Legendary animator Bill Plympton’s delirious and demented feature opens with two birds mating in midflight (“Ah, good taste, what a dreadful thing!” as the film cheekily quotes Picasso). The birdy love accidentally leads to a beam of misdirected TV satellite energy erupting a telekinetic boil on the neck of newlywed Grant (voiced by Tom Larson), which causes havoc in his marriage to his darling wife Keri (voiced by Charis Michelsen). Are you still with us? Good, because you’re in for a nonstop stream of Plympton’s classic surreal non sequiturs and mind-bending visual puns involving Chia pets, fingernail dirt, assaults by bugs at the dinner table, riding mower antics and spontaneous eruptions of wonderfully deranged music (courtesy of frequent collaborator Maureen McElheron) with lyrics like “Would you love me if I blew up a deli / Got a big fat belly and became real smelly?” The mysteriously powerful boil on Grant’s neck eventually attracts the notice of the voracious Smilecorp, leading to an all-out battle for control of the wandering carbuncle. As Grant says mildly, “I’m really sorry about all that, but it’s been a very weird day for me.”
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Video Quality
I Married A Strange Person debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a 2K restoration of the uncut Original Camera Negative conducted in 2019. With hours of care put into preserving this feature, the end results are astounding for fans of animation. The distinct and twisted character designs and every unique line and mark of the animation are preserved in this newest release. The textures of the surreal reality on display look naturally filmic and give the journey the appropriate amount of depth.
Every single creative flourish within the animation is left intact with no unwanted digital manipulation to ruin the natural look. The stunning colors are especially vibrant with these bright hues swirling around one another while maintaining ideal delineation. Black levels are impressive with no serious issues of banding or compression. This Blu-Ray is a top-notch representation that allows this to exist in its ideal state. Deaf Crocodile is the perfect home when it comes to preserving classic animation.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original English which brings the proper complexity to this track. The film conjures creative sound effects that are given the foremost presence within the mix. The track dials in the atmospheric effects well all around. The music is a prominent element of this whirlwind story, and every song is brought to life perfectly in your speakers. Every clever lyric holds up with flawless fidelity. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without sound effects or the music trouncing vital information. The audio is excellent on all fronts. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
The Deluxe Edition Blu-Ray of I Married A Strange Person arrives in a hard slipcase package that is a beauty in person. The release also includes a 60-page bound book featuring introductions by actor/comedian Patton Oswalt, producer/writer Chris Miller (THE LEGO MOVIE), and animation historian Jerry Beck, plus new essays by film critic and author Walter Chaw and animation historian David B. Levy. All of this provides great insight into the film, the themes, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary: Animation producer and podcaster Adam Rackoff and podcaster and film critic James Hancock are joined by longtime Plympton collaborator John Holderried of Plymptoons Studio for a new commentary track filled with tons of fun anecdotes and observations.
- Bill Plympton Short Films: A pair of animated shorts from Bill Plympton is provided that show some of the immense creativity of Plympton. These are both wonderfully entertaining and hilarious films.
- Guide Dog (2006) (HD – Restored by Deaf Crocodile) (5:46)
- The Loneliest Stoplight (2015) (HD) (6:18)
- Interview with Bill Plympton: A 44-minute interview with director/writer/producer Bill Plympton conducted by Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok is provided in which the artist discusses his background, his journey to digital animation, the surrealist imagery, the musical elements of the film, the voices in the film, and much more that is well worth a listen.
Final Thoughts
I Married A Strange Person is another fun and distinct creation from Bill Plympton that brings his lovingly warped sensibilities to the dating world. This time out, the creative gets a bit more risque in his ambitions, but his conclusions are no less sharp. There are plenty of amusing musical numbers scattered throughout, but there are a few that blend in more with the background than others. This feature is bound to be a bit more polarizing than The Tune, but those who appreciate adult humor in their animation will have a blast. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a sterling A/V presentation and a notable assortment of special features. We will keep picking up Plympton titles as long as they keep releasing them. Recommended
I Married A Strange Person is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Deluxe Edition Slipcase exclusively through Deaf Crocodile and DiabolikDVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
