Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are is a 2009 fantasy adventure drama movie. It was written by Jonze and Dave Eggers and is based on the 1963 picture book of the same name by Maurice Sendak. The live-action, costumed actors, animatronics, and computer-generated visuals are all combined in this film (CGI). Max, a lonely little boy, goes off to an island home to creatures known as the "Wild Things", who crown Max their king. Max is the main character of the movie. The movie premiered in the US on October 16, 2009, in Australia on December 3, and in Germany on December 17.

Spike Jonze's approach to the movie raised questions within Warner Bros. and in the media prior to its release about whether or not it was appropriate for children, but the movie received favorable reviews and made numerous year-end top ten lists. Even though the movie eventually received negative reviews, with some calling it boring and lacking in exciting action, it appealed to parents who remembered their own childhoods spent reading Sendak's books and directly addressed many of the complex themes found in the source material. In addition, Jonze's work brought each "wild thing" to life through the acting of celebrities like Chris Cooper, James Gandolfini, and Catherine O'Hara, demonstrating his willingness to uphold the integrity of Sendak's original work.

Detailed information:

Based on: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose

Release dates: October 13, 2009 (New York City)

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0386117/

David Fincher's 2008 American fantasy romantic drama film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was released. The plot by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord is partially based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short tale of the same name from 1922. Brad Pitt plays a guy who matures backwards in the movie, while Cate Blanchett plays his long-term love relationship. The classic short tale by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a boy born a septuagenarian who matures backward intrigues readers with issues like the power of a father's love and societal marginalization.

It is therefore understandable why David Fincher decided to adapt Fitzgerald's original short story into a feature-length motion picture, complete with stunning special effects and accomplished actors like Brad Pitt as the title character and the incredibly talented Cate Blanchett as the main love interest. Fincher's version chose a more serious tone as it woven in a big love story that overshadows all other elements of the movie, in contrast to Fitzgerald's yarn, which was spun with a slightly humorous thread and focused more on the societal consequence of Benjamin's presence than anything else. Fincher effectively tells an enduring love tale that is very emotional, despite the film's length and deviations from its inspiration.

Detailed information:
Based on: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mahershala Ali, Taraji P. Henson
Release dates: December 25, 2008
Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0421715

The 2005 American neo-Western love drama film Brokeback Mountain was produced by James Schamus and Diana Ossana and directed by Ang Lee. The script was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry and was based on Annie Proulx's short tale of the same name, which was published in 1997. The movie, which stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams, tells the story of the complicated love affair that developed between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, two American ranchers, in the American West between 1963 and 1983.

Ang Lee skillfully handled Proulx's universally tragic tale of two homosexual cowboys in 1960s Wyoming and their struggle with their self-identification in a judging and violent culture after they discover their enduring love for one another while herding sheep through the state's remote and picturesque mountains in what would become an Academy Award-winning adapted script (the film would win three Oscars from its eight nominations). Lee carefully adapted the short tale for the big screen, winning accolades from the author of the original work as well as critical acclaim and financial success. The star-studded ensemble, which includes Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway, who flawlessly portrayed Proulx's characters, is another aspect of this adaptation that draws large crowds.

Detailed information:

Based on: "Brokeback Mountain" by Annie Proulx

Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris

Release dates: September 2, 2005 (Venice)

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0388795/

Stanley Kubrick co-wrote, produced, and directed the sexual mystery, psychological drama movie Eyes Wide Shut in 1999. It is an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's 1926 novelette Traumnovelle (Dream Story), moving the action from early 20th-century Vienna to 1990s New York City. The main character of the story is a doctor played by Tom Cruise who is shocked to learn that his wife, played by Nicole Kidman, had considered having an affair a year earlier. Then he sets out on a nightlong adventure, infiltrating a masked orgy of an unnamed secret society.

In the 1960s, Kubrick bought the filmmaking rights to Dream Story because he thought it would make a great movie about sex. When he engaged author Frederic Raphael to assist him with the adaptation in the 1990s, he brought the idea back to life. With the exception of a few exterior establishing shots, the majority of the movie was filmed in England. However, Pinewood Studios produced a meticulous recreation of the exterior Greenwich Village street scenes. The production of the movie has a 400-day shooting schedule, which is a Guinness World Record.

Detailed information:

Based on: Traumnovelle by Arthur Schnitzler

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack, Marie Richardson

Release dates: July 16, 1999 (United States)

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0120663/

Tim Burton's 1999 gothic supernatural horror movie Sleepy Hollow was released. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a rough version of Washington Irving's 1820 short story, and it stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee, and Jeffrey Jones playing supporting characters. The story centers on police officer Ichabod Crane (Depp), who has been sent by New York City to look into a string of murders committed in the Sleepy Hollow community by the enigmatic Headless Horseman.

