Hollywood Mom Blog

Child Star Max Records’ is Battling Retro Robots in “BLINKY”

Posted on 16. Nov, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

Young Actor Max Records has graduated from taming Wild Things to battling Robots!

Max Records, 13, made his feature film debut in Spike Jonze’s film, “Where the Wild Things Are,” with no prior acting experience.  Most recently he played a young Mark Ruffalo in Rian Johnson’s “The Brothers Bloom.”

In his next film “Blinky,” directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker/animator Ruairi Robinson, Records’ character receives a retro robot after much pleading (“All my friends have one!”), declaring that the ever-smiling machine will be his “new best friend.” From the sinister tone of the trailer below, it doesn’t seem likely they’ll be best friends forever.  The independent project is scheduled to make rounds in film festivals but I’d rather see it sooner than later and in the local theater…please!

In related news, Max’ father/ popager, photographer Shawn Records, has created a series of photos, entitled “Owner of This World,” a compilation of photos of his son on the “Wild Things” set. This is what Shawn himself has to say about the photos:

“Photography, for me, is an act of paying attention, responding, and manipulating context. Ultimately, I photograph small things that hint at larger ideas – moments, objects, relationships, gestures – the details of everyday living that, when put into another context, take on weight. This approach has resulted in several different projects.

“Owner of This World is a series of photographs made during the four months that my son, Max Records, worked as an actor in Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic. Max was nine years old at the time, and neither he nor anyone in our family had been involved in the film industry before. Though the majority of these photographs were made behind the scenes, my goals were far more personal than objective. Beyond documenting Hollywood’s incongruities, I think of this series more as a manifestation of my own anxieties; a collection of both fears and reassurances, upon letting my son out into a world that’s beyond my control. In this particular image, (far left) for example… that may as well be me clutching the sides of the boat. The water may be only waist-deep, but if it’s murky, you can’t always see the bottom.”

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It’s a Full House At The 31st Annual Young Artists Awards!

Posted on 12. Apr, 2010 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

Child and Teen Stars of film, television, internet and theater gathered Sunday at the Beverly Garland Hotel, in North Hollywood for the 31st Annual Young Artist Awards.  Arriving from all points of the globe, so many well-dressed, young stars flooded the YAA red carpet it looked like celebrity rush hour on the 101!  The young stars were photographed by all the news outlets and interviewed by fellow performer Jordan Bobbitt for the Hollywood Mom Blog;  On the Red Carpet for ABC and by Piper of Piper’s Picks, among others.  (Jordan’s video coverage of this event’s YAA red carpet will be posted soon, right here on HMB.) Guests were entertained by musical performers Yatharth Ratnum (pictured below), Ashlee Keating and Tyler Shamy.

Here’s a run down of who walked away with the YAA top honors:

In the Feature Film Category Max Records received top honors as Leading Young Actor for his work in “Where The Wild Things Are” and Abigail Breslin won for Leading Young Actress for “My Sister’s Keeper.”  Both of the top honors were received in absentia however, which was somewhat disappointing and anticlimactic given all the actors who did attend and participate. Note to actors: this is a huge honor. Do yourself a favor and show up!

Feature Film Supporting Young Actor honors went to Canadian Ty Wood for “The Haunting” in Connecticut – a personal favorite of ours, who complimented Jordan on her first run as a Red Carpet Reporter. Sofia Vassilieva and Jessica Carlson tied for Supporting Young Actress. Vassilieva won for “My Sister’s Keeper” and Carlson won for “Vampires Assistant.”  Carlson had the spotlight on her acceptance speech as Vassilieva was a no show.

Ensemble Cast honors went to the film “Shorts” with its young stars Jimmy Bennett, Jake Short, Devon Gearhart, Leo Howard, Jolie Vanier and Trevor Gagnon. Short and Vanier accepted on behalf of the entire young cast with genuine enthusiasm and appreciation. It was wonderful to see.

