new things.  The Wild Things seem to be in disarray and in need of a leader when Max stumbles upon them. Carol, the walking ball of conflicting emotions, desperately wishes to have this leader the most. He needs something to trust. And mainly, he just wants everyone to be happy and together again.

The theme of loneliness, leadership and family runs throughout the film. It is the most rampant in the development of the Carol character. There has been some questions about the casting of James Gandolfini in this role.  People were concerned that the voice of Tony Soprano might be a bit off putting for a children’s movie.  Simply put, he is the perfect actor for this role. Carol has such a mix and range of emotions. One moment he is sweet and thoughtful.  The next he turns dark, violent, and unpredictable. Gandolfini struck the perfect chord throughout.

Newcomer Max Records (who plays Max) does a superb job. Not only is he in every scene of the film, but he acts brilliantly alongside giant puppets. He encompasses all of the wonder and curiosity that we expect from Max “King of the Wild Things”.

The rest of the Wild Thing characters should be discovered while watching the film. There are so many subtle brilliant one liners and random characters (wait until you meet the Owls, hilarious) that it needs to be experienced spoiler free. Did I mention the Owls?

Spike Jonze:

The idea to use live action puppet suits, shot within the real elements on location, and limited use of CGI (the mouths are the main exception) made this film a sight to behold. We’ve gotten so used to dead eyed CGI characters that it’s almost a formality to overlook the lack of humanity. The Wild Things are living breathing creatures. You believe they are and can be real. Over the past few months, stunning images have been released from the film. Surprisingly, the same emotional tone of the still images has transcended into the moving picture. This tone in the film could have struck the same nerve without any dialogue at all. The visuals tell the story on their own. The stunning cinematography, particularly the Wild Things snow and night scenes were beautiful snapshots at a world beyond our own.  Not only has Spike Jonze created a masterpiece to add to his critically acclaimed shelf of past accomplishments (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, etc.), but he managed to take the Maurice Sendak artwork from the book and make them come alive in ways unimaginable.

Jonze also managed to capture small, subtle shots of Max that told a whole story with one reaction. Anyone who has kids or been around kids, specifically 9 year-old boys, knows the delicate balance of laughter and crying. Jonze captures quick stinging looks from Max as he realizes he’s done something wrong or when he realizes people aren’t there for his best interests. They are both are subtle and necessary.

Karen O:

Much has been written about Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the playful score/soundtrack she compiled for the film. You can actually listen to it HERE. The soundtrack balances the necessary roller coaster of tones throughout the film. Sometimes the Karen O screams can be off-putting, but mostly it strikes the right chord.  “Worried Shoes” is easily my favorite.

Dave Eggers:

After reading Eggers’ great The Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and watching Away We Go, I was very curious at what direction he would take (with Jonze) on this children’s story. His manic style of writing ends up setting the perfect balance (or lack thereof)  for the complexities of The Wild Things. They talk over each other. They all have their own agenda.  They love each other, yet don’t fully trust each other. They are complicated beings that deserve to be sympathized with. Eggers has managed to balance their emotions with humor and heartfelt debate.  Now that I’ve seen both cinematic pieces of literary work from Dave Eggers, it can be assured that I will be buying a ticket opening weekend for all of his future film work.  The scripts, for lack of a better word, are staggering.

Conclusion:

Emotion, tone, balance, repeat. I know this review is full of that. But the extreme balancing act that Spike Jonze and team had to maintain is crucial to keep this thin yet complex storyline intact. They have taken a 10 sentence book which themes are still open for debate.  Those 10 sentences have been imagined, reimagined, reconfigured, stayed true, and expanded into something Maurice Sendak himself is proud of. It’s an accomplishment to create a kid’s film that does not look down upon kids. It understands kids, it empowers kids, and the film itself IS a kid.

Let me know your thoughts when you see it!

-Corey @ Film Savior

Share this:

Below are 4 Character posters recently released. You get a better sense of the detail focused on the Wild Thing’s look and realistic expressions.

Share this:

You want to see the new Where The Wild Things Are poster, do ya?

First play the song HERE off the soundtrack from Karen O. (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and the Kids (many others).

Is it playing? OK, Check it out after the jump…

BOOM! Happy Labor Day Weekend.

Share this:

“This Road leads nowhere” OUCH!

