Where the wild things come from

Here’s pretty much the coolest thing I’ve seen on the internet in a while: We Love You So is a blog from the makers of “Where the Wild Things Are” that details, in pleasantly haphazard fashion, the various films, books, images and other bits and bobs that served as form of influence or inspiration (however tangential) for them while working on the film — and plenty else besides.

As you’d expect from Spike Jonze and his crew, it’s a pretty mixed bag. I was, however, thrilled and excited to read that Jonze regards Lynne Ramsay’s amazing “Ratcatcher” as a relevant tonal reference, citing the way the film so emphatically enters the midset of its child protagonist, adopting his own perspective. Smart thinking. It’s a clear sign (as if we needed one) that Jonze is taking this story as seriously as he would any adult-oriented project.

Amid the more random odds and ends on the site, I particularly loved this delightfully depressing photo of a desolate New York ice-cream parlor, that illustrates the extent to which Maurice Sendak’s book has permeated everyday life: