Friday Night at the Movies on Primrose

A friend suggested this film - so I got it from NetFlix - about 3 weeks ago!! There has been no movie time it seems. We finally watched it last night.

It has an interesting story line - somewhat old and hackneyed - but it works. And the music was charming. The characters were well-drawn - and the humor was funny most of the time - it got a little "bawdy" at times, but it was a music hall in Paris in 1936 after all! (Be warned, the sub-titles are essential - Dad commented that the French was almost indecipherable!)

It made for some Friday night fun back in the old family room - you know, the room down the hall from the room formerly known as Noah's/Harry's room and next to the room formerly known as Bonny's/Phoebe's bedroom - and the popcorn is in the cupboard formerly known as the water heater closet in the room formerly known as the laundry room!

And there was a whole list of previews to scroll through - so now we have our NetFlix queue filled and waiting for next Friday night!!

So, should you make a book into a movie?

The reviews are mixed on this film. And I can see why.

There is some charm to it - especially when Max is on the shore with the wild things. They are pretty well done. But it does drag in places. And the main message seems to be that Max doesn't know how to behave - doesn't understand all the conflicting emotions he is experiencing. But what little kid does??

I have to agree with Kenneth Turan in the Times that, "In Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," less - 10 sentences, 37 pages, 338 words - became more: a much-loved children's book that's sold more than 19 million copies worldwide, 10 million in the U.S. In the new film version of Sendak's classic, more - admired director Spike Jonze, smart co-screenwriter Dave Eggers, top-flight actors including Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker, and a budget estimated at $80 million to $100 million - has paradoxically become less: a precious, self-indulgent cinematic fable that not everyone is going to love."

He goes on to say that the film makes "explicit what was implicit," and I think that's where I think it falls apart. Sometimes it can be tedious to have everything spelled out.

But it's certainly not the worst film I've ever seen - and there were some highlights . So I don't want to spoil it in case you plan to go see it. (Hint: Look for the chicken arm.)

Eve and Porter stayed with it pretty well - but often asked "Why did he say that?" or "Why are you laughing Grandma?" Baby Harry had a harder time staying with it - but did a pretty good job of behaving well even when a little bored. They all appreciated the "knock, knock" joke sequence however!

So, I'm hoping they never try to make a film out of "Ask Mr. Bear," or "Outside Over There," or "Rain Makes Applesauce!!"

YA book covers

My friend Courtney directed me to this funny blog of bad YA book covers from the 80s. Sadly, the author seems to have run out of material but I think that she is giving up too easily.