I Married a Strange Person! — I Married a Strange Person!(Blu Ray)

I Married A Strange Person is a 1997 animated feature from legendary illustrator, director and animator, Bill Plympton (Cheatin’, Guard Dog and Idiots and Angels). Plympton’s illustrations have graced the pages of some of the world’s most renowned publications, including The New York, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Penthouse, to name a few. The relatively unknown voice cast includes Charis Michelson (Bringing Out the Dead, The Wonder Boys and High Art), Tom Larson (this remains his only feature film), Richard Spore (Bringing Out the Dead, Picture Perfect and Law and Order), Chris Cooke (Better than Ever, Trust and The Unbelievable Truth), J.B. Adams (Far From Heaven, Limetown and Bear City 3) and Ruth Ray (Desecration , The Tree and an episode of Sex in the City).

The film begins with two birds trying to mate in mid-air while flying; they fly into a cloud and end up nosediving into a satellite dish on the roof of Grant Boyer’s house (played by Larson). As this happens, Grant is struck by a strange beam of energy emanating from the collision, resulting in a boil on his neck which will subsequently change his life. A short while later, Grant and his wife, Keri (Michelson) are making love, when Grant’s new powers begin to manifest. Grant is able to control reality in a way that means he can control the behaviour of others, what they see and what they feel. After a visit to see Keri’s parents, when her mother admits that they don’t approve of their daughter’s marriage to Grant, Grant inflicts his powers upon them through insects and musical instruments. The couple return home and undertake a strange, prolonged sex scene where the couple are continually in flux, changing shape, size and appearance, much to Keri’s consternation. After appearing on national TV Grant’s boil and powers become of interest to SmileCorp, who send Colonel Ferguson (Cooke) to track down Grant and discover the source of his powers. What will become of Grant and his strange boil, can he ever have a normal life again, and what do SmileCorp intend to do if they are able to harness his powers?

I Married a Strange Person! Is an enormously surreal movie that allows Plympton scope to really let loose and create what appears to be a real stream of consciousness piece. I am not sure if there was a script or whether he just drew what he felt at the time would work, but it’s a wild and fun ride. Grant’s ability to change the very fabric of reality really does make for a very engaging viewing experience. It’s a ridiculous mix of the downright weird, the hyperviolent and the ridiculous that kept me entertained for its full length. The Plympton shorts that he made for MTV back in the 1980s were a fun introduction to his work and acted as a primer for the weirdness on show here.

The Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile features some pretty cool bonus materials too. There are two short films, Guide Dog (2006) and The Loneliest Stop Light (2015), narrated by Patton Oswalt, there is a new interview with Plympton about the making of the movie, as well as an audio commentary from Adam Rackoff, James Hancock and Plympton collaborator John Holderried of Plymptoons Studios.

Overall, this is a fun slice of surrealist nonsense that kept me thoroughly entertained for seventy-two minutes. It has a uniquely wild and wacky style that is all its own, and it’s always a pleasure to watch hand-drawn animations, especially when they are so visually pleasing to the eye. If you enjoy old-school hand-drawn animation or have a deep love for surrealist cinema, then this should already be on your shopping list.