A little sick-minded. Then again, that's what we've come to expect from Don Hertzfeldt. Just one more reason why parents shouldn't leave their kids in the backyard... or on the porch... or anywhere. It starts a little slow, but once things begin to get rolling, it's impossible to stop laughing. Not recommended for those who take things way too seriously. Highly recommended for everyone else.
15 Reviews
Hilarious and slightly bent.
freakus17 April 1999
This film is a hilarious story of an evil conspiracy of children's balloons. It plays a great deal off of what we expect from films like "The Red Balloon" and twists our expectations. The funniest moments come early and it could have been trimmed a bit at the end for maximum impact but don't pass this up!
Cruel, ugly and just plain sick....I want MORE!
planktonrules13 February 2008
This short film from Don Hertzfeldt is a very sadistic film indeed and seems to possibly be inspired (in a negative way) by the "classic" French short film, THE RED BALLOON. Because Hertzfeldt is a very bizarre person with a sick sense of humor, the red balloon in this film is a nasty piece of work--spending the entire film either pummeling the poor kid or dropping him from extreme heights again and again. There certainly isn't anything deep or philosophical here--just stick figure-like beings getting the crap knocked out of them by Satanic balloons.
This film is highly recommended for teens, sick and twisted adults and,...um...that's all. As for artsy folks out there, DON'T see this under any circumstances. It will offend you and taint your opinions of THE RED BALLOON!
This film is highly recommended for teens, sick and twisted adults and,...um...that's all. As for artsy folks out there, DON'T see this under any circumstances. It will offend you and taint your opinions of THE RED BALLOON!
Simply funny
Polaris_DiB24 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Getting back to the tongue-in-cheek humor of Don Hertzfeldt's stick figures is this roughly six minute short of anarchy and carnage! from balloons.
This is, technically, the least complicated of Hertzfeldt's works (and discussing "complication" in shorts about stick figures still feels to me very silly, but anyone who's familiar with Hertzfeldt's other works will understand exactly what I'm saying). However, it's one of the most funny and absurd.
Narratively, balloons revolt. At first it just seems like one balloon is fed up with the simpleness and mundanity of a single human child, but soon it just shows that balloons as a whole have a bone (or vacuous interior) for picking on all the innocents and undefended.
And that's that. Sit back and laugh.
--PolarisDiB
This is, technically, the least complicated of Hertzfeldt's works (and discussing "complication" in shorts about stick figures still feels to me very silly, but anyone who's familiar with Hertzfeldt's other works will understand exactly what I'm saying). However, it's one of the most funny and absurd.
Narratively, balloons revolt. At first it just seems like one balloon is fed up with the simpleness and mundanity of a single human child, but soon it just shows that balloons as a whole have a bone (or vacuous interior) for picking on all the innocents and undefended.
And that's that. Sit back and laugh.
--PolarisDiB
Attack Of The Killer Balloons!
ccthemovieman-125 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This isn't exactly like the famous 30-minute French classic film, "The Red Balloon." That 1956 Oscar-winning movie was about a young boy and his red balloon. So is this "cartoon," but that's where the similarity ends, story-wise.
In this simply-drawn animated short, the red balloon - and other balloons- are nasty, sadistic, violent and deadly. Who would believe innocent balloons could be like this?! It's shocking at first, then funny, and then very funny as the dark humor totally takes over and the violence escalates. The variations on the one-joke theme are fresh and make this one of the fastest five-minute animated movies I've ever seen.
I didn't find this "sick." It's just black humor. Anyone who appreciates totally absurdity should love this movie. Just don't expect the sweet-and-cuddly opening to last too long!!
In this simply-drawn animated short, the red balloon - and other balloons- are nasty, sadistic, violent and deadly. Who would believe innocent balloons could be like this?! It's shocking at first, then funny, and then very funny as the dark humor totally takes over and the violence escalates. The variations on the one-joke theme are fresh and make this one of the fastest five-minute animated movies I've ever seen.
I didn't find this "sick." It's just black humor. Anyone who appreciates totally absurdity should love this movie. Just don't expect the sweet-and-cuddly opening to last too long!!
Blow it up and it will blow you up
Horst_In_Translation12 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
There's quite a few horror films where toys suddenly turn evil and attack their owners, mostly of course Chucky. 15 years ago, writer-director Don Hertzfeldt, then in his early 20s, gives us his approach on the matter. A world full of vile balloons, but they only reveal they're alive when no grown-ups are around, just like the protagonists from Toy Story. I recently read that Oprah Winfrey has a severe case of balloon-phobia. I wonder if she ever watched this short film.
