The
American Psychiatric Association’s “Goldwater Rule” stipulates members should never
offer an opinion on a person’s menta health if they have not examined them personally.
They might be able to make an exception in the case of animator David Firth,
just by watching his new feature length stitch-up of his assorted shorts. For
instance, it seems pretty safe to presume Firth has an abiding fear of insects
and doctors. If you thought the universe was darkly absurd, wait till you view
it from Firth’s perspective throughout Umbilical
World (trailer
here),
which is now available for purchase.
Firth
has assembled and generally mooshed together thirteen years’ worth of shorts,
including his signature character, Salad Fingers. Of course, they all flow
pretty well together, because they all share a macabrely surreal sensibility. Fingers
is in for a time of it, but he is still not exactly what you might call a sympathetic
character. He lives in a desert wasteland, where he has possibly gone mad.
Again, he is not the only one.
Characters
in Umbilical World often find their
will has been subverted, usually by sinister doctors or highly evolved
insect-beings. In fact, the Orwellian double-speak of the medical profession
inspires the film’s funniest segment. Piercing serpentine tentacles are a
recurring motif throughout it all—hence the “Umbilical” title.
Firth
actually appeared in Flying Lotus’s weird freak-out Kuso, which might not mean much to most people, but if it means
anything to you, it most likely means a lot. In terms of the vibe, think Bill
Plympton crossed with Eraserhead. Frankly,
short films are probably a more suitable format for Firth, because eighty
minutes of lopping off heads and inserting tentacles gets frightfully
exhausting.
Still,
there is no denying the singularity of Firth’s vision. He is a mad genius of
animation, so his admirers must have mixed feelings whether they should hope he
ever receives the intensive therapy he so clearly needs. You should already
know by now whether Umbilical World is
your cup of tea, so shop accordingly. It is now available to stream or purchase
through Firth’s website, just in time for Christmas.
