TV: The short films of Jim Henson

A lot of people are unaware that Jim Henson, most famous for the Muppets and the litany of muppet-related shows and movies ("Labyrinth," "The Dark Crystal," "Fraggle Rock," etc.), created some nifty experimental films in the 1960s. In hindsight, the sometimes-disturbing surrealism found in later works like "Labyrinth" is clearly presaged by these films.

First up is "Time Piece," which was actually nominated for an Academy Award. It starts off slow, but give it time (ooh, bad pun) - the middle section of the film is an interesting commentary on how money, work, sex, and escape are all slaves to time. There's even some visual sexual double entendres - not what you'd expect from the man who created "Kermit":



Next we have the short feature "The Cube." It has the feel of a "Twilight Zone" episode mixed with the tongue-in-cheek comedy of a "Monty Python" skit. If you don't have an hour to waste, just watch the first ten minutes and the last five (the video below also contains some short cartoons at the end):