Who remembers Nickelodeon, and I’m talking oooooold skool Nickelodeon? Well, way back in the day, when they were producing very little original content and relying heavily on imported shows from Europe and Japan, Nick tended to fill-out the time in-between programs with whatever bizarre animated shorts they could get their mitts on. You know, like the one about the housecats walking around their empty home and messing with stuff, or the whiney little girl with body issues or that damn one with the sleeping dog that You Tube assures me only lasted two minutes but when I was six I swear to God that thing lasted half an hour!?
Well, among them was this insane animated short by Paul Driessen, “The Killing of an Egg”.
After praying, a man begins his breakfast: a softboiled egg. However, every time he taps the egg, he hears a voice yelling at him from within. “Yes?” “Who is it?” The more he crushes the egg, the more frightened the voice becomes. “Hey!” “Stop that!” “No!” Eventually, he demolishes the egg and silences the eerie voice. Suddenly, he hears a tapping outside his home. “Yes?” “Who is it?” Finally, some unknown force begins crushing the walls in on him. “Hey!” “Stop that!” “No!” Then he dies horribly.
Okay, okay, so maybe “The Killing of an Egg” doesn’t qualify as a horror film, but it is certainly a weird film and that’s close-enough for me.
For a two-minute piece, “The Killing of an Egg” seems strangely high-concept. The man (drawn to resemble a yolk) is clearly killing himself, yet simultaneously existing inside of and outside of his own egg at the same time and at different times. An episode of “Futurama” ended with a somewhat similar concept, where the Professor traps their entire universe inside a cardboard box, which he proceeds to hold in his hands (and every time he shakes it, everything around them shakes, too). Paul Driessen did it first, guys.
Going back to when I was a kid, I remember the short vividly, not only because Nickelodeon played it over and over and over again, but because it was somewhat disturbing and frightening and those are exactly the sorts of things I loved as a kid (and as an adult). I remember being freaked out by two scenes; firstly, the part where the man hears the tapping and goes to open his door, only to be greeted by darkness, driving rain and howling wind. Then, of course, the final scene, of the walls caving in on him and crushing him to death.
I can’t recall if I really “got” the cartoon as a kid; I think I rationalized it as the man killing the person living in the egg so some force came along and killed him in return. But that was so long ago, I really can’t remember for certain.
“The Killing of an Egg” is currently available on a DVD called “The Dutch Films of Paul Driessen”, though I don’t know for sure if that’s Region 1 or not. His films are all excellent and one was even nominated for an Oscar some while back. But if all you care about is the egg, then stick with You Tube.
Grade: A (as in, “And try to imagine how horrifying this cartoon would be if the dude ate his eggs scrambled…”)
Well, among them was this insane animated short by Paul Driessen, “The Killing of an Egg”.
After praying, a man begins his breakfast: a softboiled egg. However, every time he taps the egg, he hears a voice yelling at him from within. “Yes?” “Who is it?” The more he crushes the egg, the more frightened the voice becomes. “Hey!” “Stop that!” “No!” Eventually, he demolishes the egg and silences the eerie voice. Suddenly, he hears a tapping outside his home. “Yes?” “Who is it?” Finally, some unknown force begins crushing the walls in on him. “Hey!” “Stop that!” “No!” Then he dies horribly.
Okay, okay, so maybe “The Killing of an Egg” doesn’t qualify as a horror film, but it is certainly a weird film and that’s close-enough for me.
For a two-minute piece, “The Killing of an Egg” seems strangely high-concept. The man (drawn to resemble a yolk) is clearly killing himself, yet simultaneously existing inside of and outside of his own egg at the same time and at different times. An episode of “Futurama” ended with a somewhat similar concept, where the Professor traps their entire universe inside a cardboard box, which he proceeds to hold in his hands (and every time he shakes it, everything around them shakes, too). Paul Driessen did it first, guys.
Going back to when I was a kid, I remember the short vividly, not only because Nickelodeon played it over and over and over again, but because it was somewhat disturbing and frightening and those are exactly the sorts of things I loved as a kid (and as an adult). I remember being freaked out by two scenes; firstly, the part where the man hears the tapping and goes to open his door, only to be greeted by darkness, driving rain and howling wind. Then, of course, the final scene, of the walls caving in on him and crushing him to death.
I can’t recall if I really “got” the cartoon as a kid; I think I rationalized it as the man killing the person living in the egg so some force came along and killed him in return. But that was so long ago, I really can’t remember for certain.
“The Killing of an Egg” is currently available on a DVD called “The Dutch Films of Paul Driessen”, though I don’t know for sure if that’s Region 1 or not. His films are all excellent and one was even nominated for an Oscar some while back. But if all you care about is the egg, then stick with You Tube.
Grade: A (as in, “And try to imagine how horrifying this cartoon would be if the dude ate his eggs scrambled…”)
3 comments:
I actually vaguely remember this one, mostly the audio track. I don't remember what I really thought of it as a kid, though.
But if we're talking about old, old school Nickolodean, I'm a bit surprised we're not talking about Count Duckula.
I remember this it creep ed the hell out of me
I was always weird-ed out by this when I watched is a kid. I thought it was more like the guy being punished for being so mean to his egg. But, yeah, logic of a kid. I don't recall that is scared me but it sure is weird to realize I watched this on Nickelodeon of all places. (Until I came across this blog I thought maybe I had seen it on the SciFi channel (NOT SYFY!!!! *RAGE*))
Post a Comment