Where the Wild Things Are

Just watched on YouTube as linked from the Cartoon Brew site this Western Woods production of Gene Deitch's animation of Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are". Narrated and with music by Peter Schickele, this is a straightforward telling with the still pictures of the original book by Mr. Sendak coming to glorious life courtesy of Mr. Deitch. Just marvel at how the characters just leap on screen, cavorting and jumping and just having a good time. The feature film, live action version that just came out had some nice added moments but if you didn't want that version, this one should suit you just fine. So on that note, I recommend Gene Deitch's version of Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are if you're a fan of both. P.S. Mr. Deitch is another one born in my birthtown of Chicago, Ill.

Don't know how kids like it, but it's interesting for adults. The animation is good, the narration by Peter Schickele is very good, and the score by Schickele is excellent.

The DVD also contains "In the Night Kitchen" and four other Sendak shorts, and the extras include Sendak talking about his books.

This version would be a good lead-in to watching the 2009 movie (I did it backwards) since it turns out that the 2009 movie is closely based on the book/animated short, just greatly expanded. It even contains many of the lines from the original, and these make more sense when you know they are from the original.

Edward

This is a great adaption of this story that I would definitely recommend.

. . . on presenting a sure-fire formula for raising kids to become serial assault artists and active shooters. When parents constantly undercut themselves by weaseling out on even the most mild, milquetoast promised punishments for the incorrigible wrong-headed juvenile delinquents lingering under their roofs, they become part of the problem rather than the solution. When the inevitable consequences of their parental malpractice results in the liquidation of their little monsters' peers, they deserve double the sentences meted out to their abominations, as is happening right now in Oxford, MI. Unfortunately, it's too late to correct the shortcomings there from out-of-control miscreants doubtless exposed to WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, with it's "You get to have supper after all" decadent finale.