Hoffmaniada 08/26 Blu-ray (Rental)

A luminously beautiful Russian stop-motion animated feature based on the writings of famed Gothic author E.T.A. Hoffmann. HOFFMANIADA - 2018, Soyuzmultfilm, 78 min. One of the most luminously beautiful and richly detailed stop-motion features in recent memory, Russian director Stanislav Sokolov's masterwork finally arrives in North America. Adapted from the writings of famed Gothic fantasy author E.T.A. Hoffmann (best known for The Nutcracker & The Mouse King), HOFFMANIADA is a visually stunning cross between Henry Selick circa JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and Mozart's The Magic Flute, filled with operatic dreams, clockwork automatons, fire salamanders, witchcraft, love, magic, and the legendary city of Atlantis. Interweaving plots from three Hoffmann stories ("The Sandman," "The Golden Pot" and "Little Zaches Called Cinnabar") with the real-life drudgery of the writer's job as a government clerk, the film utilized over 150 stop-motion puppets and was the first feature project in decades from legendary animation studio Soyuzmultfilm (THE SNOW QUEEN). Featuring the voices of Vladimir Koshevoy, Slava Polunin, Natalya Fisson and Anvar Libabov. "Maybe the most ambitious stop-motion film ever made in Russia ... The puppets and animation in Hoffmaniada are breathtaking." - Animation Obsessive. In Russian with English subtitles. Bonus Materials “A Black-and-White Film” (Chyorno-beloe kino) – 1984, 19 min. Sokolov’s early stop-motion gem follows a man who drifts away from his own party and into memories of his childhood days. -“Hoffmaniada: Frame By Frame” (2018, 23 min., dir. Kevin McNeer) – a fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of HOFFMANIADA. -“Not Only Human” – new visual essay by animation historian John Adkins of Animation Obsessive. New commentary track by animation producer and podcaster Adam Rackoff, podcaster and film critic James Hancock, and filmmaker and podcaster Martin Kessler. Original trailer for film (with English subtitles). New video conversation with acclaimed British stop-motion animator Barry J.C. Purves and Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok discussing HOFFMANIADA, Purves’ own career, Ray Harryhausen and KING KONG (2026, 40 min.) Cast & Crew Actors: Vladimir Koshevoy Slava Polunin Natalya Fisson Anvar Libabov Director: Stanislav Sokolov