The Animation Pimp interviews legendary mad man JJ Villard. And lives to tell the tale.
There are films that have blitzed my senses into giddy, drunken stupors of delirium and bewilderment, riotous exhalings of creativity, desperation, and experimentation. Too often, these voices expire as rapidly as they respired, brief greetings before vanishing into the crowded darkness.
There’s no point lamenting. It is what it is. We all go hoping
Three of those films come from an Tie Domi-looking punk named JJ Villard. In the early 2000s, he exploded onto the festival scene with three beat up beauts: the creepy 9 in a Chimney or 10 on the Bed or Hates a Strong Word (2002), Son of Satan
a raw, urgent punk scream against the pain of abuse, bullying and the cyclical nature of violence, Chestnuts Icelolly (2004) is sadistic little tale about a scumbag who lures children into his icelolly machine/
BOOM. Three years plus of great student films that took animation down a whole other path of filth aint encountered since Ralph Baksi.
As I sat, picking my balls (pre-2011, hence balls), nothing arrived. There were no more villard entries. Again, the next year, NOTHING.
I heard rumours. JJ finally settles the talk.
A NIGGA NEEDS MONEY ! AND THATS WHAT I GOT TO GET !
I'M STILL D DIRTYEST I'M STILL D NASTY I'M STILL A DEGENERATE ! WHAT HAPPENED WAS D ULTIMATE
CHALLENGE HOW DOES A FUCKING FADED MOTHER FUCK-FUCKER WHO LOVES STRIP CLUBS, DRUGS , ALCOHOL, WHO LOVES PORN , BITCHES N DARK DARK BARS MAKE IT IN THIS INDUSTRY ! NO INSULT TO THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT, BUT I FEEL LIKE I PLAYED THAT TO IT'S XXXXTENT, AT A YOUNG AGE,,,,,,, NOW HOW CAN I BRING ALL THEM LOVELY VICES INTO WORLD CULTURE //!!! THATS GODDDDDD DAMNNNNNN CHALLENGING MANE! AND THE ODDS ARE ALL AGAINST ME, -- LIKE A WHORE FALLING IN LOVE W YOU.
You've got three films that stand out for me. Son of Satan, obviously, and the other 2 are Chestnuts and Chimney... Can you write me a few words about the roots of each of those films. And how do you feel about them looking back...??? fuck...Chestnuts is about 8 years old now. Jesus christ.
THOSE 3 LIL DEMONS ARE WHAT MADE MY BONES YELLOW LIKE SKELETORE ! THE ROOTS OF THOSE FILMS ARE SIMPLE, MIKE TYSON SAID IT LIKE THIS: "THEIR'S NOTHING LIKE FIGHTING WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG AND YOU'RE HAPPY,
THEIR'S NOTHING MORE DEADLY OR MORE PROFICIENT THEN A HAPPY FIGHTER" CAL ARTS WAS EXXXXACTLY THAT//!
LOOKING BACK AT THE, I FEEL LIKE THEYRE THE VEINS INSIDE ME, LIKE THE VEINS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE "PINHEAD" FROM HELLRAISER.
A well-known figure in the world of independent animation, writer, author & curator Chris Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
