Directed by: Panos Cosmatos
Starring: Michael Rogers, Eva Allan, Scott Hylands
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Running Time: 110 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Beyond the Black Rainbow” is wow, just wow. There is really no way to describe this film this sci-fi thriller. If “2001: A Space Odyssey” met up with “Blue Sunshine”, this would be the result. It is a visually beyond anything I have every seen. It is extremely unique and overall such a trip. The whole film is set in this very cool dystopian version of 1983. I was just speechless watching this film…until the end, which doesn’t fit with the rest of the film. I am not sure for the reasoning behind it but it was a letdown from such a visual stunning film. Michael Rogers who played Quan Chi in “Mortal Kombat Legacy” last year gives such an amazing performance, check out our interview here. He is a crazy mix between Norman Bates in “Psycho” and Patrick Bateman in “American Psycho”. If you are looking for the new midnight cult classic film, look no further.
Synopsis: Set in the strange and oppressive emotional landscape of the year 1983, “Beyond the Black Rainbow” is a Reagan-era fever dream inspired by hazy childhood memories of midnight movies and Saturday morning cartoons. From the producer of Machotaildrop, Rainbow is the feature film debut of writer and director Panos Cosmatos. Featuring a hypnotic analog synthesizer score by Jeremy Schmidt of “Sinoia Caves” and “Black Mountain,” Rainbow is a film experience for the senses.
The Blu-ray presentation is very impressive. The 1080p transfer works so well with the film’s use of colors and lights. You can also see like every pore on Rogers’ face, which adds to his creepy performance. The audio gets a 5/5 for being just absolutely perfect. It works perfectly with its hypnotic synthesizer score by Jeremy Schmidt of “Sinoia Caves” and “Black Mountain”. The special features are also great including an audio commentary with director Panos Cosmatos. There a few extended scenes, which are definitely worth checking out. There are also two great featurettes including “Behind-the-Scenes” look into the film and the “Making of Beyond The Black Rainbow”. Very informative and worth checking out. Lastly there is the trailer included.