The BFI today announces details of NO STRINGS ATTACHED: PUPPETS ON FILM, a new season coming to BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX this summer holiday that celebrates the craft of puppeteers and the enduring power of practical performance in an increasingly digital age. Highlights from 1 – 31 August will include rare screenings of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at both venues, 40th anniversary screenings of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Director’s Cut), plus GODZILLA, THE DARK CRYSTAL, THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN, ALICE, CHILD’S PLAY, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, ANNETTE and many more. Special events will also feature FRAGGLE ROCK co-creator and writer Jocelyn Stevenson, YONDERLAND creators Jim Howick and Laurence Rickard, and DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED creators Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling.
From Miss Piggy to E.T. and Basil Brush, puppets have been a fixture of on-screen family entertainment for generations. Yet puppetry has also been used to explore darker themes, made all the more chilling by their childhood association. Bringing together family favourites, cult classics and boundary-pushing comedy, this season curated by BFI Head of Cinema Programme Justin Johnson includes a rare opportunity to watch THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Irvin Kershner, 1980) at both BFI Southbank and on the UK’s largest screen at BFI IMAX. Widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest sequels, the film also introduced audiences worldwide to Frank Oz’s iconic puppet creation, Jedi Master Yoda.
Special events in the programme will include MUPPETS AND FRAGGLES: A CELEBRATION on 11 August featuring a Q&A with co-creator and writer of FRAGGLE ROCK, Jocelyn Stevenson. For many people, childhood was shaped by the creative brilliance of Jim Henson and his Creature Shop, whose pioneering work in puppetry and animatronics transformed screen entertainment. At this event, we look back at some of the greatest moments from THE MUPPETS and FRAGGLE ROCK in the company of Stevenson. Family favourites playing throughout August will also include the visionary fantasy epic THE DARK CRYSTAL (Jim Henson and Frank Oz, 1982) at both BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX, with THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Frank Oz, 1984), THE MUPPETS (James Bobin, 2011), E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, 1982), STRINGS (Anders Rønnow Klarlund, 2004) and THE PUPPETOON MOVIE (Arnold Leibovit, 1987) all screening at BFI Southbank. Audiences can also watch several of George Pal’s Horlicks adverts, showcasing his signature “Puppetoon” animation technique, for free on BFI Replay.
We celebrate TELEVISION PUPPETS with an event on 1 August with a journey through the decades, looking at some of the most memorable puppet personalities to have enlivened our homes. Featuring clips from Basil Brush, Joe 90 and more, we’ll hear from the voices, brains and hands behind them. An event on 2 August will celebrate YONDERLAND (2013-2016), the comic, fantasy adventure from the creators of GHOSTS, featuring a Q&A with Jim Howick and Laurence Rickard. A blend of LABYRINTH and MONTY PYTHON, the series featured a host of beautifully crafted and skillfully operated puppets. DON’T HUG ME I’M SCARED (2011–2022) creators Becky Sloan and Joe Pelling join us on 10 August for a special event celebrating the darkly surreal puppet phenomenon, which evolved from a viral YouTube series into a Channel 4 television show. The event follows the programme’s recent addition to the national collection, preserved by the BFI National Archive.
Further films playing in the BFI Southbank programme for older audiences throughout August will include 40th anniversary screenings of the Director’s Cut of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Frank Oz, 1986), the beloved film based on the off-Broadway musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, plus GODZILLA (Ishirō Honda, 1954), David Lynch’s surreal debut ERASERHEAD (1977), sinister thriller MAGIC (Richard Attenborough, 1978), Czech maestro Jan Švankmajer’s ALICE (1988), Chucky slasher CHILD’S PLAY (Tom Holland, 1988), THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1991), BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (Spike Jonze, 1999), the SOUTH PARK creators’ boundary-pushing comedy TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (Trey Parker, 2004), and ANNETTE (Leos Carax, 2021).
NO STRINGS ATTACHED: PUPPETS ON FILM is at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX from 1 – 31 August. Tickets for screenings and events in August are on sale to BFI Patrons on 6 July, BFI Members on 7 July, and to the general public on 9 July.
FURTHER FILM PROGRAMME INFORMATION
GODZILLA (Ishirō Honda, 1954)
A hydrogen bomb test in the waters off the coast of Japan wakes a prehistoric sea creature from its slumber deep beneath the seabed. The navy and residents of Tokyo are put on high alert as the huge monster runs amok, threatening total destruction of the world. Cinema’s longest running film franchise began here, making impressive use of puppets alongside actors wearing heavy body suits to portray the monster as it rampages across Japan.
