Comments on: help?

help?

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:52:17 -0800

Jim Henson's 1965 short film, Time Piece [via Channel 53, Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooogle]

By: DU

DU — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:28:10 -0800

It certainly plays as an experimental film from 1965. I thought it interesting how many scenes there are of him ogling women, but that was based on what I thought was the established fact of his homosexuality (despite a marriage). But Wikipedia makes absolutely no mention of that, or of AIDS. I been the victim of an urban legend? It cannot be! (Also, there are many pointless, timewasting activities in the movie. If Henson were gay, then "obsession with women" would probably seem to be timewasting make-work.) The elephant painting was probably the best part. He's going at it with such attention and it is so very pointless.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:50:05 -0800

I'd never heard the rumors of his homosexuality, nor that he died of complications from AIDS. It does play like a fun be-bop time capsule. I found the women-ogling a bit surprising, but not so much, given the nature of 1965, when sexual mores were going round the bend; and I didn't find that sex was the overarching theme of it, but a fun aside to the more generally explored concepts of they rhythms of time and life. And it's got an elephant being painted! And strippers with pasties! Wakka-wakka!

By: DU

DU — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:56:27 -0800

And of course ogling women is kind of pointless and timewasting even for straight men.

By: fuzzypantalones

fuzzypantalones — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:27:31 -0800

every time he spoke, i could only see ernie.

By: Greg Nog

Greg Nog — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:40:02 -0800

I'm not familiar with any rumors about Henson being gay, DU; I think that must have been an urban legend. Every account I've ever heard of the man suggests that he was very much into The Ladies.

By: DU

DU — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:47:45 -0800

Well, that is very bizarre. I heard this from a (usually) very reliable source in the early 90s (who I much later found out was gay himself AND liked Henson a lot, so I'm doubtful he'd spread a rumor like this maliciously (or hopefully, actually)). I've been thinking it was true the whole time.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:50:09 -0800

^"And of course ogling women is kind of pointless and timewasting even for straight men," he posted on MetaFilter.

By: Emperor SnooKloze

Emperor SnooKloze — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:52:30 -0800

As I recall, Henson died of a particularly nasty cancer (don't remember what sort; not looking it up). Never heard anything about either teh gay nor AIDS.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:04:07 -0800

He died of a massive staph infection. Could happen to anyone. Now all our muppets have messed up voices.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:05:05 -0800

Henson died of a raging strep infection, leading to toxic shock syndrome.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:05:23 -0800

Sorry, I read it wrong.

By: WalterMitty

WalterMitty — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:11:22 -0800

Help! Lovely stuff. Thanks.

By: CrunchyFrog

CrunchyFrog — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:39:05 -0800

See also The Cube, another experimental piece from Jim Henson, this one from 1969.

By: evilcolonel

evilcolonel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:00:35 -0800

Richard Hunt died of AIDS, not long after Henson's death, which may be creating some of the confusion here.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:12:22 -0800

Calling this an experimental film a la 1965 actually kinda chafes. It's pretty tame, commercial and charming. It's more experimental a la 2008, I guess.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:16:37 -0800

...a la peanut butter sandwiches...

By: The Great Big Mulp

The Great Big Mulp — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:37:47 -0800

Ooo, that was fun. SEX DAMN!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:02:19 -0800

Wow, I REALLY like this. A lot. First off, there's the fact that it's so sound/sound effects driven. And of course, rhythm driven. I love the odd and unexpected surrealist visual storytelling, like a) Tarzan character swings on vine in the jungle b) Woman with pair of scissors snips "vine" c) what falls is not Tarzan, but an olive into a martini glass d) "Tarzan" and woman share martinis This is brilliant, a real treat, and as great as some of the Muppets stuff was, I can't help but wish he had kept exploring this kind of film work as well.

By: oneirodynia

oneirodynia — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:46:54 -0800

After all that Freudian imagery I could really go for some Wilkins Coffee. (thanks for the post!)

By: flyinghamster

flyinghamster — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:09:00 -0800

those interested in old Jim Henson movies should check out The Cube (previously posted on mefi)

By: fcummins

fcummins — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:25:41 -0800

I had no idea. Good man Jim. A delightful little drum piece.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:43:05 -0800

My upthread comment is more critical-sounding than I usually am, and I feel guilty. I should add that I would much rather be on a desert island with this short than with Las Hurdes or Peggy and Fred in Hell. Not least because it stars the most charming man who ever lived.

By: Coatlicue

Coatlicue — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:09:04 -0800

AHH! One of my friends has the AV Geeks DVD that contains this Hensony goody. I believe it was called "Best of Huh?" That was the same DVD that brought into my life the odious Malakapalakadoo Skip Two. And that Lutheran Church freakout called Stalked (Man rejects God, rambles interminably, finds himself in empty city. Invisible footsteps follow man around, and are associated with screeching noises. Footstep-producing Jesus Figure shows up, has moustache, dances in wooden shoes, rips off clothing, dies).

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:21:30 -0800

Also check out (via WFMU and Johnny Carson) this 17MB mpeg of Jim Henson and Raymond Scott's "Limbo, The Organized Mind"

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:47:41 -0800

It's everybody gets an experimental film day. I like puppetry in my montage as much as I like dance in it.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:12:18 -0800

Experimental film day? They Might Be Giants gets an Experimental Film with Strong Sad today, then! And Louie Boonwell do the doggy from Andaloooo with Sal Dolly! Hot cha! [jazz hands]

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:43:21 -0800

Hot cha, where are you? Everybody's eyes are closed.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:33:10 -0800

I can't see why I miss you so... so Hot cha, where are you?

By: empath

empath — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:24:49 -0800

There's a lot of sesame street in that.

By: majick

majick — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:07:16 -0800

"With the talents of: [...various people blah blah...] Frank Oznowicz" So Henson and Oz worked together from the start, it seems. Awesome!

By: The Salaryman

The Salaryman — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:36:12 -0800

Thank you! I always wondered if, Like Roald Dahl, Jim Henson had lots of 'adult' grade content in him and potential that got kind of lost as the market for the surreal seems to exist mostly for kids? I also always loved his Wilkins Coffee adverts but never seem to be able to find them online.

By: not_on_display

not_on_display — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:23:15 -0800

^Salaryman: see here

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:19:53 -0800