Comments on: Insect intrigue - holidays and indiscretions

Insect intrigue - holidays and indiscretions

madamjujujive — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:35:10 -0800

The Insects' Christmas - a 1913 Russian stop-motion film about a Father Christmas ornament come to life who rounds up the insects of the forest and Mr. Frog to celebrate the holiday. This film by Ladislaw Starewicz who also produced The Cameraman's Revenge, a wonderful stop-motion film of of insect infidelity. More on the incredible Ladislaw Starewicz and his films. (warning: insect sex and violence)

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:38:28 -0800

Also see this great prior metafilter thread on stop motion animation posted by curnchland. It includes more on Starewicz and other vintage stop-motion clips.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:39:02 -0800

ahem. that would be crunchland.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:49:56 -0800

1913?? This is fantastic. I'm in love with that dinky Charlie Brown tree he makes and decorates by waving his wandcane a few times. (the frog is so creepy...I love it)

By: NationalKato

NationalKato — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 10:59:18 -0800

The forest backdrop when Father Christmas invites Mrs. Dragonfly is astounding.

By: caddis

caddis — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:06:53 -0800

warning: insect sex and violence :)

By: amberglow

amberglow — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:10:33 -0800

Won't someone please think of the ~~children~~larvae!!! ; >

By: YoBananaBoy

YoBananaBoy — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:15:40 -0800

I keep expecting Norelco Santa ^TM to bust out in this video. TV has ruined my life.

By: algreer

algreer — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:02:21 -0800

Now i know it's true. Everything has been done before. And everything has been done better. Damn! These are some fine animations.

By: tula

tula — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:19:54 -0800

One dark night I happened upon a showing of The Devil's Ball aka The Mascot, and I was totally transfixed. I couldn't believe how bizarre and wonderful it was. Makes me wish I'd thought to ask Santa for this. Thanks, and also for the links to previous posts.

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:37:17 -0800

This is incredible.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:51:38 -0800

Wow, that Ladislaw Starewicz had such an unusual imagination. What a delightful post mjjj, as ever. The world is an amazing place. Russians seem to think/have expressed their vision of life in such unpredictable complexity and interesting detail. Their art almost always surprises me. Could he have used real insects? But if he did how could he have made tiny bicycles and shopwindows to match? The Christmas one is surrealistic, mysterious, all in blue. I like the naughty bugs one. What a story! Funny...and wierd, all the way to the end. Charming. Aww that tarty demoiselle dragonfly! I love the miniature grasshopper artist studio. Caddis' post on risqué cartoons of yore was an eye opener. (NSFW).

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 13:57:01 -0800

Way good stuff! Very creepy and wonderful. Thanks for the post.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:24:45 -0800

Now i know it's true. Everything has been done before. And everything has been done better. Damn! I second this sentiment. One thing I've noticed is that when a new medium is introduced (books, films, computer games, etc) it triggers an immediate explosion of creativity and originality which is rarely rivaled in later times.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:54:30 -0800

Wonderful! I've been reading about prerevolutionary Russia, and these little films give me a better idea of what cabarets, movie projection, and home life were like than a thousand words. (Incidentally, the name of the film-within-the-film in The Cameraman's Revenge was Neverny Muzh, 'The Unfaithful Husband,' and like the outside film it was a Khanzhonkov production—Aleksandr Khanzhonkov had the best movie studio in Moscow, including a literature section headed by critic/playwright Nikolai Turkin, and organized a company of actors, a major step towards professionalizing the cinema—his trademark was the winged horse Pegasus, which you see at the end of Neverny Muzh.) Ladislaw Starewicz, known to Russians as Vladislav Aleksandrovich Starevich, was a Lithuanian Pole (like Czeslaw Milosz), and I've seen online sources claiming he was born in Kaunas, Vilnius, and Moscow. Anyway, he made great movies, and I thank you for the post, mjjj!

By: BoringPostcards

BoringPostcards — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 15:39:16 -0800

The Starewicz DVD is awesome- I've floored people by showing them the animations before telling them how old they are.

By: squidfartz

squidfartz — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:19:26 -0800

I'm so glad someone else brought up The Devil's Ball (wish that clip had the original audio track -and yes, there is audio appiled to that short) it's one of my favorite obscure animated short films. Excellent post.

By: caddis

caddis — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 18:19:18 -0800

That was sweet. Best of the month? Easily. You are a goddess madam!!!!!!!!

By: homunculus

homunculus — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:40:26 -0800

Adorable. Another great post! Thanks, juju. the insects of the forest and Mr. Frog I wonder if this had any small influence on Pan's Labyrinth.