Spike's latest film adapts Maurice Sendak's beloved children's' tome and, despite a truly troubled, lengthy production with shut downs and reshoots, has produced a great film.

"When I started working on it, I wasn’t thinking about children’s films. I wasn’t thinking that, Oh, this is my children’s film," he told Vanity Fair.

"I was thinking about the character, and about making a movie that felt like childhood. I was never referencing children’s films or reacting to children’s films.

"I was just trying to make a movie that felt like being that age and trying to understand the world and figure it out, how confusing it is; how scary it can be; what scary, unpredictable emotions it brings out; and things being out of control. Just like specific primal fear and feelings that I associate with being that age."