There are few creative filmmakers with a more distinctive style than Tim Burton, and even though his “original” style can be traced back to illustrators like Edward Gorey he has made this dark yet cartoony style his own with movies like Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie and, of course, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Well before he made his big screen debut with these iconic features he was applying his dark formula to the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel which aired on the Disney Channel in 1983.
For his unique envisioning of the classic tale Tim cast a man (Michael Yama) as the Wicked Witch, Japanese actors as the children, and shot the whole thing on 16mm film for just over $100,000, opting as always for stop motion and practical effects when creating this crazy cool short film.
It aired only once on the Disney Channel, alongside Burton’s other classic short Vincent, but thanks to the diligent efforts of a fan it has been discovered and placed on YouTube for your viewing pleasure!
-Via Dangerous Minds