This is Spike Jonze's soon to be cult classic film based on the 1963 childrens book by Maurice Sendak. Jonze expanded the original 10 setence book to a full length feature that will captivate you and transport you to the magical land of the Wild Things. The most impressive thing to me, other then the fact that Jonze miraculously squeezed a complete movie out of a relative picture book, is that he really gets it right. So right in fact that despite the fact that it is criticized by some movie critics, Sendak himself considers the film to be a genius interpetation of his book. The suits of the Wild Things are cool as shit, and little Max Records kills the role of Max. You feel all of the angst of a confused, bitter 11 year old boy. Jonze really outdoes himself here, and it was well worth the years and years that he put into this project. It is available on DVD as well as Blu-Ray. This one is a must have for your collection.
I love Japanese Animation, or anime if you will. Sometimes its is swords and magic, sometimes its vampires or sci-fi, and sometimes its super squid tenticle rape (I'm not making that up... some of this shit is really weird). But there is also other kinds of anime, that have really excellent scripts and deal with emotional issues. Hayao Miyazaki is the king of these Japanese type animation movies. Princess Moanoke, Spirited Away, and Howling's Moving Castle were all classics by Miyazaki, who is considered to be the Steven Spielberg of Japan. His films are wildly successful in Japan, and have begun to cross over to the US market well. Ponyo was his first large scale release here in the US (927 screens as opposed to the 30 or 40 screens for his former releases). It finished in 9th place, rspectable for a foriegn cartoon feature. The story centers around a little boy and a fish/girl who form a special bond. After they are seperated, the fish girl, Ponyo, wants to become a full human and rejoin her friend. She begs her father, but he will not let her go. Very adventurous and beautifully done, Miyazaki outdoes himself on this one. The all star voice cast shows just how fond the stars of Hollywood are of Miyazaki's work. He is able to retain top notch actors and actresses for his English translations. This lends to the stunning visuals that Miyazaki nails once again, and this film is a must see for families looking for a quality film to watch together. It wouldn't hurt to go grab some of his other classics either. Available on DVD or Blu-Ray.
Also being released this week: 2012, Castle In The Sky, Dr. Who: The Dalek War, Gentleman Broncos, Free Willy Trilogy, Pulp Fiction Blu-Ray, Clash of the Titans (1981) Blu-Ray, The Neverending Story Blu-Ray
Now get out there and get some movies kids... happy viewings!!!
Where the wild thing are was a great flick. I picked up Pulp Fiction, and Clash of the Titans on Blu-ray. I just ordered "Shogun Assassins" after listening to the Gza's "Liquid Swords" album on repeat on my way to and from work yesterday and today.
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