I can’t decide whether this is an incredible little film with a clever soundtrack, or an incredible little soundtrack with clever visual accompaniment.

Time Piece, by Jim Henson

It’s delightfully inventive, whatever it is.

But for his fans, Time Piece has its sobering aspects. It’s saddening to be reminded of Henson’s early genius, considering how prematurely he left us. He died at 53, and it seems likely to have been very preventable. (Read the summary of his final days at Wikipedia.) Apparently, even though his symptoms were severe and he admitted he “might be dying,” he didn’t want to go to the doctor, probably because of his desire “not to be a bother to people.”

It’s hard not to remember that watching this film, which so prominently features the sight of Henson being treated by a doctor for a cough.