Impulse Gamer Home


Beyond the Black Rainbow DVD Review - www.impulsegamer.com -
Beyond the Black Rainbow
Reviewed by
Simon Black
on
Beyond the Black Rainbow DVD Review Beyond the Black Rainbow - it’s a demanding film, certainly, but provided you’re willing to immerse yourself in it it’s also one heck of a trip. 
Rating:
3.5

Feature 7.5
Video 9.0
Audio 9.0
Special Features   0.0
Total 7.0
Distributor: Madman
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Reviewer: Simon Black
Classification
: MA15+

7.0

 
Beyond the Black Rainbow

Strong drug themes, sexual references and violence: this is my kind of fillum! 

Beyond the Black Rainbow is a madcap slice of experimental cinema from first-time director Panos Cosmatos, and the end result of a childhood spent perusing the horror section of the local video store in wide-eyed wonder.  Clearly a student of Kubrick, Cosmatos combines liberal lashings of 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, with plenty of stylistic homages to sci-fi stalwarts like THX-1138 thrown in for good measure.  There’s a touch of Gasper Noë in there, definitely some David Lynch, and very possibly some Matthew Barney.  One of the triumphs of the film, in fact, is how in spite of the cavalcade of cinematic references the end result somehow feels at once unique and eerily familiar. 

The storyline exists more to propel the visuals than the other way around: the year is 1983, and a young girl with telekinetic powers is trapped deep within a labyrinthine research facility known as the Arboria Institute.  The Institute’s demented head scientist Dr Barry Nyle is fond of probing the mind of his pet-like captive, but would never dream of willingly parting with his beautiful prize.  So she decides to escape, before the doc can subject her to any additional testing or bore her silly with another of his cardigan-clad rap sessions.  And that’s when things get weird... 

Actually, things get weird long before that point.  Cosmatos’ debut is a cornucopia of hallucinatory imagery, and plays like a cross between a fever dream and an acid trip.  Michael Rogers hams it up superbly as the creepy Dr Nyle, and stunning newcomer Eva Allan also shines (insofar as her drugged stupor will allow) in one of her largest roles to date.  Fans of druggy, hypnotic, Burroughs-esque material will find much to enjoy in Beyond the Black Rainbow - it’s a demanding film, certainly, but provided you’re willing to immerse yourself in it it’s also one heck of a trip. 

Bonus Features

Theatrical Trailer 






 
 



   Games
   PlayStation 4
   XBox One
   PlayStation 3
   XBox 360
   PC
   PS Vita
   Wii U
   Wii
   3DS
   DS
   PSP
   Apple
   Casual
   Android
   Classics

  Movies
   Movies & IMAX
   Blu-ray
   Action
   Anime
   Comedy
   Crime & Thrillers
   Documentaries
   Drama
   Family
   Horror
   Kids
   Lifestyle
   Music
   Romance
   Sci-fi
   Sport

   IT
   PC
   Apple
   Hardware

   Information & Fun
   News
   Interviews
   Articles

   Tara's G-Spot
   Loren's Level
   Comics
   Books
   Mind & Body
   Music
   Competitions
   Community
 








 
 




Impulse Gamer is your source for the
latest Reviews and News on Video Games,
Entertainment, Pop Culture, Hardware &
More!

 


© 2001 - 2021 Impulse Gamer
 

 

About Us | Contact Us