From the opening to the close I found myself in the constant motion of this film. Each detail compelled me to want more. Strange Frame is twisted and foreign yet the film maker calls me home. We have no earth but we have taken all the familiar virtues and evils with us to a new world. With unlikely heroes,gay, crippled, broken, addicted, colored and colorful I am totally under the spell of it. Abandon your prejudices and Strange Frame makes it easy as it weaves a cloth of seduction in your mind. It is a different way for the hero to get the girl. See it and come away humming the soundtrack. And by the way, that soundtrack is a cross between down home blues and sultry jazz clues. I cannot wait to own this film in my personal collection.
21 Reviews
A Pleasant Hodgepodge of Everything that Works Well
wondernat23 June 2014
For fans of Frank Herbert's "Dune," Aeon Flux (to a degree), "Across the Universe" (the musical, and up to the part it started to drag), and "Triplets of Belleville," I recommend this movie.
It takes place in a netherworld (or our world) future, 7 centuries down the line, and I thought of "Dune" in that there's a new system in place for all inhabitants.
I thought of "Across the Universe" because of its use of music to disjointedly establish the events leading up to the climax. Next, I was reminded of "Triplets of Belleville" because of its use of visuals (sans sound) to construct the mood of the scene. There is some Aeon Flux-ish stuff in there, but not too much; Aeon Flux fans are warned. Just some scenes for you to remember those late nights watching MTV to catch an episode before the hour was run out.
In all, I believe this movie was such a fantastic artistic feat, I am not sure whether calling it an "LGBT movie" does it any justice. Rather, I found it was a very ambitious animated movie project that worked very well.
It takes place in a netherworld (or our world) future, 7 centuries down the line, and I thought of "Dune" in that there's a new system in place for all inhabitants.
I thought of "Across the Universe" because of its use of music to disjointedly establish the events leading up to the climax. Next, I was reminded of "Triplets of Belleville" because of its use of visuals (sans sound) to construct the mood of the scene. There is some Aeon Flux-ish stuff in there, but not too much; Aeon Flux fans are warned. Just some scenes for you to remember those late nights watching MTV to catch an episode before the hour was run out.
In all, I believe this movie was such a fantastic artistic feat, I am not sure whether calling it an "LGBT movie" does it any justice. Rather, I found it was a very ambitious animated movie project that worked very well.
Weird but good
martin-ninov3 September 2015
This movie is weird. There isn't anything exceptionally special or specifically noteworthy. The animation is... I wouldn't go so far as to call it ugly, but it is very distinctive. The plot is a mish-mash of tropes stitched together in a not altogether seamless fashion. Some of the dialogue is pretty cheesy.
And yet... for about a billion different little reasons it just worked for me. The world they built, that reminded me of Cowboy Bebop and Farscape and Asimov, the music that was atmospheric and provided a perfect backdrop to the visuals(and they even managed to sneak in some Pink Floyd), the aesthetic that reminds of noir and Myst and turn of the century video game cinematics, the unconventional characters, which are totally how I imagine the future will be, the voice cast, that features so many familiar voices that do their job expertly(seriously - you've heard or seen all of them from somewhere - be that a Saturday morning cartoon, a cult-classic game or favourite fantasy/sci-fi show, or a ton of other awesome pieces of media you'd be surprised they were in).
When you are in a certain frame of mind all of these things just click together in some uncanny way that makes the entire movie pretty amazing. I doubt there are 2 people on Earth that will experience it the same way. So make of it what you will, but if you enjoy any of the above you'll probably enjoy this movie too.
And yet... for about a billion different little reasons it just worked for me. The world they built, that reminded me of Cowboy Bebop and Farscape and Asimov, the music that was atmospheric and provided a perfect backdrop to the visuals(and they even managed to sneak in some Pink Floyd), the aesthetic that reminds of noir and Myst and turn of the century video game cinematics, the unconventional characters, which are totally how I imagine the future will be, the voice cast, that features so many familiar voices that do their job expertly(seriously - you've heard or seen all of them from somewhere - be that a Saturday morning cartoon, a cult-classic game or favourite fantasy/sci-fi show, or a ton of other awesome pieces of media you'd be surprised they were in).
