MovieChat Forums > We Are the Strange (2007) Discussion > Quick Review

Quick Review

posted 17 years ago by kerecsen
15 replies | jump to latest

When I saw the synopsis of this movie in the Sundance booklet I got very excited. I imagined all sorts of ways to make something gorgeous and delightful from the mixture of 8-bit video game characters, anime drawings and stop-motion animation.

So I cleared my screening schedule for Sunday evening and showed up for We Are the Strange, along with about 200 fellow festival-goers. I knew trouble was looming when the director introduced himself before the movie and informed us that this piece would be totally different from anything we'd seen before and that we should open our minds and give it a chance. He also mentioned that he invented his own style, str8nime.

It turned out that the warning wasn't totally warranted, as the movie, in fact, wasn't all that original. It did feature a mixture of videogame-style, anime and classical stop motion characters, but more in a random cacophony than an actual style that deserves its own name. In addition, the director/animator didn't really expand on the style as he reused the same handful of characters and scenes for the entire 88 minutes of the running time.

I've never been as safe from accidentally putting spoilers in a review as I am at this moment. There is just no plot to speak of, you see. Other than the final, 10 minute long, completely banal, unoriginal and poorly executed robot fight, the rest of the movie is a mosaic repetitive random visual self-gratification with no dialog or any other recognizable story element.

There are a few scenes that look aesthetically pleasing, but they are few and far between. The material would have definitely been awesome for a 3 minute music video, or possibly a 10 minute short, but not for a feature length endeavor.

If you are organizing a techno rave, and the musical venue has a projector, you may want to put on a DVD of this film as a background. Otherwise nothing to see here, move along...

[–] bigglesthehobo 17 years ago

i was there for the opening night also. Was the short before hand not the stupidest $hit you'd ever seen! it was people jumping for 11 minutes! Then the director came out and said he was a robot from the future and that the aliens had influenced him to make this movie. i walked out 10 minutes in. it was just plain terrible. how did that get into sundance??? i mean i can see slamdance .... maybe. but come on! it was just stupid. i wasted my time.

www.myspace.com/biggles114

[–] Niffiwan 17 years ago

For an alternate view, I found this review of the film in a blog:
http://filmarts.blogspot.com/2007_01_20_archive.html

(ctrl+f, search for "we are the strange" - he mentions it a few times. )

Also, here's the NYT article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/22/business/media/22carr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

There's also a video interview with the guy over there.

Also, mdotstrange posted some Youtube diary videos about the experience:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mdotstrange

___ __ _
Math problems? Call 1-800-[(10x)(13i)2]-[sin(xy)/2.362x].

[–] kate_pidgeon 17 years ago

Here's the thing - the film is bonkers - no doubt. But it's a proper art-house film - it's not for sundance losers looking to see "my gay one-legged life and how i have overcome the trials set before me to become the human who accepts himself today" - instead it's the perfect movie to drop acid to.

Narrative - nulle points
Visuals - great - and if the previous reviewer accuses him of re-using visuals then this is also someone who wouldn't particularly enjoy A TALE OF TALES because it would be a waste of time and unoriginal.
Production: This is made by one guy....in his house.....on one computer....for himself....with a cast of friends. It's rough in places but generally nothing but 12/10.
Editing: minor quibble - but I bet M Dot Strange wouldn't object to other people ripping it up and reposting their own cuts - as long as he sees some revenue.

Anyway - either way it's brilliant.

a

[–] smack_munky 17 years ago

totally agreed natascha. Sundance is becoming more like a hollywood *beep* these days. As soon as i get the dvd i'm gonna drop some mescaline and bounce.

[–] Mustachioed-Ken 16 years ago

This movie is absolutely amazing for the fact that it was a one-man circus. While watching it I guessed it was all one man's work but didn't think it was really possible; it's done so well. This movie is Art house. For those that don't know how to watch the Art house genre, don't watch this movie. (They should put a warning like that on the DVD). Anything that distracts from the film's visuals is doing the film a bad thing. It doesn't need a story. It's a complex hybrid of imagery that combine the use of three technologies previously never used together before.
I think the problem with the this film is related to how it was released. Sundance isn't fitting for this film, but I guess it's the only way for a small film to get a big shot. The best thing we have to be thankful for however, is this: whatever M Dot Strange makes next will be even better.

[–] wanderlust22 16 years ago

The best thing we have to be thankful for however, is this: whatever M Dot Strange makes next will be even better.

Backhanded compliment if I've ever seen one. "Nowhere to go but up!"

Nice, lol.

