
Time Piece
Comedy · Music · Fantasy
Overview
Dislocation in time, time signatures, time as a philosophical concept, and slavery to time are some of the themes touched upon in this 9-minute experimental film, which was written, directed, and produced by Jim Henson. Screened for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in May of 1965, "Time Piece" enjoyed an eighteen-month run at one Manhattan movie theater and was nominated for an Academy Award for Outstanding Short Subject.
Top Cast


Jim Henson
Jim Henson
Man
Jim Henson
Man
Enid Cafritz
Enid Cafritz
Wife
Enid Cafritz
Wife


Jerry Juhl
Jerry Juhl
Bartender
Jerry Juhl
Bartender


Frank Oz
Frank Oz
Messenger boy
Frank Oz
Messenger boy
April March
April March
Stripper
April March
Stripper
Diana Birkenfield
Diana Birkenfield
Diana Birkenfield
Dave Bailey
Dave Bailey
Drummer
Dave Bailey
Drummer
Sandy Patterson
Sandy Patterson
Sandy Patterson
Dennis Paget
Dennis Paget
Dennis Paget
Jim Hutchison
Jim Hutchison
Male Dancer
Jim Hutchison
Male Dancer
Similar Movies

Simmons, best-known for her photographs of miniature rooms populated by dolls and of oversized objects—such as a house, birthday cake, and pistol—balanced on female legs, both human and fake, brings these characters to life in a three-act mini-musical. The film is inspired by three distinct periods of Simmons’s photographic work: vintage hand puppets, ventriloquist dummies and walking objects enact tales of ambition, disappointment, love, loss, and regret. Working with composer Michael Rohaytn ("Personal Velocity") and cameraman Ed Lachman ("The Virgin Suicides" and "Far From Heaven"), Simmons’s puppets come to life in miniature domestic scenes that echo real life.

Jack is the fastidious manager of a local supermarket. The harmless but disruptive actions of his customers frequently give him headaches, which he remedies by holding a can of frozen juice against his forehead. At home, however, Jack is consistently kind, loving, and patient with his wife and daughter. One day the child brings home a stray dog, and his life is turned upside down.

The film is a stage play hybrid showcasing dark and absurd sketches based on contemporary Hungarian news of the 2000's with campy, senseless musical interludes in-between. Highly experimental in nature that - like Marmite - will split its' crowd into ones that'll love it and others that'll loathe it. There's no middle grounds here. The topics included are: The Hungarian Olympians' doping scandal, political terrorism, the national elections... and more.

