Joey Luthman won for Best Young Actor in a Short Film for “Save the Skeet.”  To the crowd’s delight, presenter Nikki Reed jokingly read the winner of the Best Young Actress category as this years’ Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG slam-dunk winner Sandra Bullock, before announcing the real winner,  Madison Leisle for her performance in “City of Lights.”

Presenters Remy Thorne and Sephanie Scott announced Actor Joey Pollari as the winner of Leading Young Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Special for “Skyrunners.” In the same category Leading or Supporting Young Actress went to Tori Barban for “The Christmas Hope” and Supporting Young Actor honors went to Alex Ferris for “Living Out Loud.”

For Best Performance in a TV Series the awards went to Calum Worthy, Leading Young Actor for “Stormworld” and Ryan Newman won for Leading Young Actress, for “Zeke and Luther.” Ryan Malgarini won Supporting Young Actor honors for Gary Unmarried and his co-star in “Gary Unmarried,” Kathryn Newton, winning for Supporting Young Actress, besting one of our favorites, Allisyn Ashley Arm.  When Kathryn accepted her award she said it was for a former agent who unwittingly told Kathryn she was washed up at the age of 6!  Can you imagine telling a 6 year old her “career” is over? Well good for you Kathryn – look’s like you got the last laugh with a hot prime time TV show and a YAA win to boot!

Guest Starring honors for a young actor 14 and over went to Nate Hartley for Hannah Montana who thanked his life coach & mentor, Mikey Reed and comically thanked Justin Beiber “Just for being so Beiberlicious.”  Actor Billy Unger won Guest Starring Young Actor 13 and Under for “Mental” and Emily Evan Rae won for Guest Starring Young Actress for “Private Practice.”

Recurring Young Actor 14 and Over in a TV Series went to super thoughtful Mick Hazen for As the World Turns who generously thanked not only his real parents but his “fake parents” from the soap.  Colin Ford won for Recurring Young Actor 13 and Under for “Supernatural” and Alex Farrir presented Haley Pullos with Recurring Young Actress honors for “General Hospital.”

Actress & YAA nominee Bella Thorne was a vision in cream as she presented the awards for Outstanding Young Performers in a TV Series to “Modern Family” with its young stars Rico Rodriguez, Nolan Gould and Ariel Winter.  The adorable Nolan Gould (who HMB interviewed at length) graciously accepted on behalf of his cast mates.

Jordan Nagal won for Best Performance in a Voice-Over Role for “Up” and Matthew Knight win for Best Performance in a DVD Film for Gooby. Lastly, Sterling Beaumon won for Best Performance in Live Theater for “‘Big – The Musical.”

For more information go to the organization’s web site youngartistawards.org.

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Child Star: Max Records, star of “Where the Wild Things Are,” gives hope to unknown child actors everywhere.

Posted on 11. Nov, 2009 by Editor Tracy Bobbitt.

Not many child actors get to party with the Wild Things on the big screen. Especially the “unknown” variety which is what Max Records, star of Wild Things, was until the debut of this film.  Records, 12, was discovered in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, and picked to star as the young hero in the Spike Jonze’s helmed Where the Wild Things Are.

Records, who is reminiscent of a slightly younger Jonah Bobo (Zathura, Choke), snagged this role with his sparse previous credits being music videos for Cake and Death Cab for Cutie and playing a young Mark Ruffalo in The Brothers Bloom.  For the majority of the film he plays opposite Jim Henson-esque monsters known as the Wild Things, unpredictable beasts living in seclusion on a remote isle and holds his won but he also adeptly displays raw emotion in scenes with his human family.  “It was a huge relief,” Jonze says of casting Records, who auditioned with costar Catherine Keener.

Records liked director Spike Jonze because, “Instead of acting, he wants there to be real, spontaneous emotion – just like raw emotion. Instead of just telling people just to get out there and be scared or happy, he would have some of the Wild Things in the background having a light saber fight.”  Of the Sendak masterpiece the film is based on, Records says, “This book reflects what it’s actually like being a kid.”  I expect we’ll be seeing Max Records in more than music video cameos from this point forward. 

Source

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