We’ve been in need of a new Spike Jonze feature since 2009′s Where the Wild Things Are, and it looks as if the filmmaker is planning an interesting new film with a stellar cast. The untitled feature (written and to be directed by Jonze) will center on a man “who falls in love with the voice of a computer, similar to the Siri feature on the new iPhone.” With Joaquin Phoenix already on board, we can only guess that he’ll play that love-struck techno-wonk, but just who of the reported three new female cast members would play the tantalizing voice? Deadline Cupertino reports that Carey Mulligan, Amy Adams, and Samantha Morton are all in talks to star in the film alongside Phoenix. My bet for the voice? Adams, because who else has the same pep and charm? Also adding to my complete speculation – the fact that Morton and Mulligan bare a striking resemblance to each other that I cannot help but think would work quite well in the “real world” confines of the film. This project is not to be confused with another Jonze film  that will star Phoenix and Mulligan – that’s the one that is being penned by Charlie Kaufman. That film is reportedly “a satire about how world leaders gather to figure out all the seismic events that will take place in the worlds, from oil prices to wars that will be waged,” which sounds particularly wonderful.

Over the course of the year, curating the Short Film of the Day feature has given me a deep and affecting appreciation of the art form. Before, I hadn’t given much thought to the little bastards, but the truth is that they are incredibly versatile and representative of the boundaries that film can break. They can be jokes told well or human dramas driven home. They can be a perfect bite or demand to be expanded into a full meal. They can feel classic or break out into the long, strange realm of experimentation. They are so much more than movies with short runtimes. There’s one difficulty in judging them, though. With such variation, pinpointing how one can be better than another gets to be tricky. So, no matter the order, the one constant is that all the movies listed here are outstanding at what they do. The other (small) problem is that sometimes short films spend a long time touring festivals and otherwise being unavailable online. Thus, eligibility here is based solely on when a movie hit the web for us to digest. In that way, it’s the best short films from 2010-2011, but I have a feeling that that trivia won’t matter once you sit glued to the screen at the talent on display here.

Why Watch? It’s from Spike Jonze. There’s no reason you should need to know more about it, but in case you’re curious, this inventive short film (which channels a few of the old Merry Melodies shorts set in libraries) was born out of a partnership between Jonze and artist/purse designer Olympia Le-Tan. With co-director Simon Cahn, Jonze tells the stop-motion story of a skeleton and a young woman from the covers of two famous novels, falling in love and getting into trouble. Vibrant and sweet, it’s a must-see. What does it cost? Just 7 minutes of your time. Check out Mourir Auprès de Toi for yourself:

If you’re interested in seeing veteran actor Brian Cox slit a few throats and chop off a few heads, then Ironclad is definitely the film for you. It’s got fantastically gory kills, Paul Giamatti looking angry in every frame and chewing apart every inch of scenery with each glare, and blood hitting every inch of the screen imaginable. Sound promising? Director Jonathan English has captured a tone that revels in both gore and laughs. Brian Cox, thankfully, gets to partake in English’s bloodbath. I knew within the first few seconds of speaking with Cox that I was going to enjoy the chat. Cox got a hearty laugh from the site’s name right from the start and had a few questions about its origin, a part I desperately wish I recorded. It was a nice icebreaker, to say the least. Calm and thoughtful, the actor made for a quick and pleasant interview. We discussed the fun tone of Ironclad and, mainly, the different directors he’s collaborated with, including the likes of Bryan Singer, Doug Liman, and Rupert Wyatt.

We’ve reported before about billionaire heiress Megan Ellison, who has used her fortune to start Annapurna Pictures, a company whose sole purpose seems to be giving awesome filmmakers money so that they can make awesome movies. Well, it looks like she’s at it again. Deadline Sandy Fork reports that she is negotiating to take on an as-of-yet untitled film that will reunite the writing/directing team of Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze. When those two men teamed before we ended up getting Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. I don’t know about you, but I thought both of those movies were just the bee’s knees. The film they are set to make is said to be a parody-heavy take on things that Alex Jones has been trying to convince us are really happening with his conspiracy theory documentaries. It will be a dramatization of the world’s most powerful leaders meeting in a secret room to plan out all of the upcoming happenings that will steer the course of human history. Marry that with Jonze’s innovative visual style and Kaufman’s mind-bending writing style and it looks like something special is in the works. We’ve seen the duo do darkly funny and strangely interesting before, but we’ve never seen them try to tackle something that looks this political. I was entranced enough watching them tell a story about orchids, but when they take on issues like impending wars and global oil trading prices we might get an enduring classic the likes of Dr. Strangelove [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Many folks have been anticipating the DVD and Blu-ray release of Spike Jonze’s visionary adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. Well, it has hit the streets, and it’s time for the wild rumpus to start. Because the movie is more for adults who remember what it was like to be a kid, I’m sure the audience is old enough to play the game. Who wouldn’t want to be king of the Wild Things, after all?

Just in time, the folks at South by Southwest (SXSW) have released their final additions to this year’s festival. Taking place from March 12 – 20, 2010, the 2010 edition of the film festival will feature a wide range of films. It will open with Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass. And as we know now, it will close with Chris Morris’ Four Lions, a highly acclaimed film from this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Also on the list of additions are Spike Jonze’s great short I’m Here, a tale of robot love; Elijah Drenner’s American Grindhouse, an exploration of American exploitation films; and more…

The documentary filmed by Spike Jonze will find a place on DVD shelves next to that movie directed by Spike Jonze.

The first screening of Spike Jonze’s latest work, the robot-centric short film I’m Here. Here now is the trailer.

This week’s Culture Warrior is getting its bunker ready for Y2K.

The Sundance Institute has finally rounded out their announcements for their upcoming fest (held in Park City in January) with the full listing of Short Films in competition.

In Where the Wild Things Are, childhood logic is never illogical and to act as a child is not the same thing as being childish.

Where the Wild Things Are is beautiful, successful in its task, and moving. But you might not like it. It’s darker than it is whimsical, sadder than it is sweet.

Meet Max Records. His performance is the special center of Spike Jonze’s movie Where the Wild Things Are, the linchpin that brings it all together so wonderfully…

Kevin Carr takes a look at this week’s movie releases, including Where the Wild Things Are, Law Abiding Citizen and The Stepfather.

Neil and Kevin go Where the Wild Things Are and take a look at Law Abiding Citizen and The Stepfather.

Attention, New York Rejects! In anticipation of this weekend’s release of Where The Wild Things Are, the Museum of Modern Art in New York has created the first ever retrospective of Spike Jonze’s work. Spike Jonze: The First 80 Years.

I loved Where The Wild Things Are. It’s a reminder that life as a kid is magical and difficult, so I’ve pinpointed seven reasons why I personally fell in love with this film.

Things you should do today: enter our epic Where the Wild Things Are giveaway.

Starbucks and Warner Bros. have released a brand new behind the scenes featurette for Where the Wild Things Are, this time showing us how the soundtrack came together.