Asterisk-Eating Ball is cute!

December 30, 2011 8:53 PM

Here are a variety of strange creatures, realized by the surreal Swiss mime troupe Mummenschanz: 1 2 3 4 5 Previously, and Muppetly. MLYT
posted by JHarris (16 comments total)

Who would have though I'd ever feel like I've wasted my life by not becoming a mime?
posted by cmoj at 9:54 PM on December 30, 2011

The one with the silly putty mask is so very good. I did not care for the "plot", but the visuals are very cool.
posted by Ayn Rand and God at 10:17 PM on December 30, 2011

One of my few retained childhood memories is a Mummenschanz performance. It seemed perfectly strange and otherworldly.
posted by muddgirl at 10:19 PM on December 30, 2011

The music certainly adds to the surreality of the videos. Watching it is so captivating.
posted by Angel of Khaos at 11:08 PM on December 30, 2011

I saw them perform in Zurich a few months ago. Quite a clever show and very popular. I enjoyed it.
posted by Goofyy at 1:02 AM on December 31, 2011

I've enjoyed random YouTube videos of Mummenschanz for years, but I really wish there was a good DVD collection of these.
posted by oulipian at 3:51 AM on December 31, 2011

What child didn't want to become a mime when exposed to Mummenschanz AND Sheilds and Yarnell?
posted by vitabellosi at 4:27 AM on December 31, 2011 [2 favorites]

This is my favourite Mummenschanz act, from The Muppet Show.
posted by oulipian at 5:02 AM on December 31, 2011

I remember Chris Elliott doing a Mummenschanz-ish act on Dave Letterman's old show that was hilarious. Damned if I can find it anywhere online.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:29 AM on December 31, 2011

A commercial for the Mummenschanz on a black and white TV kicked off one of the most memorable acid trips of my life.
posted by Splunge at 9:02 AM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

I guess no one here found them frightening? I saw them live in the 70s. I'm still recovering psychologically.
The horror. The horror.
posted by Dodecadermaldenticles at 9:45 AM on December 31, 2011

It was frightening in the way I liked to be frightened as a child - the same way as, say, the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland.
posted by muddgirl at 10:13 AM on December 31, 2011

Number 1 (the corrugated hose) fascinates me. It's very, very well done, and I don't see anyone manipulating strings. Anyone know how do they do it? (I'd google for an explanation, but what search term would you use for that thing?!)
posted by exphysicist345 at 3:15 PM on December 31, 2011 [1 favorite]

What? Are you suggesting that isn't a friendly, playful worm they found and put on stage?
posted by JHarris at 5:04 PM on January 1

Toward the end of one of the later links, they show them coming out of their costumes. There's a woman in there!
posted by cmoj at 5:19 PM on January 1

OMG! A person inside! One very talented person!
posted by exphysicist345 at 9:36 PM on January 1