National Jonze Day – Next Week!
So you didn’t take my advice and see Where The Wild Things Are on IMAX? Yeah, I get it, why would you pay money to see a kids movie? You’re an adult. A big bad adult. Too mature for childish things. Too cool for school. Don’t worry, dummies. The DVD/Blu-Ray is releasing March 2nd. You’ll have another chance to see this under appreciated piece of art that will grow in cult status over time. I truly believe this should have been one of the 10 Best Picture Nominees. It’s definitely more deserving than The Blind Side. You can thank me later. And I fully expect to be thanked. Embrace your inner child…you’ll be a better person for it.
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. Continue reading “National Jonze Day – Next Week!” »
WTWTA Clip: The Sun is Going to Die
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.
Wild Things Clip of the Day: “Destroy Stuff”
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”
Film Review: Where the Wild Things Are
“There is no difference from childhood and adulthood.” – Spike Jonze
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. Continue reading “Film Review: Where the Wild Things Are” »
WTWTA Character Posters
We’re slowly creeping toward that 10/16 release date of Where the Wild Things Are. There was a time when it seemed so far away…2009? No reason to even think about it. And here we are. Now the anticipation looms on whether it will actually live up to the extreme hype by the movie geeks, hipsters, and adult children all over.
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.
Continue reading “WTWTA Character Posters” »
Bright and Shiny New WTWTA Poster
What’s that? I couldn’t hear you.
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… Continue reading “Bright and Shiny New WTWTA Poster” »
WTWTA Featurette – A Love Letter From Author Maurice Sendak
Wow.
This is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Here is a 3 minute featurette that intermixes an interview with Where the Wild Things Are author Maurice Sendak and never before seen behind the scenes footage. Sendak discusses how the book was not well received from the beginning and it took roughly 2 years for it to finally catch on. Sendak has many kind things to say about director Spike Jonze as well:
“What I’ve seen him do, he’s turned ['Wild things'] into his without giving up mine…with embodying mine with Spike Jonze, and astonishingly it maintains its peculiarness as a work, but it flows throughout. The whole thing is such a strange thing. I’ve never seen a movie that looks like this. It’s his personal this. He’s not afraid of himself. He’s a real artist that let’s it come through the work. So he’s touched me very much.”
If this clip doesn’t hit you at an emotional level or make you want to see this ASAP, then you could very well be dead. Or have a colder heart than Frosty.
First Look: Where The Wild Things Are Game
There was a depression rolling through the Film Savior headquarters. Almost an entire week has gone by with no new WTWTA updates. But look what fell into our laps…the first look at the video game!
We got the chance to sample this game back in June at E3. Although a bit underwhelming, this game will be great for kids. The basic premise of the game is the user gets to don Max’s wolf suit as he arrives at Wild Things island on his boat. The young boy battles terrible creatures, befriends the mythological Wild Things, and eventually becomes king of the island in the course of his adventure. All is not well, however, as Max is soon burdened with the duty of leading the Wild Things to safety of their island which is doomed for destruction.
The game is releasing for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and the DS in October.
Disney’s 1983 Animation Test for WTWTA
To give you a better idea of how long studios have been trying to make Where The Wild Things Are, we have included a rare video that shows Disney’s animation test back in 1983 when they owned the movie rights. The animator of this is none other than John Lasseter who was testing the new technology of CGI. In case you don’t know who Lasseter is, he went on to become the head of Pixar and director of Toy Story 1, Toy Story 2, and Cars. So it wasn’t such a bad thing that this didn’t go through. Notice how ahead of the times this animation really looks. 1983 animated films were not able to show characters this fully formed. Pretty amazing how long the vision of this classic book to film has taken.
Enjoy the Show, Kids — WTWTA Gets PG Rating
So there you have it. After 2 years of debate whether Spike Jonze made this film “too frightening” for children (the apparent target audience for Where the Wild Things Are), the ratings board has given the latest version of the film a PG rating. Please try and catch your breath after this earth shattering breaking news.
Terrible Yellow Eyes
And you thought we were obsessed.
Head over to Terrible Yellow Eyes and see hundreds of Where The Wild Things Are inspired artwork. There is actually some really cool stuff over there…just a bit obsessive, ya know? We like that. Enjoy!
