The Insects' Christmas

February 13, 2010 4:18 PM

The Insects' Christmas is a short stop-motion animation from 1913. (SLYT)
posted by snsranch (13 comments total)

Previously (with more goodies).
posted by languagehat at 4:23 PM on February 13, 2010

Elfman must be really really old.
posted by Elmore at 4:27 PM on February 13, 2010

TURN THE SOUND OFF FIRST.
posted by gum at 4:29 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

It's amazing to think that technology like this has been around long enough for this to be 100 years old. Also, the attention to detail is just phenomenal.

But I was disappointed that none of the insects were zapped by lasers.
posted by Jon_Evil at 4:31 PM on February 13, 2010

Well, I for one still haven't forgiven them for that Millicent Frastley incident.
posted by washburn at 4:42 PM on February 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

I thought I'd seen this wonderful little film before, and indeed I had. It is a double, as l-hat points out. Still I'm glad to have woken up to it this Sunday morning, so I can show it to my daughter, who is going to adore it. Thanks, sns!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:43 PM on February 13, 2010

He started with live action films, but decided to use stop motion when stag beetles became lethargic under the hot lights. The rest is (rather old and mostly forgotten) history.

The Tale of the Fox, Ladislas Starevitch's first full-length and the 6th animated (2nd stop-motion) film of all time, is also on YouTube by animation fan Miss Billie Dove, in 6 parts (playlist).
posted by filthy light thief at 4:52 PM on February 13, 2010

My favorite Starevitch film is The Cameraman's Revenge.
posted by namagomi at 5:14 PM on February 13, 2010 [3 favorites]

This is basically Avatar minus 3D (just kidding, I love Avatar).
posted by rainy at 6:22 PM on February 13, 2010

That was utterly charming.
posted by Monsters at 10:30 PM on February 13, 2010

Did I miss the part where the mosquito was shot down by the LASER?

I'll have to watch again.

Sorry.
posted by Splunge at 11:25 PM on February 13, 2010

Sheesh; I'm dormant, or a nymph, or under the mud or something. I'm an insect and it's snowing goddamit! Go celebrate your little holiday and leave me the hell alone!
posted by Wylie Kyoto at 10:50 AM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]

I love that Edward Scissorhands soundtrack, but it was all wrong, very distracting. Silent movies need piano soundtracks. I tried watching the original Wizard of Oz silent film, but someone had added a terrible ambient-jazz soundtrack which made it that much harder (the film being deservedly forgotten).

The Elfman score was only appropriate in that the insects were completely terrifying Tim Burtonesque little demons. Especially if he used parts from real insect bodies.
posted by Countess Elena at 2:55 PM on February 14, 2010