Anyway, everything seems harmless at first until little Billy's red balloon all of a sudden reveals his inner life and starts punching the poor kid. The severity of the attacks increases by the second and this film turns out as sadistic as funny. If you're constantly annoyed by noisy rattles, you will surely like the punishment depicted herein, the highlight being one balloon pulling up a baby to watch another baby, pulled up by another balloon, being hit by an airplane the very moment when they're waving at each other. So much for misery loves company.
Bitter films, the name of the production company is quite fitting. You'll be massively appalled by this short film. Or you'll love it to death. Possibly both.
Anyway, everything seems harmless at first until little Billy's red balloon all of a sudden reveals his inner life and starts punching the poor kid. The severity of the attacks increases by the second and this film turns out as sadistic as funny. If you're constantly annoyed by noisy rattles, you will surely like the punishment depicted herein, the highlight being one balloon pulling up a baby to watch another baby, pulled up by another balloon, being hit by an airplane the very moment when they're waving at each other. So much for misery loves company.
Bitter films, the name of the production company is quite fitting. You'll be massively appalled by this short film. Or you'll love it to death. Possibly both.
Satisfaction for the Sadistic Side
the dude-325 January 2000
Animation in all its glory! As an animation student myself, and having made quite a few short stick-figure deaths and such to amuse myself during class, I can fully appreciate the brilliance of "Billy's Balloon." Luckily, I hadn't read anything about what was going to happen and was pleasantly surprised as the mayhem of Billy's balloon started and every time I thought the joke was getting old, a whole other element was thrown in. A great short film which I will hopefully find again someday.
Brilliantly sadistic
rbverhoef9 February 2005
'Billy's Balloon' is sort of brilliant. It is also quite sadistic, but the more sadistic it gets the more you will probably laugh. Just do not take it too seriously. It shows how a balloon is hurting a child, Billy I guess, by lifting him up and dropping him to the floor. You might think this joke will grow old in about a minute, but this animated short, around five minutes long, invents new little things to keep us laughing.
The simple looking animation is perfect. It makes the sadistic events a little colder but at the same time it helps you realize easier that it is just an animated short. Animator Don Hertzfeldt has done a terrific job here. For something a little more disturbing, but equally good, I can recommend his 'Rejected'.
The simple looking animation is perfect. It makes the sadistic events a little colder but at the same time it helps you realize easier that it is just an animated short. Animator Don Hertzfeldt has done a terrific job here. For something a little more disturbing, but equally good, I can recommend his 'Rejected'.
When's the last time a balloon was this entertaining?
Mr-Fusion24 February 2017
There's some twisted stuff going on in "Billy's Balloon"and it is hilarious. Why in the world would a balloon want to attack a small child? And what harm could it possibly do? Don Hertzfeldt happily answers one of those questions and this is a fine example of simplistic animation (and perverse intent) executed for serious laughs. the sens of humor is fantastic; just when you think you know what'll happen, Hertzfeldt flips the script. Violent without being violent.
The man's a genius.
8/10
The man's a genius.
8/10
Flightless
tedg30 May 2005
This is a replacement comment. The original bothered a diligent reader, so I have made some expansion.
Animation is like any film type: artists ally to certain philosophies, perhaps without realizing it. In the case of animation, it bumps up against that great American invention, noir. That's the notion that there is a world in the movie that is manipulated by forces unseen. Hapless characters are the manipulated and the fact that we are on the scene influences that manipulation somehow.
With animation, its all about how objects act, how the environment conspires or not. Not all animators deal with objects the same way.
In my original comment, I made two assertions. One was that the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer was sort of an icon for and a teacher of one school of philosophy so far as this cinematic religion. It has nothing at all to do with darkness, or political statements, or humor that is all applied superficially. Its about how the strings behind the world are connected; what objects MEAN and how we sit on some of those strings. I say that Hertzfeldt is in this tradition and that he changes it not a whit.
Does that make him less of an artist? That's up to you. He masters the philosophy without changing it, but his mastery is more engaging. Its the difference between the guy who writes the movie and the actor, between the composer and the fiddler. You decide.
The second point I made was that I supposed Hertzfeldt saw a rough version of "pad" that was being circulated in film schools at the time. The stories there and here are similar. I am NOT saying he plagiarized, but to me the influence is clear.
Having restated these two points, I can say that
1) this is fun.
