Where the Wild Things Are In 35mm!
Details
Climb aboard a tiny boat and sail straight into your childhood imagination at Where the Wild Things Are in 35mm, roaring onto the big screen as part of Bleak Week at the historic Paramount Theatre.
Date & Time: Sunday, June 7, 2026 – Doors at 2:30pm, film at 3:30pm
Format: A gorgeous 35mm print of the 2009 feature adaptation
Running Time: 101 minutes, color
Spike Jonze’s heartfelt adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved picture book transforms a simple bedtime punishment into an epic emotional journey. When mischievous Max, simmering with frustration and big feelings, is sent to bed without supper, he escapes into a world of towering trees, crashing waves, and giant, fur-covered creatures who decide he’s just wild enough to be their king.
This screening celebrates the film’s rich blend of practical effects, imaginative costume design, and tactile, lived-in sets. The Wild Things themselves come to life through an impressive combination of physical suits and expressive visual effects, giving the creatures a weight, warmth, and vulnerability that shines on film—especially in 35mm.
The cast is stacked with talent: Max Records brings a raw, restless energy to Max, while the Wild Things are voiced by an all-star ensemble including Catherine Keener, Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, and Mark Ruffalo. Their performances turn these shaggy monsters into walking metaphors for Max’s tangled emotions—loneliness, anger, joy, and the fear of growing up.
On the surface, it’s a story about a boy who runs away into his imagination; underneath, it’s a surprisingly tender meditation on childhood, family, and the complicated mess of being a kid who feels everything a little too strongly. The tone fits perfectly with Bleak Week’s bittersweet vibe: the film is gentle but melancholy, filled with warm light, wild rumpuses, and the ache of knowing that no fantasy can last forever.
Why see it in 35mm? The grain and texture of film give the movie’s dusky forests, crashing oceans, and handmade creature designs a dreamy, storybook quality you just don’t get at home.
Perfect for: Fans of the original book, Spike Jonze devotees, nostalgic millennials, families with older kids, and anyone who secretly wishes they could still wear a wolf suit and start a rumpus.
Bleak Week energy: Expect big feelings, tender monster hugs, and the kind of sadness that somehow makes you feel a little more human and a lot less alone.
Arrive when doors open at 2:30pm to grab your seat, soak in the atmosphere, and settle in before Max’s tiny boat pushes off toward the island where the Wild Things are. Whether it was a bedtime favorite or a film you’ve only ever seen at home, catching this on 35mm is a rare chance to let your inner wild thing loose on the big screen.