Why is he so awesome?

[docscarabus]

Newsweek: What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?

Maurice Sendak: I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate.

Comments

[plutherus]

OK, now I wanna see his movie!

[iuciddream]

Maurice Sendak doesn't have kids, other than Max of course. But that's easy for somebody with fictional children to say.

[docscarabus]

People with kids and people without kids have a deep gap of experience in general.

[docscarabus]

In all seriousness though, I think todays children are being done a disservice by having thier imagination scrubbed of the disturbing.

Have you read "The Diamond Age"? Its a fictional book about Victorian children's literature. It makes a strong argument that character is molded by confronting children with the disturbing, and the violent.

I always think of Kipling's dark masterwork on social relationships "the Jungle Book" and of the silly Disney movie of the same name.

[iuciddream]

We read the kids books like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and The Raven, and A Christmas Carol and just about anything by Raold Dahl. He LOVES scary books and ghost stories. But they just doesn't enjoy being scared at a movie. Even "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was NOT enjoyed by the kids.

You just have to gauge your kids appreciation for the macabre. The problem with WTWTA is that the book is for toddlers and preschoolers, while the movie features a 9 year old Max, and is theoretically appropriate for a much older audience than the book.

I adore Spike Jonze. Every time I even think of the video for "Praise You" I almost pee my pants laughing. So, I'll hold my opinions on the movie until I see it. But I think I'd want to see this one before I show it to the kids...

[aset]

In an interview I saw where they asked the same question, he said then dont take them to see it. I of course will take all my boys to see it because I have been reading that book to my kids for the last 14 yrs.

[docscarabus]

Yeah. But you wouldn't let me read the _Jungle Book_ to your kids.