When you are in a certain frame of mind all of these things just click together in some uncanny way that makes the entire movie pretty amazing. I doubt there are 2 people on Earth that will experience it the same way. So make of it what you will, but if you enjoy any of the above you'll probably enjoy this movie too.
It's great to see a fresh story, style, and approach being produced for an adult audience!
GraydenLaing23 November 2012
I got a chance to see Strange Frame at the Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema (www.wfac.ca). It's a visionary forerunner of what promises to be a new era of animated features being produced and directed by auteur filmmakers. Through clever use of resources and locally trained Hawaiian talent G.B. Hajim was able to produce, craft, and complete a unique story that never would have made it to movie theatres or television screens even five years ago.
Aside from being ground breaking though... there are gorgeous visuals and the voice talent is second to none. The story also has some sweet subversive twists, but it's also designed to be enjoyable - which is a relief from all the weighty animated features being produced for adults in the West. Don't get me wrong, I love those weighty animated features, it's just nice to see a fresh story, style, and approach being produced for an adult audience. Here's hoping we see more from G.B. Hajim and his team.
Also, If you get a chance, I highly recommend you watch this film on the big screen with a proper surround sound setup. Because.... Gary Rizzo worked on the audio mix. You might remember him from his work such small films as... Titanic, Tron: Legacy, The Dark Knight Rises... and so on ;)
Aside from being ground breaking though... there are gorgeous visuals and the voice talent is second to none. The story also has some sweet subversive twists, but it's also designed to be enjoyable - which is a relief from all the weighty animated features being produced for adults in the West. Don't get me wrong, I love those weighty animated features, it's just nice to see a fresh story, style, and approach being produced for an adult audience. Here's hoping we see more from G.B. Hajim and his team.
Also, If you get a chance, I highly recommend you watch this film on the big screen with a proper surround sound setup. Because.... Gary Rizzo worked on the audio mix. You might remember him from his work such small films as... Titanic, Tron: Legacy, The Dark Knight Rises... and so on ;)
A future cult classic.
zetes17 February 2014
This trippy animated feature brings to mind stuff like Fantastic Planet and Heavy Metal, and I imagine lots of drugs will be done while watching it. I don't partake, but I enjoyed the mindbendingness unaltered plenty. The animation style is simple but beautiful. It's pretty difficult to describe, but the trailer can be watched on IMDb or Youtube. It's a lesbian love story between a saxophonist and a singer/guitar player who live on the moons of Jupiter in the 28th Century. The singer, Naia, is targeted by evil record producers, and her lover, Parker, is left out in the cold trying to figure out how to win her love back. The story isn't entirely coherent, but no matter. It's a rich visual and aural experience that left me breathless. It streams on Netflix and is highly recommended.
Eye Candy
ricwarren-128 April 2013
A beautifully animated dreamlike adventure pulsating with sensuality and rock and roll. An instant cult classic in the spirit of 'Fantastic Planet' (La Planete Sauvage), 'Heavy Metal' with underpinnings of 'Fritz the Cat' and 'Blade Runner'. The character voices are interesting with Tim Curry and Claudia Black standing out. The music is reminiscent of the girl rock sound of the early seventies. Think 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' meets 'Heart'. The story is complex enough to stay interesting without losing anyone. But, the cut-out style of the animation shows just how creative the animators were to elevate this type of video game style imagery to special heights. Try to see this film in as large a format as you can. It's quite impressive on a extra big TV or at the theater.
Not since Cowboy Bebop have I enjoyed an animated experience this much!
karadee12317 April 2013
Definitely not for everyone. If you love the vanilla stories and characters of Hollywood Blockbusters, stay away from this movie. If you like to be spoon fed the plot points and donʻt enjoy digging in the subtext skip this one...but if you have depth and you like going deep, this is exactly what the Doctor ordered.
I felt like the whole movie was a walk through some exotic red light district of the future with a soundtrack and voice talent to keep that mood going. Lots of homages to my fave films in there and some of my fave playwrights too! (Did anybody else notice all the Oscar Wilde stuff?)
It is a wild ride, but not full of killing and mayhem: full of erotic asides, acid painted walls, poetry, rock and roll.
Itʻs an indie movie, so spread the word if you can.
