“Birdman” has some new competition for Sunday’s Oscars.
Mashable released a spoof video of the Best Picture contender called “Big Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Orange Pants)” on Thursday. It features a performance by Caroll Spinney, the veteran puppeteer who has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since “Sesame Street’s” inaugural season in 1969.
In the video, Spinney sits in his dressing room when he begins to hear Big Bird’s voice in his head saying, “This place is crawling with monsters. It smells like bird seed.”
Done in “Birdman’s” signature single-take style, Spinney levitates a few objects across the room before making his way out into the hall. Big Bird continues to speak to him, saying things like “How many different ways can you learn the alphabet?” Lots apparently.” Big Bird even tells Spinney that they “should have done that Raymond Carver play,” a further reference to the plot of “Birdman,” in which Best Actor nominee Michael Keaton‘s character tries to launch a Broadway version of one of Carver’s books.
Once outside the “Sesame Street” studio, Spinney walks down the street. The camera eventually tilts down, revealing Spinney is wearing Big Bird’s trademark orange legs.