wondernat 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.

Tekno Dragon 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.

Levi Moniz "Strange Frame" is a digitally animated film in which two lesbian lovers are separated in a scheme of corporate greed and corruption. Naia and Parker are lesbian musicians determined to make it "to the top" together - until the proverbial monkey wrench is thrown into their plans.The film features stylized characters and environments, as well as unique color usage that the viewer can almost taste. A unique visual texture is imbued into elements such as character hair and liquids, with nearly every scene containing a double-take-worthy image.Contextually, I imagine that the film is commenting on a dilemma that nearly every artist - and person - faces: "Am I willing to sacrifice who I am to achieve personal success?" This sentiment is very uniquely served by G.B. Hajim's personal style and art direction."Strange Frame" is an interesting and inspiring picture that I am proud to say was actualized in my hometown of Hilo, Hawaii. Recommended!

Grayden Laing 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 ;)