The author of the extraordinary comic strip of the decade 1985/95 turns 65 today. Thinking about his poetics, we have selected these films for streaming.
The cartoonist turns 65 today Bill Watterson, or the one who in our opinion can rightfully be considered one of the great artists of the 20th century. It is in fact the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, comic strip that first appeared on November 18, 1985. The poetic adventures of the boy and his stuffed tiger went on for exactly ten years, becoming an essential reference point for millions of readers. No one has been able to grasp the (even) brutal truth and melancholy of childhood as Watterson and his unforgettable protagonists of him, and that is why today we want to pay tribute to his genius through five film in streaming that powerfully tell the complexity of being a child. Happy birthday Mr. Watterson, and thanks again for ten years of wonderful adventures.
Homage to Bill Watterson: Five Streaming Movies Exploring Childhood
- The 400 strokes
- ET – The extraterrestrial
- Stand By Me – Memory of a summer
- In the land of wild creatures
- King of the wild land
The 400 Blows (1959)
The debut of Francois Truffaut behind the camera changes the rules of European and international cinema forever. And it does so with a story of a difficult childhood and at the same time vibrant with the poetics of everyday life. The very young Antoine Doinel played by Jean-Pierre Leaud it immediately becomes a symbol of vitality, emotion, intimacy of the representation of a child. The 400 strokes overturns the aesthetic rules of cinema, officially founds the Nouvelle Vague, gets an Oscar nomination for best screenplay. A new way of understanding and making cinema has arisen, in a gentle and overbearing way. Like its unforgettable protagonist. Available on Amazon Prime Video.
ET (1982)
Elliot’s troubled childhood, with an absent father and a mother struggling to keep the family afloat, transforms with the arrival of the little alien into the most exciting adventure of contemporary American cinema. Steven Spielberg does of ET – The extraterrestrial a journey into the child’s psyche that becomes an exploration of the unknown and its wonders. The ending of this masterpiece has no equal in terms of emotional power and depth of empathic gaze. All the spectators got on those flying bicycles, and with that flower each of us rose again. Thanks to this film, being a child has never been the same. By bowing. Available on Google PlayAmazon Prime Video, NOW.
Stand By Me (1986)
Inspired by a beautiful novel by Stephen King contained in Different Seasons, the film directed by Rob Reiner immediately became an object of worship. Painful and romantic growing up story, Stand By Me – Memory of a summer tells rural America with unprecedented precision and violence, dark monsters that lurk behind the idyllic life frame of. towns. In a cast of commendable young actors, a River Phoenix amazing, already at the peak of his short but dazzling career. Films of great emotions and unforgettable landscapes. Lightning Cameo by Richard Dreyfuss. Available on CHILI, NetflixAmazon Prime Video.
Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
Only Spike Jonze could transform the very difficult film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s children’s book into a complex and amazing journey into a child’s emotional and psychological universe. No film like this in recent times has been able to tell the violence and sanguine beauty of childhood. In the land of wild creatures it unfolds like a masterpiece of vision and narration, an emotional puzzle of unprecedented strength. Too many scenes that tear the heart and kidnap the soul. The director’s masterpiece, hands down. To review to suffer and love it. Available on Google Play, Amazon Prime Video.
King of the Wild Land (2012)
From nothing Benh Zeitlin bring out this great little jewel of introspection and ardor. One of the best American independent films of the new millennium, King of the wild land it rests on the powerful shoulders of the very young girl Quvenzhané Wallis, extraordinary protagonist of a film of adventure and imagination, of terror, discovery and acceptance. Four Oscar nominations: best picture, director, leading actress and adaptation. She should have won them all. Unforgettable. Available on CHILI.