I felt like the whole movie was a walk through some exotic red light district of the future with a soundtrack and voice talent to keep that mood going. Lots of homages to my fave films in there and some of my fave playwrights too! (Did anybody else notice all the Oscar Wilde stuff?)
It is a wild ride, but not full of killing and mayhem: full of erotic asides, acid painted walls, poetry, rock and roll.
Itʻs an indie movie, so spread the word if you can.
Disillusioned
alec-m-robinson11 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I have to question whether the film that I just watched is the same one that other reviewers here are labelling "visionary", "groundbreaking" and "unique". I like a lot of strange and unusual films, but there was just nothing terribly compelling to be found here.
While I admire the film for it's same-sex love story and the director's attempt to employ young people domestically in its production, claims of delivering "a dreamlike tale unlike anything you've ever seen" quickly fall flat. The story rife with clichés, from the rich-kid-run-away protagonist, to her under-class rebel love interest, dystopian future setting, and the downward spiral into the world of rock-and-roll, sex, drugs, exploitation, and broken dreams. I wouldn't call the imagery anything groundbreaking. It was all reminiscent of Wizards and Heavy Metal, with lengthy, brightly coloured drug-trip sequences.
I might have enjoyed it more had there been any attempt to evolve beyond the clichés... But there was nothing innovative to be found here. Vapid, one-dimensional characters and plot chug along in perfectly predictable fashion until the film's stereotypically cheesy "generic art film fade-to-black with indeterminate character fate"(TM) conclusion.
Overall it can be summed up as a trippy stoner art film with sci-fi overtones. No new ground is broken here. Nothing new or innovative is explored or attempted. The characters and plot are all tired and generic. All the themes and storytelling in this film have been done before, and done better.
While I admire the film for it's same-sex love story and the director's attempt to employ young people domestically in its production, claims of delivering "a dreamlike tale unlike anything you've ever seen" quickly fall flat. The story rife with clichés, from the rich-kid-run-away protagonist, to her under-class rebel love interest, dystopian future setting, and the downward spiral into the world of rock-and-roll, sex, drugs, exploitation, and broken dreams. I wouldn't call the imagery anything groundbreaking. It was all reminiscent of Wizards and Heavy Metal, with lengthy, brightly coloured drug-trip sequences.
I might have enjoyed it more had there been any attempt to evolve beyond the clichés... But there was nothing innovative to be found here. Vapid, one-dimensional characters and plot chug along in perfectly predictable fashion until the film's stereotypically cheesy "generic art film fade-to-black with indeterminate character fate"(TM) conclusion.
Overall it can be summed up as a trippy stoner art film with sci-fi overtones. No new ground is broken here. Nothing new or innovative is explored or attempted. The characters and plot are all tired and generic. All the themes and storytelling in this film have been done before, and done better.
strange frame
shaenaj27 February 2013
the context of this story was good. it was about a type of everyday life about two lovers. it was a good way for gay people to express themselves and i hope they feel more open to show the way they are. in this movie, the contour lines are amazing. the 3d shapes were really organized and looked so real. most of the characters in the movie was non-representational because the characters were odd looking. only a few were actually representational but it was pretty cool to see the way people will probably look in the future. i really enjoyed the colors, especially the bright colors of the girls hair-Naia's girlfriend. the iconography of the video was easily seen for me because i knew it was about the future and how the world will be and look.
Spoilers
csilvern129 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers in this entire review! I was browsing Netflix when I came across this film unexpectedly and thought it looked interesting. After reading a review, and seriously, seeing the really weird animation for the cover, I figured I'd give it a try. Maybe even if it was just a trippy movie to laugh at, it was something to watch.
I didn't realize that the two main characters being gay was anything notable. Big deal; it certainly doesn't help or hurt the story and in no way makes it more compelling, get over yourself about that.
Now, what I personally found very hard to get over was the animation. The backgrounds and what appears to be CGI were done very well, but the main characters look downright awful. They remind me of someone who has just learned about Illustrator and is going to great lengths to look like they have talent, but ends up with weirdly proportioned and cheesy characters. Animation is such a beautiful art form and can express so much, oftentimes more than live action. This film made me depressed to have to watch it, just for the art style and animation of the main characters. I love animation, and this is not the cream of the crop.
