Just in time for the 87th annual Academy Awards this Sunday (Feb. 22), Sesame Street has produced a parody of one of the Best Picture favorites, Birdman.
If you haven’t seen Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), this might not be all that funny to you. But if you haven’t seen the film, why would you watch a parody of it in the first place? Unless you’re just a fan of Sesame Street and Big Bird, I suppose.
With Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer behind Big Bird for the past 45 years, in the Michael Keaton role, and Big Bird as the embodiment of his subconscious and greatest success, this is “Big Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Orange Pants).”
That was pretty brilliant. It probably would have been enough for Spinney to play the washed-up actor looking to revive his career, but haunted by the character he’s most associated with. Then, of course, you have Big Bird himself in Spinney’s ear, over his shoulder, taunting him and pushing him to do what he does best.
But the camera work simulates the long, extended takes that director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki utilized throughout Birdman, creating the feel of a man who feels he’s trapped inside his own head, living an existence that may or may not be real at certain times. (Although in this video, you can see where they probably made cuts. But it’s still a clever effort.)
If Birdman wins the big trophy Sunday night, this Sesame Street parody could get even more play. And Oscar the Grouch would surely have something to say about winning an Oscar, wouldn’t he?
[Mashable]
