A crippled dwarf is forced to become jester to a tyrannical king, but when the king abuses a beautiful dwarf with whom the jester is in love the jester plots a terrible revenge.
Director: Julie Taymor.
Stars: Michael J. Anderson, Mireille Mossé, Tom Hewitt, Paul Kandel, Reg E. Cathey, Kelly Walters, Thomas Derrah, Patrick Breen, Glenn Santiago, Patrick O’Connell, Robert Dorfman, Joan MacIntosh, Cynthia Darlow, Pippa Pearthree, Betsy Aidem.
This made for TV movie is the directorial debut of Julie Taymor (Titus, Frida) and based on Edgar Allen Poe’s Hop-Frog, a story about a dwarf forced to become a jester by a tyrannical king. You may recognize Michael J. Anderson, who plays Hopfrog, from Twin Peaks. The other characters wear bizarre masks and costumes. A pity there isn’t a better copy available but thanks Jon for making this available. I’ll bet whoever uploaded it to YouTube got it here.