As to the sci-fi aspect, yea, it's technically sci-fi what with the A.I. and spaceships and living on the moons of Jupiter. I get that, but nothing else really made it sci-fi, it wasn't included in a meaningful way to the story line except to be a stage for the characters to play on.
(Yes, even more spoilers here too) Now, down to the nitty gritty. I love sci-fi, I love animation, and who doesn't love a love story? This one is dull, uneventful, sometimes hard to follow, and certainly doesn't make me ache for the two main characters to get back together.
The movie was actually just barely "ok", up until the point where the flimsy rescue is formed and put into motion. Things started to unravel at this point and I think the writers lost their way. They lost my suspension of disbelief here several times. From the way they break in and break the clone, to finding the lab and breaking in there (why again didn't they just go straight to the lab?), all really made for a bad ending and oh, the cliché! Left and right it was the same old recycled clichés about "Boo hoo, my girlfriend was taken by an evil music exec, and they don't let me see her,! Damn! She was the best thing that ever happened to me! I'm just a poor rich kid that wants to play her music and eat her cake too, if you know what I mean. *winky*" Yes, get ready for plenty of girl on girl action. It's almost like the creator thought the only way to keep an audience involved was getting some more lesbian stuff in there. Mind you, this is not explicit at all, just some suggestive hands and bellies exposed, but almost every scene with the two main characters has some girl stuff going on. Puhhhhlease, who wrote this? A 14-year-old boy? It can't be a great movie and NOT have girl action every 4 minutes, right? It gets to the point of almost depending on the lesbian theme just to fill time and make it full length. (Sidenote: which reminds me reading somewhere that the director was using high school students to draw and animate this movie? Well, I'm sure the kids had no problem with some PDA and a dash of T&A!) Overall, not that great of a movie. If you can get past the visual experience, the storyline is just not compelling or unique. There is a lot of great animation out there WITH great story telling. If this was the directors first step into movie making while they were in film school, I would say it was a pretty good first try at it, but this was not good enough to be taken seriously.
I didn't realize that the two main characters being gay was anything notable. Big deal; it certainly doesn't help or hurt the story and in no way makes it more compelling, get over yourself about that.
Now, what I personally found very hard to get over was the animation. The backgrounds and what appears to be CGI were done very well, but the main characters look downright awful. They remind me of someone who has just learned about Illustrator and is going to great lengths to look like they have talent, but ends up with weirdly proportioned and cheesy characters. Animation is such a beautiful art form and can express so much, oftentimes more than live action. This film made me depressed to have to watch it, just for the art style and animation of the main characters. I love animation, and this is not the cream of the crop.
As to the sci-fi aspect, yea, it's technically sci-fi what with the A.I. and spaceships and living on the moons of Jupiter. I get that, but nothing else really made it sci-fi, it wasn't included in a meaningful way to the story line except to be a stage for the characters to play on.
(Yes, even more spoilers here too) Now, down to the nitty gritty. I love sci-fi, I love animation, and who doesn't love a love story? This one is dull, uneventful, sometimes hard to follow, and certainly doesn't make me ache for the two main characters to get back together.
The movie was actually just barely "ok", up until the point where the flimsy rescue is formed and put into motion. Things started to unravel at this point and I think the writers lost their way. They lost my suspension of disbelief here several times. From the way they break in and break the clone, to finding the lab and breaking in there (why again didn't they just go straight to the lab?), all really made for a bad ending and oh, the cliché! Left and right it was the same old recycled clichés about "Boo hoo, my girlfriend was taken by an evil music exec, and they don't let me see her,! Damn! She was the best thing that ever happened to me! I'm just a poor rich kid that wants to play her music and eat her cake too, if you know what I mean. *winky*" Yes, get ready for plenty of girl on girl action. It's almost like the creator thought the only way to keep an audience involved was getting some more lesbian stuff in there. Mind you, this is not explicit at all, just some suggestive hands and bellies exposed, but almost every scene with the two main characters has some girl stuff going on. Puhhhhlease, who wrote this? A 14-year-old boy? It can't be a great movie and NOT have girl action every 4 minutes, right? It gets to the point of almost depending on the lesbian theme just to fill time and make it full length. (Sidenote: which reminds me reading somewhere that the director was using high school students to draw and animate this movie? Well, I'm sure the kids had no problem with some PDA and a dash of T&A!) Overall, not that great of a movie. If you can get past the visual experience, the storyline is just not compelling or unique. There is a lot of great animation out there WITH great story telling. If this was the directors first step into movie making while they were in film school, I would say it was a pretty good first try at it, but this was not good enough to be taken seriously.
