A Guide to "Anachronautical - The Voyage of the Golden Hind-er" (the film)

“Aweigh Santy Ano”; this is a pretty interesting tune. Did you know that sea shanties are categorized by the activity associated with them? Well, now you do. This one’s a pump shanty, and “Santy Ano” is actually the Mexican general Santa Ana! Apparently a lot of English sailors deserted to join his forces. The words were later rewritten and sang the joys of the Californian Gold Rush. All that in one little tune!

First documented performance of Hamlet actually was aboard the “Red Dragon” off the coast of Sierra Leone in 1607! It was acted by the crew, but it is not indicated whether or not they were automatons; that’s just a bit of artistic license. [and yes, that’s Squeaky as Ophelia awaiting his entrance.]

D.E.B. Unlike F.A.B., which apparently really did just mean “fab” (as in fabulous, get it?), this means “Directive Endorsed as Broadcast”....it really, truly does.

Rats: The black rat, also known as the ship rat, Alexandrine rat, Old English rat (sound familiar?) and roof rat is quite distinct from the more familiar Norwegian or brown rat. They are arboreal (therefore often nested in the ship’s rigging), are predominantly nocturnal and quite social (sound familiar?).  One of their favoured foods is coffee beans (sound familiar?). So, yes, the girls are basically caffeinated party rats, but Eldritch caffeinated party rats.

Weird Sisters from “Macbeth” (err...I mean “the Scottish Play”) are pretty interesting characters. Pre-Shakespeare they were considered to be elven-folk, nymphs or fairies of the woods, eerie and mysterious. They were originally described by Will as “weyward” sisters, as in supernatural or strange. The “weird” bit comes from an earlier meaning than the one we use; “wyrd”: fate or destiny.

Push the button, Bert: No explanation needed, right?...right? Think four letters and a number, not in that order.

Area 5.1; an obvious tip-of-the-hat to an amazing vintage TV show and an infamous site in Nevada, the “5.1” refers to Hamlet, Act 5, scene 1, in which Yorick achieves stardom. Channel 5.1 from Elsinore TV also refers to this. (See also “Ye Most Excellent and Adventuresome True Historie of Yorick” for more 5.1 fun.)

The Freckled Moon Goddess: In so many Sword & Sorcery tales gods and goddesses meddle in the hero or heroine’s destiny that it is, indeed, a breath of fresh air to encounter a goddess who does nothing but float gently across the night sky humming a tune to herself.

The Micro-Beast: One of my many hobbies is microscopy, and this little fellow-being is actual footage of a Vorticella (a protozoan) I took with my Celestron 44340 Digital Microscope. He/she/it was a particularly exciting find in a drop of stagnant water from outside. Just proves that the world can be a pretty eerie place, as in eerie-weird-and-wonderful, not eerie-stalked-by-ghostly-shadows-with-evil-intent.

How to be a Detective: The little detective book that Squeaky and the Crane use is an homage to Buster Keaton, probably one of the (if not the) greatest visual comedians ever to have a building fall on him (although there’s also Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Chan....). All of his films are in the Public Domain and pretty readily available, but getting a good print isn’t as easy. He was inventive, funny, moving and always surprising, designing and performing all of his own stunts, some of which will blow you away even today. The still I used is from “Sherlock Jr.”.

Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: Just an amusing little anecdote: at a performance I attended years ago, Caesar’s line “Et tu Brute?” was met with a loudly-whispered “What’d he say?” from behind me somewhere.

The Coffee Order: Just hope you’re never in line behind that one....


If there are any other things you want explained in pedantic detail, just let me know! I can go into great detail on the construction of miniature hats, for instance; really, I can.