7 AUG 21:00, NFT1 / 21 AUG 20:45, NFT1 / 26 AUG 18:20, NFT3
ERASERHEAD (David Lynch, 1977)
Henry and Mary live together, with their reptilian looking baby, in a claustrophobic apartment. It’s a world where nothing is quite what it seems and where anything could happen. Lynch’s hugely influential first feature is an utterly unique horror film. With its swirling, industrial soundscape, gloomy, doom-laden backdrop, and outlandish characters (including a noisy, mutant baby – the puppet in question), is a surreal classic and a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen.
3 AUG 18:30, NFT1 / 11 AUG 20:35, NFT1 / 20 AUG 21:00, NFT1 / 25 AUG 20:30, NFT3
MAGIC (Richard Attenborough, 1978)
An entertainer struggling with his mental health find success with a ventriloquist act. But just as he’s about to sign up for his own TV show, he suffers a personal crisis. He escapes to an isolated location in the Catskill Mountains with Fats, his doll. There, he becomes involved with a married woman – an act that gives both her husband and Fats cause for concern. Attenborough’s sinister thriller provides a great showcase for this small ensemble, not to mention Fats – one of cinema’s most insidious puppets.
16 AUG 12:15, NFT2 / 27 AUG 20:50, NFT3
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Irvin Kershner, 1980)
The second STAR WARS film is not only one of the greatest sequels of all time, it is the moment when George Lucas and Frank Oz introduced masterful Jedi knight Yoda into the series. He takes young Luke Skywalker under his wing to teach him the ways of the Force. The resulting scenes between Hamill and Oz’s puppet are seamless and accomplished. Elsewhere, pioneering special effects are showcased to impressive effect, making for a perfect film in every measurable way.
8 AUG 17:40 NFT1 / 15 AUG 10:30, BFI IMAX / 18 AUG 20:30, NFT1 / 21 AUG 23:00, BFI IMAX / 30 AUG 14:50, NFT1 / 31 AUG 10:30, BFI IMAX
THE DARK CRYSTAL (Jim Henson and Frank Oz, 1982)
To prevent the evil Skeksis from ruling over the world, a young gelfling named Jen must race against time to heal a powerful crystal. This original and visionary fantasy epic combines Brian Froud’s designs with first-rate puppetry and ground-breaking animatronic technology – both developed and perfected by Jim Henson and his Creature Shop.
5 AUG 20:40, NFT3 / 8 AUG 12:10, NFT1 / 13 AUG 12:00, NFT4 / 23 AUG 10:00, BFI IMAX / 24 AUG 14:00, NFT4
E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
A small alien, accidentally left behind on Earth, is befriended by a group of children who help it to contact home and introduce it to their world. In return, E.T. (designed by three-time Oscar® winner Carlo Rambaldi) shows his new friends the wonders of the universe. Spielberg’s magical sci-fi adventure remains of one of his greatest achievements.
3 AUG 20:40, NFT3 / 5 AUG 12:00, NFT4 / 12 AUG 12:00, NFT4 / 18 AUG 14:30, NFT4 / 22 AUG 12:10, NFT1 / 28 AUG 12:00, NFT4
THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Frank Oz, 1984)
Determined to make it big on Broadway, the Muppets arrive in NYC with their new show. To their dismay, financing theatre in the Big Apple isn’t a breeze. After pursuing their own interests, the production appears to be back on track. But they still face challenges, including an amnesiac frog… The artistry and skill of the Muppet performers is always breathtaking. Here, the ensemble are at the top of their game.
7 AUG 18:10, NFT3 / 29 AUG 12:10, NFT1
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS – DIRECTOR’S CUT (Frank Oz, 1986)
Seymour’s dream of leaving his skid-row life behind becomes a possibility thanks to his discovery of a highly unusual plant. However, he has a terrible secret to keep from the public eye: it eats people! Master puppeteer Frank Oz’s beloved film is based on the Off-Broadway musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, itself adapted from the 1960’s B-movie by Roger Corman. But it is the singing plant (an impressive feat of puppetry voiced by the Four Tops’ lead vocalist Levi Stubbs) that steals the show.
