My next birthday just might have those cupcakes. Here's a link to what Disney had in the works. I like the animation but it looks overall too cute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvIDRoO8KnM
Thanks for the link animator, that was fascinating. Definitely too cute in a "classic Disney" manner, and too far from Sendak's drawing, but as a test, historically interesting stuff. ("Drawn by John Lassiter," heh.) In retrospect it's easy to say that the overuse of computer-y virtual camera movement was cheesy but at the time that was probably very impressive. Reminded me a bit of the mix of CG and hand-drawn cells in "Beauty and the Beast."
Spike Jonez directing is good. But Dave Eggers writing? I’m not too sure about that. There’s something a bit too twee-indie-press about his view of the world. If that seeps into Sendak, that’s a crime. Cool writing didn’t begin/end with Eggers.
Get ready to gag ... Eggers has written a full novelization of Sendak's book as a movie tie-in, soon to be published. Eggers is the most overrated new American writer of my entire lifetime. OK so that's a bit hyperbolic. The guy does some cool stuff. His magazine is cool, his workshops for aspiring writers are cool, but he's a terrible writer IMNSHO. I'm just hoping he's a good screenwriter. I have faith that this movie will be really great. Sendak was clearly really into it and seems to have had a great time working with Eggers and Jonez.
Just a few weeks to go and I still haven't seen info for a Japan release of this but maybe I am just looking in the wrong place. But if it does get a release here it will probably be next year. a movie hasn't made me this happy to want to see in years. That Benicio del Toro Wolfman looks good too though!
Now, I'm interested in the film (via Newsweek): Q: What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary? A: Sendak: I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate.
If you liked that you'll probably appreciate this promo video. Sendak has been adamantly supportive of Jonez' vision, and says that the final cut will be controversial for some parents. I'm with him and critic Mark Kermode, who insist that kids *like* to be scared a little. That attitude is a pretty easy sell at this site, given that a lot of us fell in love with monsters at very young ages, but there are so many parents these days who think that childhood must be sanitized of anything scary or for that matter realistic. When I was about four I used to have occasional nightmares from the monsters on Lost in Space. (Cut me some slack ... I was four.) But that didn't stop me from being obsessively addicted to the show.
Who saw this tonight!! It was amazing, Hensen Studios hit a grand slam with the puppets as always. But the direction and sound track were incredible. Maybe I'm just tired but I really enjoyed this. So innocent and fun!!
I saw it Friday night with me girlfriend and her roommate's 11yr old. We all really enjoyed it! I think JH's Workshop really did an excellent job. so much better than if the monsters were all CGI. I can't stand it when movies go that route. Great. great. great. great. great. great. great. ...so yeah, it was awesome, but now that i've calmed down... ...I need to unpre-order all the Medicom VCDs