Every Aussie by now should know the hilariously disturbing, yet culturally accurate YouTube animated short films by Michael Cusack, such as Yolo and Damo and Darren 1 – ‘Ciggy Butt Brain’. They feature highly crude scenarios with derelict protagonists that reveal the unsanitary and morally corrupt aspects of Australian society. But Cusack has been busy post Ciggy Butt Brain, so here’s a list of his other films you must see if you enjoyed Damo and Darren’s first feature.
After the immensely popular first episode of Damo and Darren, four more episode of the series have been made.
Skatepark, where the fellas ponder the fleetingness of life, in which Darren tries to show the kids at the skatepark that he can still skate, ending in broken bones; Centrelink follows Darren sorting out his cancelled welfare payments, and ends up telling a fictitious story about how his son will get teased at school because due to his cancelled payments; No Smoking shows the fellas at a train station being told not to smoke on a platform by a man they apparently can’t understand; and Servo Run, which features Darren’s “classy” girlfriend and an evil magpie, and where the adventure ends in disaster for Damo.
There’s also Yabby Hunterz. It’s currently only a single episode film about eccentric bogan hunters who like to punch the shit out of little yabbies (yes, you heard that right). The film seems like a parody of reality TV shows streamed on the Discovery Channel—a conglomeration of Russel Coight and Duck Dynasty
Cusack’s latest film, however, Going for Coffee is a dynamic musical adventure featuring a man who loves life so much he has to sing about it, until he has one too many cups of coffee—a nightmare I’m sure the majority of people have experienced. It goes from “merry musical” to “level 100 bad acid trip” within seconds. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions; perhaps a true portrayal of a day in a life of caffeine overload.
What makes Michael Cusack’s films hilarious is that we all know a Damo and Darren somewhere, know someone who has the potential to be a yabby serial killer, and have overestimated the cunning of caffeine. If you haven’t seen all the films listed, get to it. Maybe have a bedpan handy, ’cause they are hilarious.