2) this is not important in my mind. He's done stuff that is, and I would like you to see it instead. It is not personal, nor unique, nor valuable watching like some of Hertzfeldts stuff can be. Pass on this unless you don't want to explore better stuff.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
Animation is like any film type: artists ally to certain philosophies, perhaps without realizing it. In the case of animation, it bumps up against that great American invention, noir. That's the notion that there is a world in the movie that is manipulated by forces unseen. Hapless characters are the manipulated and the fact that we are on the scene influences that manipulation somehow.
With animation, its all about how objects act, how the environment conspires or not. Not all animators deal with objects the same way.
In my original comment, I made two assertions. One was that the Czech animator Jan Svankmajer was sort of an icon for and a teacher of one school of philosophy so far as this cinematic religion. It has nothing at all to do with darkness, or political statements, or humor that is all applied superficially. Its about how the strings behind the world are connected; what objects MEAN and how we sit on some of those strings. I say that Hertzfeldt is in this tradition and that he changes it not a whit.
Does that make him less of an artist? That's up to you. He masters the philosophy without changing it, but his mastery is more engaging. Its the difference between the guy who writes the movie and the actor, between the composer and the fiddler. You decide.
The second point I made was that I supposed Hertzfeldt saw a rough version of "pad" that was being circulated in film schools at the time. The stories there and here are similar. I am NOT saying he plagiarized, but to me the influence is clear.
Having restated these two points, I can say that
1) this is fun.
2) this is not important in my mind. He's done stuff that is, and I would like you to see it instead. It is not personal, nor unique, nor valuable watching like some of Hertzfeldts stuff can be. Pass on this unless you don't want to explore better stuff.
Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
When balloons attack
Rectangular_businessman29 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A funny short from Don Hertzfeldt, which has all the common elements present in most of his works : An apparently innocent beginning, a very simplistic, but very appealing art style, and lots, lots of black humor, with many twisted jokes contained in a very short time.
The result is pretty effective, and well done. Even when this doesn't have the same level of complexity of "Everything Will Be OK" or "I Am So Proud Of You", this is a pretty good gag short, that serves to show how through animation even the most harmless thing, such as a balloon could be turned into something scary.
Also, it's hilarious.
The result is pretty effective, and well done. Even when this doesn't have the same level of complexity of "Everything Will Be OK" or "I Am So Proud Of You", this is a pretty good gag short, that serves to show how through animation even the most harmless thing, such as a balloon could be turned into something scary.
Also, it's hilarious.
Don't Show This to Little Kids!
Hitchcoc15 July 2019
This is another hilarious effort by a master animator/storyteller. A little boy sits holding a balloon. He is having fun just gooing and cooing. When suddenly the balloon turns on him. The results are absolutely hilarious and pretty sick. And absolutely hilarious.
funny funny!
hippofairy2 August 2006
so... it's a cartoon, where nobody dies, there's no blood, and the only violence involved is with a balloon. how much better can it get? plus we've all played hit-your-friend-in-the-head-with-the-balloon when we were kids. this is just one of the funniest things that i've ever watched. Rolling on the floor laughing funny. The first time i saw Billy's Balloon was at the Hawaii International Film Festival, and it was being screened with a whole bunch of other shorts. Billy was the best by far. It also introduced me to Bitterfilms and Don who i absolutely adore. if you like billy's balloon, check out Don's other work. you won't be disappointed.
Billy's Balloon
Chance-L-Fitzpatrick15 March 2022
There are few things in this ugly world which inspire me more than the resistance of those being oppressed against the oppressors themselves. We all know the type, we recognize it in our lives and in popular culture. Who doesn't love an underdog? George Washington, Che Gueverra,, and now Billy's Balloon. I recognize how important the act of rebellion and the spirit of resistance is in order for meaningful socio-political and economic change in our modern environment and culture. However, it is because of this, difficult in equal measure to denounce the oppressed turning their oppression back on their oppressors and oppressing them instead. This film is a gleeful and blithesome depiction of both of these separate but essential moments in the cycle of species-wide and generational self-destruction we collectively set out upon in our metaphorical and symbolic Garden of Eden. It is because of this universal understanding of the resistance trope that Don Hertfeldt's "BILLY'S BALLOON" works so well: it's an incredibly deft and acuitus subversion of audience expectations. We all understand that nothing is ever going to change. It's a vicious circle, or so they say. And Don Hertzfeld understands that. Make no mistake, the cartoonish violence in this film is "funny". But there is a deep, dark layer of this film frankly too rarely spoken about.
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