Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

When I first heard that Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are was going to be made into a movie, I was, of course, skeptical. The notion of having cherished childhood memories consumed yet again by the unstoppable nostalgia feedback-loop of remakes and re-imaginings was, at best, unwelcome. That is, until I heard tell that Spike Jonze was on board to write and direct. Who better to revisit the fantasy worlds of my childhood than the man responsible for the movies and music videos that resonated in my young adulthood the way that Sendak's book had in my earlier years. Next I find out that Dave Eggers is co-writing the screenplay. Literary accomplishments aside, Mr. Eggers runs a young-writers' workshop/pirate supply store. And he is tireless in exposing charlatan pirate-supply merchants. Perfect.

Then I see the trailer. To paraphrase a friend, I really didn't really realize how much the book meant to me until I noticed the chills running down my spine the moment I realized that the shaggy-haired, sleepy-eyed child resting his head on that furry shoulder was, in fact, Max, and that the horns silhouetted below belonged to a Wild Thing. Even the typography in the trailer, which hints at the sort of aesthetic cultivated by a gallery like Charming Wall, had me mentally calculating the hours till the release.

And now, as if all of that weren't enough, I recently happened upon a blog, We Love You So that the filmmakers are publishing as a compendium of like-minded creators and catalog of sundry inspirations. As it turns out, it's one of the most consistently wonderful blogs I've read in a while. Here are a few of my favorites entries of late:

Jan Von Holleben's Dreams of Flying Series:

Ghanaian Movie Posters:

Edible creatures from both Edith Zimmerman...
and Vanessa Dualib
All in all, our expectations are high for Oct. 16th. What about you? Any movies you're looking forward to this fall? Any must-read weblogs? Let us know. We'd love to hear from you. If we're as excited about it as you are, who know, maybe we'll even cut you a deal on some Firestone wines!