By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Inspired by true events, it’s coming with expanded scenes and newly assembled bonus features.
Filmmaker/effects artist Jim Ojala has announced the upcoming release of a Director’s Cut Blu-ray of his ecological fright film STRANGE NATURE, originally released in 2018. Currently up for pre-order through Earth Day, April 26, and scheduled to ship in June, the disc includes a new cut of the movie incorporating never-before-seen restored footage. Ojala wrote and directed the film and oversaw the makeup/creature effects, and the cast is headed by the late Lisa Sheridan, Bruce Bohne, Stephen Tobolowsky (SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, MEMENTO), Jonah Beres, the WWE’s John Hennigan, Carlos Alazraqui and fright fave Tiffany Shepis. The synopsis: “Inspired by real-life reports of deformed frogs discovered in Minnesota wetlands, STRANGE NATURE blends environmental mystery with creature-feature suspense. The film follows a disgraced ex pop-star single mother [Sheridan] who uncovers disturbing evidence that something in the water is triggering grotesque mutations—and the consequences may be far more dangerous than anyone imagined.”
“STRANGE NATURE has found a passionate audience over the years,” Ojala says, “and I’m excited to finally share the definitive version of the film along with a behind-the-scenes look at how we incorporated the real malformed frogs along with our creature effects.”
The first 50 orders get a Bonus Collector’s Pack that includes a free mini-poster of your choice (official movie poster or “Land of 10,000 Freaks” variant) and a “Land of 10,000 Freaks” fridge magnet. The first 200 orders receive a limited-edition signed and numbered slipcover featuring “God of Change” artwork by Kate MacDowell. The special features include;
- NEW Making-of featurette
- Making of Jim Ojala’s STRANGE NATURE PBS mini-doc
- Cast/crew interviews
- Deleted scenes
- Behind-the-scenes special FX tests
- “Sweeter Than Kandy” music video
- Blooper reel
- Audition tapes
Regular price is $25, but the pre-order is 20 percent off at $20.