Tim Burton created a campy yet aesthetically magnificent horror picture that mesmerized its viewers, mostly based on Washington Irving's famed 19th-century short novel "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (1819–20) and its namesake locale. In contrast to the short story, which centers on a scarecrow-thin schoolteacher who is seduced by the promise of an impending heiress and by his amusing attempts to win her affection, Burton's movie concentrates more on the Headless Horseman's true legend and all-too-real menace. In order to explore the relationship between science and the mystical in a setting that will be unsettlingly familiar to his audience, Burton takes the liberty of changing Ichabod Crane's profession from that of a frugal schoolteacher to that of a detective who is a firm believer in the emergence of empirical science. Burton, a master storyteller and set designer, has created a disturbing tale despite the numerous alterations done with Irving's famous tale.

Detailed information:

Based on: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon

Release dates: November 17, 1999

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0162661/

The fantasy action movie Jumanji was produced in 1995 in the United States and directed by Joe Johnston from a script by Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain. The movie is the first entry in the Jumanji series, and it is loosely based on Chris Van Allsburg's picture book of the same name. The plot revolves on a paranormal board game in which each player turn brings new dangers from the forest. In 1969, Alan Parrish was a little child playing with his buddy Sarah Whittle when he was stuck inside the game itself. Twenty-six years later, Judy and Peter Shepherd, who are siblings, discover the game, start playing, and unintentionally release the adult Alan. The group decides to continue the game after finding Sarah in order to undo all the damage it has done.

Despite receiving poor reviews after its December 15, 1995, release, the movie was a box office hit, earning $263 million globally on a roughly $65 million budget. It had the tenth-highest box office take in 1995. The movie inspired an animated TV show that ran from 1996 to 1999. It was then followed by two indirect sequels, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), with Columbia Pictures taking over distribution for all subsequent movies.

Detailed information:

Based on: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

Starring: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt

Release date: December 15, 1995

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0113497/

The script for Paul Verhoeven's 1990 American science fiction action movie Total Recall was written by Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, and Gary Goldman. Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger appear in the movie. Total Recall, based on the 1966 Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," tells the tale of Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger), a construction worker who is implanted with the memory of a fanciful Mars experience. He then discovers that his journey is actually taking place as members of a shadowy organization attempt to block him from regaining memories of his past as a Martian secret agent working to overthrow tyrant Vilos Cohaagen (Cox).

One of the most popular movies of the year was predicted to be Total Recall. The movie debuted to around $261.4 million in worldwide revenue, ranking it as the fifth-highest-grossing movie of the year. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its themes of identity and reality-questioning while condemning elements seen to be filthy and aggressive. The film won an Academy Award for outstanding practical special effects, while Jerry Goldsmith's music has been hailed as one of his finest compositions. Since its publication, Total Recall has received attention for its ambiguous conclusion, which questions whether Quaid's exploits are genuine or just a fantasy. Its themes of authoritarianism and colonialism have also been examined. It has been rated among the finest science fiction movies ever produced and has been dubbed one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movies in retrospective assessments. Total Recall has been converted into the 1999 television series Total Recall 2070, in addition to comic books and computer games.

Detailed information:

Based on: "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside

Release date: June 1, 1990

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0100802/

Anjelica Huston is the star of John Huston's 1987 drama The Dead, which was written by Tony Huston and directed by John Huston. It is a retelling of James Joyce's short tale of the same name, which was included in Dubliners' last issue and initially appeared in 1914. The movie, Huston's final as a director, was a global co-production involving the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany. It was released a few months after Huston passed away. The movie is set in Dublin in 1904 at an Epiphany celebration that two sisters and their niece are throwing. The scholar Gabriel Conroy (Donald McCann) and his discovery of his wife Gretta's (Anjelica Huston) recollections of a deceased lover are the main characters of the narrative.

On November 3, 2009, Lionsgate published The Dead on DVD, although the first printing was missing about ten minutes of early-movie content. The full-length version was subsequently released by Lionsgate after the error was discovered and reported on several websites. Tony Huston was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay award at the 60th Academy Awards, and Dorothy Jeakins was nominated for Best Costume Design. At the third Independent Spirit Awards, Anjelica Huston received the Best Supporting Female honor and John Huston, who had recently passed away, received the Best Director honor.

Detailed information:

Based on: "The Dead" by James Joyce

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Donal McCann, Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany, Rachael Dowling

Release date: December 18, 1987

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0092843/

The 1979 American epic war movie Apocalypse Now was created and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The Vietnam War is the setting of the script, which was co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr and is partially based on Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness. The movie depicts Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), who is on a covert mission to kill Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a renegade Special Forces commander who is suspected of murder and considered mad, as he travels by river from South Vietnam into Cambodia. Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, and Dennis Hopper are all included in the ensemble cast.

