Watch Japanese Acrobats Tumble in This Film by Thomas Edison

Hurricane Sandy is starting to flex her muscles here in New York. The Brooklyn Battery tunnel and Holland tunnel are slated to close this afternoon, low-lying areas are flooding, and the radio report I’m listening to just quoted a politician somewhere stating unequivocally that “people will die” during this storm. So, while we all huddle in our castles made of canned goods and shiver as we gawk at the overwhelming power of Mother Nature, why not spend a minute watching a non sequitur in video form?

This short was published by Thomas Edison’s film company in 1904, and shows a Japanese man flipping a boy around in the air with his feet in front of a background that looks like a virtual reality version of a Roman-themed acid trip. (Click the link for a hilariously-thorough description of what happens, or, you know, just watch it.) In any case, it’s another gem from Thomas Edison’s library of videos from the turn of the century, which includes this weird dog sausage factory skit. And by all means, stay safe. No one wants to see Sandy tossing you about like a Japanese acrobat duo.

Follow Derek Mead on Twitter: @derektmead.