Mercurio Arboria (Scott Hylands)

Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of 1983 (with a liquid B/W flashback to 1966), Beyond the Black Rainbow is a Reagan-era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons.

Barry Nyle (Michael Rogers)
[Michael Rogers as Barry Nyle]

This is writer and director Panos Cosmatos‘ feature film debut. The two hour film features a hypnotic analog synthesizer score by Jeremy Schmidt of Sinoia Caves and Black Mountain, and will open on July 6 at Vancity Theatre. You’ll walk away feeling from a different world. Beyond the Black Rainbow uses soundscapes, synthesizers, and every kind of film technique possible to capture the audience.

Barry Nyle (Michael Rogers)
[Michael Rogers as Barry Nyle]

Rather than try and review this film (I found a pretty spot-on recap here), I thought I’d try and jot down each and every adjective that came to mind from that film-going experience:

– EERIE
– SINISTER
– ENVELOPING
– DARK
– MESMERIZING
– MIND-BLOWING
– THOUGHT-PROVOKING
– DEPRESSING
– HALLUCINOGENIC
– PSYCHOTIC

This is not a film for everyone; I had to leave for a few moments towards the end just to collect myself out in the lobby.

Elena (Eva Allan)
[Eva Allan as Elena]

Curiosity piqued? If so, get over to Vancity Theatre to check out what will undoubtedly be the summer’s most talked-about independent film, shot right here in town.

What director Cosmatos had to say about his film

“The mood of the film is my memory of how the late 70’s and early 80s felt to me. Both the reality and the fantasy world of the pop culture I would immerse myself in. I think in making it I was trying to grasp something intangible. It’s a nostalgic movie, but it’s a poisoned nostalgia.”

Beyond the Black Rainbow stars Michael Rogers as Barry Nyle, Eva Allan as Elena and Scott Hylands as Mercurio Arboria. It’s being released in Canada by Mongrel Media and opens on July 6 (for a two week run; may be extended) at Vancity Theatre.

All images courtesy of Mongrel Media.

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