Lost in a jazzy, cyberpunk reverie
d_awgs20006 June 2013
A daringly innovative trip into sci-fi awesomeness, Strange Frame: Love and Sax truly is a diamond in the rough. From its jazz infused soundtrack to Claudia Black's spellbinding voice, the film is an audiovisual "galvanizer." And if Black's soothing narration doesn't make your heart skip a beat, maybe voice acting vets Tara Strong and Cree Summer can do the trick! I would be doing the film injustice by saying its cast is made up of simple stars. Stars? These guys are Solar System titans of Ganymedian proportion! Two words. Tim. Curry. that is all... The visual style is so eye-catching and unique, that it can only be described as an intergalactic fever-dream. Although the story could be seen as pretty standard sci-fi fare, the film's overall ambition and vigorous creativity ultimately shine through, giving a breath of fresh air to a much-beloved genre that (as of late) has unfortunately plummeted to the nether regions of "same ol' same ol'" I am amazed by and thankful for the film's use of LGBT themes, which are neither played for laughs nor jammed down our throats with pseudo- respect and sympathy. Strange Frame is not a gay love story, but a love story (and that's how gay love stories are done right!) It is also refreshing to see such themes reflected in not only a sci-fi film but an animated film. The soundtrack transcends mere praise. From classics like Pink Floyd (and the masterpiece that is "the gunner's dream") to (at least for me) new-found gems like Shelley Doty (what an artist!) the music in Strange Frame will resound in your mind long after the credits have rolled. If you're a fan of sci-fi and animation do yourself a favor and check this film out...just pop the corn, lay back and hold on to the dream! ;)
Review of strange frame
dysantos26 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I don't particularly like sci-fi movies. But this one was stunning. A mix between action,slavery,gender,war and prejudiced love are among the few themes that makes Strange Frame. A film that no one will compare. The imagery and music are out of this world. Some may find the seductive lesbian scenes unsettling. To me,compiling all the different aspects of this sci-fi rock musical together. Including it's context,digital animation,iconography,earthwork,and social realism. I would recommend this video to other individuals,excluding minors. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I will never forget it. You've got a masterpiece that people will be talking about for years to come.
A genuinely touching love story.
jenbrookes16 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I've just watched 'Strange Frame'. Personally I really enjoyed it! More than I thought I would, to be honest. I would even go so far as to say that is a unique film - in style, artwork and story line. Reviewers have seemed to overlook the musical score too - shame, as it makes up a large part of the story. The visuals are stunning and not nearly as weird as I was expecting. I saw weirder watching 'Crystal Tips and Alastair', back in the '70's! The story is sweet, quite touching in places, with some great characters. At one point in particular I felt a genuine tug on the old heart strings. Claudia Black's character - Parker - is awesome. Her beautiful speaking voice is perfect in this role. People may feel put off by the 'lesbian issues' of the love story - I would say, don't be. This film is a beautiful work of art, and a genuinely touching love story.
Fun, original sci-fi/fantasy with out of the ordinary lead characters!
deborah-global26 August 2014
Looking for something more artistic, interesting, and unique? This film's focus on an alternate universe where a black lesbian can be the star of a film got me interested in checking out other science fiction The drama is compelling, the animation is original and creative, the music is wonderful, and the voices will draw you in. As others have noticed, it's got quite the stellar cast of voices! If you're looking for your normal high-budget action/adventure film with automatic graphics and white male heroes, don't worry, I'm sure there's a film or two around where you're still the lead. If you want a lively and innovative science fiction/fantasy film, try this one on for a change!
Way before it's time!
vasoonanimation30 December 2023
If you're a fan of this film like I am, you might delve deep into it and find that four PhD dissertations mention this film in how cutting edge it is in edge in Queer theory and Afrofuturism. Unfortunately, it was released when wyte boy rage against any PoC, feminist, or Queer media actually had power. It was pulled from Netflix because of a huge amount of anti-queer feedback.
