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The Late Movies: Terry Gilliam's Animation

Terry Gilliam is now a renowned director, but he got his start in illustration and cut-out animation -- most notably for Monty Python. In the roundup below, I've collected some favorite Gilliam animated shorts. Warning: they are often crude and naughty. And Now for Something Completely Different A classic opener, featuring Conrad Poohs and His Dancing Teeth. Oh yes. This had a huge influence on my childhood. The Dance of Venus The Birth of Venus gets funky. Apparently from one of... READ ON

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Terry Gilliam Explains Animation in 1974

Terry Gilliam started out as the only American* member of Monty Python, and he was responsible for the absurd animated sequences seen throughout Monty Python's Flying Circus as well as their later films. Gilliam went on to direct some of my favorite movies (The Fisher King, anyone? Brazil? 12 Monkeys?). But way back in 1974, Gilliam appeared on Bob Godfrey's Do-It-Yourself Animation Show explaining how to make cut-out animations. If you're interested in Python history or actual animation, this is well... READ ON

Article

Neil Gaiman Waits for His Parents in a Train Station

Neil Gaiman can really tell a story. In this fourteen-minute bit for The Moth, he tells the tale of how he waited for his parents at Liverpool Street Station after returning home from Germany. And they never showed up. It's delightful, smart, and a little scary around the edges, as Gaiman and his parents seem to swap roles in terms of who's an adult and who's a child. A sample: "I don't know how you went to school. I went to school by getting up and going, 'Oh my God, is that the time?', leaping in... READ ON

List

12 Deleted Wikipedia Pages With Freaky Titles

Getty Images You have to love a Wikipedia page bearing the goofy warning label: "This page contains material that is kept because it is considered humorous. Please do not take it seriously." That's how the brilliant Wikipedia:Deleted articles with freaky titles begins. It continues, in part: "As to this page's title, consider it a mild addition to the collection of "freaky" titles – the real reason for it was just so that it abbreviates to DAFT. Bewildering titles, bizarre titles, and surreal... READ ON

Article

That Horrible Star Wars Holiday Special

Most Star Wars fans are at least peripherally aware of the Star Wars Holiday special, but almost no one has seen it because it was never released on home video. The special aired on November 17, 1978. Ever since then, everyone involved has been trying to forget about it, destroy it, or at least deny that they did it willingly. But today, dear readers, you'll get a taste of how bad it really was. (Plot note: the special revolves around a holiday called "Life Day" which is a sort of intergalactic... READ ON

Article

The Late Movies: The Unicycling Bagpiper of Portland...The "Unipiper"

Portland, Oregon is well-known for being weird. Driving around town, you see bumper stickers saying "Keep Portland Weird" and indeed, you often see weird activities like tall-bike jousting, nude mass bicycle rides (bicycle rights!!), and even Santa Rampages. But my favorite Portland weirdism comes from The Unipiper, a bagpiping unicyclist who routinely unicycles around the city in full costume, spreading pop culture joy. If you haven't seen these, allow me to emphasize: this is actually kind of normal... READ ON