Strange Frame From Wolfe Video On Mar. 19

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Whoa!  Wow!  That’s what is in store for the home entertainment market place on Mar. 19 when Wolfe Video unleashes writer/director/producer GB Hajim’s Strange Frame on DVD.

Not since René Laloux’s 1973 film, Fantastic Planet, has there been anything as surreal in this genre neighborhood … and we use the word “neighborhood” is the loosest possible sense imaginable. Strange Frame goes beyond the futuristic animated sci-fi milieu as Hajim’s other worldly adventure (the Jupiter moon of Ganymede 500 years in the future) includes sex (lesbian relationship), drugs (beyond “mood altering”) and rock ‘n’ roll (with a jazz riff) as the complimentary ingredients.

Add in the power of love, exploitation (drug-induced slavery), poverty and violence, plus a totally unique approach to the animation and you indeed have a one-of-a-kind film experience waiting in the home entertainment pipeline.    

With the days of repertory cinema long past (sadly), that leaves the film festival circuit and arthouse venues — which are pretty much limited to major metro areas and university communities — as the only viewing options for a film of this nature.  Wolfe Video’s DVD release therefore becomes the only viable viewing opportunity for most … they’ve given themselves two full months to work retail and the allied media outlets who have an interest in such things to raise both buyer interest and consumer awareness.  

The backstory on the making of the film, which features the voice talents of Tara Strong (a voice-talent resume that is unmatched … when does this woman find time to sleep?) as Naia and sci-fi veteran Claudia Black (Pitch Black, plus Farscape as Aeryn Sun and Stargate SG-1 as Vala) as sax player Parker (an homage there), is as fascinating as the film itself.

Claudia Black and Tara Strong as the voices of Parker and Naia

GB Hajim is an unlikely filmmaker.  His background is that of a volcanologist working for the U.S. Geological Survey on the Big Island in Hawaii.  With his writing partner, Shelley Doty, Hajim not only co-wrote, produced and directed the film, but recruited local high school and college art students to act as his animation department.   

Hajim trained his two-dozen “interns” in the various animation techniques he sought to employ in the film … the result is a stunning “studio-like” visual accomplishment.  This is a film where you come for the show, but can appreciate it all the more when you understand the creative process.

He also must have been quite persuasive in his pitch about the project since along the way he was able to recruit the likes of Tim Curry, the vampish Juliet Landau, Cree Summer and Star Trek veterans Michael Dorn and George Takei to lend their voices to various characters in this futuristic animated adventure.

Like we said at the top, “WOW” … this one is not to be missed when it arrives on DVD on Mar. 19.

To download this week's complete edition of the DVD and Blu-ray Release Report: DVD & Blu-ray Release Report