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Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (Sugarplum Romance)
ReelzChannel, 8:00 PM ET/PT
The Pacific Northwest Ballet performs the fairy tale with music by Tchaikovsky, sets and costumes by Maurice Sendak. Host Tony Randall.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Comfort & Joy)
Cartoon Network, 9:00 PM ET
Everyone's favorite "bad banana with a greasy black peel" hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
The King of Kings (O Holy Night)
TCM, 9 PM ET
Orson Welles narrates the story of Jesus (Jeffrey Hunter), including the Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, and the Resurrection.
Die Hard (Bah Humbug)
Encore Action, 2:20 and 10:00 PM ET
When a group of terrorists take over an office building during a holiday party, it's clearly not going to be a Merry Christmas for all.
What else is showing this season? See the complete Holiday TV Movie Guide: The 12 Flavors of Christmas.
And if you're wondering what to buy the movie lovers on your shopping list, check out our Holiday Gifts store.
Posted 12.20.09 by reelz -
The teaser posters recently released for director Spike Jonze's big-screen adaptation of the classic Where the Wild Things Are by author/illustrator Maurice Sendak featured character portraits and names for some of the scary monsters who inhabit the imagination its main character, Max (played by Max Records). However, in the original book, Sendak never named the characters. Sendak told Newsweek:
I never wanted them to have names . . . They never had names until they became movie stars.
Sendak said that his inspiration for the monsters came from his extended family.
The monsters were based on relatives. They came from Europe, and they came on weekends to eat, and my mom had to cook. Three aunts and three uncles who spoke no English, practically. They grabbed you and twisted your face, and they thought that was an affectionate thing to do. And I knew that my mother's cooking was pretty terrible, and it also took forever, and there was every possibility that they would eat me, or my sister or my brother. We really had a wicked fantasy that they were capable of that. We couldn't taste any worse than what she was preparing. So that's who the Wild Things are. They're foreigners, lost in America, without a language. And children who are petrified of them, and don't understand that these gestures, these twistings of flesh, are meant to be affectionate.
Posted 10.12.09 by BrentJS -
Author Maurice Sendak has had to fight for his story Where the Wild Things Are since he first offered it to publishers. The 1963 book has been praised, criticized, and even banned from some libraries over the years, but the story of a young boy escaping into a world of fantasy to avoid his problems is now considered a classic. In a recent Newsweek interview, Sendak said that Spike Jonze's big-screen adaptation of the book was true to the core elements of his book.
The truth of the matter is, I saw immediately a combination of things that I wanted and I loved. The courage of the child, the danger of the situation — it could turn on a dime. They could have eaten him. All of that was apparent right from the start.
When he was asked if Where the Wild Things Are is too scary for children, the same fire with which Sendak has defended his book over the years boiled to the surface regarding Jonze's film.
I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate. If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered.
Where the Wild Things Are stars Max Records, Catherine Keener, and Mark Ruffalo. It also features the voice talents of James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, and Lauren Ambrose.
Posted 10.10.09 by BrentJS -
Just the other day, Warner Bros. released two new TV spots for Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are. Here's a little something to go along with that: The New York Times has published five new images from the movie as part of an interactive multimedia feature.
In the corresponding article, Jonze spoke with Times free-lancer Dennis Lim about the movie.
I wanted it to be as natural feeling as possible. I wanted to shoot the wild things in camera: on location, out in the wild ... [My goal was to] maintain this feeling I had reading the book as a kid. Those drawings are so immersive, you just fall into them ... Maybe it's because I've known [the creatures] since I existed, basically, but my feeling is that they've always existed as creatures in the world.
The article also discusses Jonze's movie-making process, which included voice-recording sessions with actors, filming on location with different actors, and digital manipulation for facial expressions.
Where the Wild Things Are opens on October 16 and features in-the-flesh performances from Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, and Max Records as the protagonist. Voice talent includes Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherina O'Hara, Forest Whitaker, and Paul Dano.
Posted 09.15.09 by reelz -
This movie just keeps looking better and better. Check out the new TV spots recently released for Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are.
Posted 09.14.09 by reelz -
The movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's initially-controversial-but-now-classic 1963 book, Where the Wild Things Are, has been beset by its own share of delays, re-edits, and controversy. But according to Max Records, the young star of the picture, any controversy over the movie could simply portend good things.
When the book first came out, it was banned and all the adults hated it and stuff. But all the kids absolutely loved it. Then people started realizing, "Oh this is good. This is good." And so, I think it's the same thing — only hopefully it won't take too long for people to actually realize that it's really, really amazing.
Though Records is only 12 years old, Wild Things is his second feature and he spoke with some insight about the movie's director, Spike Jonze.
Spike's great; his big thing is he takes people and puts them in new situations, like I've never done the acting before. He wants it all to be spontaneous and authentic and real, and not like acting.
Posted 09.09.09 by BrentJS -
We're all excited about Spike Jonze's upcoming adaptation of the classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are, especially after the book's author Maurice Sendak gave Jonze his full endorsement and glowing approval in a very titillating behind-the-scenes featurette.
And now, here's something to get everyone even more excited: We Love You So recently posted a sneak peak at the cover that will grace the latest issue of Filter Magazine.
The cover, which was illustrated by Geoff McFetridge, looks appropriately trippy. According to the post, the Filter issue will feature interviews with Jonze and actors Catherine Keener, Catherine O'Hara, and Max Records, as well as some photos and art from the set and crew.
Posted 09.04.09 by reelz -
Four months after the debut of its first trailer, a second theatrical trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is now online. The adaptation of the beloved Maurice Sendak children's book has been difficult process for director Spike Jonze, including crying children at screenings and reshoots that pushed back the release date, but the trailer shows that Jonze seems to have successfully pulled off a beautiful adaptation. We'll know for sure October 16, so until then enjoy the trailer below:
Posted 08.09.09 by Ryan -
Previewing in theaters before Monsters vs. Aliens, the first official trailer for Maurice Sendak's timeless classic children's story Where The Wild Things Are is now online for all to see. Let the wild rumpus begin!
In the wonderfully illustrated book, naughty Max was sent to bed without his supper and imagines sailing off to an island full of "Wild Things." When he proves not to be frightened by the the terrifying, yet cuddly monsters, they crown Max their King and they all join in on a wild rumpus. After tiring of ruling the land, Max sails back home just as his Mom is bringing up some dinner for him.
Posted 03.26.09 by reelz -
Earlier we showed you the new pics that came out for movie adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are. Now, we've discovered what looks like early test footage, and the new poster! Have a look.
Posted 03.26.09 by reelz