No spoilers, but it dishes some real science too! Like the first use of space elevators in a sci-fi film, AIs are used by the record industry to make music (prescient!), and a John Varleyesque appreciation for what will be possible for the human race in regards to gene splicing.
If you've ever taken mushrooms and are a fan of sci-fi or animation or both, this film is for you. It's a trip!
No spoilers, but it dishes some real science too! Like the first use of space elevators in a sci-fi film, AIs are used by the record industry to make music (prescient!), and a John Varleyesque appreciation for what will be possible for the human race in regards to gene splicing.
If you've ever taken mushrooms and are a fan of sci-fi or animation or both, this film is for you. It's a trip!
artsy indie thing won't appeal to everyone
cherold19 February 2014
Years ago I used to occasionally read a sci-fi comics magazine called Heavy Metal, which for all I know still exists. It was full of perplexing, often pointless narratives told somewhat incoherently, and was notable mainly for its weird art and fondness for sexy girls.
Strange Frame reminds me of that. True, the sexy girls are seen from a lesbian view rather than the straight guy view of most of Heavy Metal, but sexy girls are sexy girls.
Besides Heavy Metal, the movie reminds me of East Village indie magazines from the 80s and fan fiction.
For me, the movie felt amateurish and slack. The animation did nothing for me.
But it reminds me of other things people like that I don't like, so if you like East Village underground art, Heavy Metal, or bad fan fiction, you might love this. I did not.
Strange Frame reminds me of that. True, the sexy girls are seen from a lesbian view rather than the straight guy view of most of Heavy Metal, but sexy girls are sexy girls.
Besides Heavy Metal, the movie reminds me of East Village indie magazines from the 80s and fan fiction.
For me, the movie felt amateurish and slack. The animation did nothing for me.
But it reminds me of other things people like that I don't like, so if you like East Village underground art, Heavy Metal, or bad fan fiction, you might love this. I did not.
This made no sense
LeonardiLeo34520 September 2014
I know people are calling this original and fresh but it just didn't make any sense to me. The characters never really gel on screen and it felt odd from the first frame to the last. If you're a fan of Hollywood style storytelling then you'll be disappointed no doubt.
I LOVE sci-fi and fantasy so I've always been a fan of the genre. I went into this with open eyes and ears and just took it for what it was.
Not going to spoil the story but in my opinion it wasn't worth the running time. If they had made the story more clear and cleaned up the pacing then it would have been a much better story. I'll leave this to you to decide.
3/10 for me. Not wasted but near it.
I LOVE sci-fi and fantasy so I've always been a fan of the genre. I went into this with open eyes and ears and just took it for what it was.
Not going to spoil the story but in my opinion it wasn't worth the running time. If they had made the story more clear and cleaned up the pacing then it would have been a much better story. I'll leave this to you to decide.
3/10 for me. Not wasted but near it.
Lush voices, fine music, good story, hideous visuals.
suite9221 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Naia is a singer, Parker a saxophone player. They made good music together until they encountered Dorlan Mig, who drugged both of them. He threw out Parker, and denied her access to Naia.
Parker barely manages to keep her best saxophones. She eventually meets Grenman, the all-around fix-it man on a space ship. This gives her a safe home and friends. However, the ship's on-board AI is going psycho, and is sabotaging the ship.
It's the late 28th century, and humanity lives mostly off Earth: Mars, the Jovian satellites, large asteroids, and places further out, rather like in Cowboy Bebop. There is a war among the various planets, satellites, space stations, and asteroids. AI and robotics are enormously further along than on 21st century Earth.
Parker sells one of her saxes to help pay the bills on Grenman's ship. She investigates her former band. She takes the bass of the player Atem, who abandoned it and his clothes. Parker promises to give the bass to Atem if she finds him. She meets Chat, another band member, and tries to figure what Dorlan did with Naia.
She attends one of Naia's current shows, takes recordings, feels the singing with her singer's sense.. Parker becomes quarter owner of the ship, and the crew sets about to help her to kidnap the 'fake' Naia.
Will Parker succeed in rescuing the real Naia? Will the captain succeed in regaining complete control of his ship from the AI? Will Dorlan get his just reward?
