So Where the Wild Things Are, has become a film. It is directed by Spike Jonze and looks absolutely phenomenal. For those who, like me, loved this book as a child, I am sure that along with excitement for the new film, you also feel a bit of relief, as it appears they have not destroyed it, a la Mike Myers Cat in the Hat and Jim Carrey's Grinch. Jim Carrey's Grinch, in retrospect, actually has its entertaining parts, but can't hold a candle to the original. If it was it's own independant movie and I knew nothing of the original, I might have enjoyed it a bit. But it's not and I didn't.
In a society obsessed with remakes and recapturing past glories (or quite possibly, one that is just out of original ideas) it is good to see that someone can infuse life and a full length plot line into a story that was fairly short. This movie, rather than being obsessed with filler, seems to encapsulate the lessons and ideals of the original story, while still having content that is all its own.
Also for the record, I really don't believe that society is out of original ideas. I just think that we are obsessed, to a fault, with nostalgia. It is all well and good to be nostalgic to the point where it makes you feel good and reminds you of fond memories. But it's a bit pandering and masturbatory to be nostalgic to the point where you stymie new and creative ideas. Jonze seems to have taken a classic idea and simply used it as a template for his vision, rather than attempting to recreate magic that he never could.
Anyways, here's the link to the trailer. I hope you guys are as pumped as I am.
Dano, I am so excited to see this movie. As you pointed out, this book was a childhood classic and with a classic comes expectations. In comparison between films and novels there always tends to be a lean towards novels or books because of their details. Do you think it will ever be possible to have a film that is better than a book/novel?
ReplyDeleteYeah I definetly do. Sometimes films can take you places that books can't, aesthetically. There are probably even examples that I can't really think of, just now. Actually, Forrest Gump is one. The book is a lot darker...which, when you think about all the crap that happened to that guy, is really quite reasonable. And maybe the movie is pretty Hollywood but I think it is a better final product, given the elements that comprise the whole.
ReplyDeleteSo anyways yes there is that possibility. However, I like it better when the movie is just as good as the book but for different reasons. That way both can be enjoyed, independantly. I think Where The Wild Things Are has that potential.
I'm a pretty nostalgic person myself. Probably explains why I have 10,000+ classic video games on my PC and continue to watch re-runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. I agree to a certain extent that there is an obsession with nostalgia. A wise man once told me that the past is a great place to visit, but you can't live there. I tend to think, though, that movie makers and musicians regurgitate old classics as a means to make a sure and quick buck. Why take a chance on new material when you can siphon off material that's been tried and tested 20 years ago?
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