…the amazing Maurice Sendak.
That’s why I was so happy yesterday to find this new TateShots episode of Sendak talking about his work. I just love his integrity. Right at the start of this clip, he talks about being asked to write a sequel to Where the wild things are. ‘Go to hell,’ he says, ‘I’m not a whore.’
Where the wild things are is the first book I remember reading as a kid. I loved In the night kitchen too, and used to giggle about Mickey’s willy with my nursery school buddies. But I was terrified by the giant bakers, who would chase me upstairs in nightmares. Sendak made such an impression on me as a kid that when I think back now to my earliest memories, they’re in those muted Sendak tones, and riddled with his crosshatching.
I named my first son after Max in Where the wild things are. For his first birthday, we had a Where the wild things are party. My mum made him a wolf suit. Two of my friends and their dad made him a boat – an exact wooden replica of the boat from the book, and my wife and I painted giant cardboard trees and wild things and put them round the house.
I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to watch the recent movie, even though I’m a Spike Jonze fan. A friend saw it and said it was the most depressing thing she’d ever seen. I’m worried that my connection with the book will be frayed in some way if I see it and am disappointed. Maybe if you’ve seen it, and have good things to say about it, you can reassure me.
That’s so lovely about Max, the wolf suit and the boat!
I don’t have any good things to say about the movie, I’m afraid. I took my four to watch it and was horribly disappointed. Despite a promising trailer, the film didn’t live up to my expectations and the children (who hadn’t read the book) weren’t especially impressed either.
Thanks Carys. That’s what I feared about the movie. I guess I’ll avoid it a little longer.
To me…I’m hoping for a sequel to happened, cause I bet that everyone is curious to know on what happens next with Max and the Wild Things.
And I bet that everyone is curious to know if Max is going to go back to the island of the Wild Things again for the second time to go see the Wild Things again, and maybe…what will become of Carol and KW? Like, are they going to get married and maybe…have a baby together?
And maybe if Max goes back to his homeland, maybe he could bring Carol along with him, so they could have wonderful adventures, and that their bond that they had together could keep on growing alot stronger, like father and son figures to each other.
And maybe Spike Jonze could direct it, however…it’s wrong for Maurice Sendak to tell people to go to hell, cause…I believe that he should give his book a chance and if he says he’s going to do a sequel to his book, I believe he is going to owe everyone a huge apology.
Also…maybe Spike Jonze could bring the same actors to do the voices of the Wild Things, like James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano and Michael Berry Jr. and maybe he could bring back Max Records as Max and Catherine Keener as Max’s mom, including the girl that played Max’s sister name Claire.
Also, I hope for a sequel to happen.
Wow, sounds like you’ve really got a plan for the sequel – maybe you should produce it?