[–] ericmdeen 16 years ago

Sounds like you all might like that movie "Wizards" if your into wacky combinations of animation and standard film. From most of your reviews, I need to be under the influence of psychedelic drugs to enjoy this, so I'll pass. FYI when you say a movie is better while high, your doing the movie a disservice.

[–] drmousetooth 16 years ago

Actually, some people make art/film/MUSIC with the specific intent of the viewer being high. Even a movie that isn't specifically made for that is not lessened just because it's better when your high... it makes it better.

You seem to be anti-drug minded, maybe I'm wrong, and there's nothing wrong with that, other then the fact that you are now ignorant to WHY movies can be better or worse while you are high.

I'll assume you haven't smoked weed or done other psychedelics (sorry if you have and I seem condescending but others who haven't may read this). So I'll try to explain this the best I can. Movies are not "better" when you're high just because you're high and you laugh and think everything is cool. They can be better because your mind is picking up the tiniest details, you're thinking about scenes through many different perspectives, camera angles and visuals all of a sudden "make sense" while when you saw them sober they were... just... the video. There is often meaning expressed through these seemingly random angles and/or blotches of color. Sound is enhanced greatly, I cannot express what this is like. Sound and visuals syncing up or suiting one another amazingly? Now you're seeing some real talent and you probably really enjoy it.

For the people who really appreciate psychedelics, it's not about getting messed up and seeing "cool" things like some inexperienced people think.
It's about something deeper. Whether you're exploring yourself, relating to something or you're seeing the "true nature" of something, whatever. It's about learning and knowledge more then fun and games.

It's just one of those things, you have to know it to know it.
However, I do not advise or condone anyone to try any illegal substances I just thought I'd try to explain why people who do, see things in movies, art and music that you may not. Use of such substances can unhinge a fragile mind, so while for the most part they are safe, they do indeed carry great potential risk.

In any case, this movie does apply to some of the things I've spoken of, but really, it's not the best and could really freak you out. Other movies like "Wave Twisters" however, are quite amazing in that "trippy" quality.

[–] moviemuncher1 16 years ago

I have to strongly agree with most of the reviews of this movie that everyone posted here on this thread, very tasteful, unbiased, and I feel the same way about this movie...
except for the part about dropping acid to it.

Although I agree that this kind of film would be labeled a "trippy" movie to the mainstream, but I have to disagree that this is not something you would want to trip to (and I have knowledge in this). I will elaborate: the scenes are too long and drawn out and if you were tripping you couldn't stand that, you would want for the scenes to move on, "go somewhere" and entertain you (entertain being the keyword, which this film doesn't deliver). Also, there isn't anything at all psychedelic about this film. And if anything, watching this while tripping, just might give you a bad trip, that is, if you can actually make it though it's entirety. Tripping while watching this movie will only make you see through this stuff, to find it a long drawn out version of a 10 minute art video, which you will get impatient, fed up with watching it and immediately switch to Pink Floyd: The Wall, Waking Life, Spun, Pie, or A Scanner Darkly (while not necessarily psychedelic films, they are just to name a few mainstream "trippy" movies). Watch any of those while tripping and I can promise you, your mind will have a good time feasting on these movies.

So don't buy into this movie being one where you have to watch it while tripping, because this just isn't so. And if you are like me, I am the type of person to pay attention to a movie with that sort of comment.

[–] jostx4 16 years ago

Good point! My friends came up with idea to watch it while tripping, and if you don't know what to expect (like us) its a pretty bad choice!
I don't recommend it (unless you want to *uck someone up)

Interesting movie though

[–] robertrayschmidt 16 years ago

Errr...are you guys really talking about taking drugs while watching this movie?!

[–] weirdozmedia 16 years ago

"Errr...are you guys really talking about taking drugs while watching this movie?!"

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, never!

Drugs are just for those really bad people, you know the ones that only go to church every OTHER Sunday!

We wouldn't have any of that tomfoolery on the We Are The Strange board.

worldofbong.com - the lab of dr bong?

[–] drmousetooth 16 years ago

It amazes me that people, who haven't done psychedelics (which I don't think is bad or "uncool" in the least), can't believe others who do, watch movies while they are high.

You can do whatever you want when you're high, just like when you're sober. HOWEVER, I would say that doesn't include driving and I advise everyone not to be UTI while they are doing something like working or anything involving undivided attention or danger.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] go_denzi 16 years ago

If it weren't for the interesting animation style, I would have been bored out of my brains, as opposed to being just plain bored whilst watching it. It was like watching a really bad anime but with cool visuals.

I'm all for artistic integrity, but I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would.