Today is Adam
Spiegel, aka Spike
Jonze's 40
th birthday, director of the long awaited and much talked about
Where the Wild Things Are. Already released in the US, here's some reading matter to get you warmed up for the Australian release date in early December.
The Author/Illustrator: Maurice
Sendak, born June 10 1928, is best known for Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and In the Night Kitchen (1970). Both books have been subject to controversy -some parents thought
WTWTA was
a touch scary, while In the Night Kitchen was censored because it features a little boy running around naked.
Sendak's art is most recognizable by it's fable-like, well rounded looking
figures and soft colouring, but Brown & Bunting's favourite
Sendak works are the more simplistic illustrations in a book by Ruth
Krauss called
A Hole Is to Dig.
The Book: WTWTA has been cherished by many generations now. Before
Jonze's treatment it had been adapted as an animation short and an opera, as well as subjected to many different schools of analysis including
imperialistic interpretations.You can pick up
a signed first edition on abebooks for between $900-27500 :).
The Director: Turns 40 today. Well known for his
Sonic Youth,
Beastie Boys and
Dinosaur Jr music videos, he is best know for his films
Adaptation,
Being John Malkovich and
Jackass etc. The drippy husband to Scarlett
Johansson's character in
Lost in Translation is rumoured to have been based on him.
The Script Writer: Dave
Eggers should need no introduction, but just in case you've been away somewhere these past ten years...
McSweeney's826 ValenciaHis books are through
Penguin Australia, but are readily available second-hand...Brown & Bunting recommends Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius and the Required Reading Series that he edits.
The Music: The
WTWTA soundtrack was created by Karen O, lady from the
Yeah Yeah Yeahs and
Jonze's ex.
The Verdict:Salon.comTimeout.comNY TimesThe Auteurs...you might wish you were living in
NY for the release...
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