1 AUG 20:35, NFT1 / 22 AUG 18:10, NFT2 / 28 AUG 20:45, NFT2
THE PUPPETOON MOVIE (Arnold Leibovit, 1987)
George Pal’s Puppetoons used ‘replacement animation’ rather than the established stop-motion process. Throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s, more than 60 shorts were produced in this way. This celebratory film showcases some of the best PUPPETOON films in their entirety (including the popular Tubby the Tuba from 1947) and demonstrates why Pal received a special Academy Award® in recognition of his achievement.
9 AUG 12:20, NFT3 / 31 AUG 12:10, NFT3
ALICE (Jan Švankmajer, 1988)
Young Alice watches as the stuffed rabbit in her living room smashes itself out of a display case and disappears into the garden. She follows and, after drinking a magic potion, enters a nightmarish and dark world where nothing quite makes sense. For his first feature after two decades of inspiring shorts, Czech auteur Jan Švankmajer starts with Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and then makes things much, much stranger. An extraordinary film, it’s quite unlike anything you’ll have ever seen.
8 AUG 20:45, NFT2 / 16 AUG 18:30, NFT3 / 31 AUG 14:45, NFT3
CHILD’S PLAY (Tom Holland, 1988)
With his dying breath, serial killer Charles Lee Ray, aka the ‘Lakeshore Strangler’, transfers his soul into Chucky, a Good Guy-brand talking doll. He is bought for young Andy and no sooner is Chucky ensconced in his new home than he starts his murderous rampage. The exceptional puppet work, alongside a darkly witty script, elevates CHILD’S PLAY above the average slasher movie and likely accounts for its prolonged life through sequels and a TV series.
15 AUG 18:30, NFT3 / 19 AUG 21:00, NFT2
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1991)
Weronika and Veronique are doppelgängers. They have not met and live in different European countries, But through their passion for music they share an unbreakable bond. A brief but memorable puppet sequence in the film prompts us to consider ideas of free will versus predeterminism, as Kieślowski delivers a European classic defined by precision, emboldened by a superb dual performance and enhanced by a rich visual palette.
4 AUG 20:35, NFT2 / 9 AUG 18:30, NFT1 / 19 AUG 18:20, NFT3 / 26 AUG 20:55, NFT1
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (Spike Jonze, 1999)
A disenfranchised puppeteer discovers a portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich. He shares it with Maxine, a co-worker he has become attracted to, and they exploit the ability to control Malkovich’s will for their own benefit. Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s highly original, wildly idiosyncratic and hilarious film still dazzles. It also champions the skillfulness of puppeteers, employing the form as a metaphor for control and voyeurism.
17 AUG 20:40, NFT3 / 31 AUG 18:30, NFT1
STRINGS (Anders Rønnow Klarlund, 2004)
When a young prince discovers his father slain by their enemy, he leaves the kingdom to avenge the murder. His epic journey finds him confronting devastating truths about his past and he forces him to face an uncertain future. Klarlund’s impressive film acknowledges his characters are marionettes, with the strings populating the skies over this mythical land. It’s a clever plot device that works wonders in this impressive, dark and uncompromising fantasy, where losing your head string means losing your life.
15 AUG 15:10, NFT3 / 30 AUG 12:10, NFT2
TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (Trey Parker, 2004)
Counterterrorist group Team America plans to infiltrate a North Korean military group with a Broadway actor, in this musical parody that skewers US politics and Hollywood action films. Devised by the team behind SOUTH PARK, this comedy pushes the envelope on every level, including a scene featuring the most explicit – and athletic – sex scene between consenting puppets that you will ever see.
12 AUG 18:15, NFT3 / 22 AUG 20:45, NFT1
THE MUPPETS (James Bobin, 2011)
After years apart, the Muppets reunite to prevent the historic Muppet Theatre from falling into the wrong hands. The triumphant return of Kermit, Miss Piggy & co. to the big screen offers a perfect blend of the classic and contemporary. With cracking songs by Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, new star Muppet Walter and an impressive cast, this is the Muppet film we were all waiting for.
3 AUG 14:30, NFT4 / 7 AUG 20:30, NFT3 / 20 AUG 12:00, NFT4 / 29 AUG 15:00, NFT2
ANNETTE (Leos Carax, 2021)
A stand-up comic and opera singer marry and parent a child named Annette, which exists in the film as a marionette puppet. But the relationship takes a tumultuous turn and edges perilously towards an abyss. With a story and songs by iconic musical duo Sparks, Annette is the kind of cinema we have come to expect from Carax (POLA X, HOLY MOTORS), the former enfant terrible of French cinema. It’s barmy, ballsy and beautiful.
12 AUG 20:15, NFT1 / 29 AUG 17:50, NFT3
