8
votes

Can anybody help me to identify this short film? I saw it once in a cinema between 1980 and 1999, just before a "Delicatessen" film session. It's not animated.

Plot:

A man prepares a thretaening mechanism with ropes, scissors, guns, etc... inside a room or apartment, around a sleeping woman on a bed.

When the mechanism is activated (maybe by the woman's alarm clock), all the mechanisms are triggered at once, but surprisingly, none of the mechanisms harm the woman. All the mechanisms together prepare a delicious breakfast for her.

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  • I'm curious to see how the gun figures in!
    – BrettFromLA
    Nov 16, 2016 at 19:22
  • FYI, this sort of contraption is commonly called a "Rube Goldberg machine" after an early 20th century cartoonist/inventor who was famous for designing overly complex machines that perform basic tasks. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Goldberg Hopefully, that may help you identify the movie.
    – Steve-O
    Nov 16, 2016 at 19:48
  • Wow, I've been trying to figure this out too... I never saw this short, but read the syopsis once and was intrigued. IIRC, there's another twist and the contraptions actually start getting out of hand and the man desperately tries to shut them off. (Do you recall if it's animated or not, BTW? I don't remember that part.)
    – Walt
    Nov 16, 2016 at 20:14
  • Is not animated. Thanks for your interest, and for the Rube Goldberg machines info !
    – Joan
    Nov 16, 2016 at 20:26
  • This sorta matches though the breakfast doesn't look delicious: youtu.be/DmJL-xzoCRs
    – tohood87
    Nov 16, 2016 at 20:48

1 Answer 1

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8
votes
+150

You may be looking for the short film Surprise from 1995, directed by Veit Helmer.

It's about a man who sets up an elaborate and dangerous Rube Goldberg machine for his girlfriend/wife. At one point it does make her breakfast. Here it is:

3
  • I added some stuff, if that's OK. Looks like a match. +1
    – Walt
    Nov 16, 2016 at 21:19
  • Thank's a lot. This short is exactly the one I was looking for!!
    – Joan
    Nov 16, 2016 at 23:08
  • Real glad that's the one & happy to help :) it's a very interesting short film!
    – tohood87
    Nov 16, 2016 at 23:24

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