In the late 1960s, Milius got interested in adapting Heart of Darkness for a Vietnam War context. At first, Coppola and George Lucas worked together to create the project. When Lucas was unable to continue directing, Coppola took over. Coppola's approach to the subject was informed by Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972). Originally planned as a five-month production in the Philippines beginning in March 1976, complications extended it to more than a year. These issues included Sheen having a breakdown and having a heart attack that was close to being deadly while on site, Brando arriving on set overweight and utterly unprepared, and pricey sets being ruined by bad weather. After the filming was eventually completed in May 1977, Coppola had to edit more than a million feet of footage before the picture could ultimately be released. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, a documentary, chronicles several of these challenges (1991).

Initial reviews were unfavorable; while Vittorio Storaro's cinematography received high praise, some reviewers thought Coppola's treatment of the story's central themes was unsatisfying intellectually and anticlimactic. Eight Academy Awards were nominated for the movie, including Best Picture, Best Director (Coppola), and Best Supporting Actor (Duvall). The movie also took home awards for Best Cinematography and Best Sound.

Detailed information:

Based on: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Starring: Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest

Release date: May 19, 1979

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0078788/

Stanley Kubrick created and directed the 1968 sweeping science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The 1951 short story "The Sentinel" and other short tales by science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke served as inspiration for the script, which was co-written by Kubrick and Clarke. After the movie was released, Clarke also released a novelization of the movie that was partially written concurrently with the script. Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain are among the film's notable cast members. It centers on an expedition to Jupiter by astronauts, researchers, and the sentient supercomputer HAL to look into an extraterrestrial monolith. The movie is praised for its confusing imagery, groundbreaking visual effects, and realistic portrayal of space travel.

Kubrick eschewed traditional narrative and cinematic methods; language is used infrequently, and there are lengthy periods that are entirely accompanied by music. The movie attracted a variety of critical reactions, from some who thought it was grimly apocalyptic to those who thought it was an upbeat reconsideration of humanity's prospects. Critics cited its examination of issues including alien life, technology, artificial intelligence, and human evolution. Four Academy Awards were considered for it, and Kubrick won one for overseeing the visual effects. The movie is currently recognized by many as one of the best and most impactful movies ever created.

Detailed information:

Based on: "The Sentinel" by Clarke

Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood

Release date: April 2, 1968

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0062622/

The Birds is a 1963 American thriller-horror film that Alfred Hitchcock both produced and directed. Along with Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, and Veronica Cartwright, the movie also stars Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, who is making her acting debut. The script was written by Evan Hunter, who was instructed by Hitchcock to include new characters and a more complex storyline while maintaining the title and the idea of mysterious bird assaults from du Maurier.

Alfred Hitchcock's renowned horror film successfully stands as a classic in the genre since it was largely based on Daphne Du Maurier's book of the same name, which was first released in 1952. Hitchcock expertly develops a terrifying tale in which birds, for an unknown purpose, wreak terrible mayhem on the human population. He takes his time with the plot, developing the character relationships while the accompanying events steadily escalate, enhancing the tension.

However, some, including Du Maurier herself, criticize the movie for its flagrant disregard for the source material. It is claimed that Hitchcock gave his screenwriter the order to ignore the storyline and characters of Du Maurier, which resulted in a dramatic change in location from a rugged Cornish coastline with farmhouses on fields to a limpid small town in northern California with snobby city dwellers. However, all versions of the narrative skillfully convey the idea that humanity must always remember that it is at the mercy of nature's unpredictable whims.

Detailed information:

Based on: "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier

Starring: Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, Tippi Hedren

Release date: March 28, 1963

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0056869/

Adapted from Truman Capote's 1958 novella of the same name, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a 1961 American romantic comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, written by George Axelrod, and starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly, a naive, eccentric café society girl who falls in love with a struggling writer. In spite of some questionable casting decisions, such as Mickey Rooney playing a caricatured Japanese neighbor, Blake Edwards's movie adaptation of Truman Capote's 1958 novella remains a classic, if only for Audrey Hepburn's outstanding portrayal of the flighty socialite Holly Golighty. She was nominated for an Oscar for best actress for the role. She did a good job of capturing the imperfect qualities of the figure Capote himself referred to as a "American geisha" in the original writing.

Even in the face of Edwards' distinctly lighter interpretation of the novella, which does away with much of Capote's original cynicism that provided so much of the story's fervor, her performance and that of George Peppard, who plays her stiff but immoral neighbor torn between convenient love and the riskier but more alluring romance symbolized by Golighty, keep the movie afloat. Despite this, many people still consider the movie to be a cult classic today. The movie was chosen by the Library of Congress in 2012 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two of them, and the music, which included "Moon River", was nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning five of them.

Detailed information:

Based on: Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

Starring: Audrey Hepburnm, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen

Release date: October 5, 1961

Link to watch: imdb.com/title/tt0054698/