Trying to find an animated film
November 15, 2016 2:25 PM Subscribe
Years ago I watched part of a (short?) animated film that freaked me out so much I had to turn it off halfway through. Now I'd like to watch it again because, apparently, I am a glutton for punishment, and also I'd like to find out if it wasn't just part of some horrific dream that I had, in which case by all means recommend me a therapist. I'll give more of my recollections of the film inside, but it concerned a man who has murdered another man by drowning him in, I think, an ornamental fountain...
...however, as the murderer walks away from the scene of his crime, his victim is suddenly resurrected as a sort of male harpy, with the dead man's face and the body of some terrible bird or angel.
Overcome by remorse or guilt, or both, the murderer takes the harpy creature back home with him and installs it on a perch in his living room, from where it commences to terrorize him. My recollection is that our murderer must regularly feed the creature, which after all is of his making, to prevent it from attacking him. It also begins to control what the man can and cannot do.
The strain of having to look after such a terrifying, demanding and controlling creature really begins to get to our guy. At some point, the creature does indeed attack--and this is where I got so scared I had to change the channel--in the process pecking off the murderer's legs so that from then on he is forced to get around by walking on the palms of his hands.
My memories of the animation style are of quite detailed line drawings. Perhaps it was mostly black and white but there may have been colour at certain points--I remember there being shooting stars and such during the resurrection scene. It's entirely possible I'm wrong about that though. I would have seen this on British television some time in the early nineties, I think, but I'm afraid I don't know whether the film was a contemporary one or not.
Any animated film buff Mefites out there for whom this rings a bell? You'd have my eternal gratitude (and terror).
...however, as the murderer walks away from the scene of his crime, his victim is suddenly resurrected as a sort of male harpy, with the dead man's face and the body of some terrible bird or angel.
Overcome by remorse or guilt, or both, the murderer takes the harpy creature back home with him and installs it on a perch in his living room, from where it commences to terrorize him. My recollection is that our murderer must regularly feed the creature, which after all is of his making, to prevent it from attacking him. It also begins to control what the man can and cannot do.
The strain of having to look after such a terrifying, demanding and controlling creature really begins to get to our guy. At some point, the creature does indeed attack--and this is where I got so scared I had to change the channel--in the process pecking off the murderer's legs so that from then on he is forced to get around by walking on the palms of his hands.
My memories of the animation style are of quite detailed line drawings. Perhaps it was mostly black and white but there may have been colour at certain points--I remember there being shooting stars and such during the resurrection scene. It's entirely possible I'm wrong about that though. I would have seen this on British television some time in the early nineties, I think, but I'm afraid I don't know whether the film was a contemporary one or not.
Any animated film buff Mefites out there for whom this rings a bell? You'd have my eternal gratitude (and terror).
Response by poster: gusottertrout: That's definitely it, thank you! Mefi strikes again. Not sure why I remembered it as being a drawn animation when it's clearly not. I can also see why it would have freaked me out so much as a teenage boy--Oh, dear God, it won't let him eat! Nooooooooooo!
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers at 3:28 PM on November 15, 2016
posted by Life at Boulton Wynfevers at 3:28 PM on November 15, 2016
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It's Harpya a 1979 Belgium short film that's a mix of live action and animation, but fits your description and is quite good, though, yeah, maybe a little off-putting too.
posted by gusottertrout at 2:41 PM on November 15, 2016 [2 favorites]