-------Scores--------
Art: 4/10 Terrible. Ugly. An assault on the eyes. A festival of hideous images.
Sound: 10/10 Voices and incidental music were fine.
Voicing: 10/10 Claudia Black was brilliant, Ron Glass excellent.
Screenplay: 10/10 A touching and inventive story set in the Cowboy Bebop like future environment.
Parker barely manages to keep her best saxophones. She eventually meets Grenman, the all-around fix-it man on a space ship. This gives her a safe home and friends. However, the ship's on-board AI is going psycho, and is sabotaging the ship.
It's the late 28th century, and humanity lives mostly off Earth: Mars, the Jovian satellites, large asteroids, and places further out, rather like in Cowboy Bebop. There is a war among the various planets, satellites, space stations, and asteroids. AI and robotics are enormously further along than on 21st century Earth.
Parker sells one of her saxes to help pay the bills on Grenman's ship. She investigates her former band. She takes the bass of the player Atem, who abandoned it and his clothes. Parker promises to give the bass to Atem if she finds him. She meets Chat, another band member, and tries to figure what Dorlan did with Naia.
She attends one of Naia's current shows, takes recordings, feels the singing with her singer's sense.. Parker becomes quarter owner of the ship, and the crew sets about to help her to kidnap the 'fake' Naia.
Will Parker succeed in rescuing the real Naia? Will the captain succeed in regaining complete control of his ship from the AI? Will Dorlan get his just reward?
-------Scores--------
Art: 4/10 Terrible. Ugly. An assault on the eyes. A festival of hideous images.
Sound: 10/10 Voices and incidental music were fine.
Voicing: 10/10 Claudia Black was brilliant, Ron Glass excellent.
Screenplay: 10/10 A touching and inventive story set in the Cowboy Bebop like future environment.
Okay if you want to test your movie watching skills
skrall-991-9493273 May 2014
This film could be considered edgy, avant garde, risqué, risky, new horizons...any number of things depending on your slant and agenda...depending on your definitions...especially of "cinema". This certainly is "art"...the human creations. But is it a good film? (in the context of who we generally think of good films). Just because a movie is...different....doesn't make it a great or even good movie. Okay...that being said- I found I did not enjoy this movie. And I like sci-fi, anime, certain CGI, etc. I can also appreciate someone taking risks. But....It's style is some sort of drug induced freak abstract just for the sake of doing it not for the sake of the story or film. And hey if that's all you want out of film then knock yourself out! As was mentioned the story isn't edgy or even engaging, there's no character engagement, I didn't feel connected at all, just kind of bored, especially with the forced pretentiousness of how I should be awed by everything, oh LESBIANS WOW!. Not. If animated abstracted lesbian lead characters is the claim to fame, there's not much to claim.
Bottom line...I'm not going to discourage anyone from watching any film, but I'm not recommending this one either. Do yourself a favor, if you want to watch a great original animated rock and roll movie, check out Rock n Rule. It's the ORIGINAL real deal, and you will see it looks like they probably lifted some things from it too.
Bottom line...I'm not going to discourage anyone from watching any film, but I'm not recommending this one either. Do yourself a favor, if you want to watch a great original animated rock and roll movie, check out Rock n Rule. It's the ORIGINAL real deal, and you will see it looks like they probably lifted some things from it too.
Whoever sat through the entirety of this garbage deserves an Award!
KIMaster20029 October 2014
Presents a fugly future that causes motion sickness/vomiting, where the majority of humans are black women with horns or fur (and even as someone who loves black women I found these ones hideous), complete with the world's most bald-faced racism/colonialism/slavery subtext. A narrator utters the line "She dreamt of the fierce calls of an unchained slave" and the writers are so impressed by themselves, it appears in blue letters across a black screen for several seconds.
Here is an alternative take, courtesy of a brilliant unnamed poet on Netflix;
"The daring story of a treasure troll and California raisin raptured in a lesbian relationship in a futuristic diorama of 1994. Take dramamine before you watch this. Everything oozes and smooshes for no reason."
Here is an alternative take, courtesy of a brilliant unnamed poet on Netflix;
"The daring story of a treasure troll and California raisin raptured in a lesbian relationship in a futuristic diorama of 1994. Take dramamine before you watch this. Everything oozes and smooshes for no reason."
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