This one from The Hollywood Reporter is not as negative, but still concerning.

The Road is one of our 2009 Obsessions. Here’s hoping that this isn’t true.  The novel was amazing…

Share this:

We can fully admit, this Avatar pre-hype is getting out of hand.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, tickets for the “game changer” from James Cameron are already on sale at Fandango.com and Movietickets.com.  The film is released on December 18th, so this sale is 4 months early.  Cameron and the Fox team are really setting audiences up for bitter, angry disappointment. Nothing can live up to this type of hype.

“Audiences are hungry for fresh fare with original storytelling,” Fandango spokesman Harry Medved said. “And with ‘Avatar,’ you have no idea where the story is going to go.”

We really have no idea where this story is going to go. But if the movie geek mobs have their way, this story might be burned at the stake before it’s even released.

Share this:

10 rows from the front and directly in the center. That’s where I sat on Avatar Day’s IMAX 3-D screening.  James Cameron declared to the world that Avatar would be a “game changer” and I was about to witness firsthand the game being changed. The theater was giddy with excitement, but surprisingly not entirely packed.

But let’s take a step back.  Two days prior to Avatar Day, the teaser trailer for Avatar was released. I could not load up the Apple HD video fast enough. In just a few moments, history would be make sweet love to my eyes. The Wizard of Oz showcased glorious technicolor.  The Jazz Singer let us hear dialogue for the first time on film. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? made me believe Bob Hoskins really talked to cartoon characters.  And Avatar would change the movie going experience forever.  At least that’s what I was told.  High expectations for a film are a double edged sword.  On one side, it’s a great thing. There is huge audience awareness. People have pre-conceived notions that something will be great. And the pre-release buzz might mute and bad press. On the flip side, the entire world is eager to prove these expectations to be wrong.  And an above average film might be judged unfairly. But I digress…

The video starts to play and my virginity is taken away. And so I watch it again. When the trailer ends after the second viewing, I was alarmed by something.  My life didn’t change. My eyeballs were still intact.  As one Nebraskan friend told me “That looks like three hours of my life I’m never going to get back…(and) to be honest, the colors are pretty, reminds me of World Of Warcraft…I’ll pass on this one.”

I felt that the visuals were amazing and the action looked stunning, but haven’t we seen this before?  Aren’t there a hundred video games similar in style? Is this movie really about a guy in a wheelchair who becomes an alien avatar to mine plants while fighting and falling in love?  Really, James Cameron?!  10 more viewings and I decided I’d give it a second chance on Avatar Day. This was the day Santa Clause would step off his throne and James Cameron would come in as “Leader of the Holidays” or, ahem,  “King of the Holiday.”

10 rows from the front and directly in the center.  Avatar Day. I sat and waited. Some old guy announced that we should put on our 3-D glasses.  I slowly put them on as I was not ready for disappointment again.  The lights go off and right away, we see a giant 3-D James Cameron welcoming and thanking us for coming to Avatar Day (which I appreciated). I don’t remember the last time Santa Clause thanked me for decorating my entire house with replicas of him.  From that point on, we watched 4-5 long scenes from the film.  One showed the soldiers/miners getting prepped to leave for the planet. The acting was surprisingly really good being that it was a CGI driven film.  Another scene showed Sam Worthington’s character transforming into the avatar. Another showed the avatar’s getting chased on the colorful planet and almost falling off a huge cliff.

Instead of going into detail on each of the scenes, I think one thing just needs to be said about the Avatar Day vs. Avatar Teaser Trailer experience.  Fox and Cameron really screwed up by releasing the teaser trailer to the world for computer screen viewing. This film should only be viewed on the IMAX 3-D screen. Period. The former video game-type characters now seemed as realistic as I’ve ever seen. The landscape was stunningly eye popping. The 3-D gave so much depth, you truly felt you were in the scene. I wish there was a way to properly explain this, but this really might be a 3-D game changer.  Even if sci-fi isn’t your thing (I’ll have a tough time getting my wife to believe this will change her life), I feel this is an experience to be had based on the 20 minutes of 3-D footage viewed.  This is no Captain EO , but it’s pretty amazing nonetheless.

Share this:

Why the hell wasn’t this sweet poster plastered all over the country for Inglorious Basterds promo?  Inquiring minds want to know.

Share this: