Black Rainbow (1989) coming from Arrow

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Latheofheaven

... I'm almost afraid to ask...

... any pictures of the Honeymoon...?

Just your typical Honeymoon on the beach.

[Show spoiler]

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Just your typical Honeymoon on the beach.

[Show spoiler]

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by sleeperbloke

I'm really surprised there isn't more love for this movie. I've always been fan of it, I really enjoy the strange mix of southern gothic, hitman/conspiracy and supernatural elements. It's almost got a disaster movie element to it. Sure it's a bit of a hodgepodge but I find it's got a lovely atmosphere and a couple of genuinely creepy moments. Arquette was terrific, very affecting. I love that ending too, perfectly vague yet loaded with possibilities.

The picture quality was terrific, and the sound was good too. The making of was a bit dry though, just a couple of talking heads, although it was interesting to hear of a bit of friction on set between Hodges and Arquette. I wish they had got some interviews with the cast.

I basically agree...

It's usually not the case that a movie is altogether lousy or brilliant.

The main elements and atmosphere are there for a good story. And I DO think that there are many 'moments' in the film which stand out. I liked the way the intro and outro tied in the Kudzu along with the Supernatural elements.

I just wish technically from a directorial & writing standpoint, that all of these interesting and good elements could have been put together in a much better way. But, then again, like I said, I honestly could just be expecting too much from this particular film. That is my natural tendency I think, to look more intently at HOW a movie is made and noticing areas perhaps where I personally think it could have been done better. And, I think the stronger the potential (like this movie) the more strongly I feel that way. If a film doesn't really have that much promise, then I probably wouldn't care as much. But, quite honestly for many people, just the way it is may very well be 'good enough'...

***EDIT

Also too, FWIW, I was just thinking that with this particular director and knowing how VERY good some of his films are, to me that makes some of the details, the way some things were done, and choosing the takes that he did even more puzzling than if it had been some run of the mill director.

[Richard--W]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Just your typical Honeymoon on the beach.

[Show spoiler]

is that scene really in Black Rainbow?

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

is that scene really in Black Rainbow?

It's from this:

[ScottDS]

The talented Nathanael Marsh did the artwork for this release while I did the overall layout and booklet design. I also cleaned up the original VHS artwork for the reverse cover.

Oh, and that remastered trailer? Yeah, this had to be re-created from scratch. I re-traced the title treatment from an old press kit cover. More info here!

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by ScottDS

The talented Nathanael Marsh did the artwork for this release while I did the overall layout and booklet design. I also cleaned up the original VHS artwork for the reverse cover.

Oh, and that remastered trailer? Yeah, this had to be re-created from scratch. I re-traced the title treatment from an old press kit cover. More info here!

[Show spoiler]

Nice work!

[DR Herbert West]

Here's the new art:

[Member-222782]

My copy just arrived. Only blind bought this because of Rosanna Arquette. Postcard was for Pitch Black.

[DukeTogo84]

So, now that a few more of you have seen it, anyone care to share their take on what the ending is about?

[Richard--W]

Wouldn't it be nice if Arrow released FLORIDA STRAITS (1988) next.
Let's everybody buy PULP and BLACK RAINBOW to encourage them.

[Member-167298]

Just blind-downloaded from iTunes.

The weird plot and Rosanna Arquette looking fine-as-all-hell compelled me!

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by Richard--W

Wouldn't it be nice if Arrow released FLORIDA STRAITS (1988) next.
Let's everybody buy PULP and BLACK RAINBOW to encourage them.

What's the connection between Pulp, Black Rainbow and Florida Straits? I love that film. I've been posting about the film for years on the threads that have deals with MGM hoping that someone would say "yeah, maybe we'll pick it up". Not sure why it's still not on Blu-ray but it's a crying shame.

BTW, Florida Straits was from 1986

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

What's the connection between Pulp, Black Rainbow and Florida Straits?

Director Mike Hodges.

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Here's the new art:

pretty good!

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

So, now that a few more of you have seen it, anyone care to share their take on what the ending is about?

Yeah, without getting too specific, I think the basic gist and mood of the ending (and the beginning) were good, but again, I felt that it was like a lot of the rest of the film, kind of unfocused and vague. I mean 'Vague' is not necessarily bad (see anything by David Lynch ) BUT... when the audience, like you and others, just have no bloody idea WTF is going on or what it means, it just doesn't seem to be as effective.

That goes along with what has been mentioned before, where if the director had centered the movie more around the Supernatural aspects instead of just kind of tacking them on here and there, THEN I think the ending could have been worked into a stronger overall Supernatural theme and tied it all together better and would have had FAR more punch to it.

Just my opinion...

... which is worth just about what you are paying for it...

... and likely smells a lot like Dr. Wests's work...

[Latheofheaven]

Originally Posted by PrestonXI

Just blind-downloaded from iTunes.

The weird plot and Rosanna Arquette looking fine-as-all-hell compelled me!

Blind drunk downloaded more likely...

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by Latheofheaven

Blind drunk downloaded more likely...

Ha. Believe it or not, I am 100% sober 100% of the time.

[beamish13]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Black Rainbow is a good little sleeper that suffered from the Curse of Mike Hodges (the only filmmaker who rivals Terry Gilliam for bad luck) with a horribly botched release:



"We steal when we touch tomorrow."

Saying that Black Rainbow is one of its director's best films doesn't sound much of a compliment when you're talking about a man whose résumé includes Morons From Outer Space even if it is true. Mike Hodges' reputation these days rests solely on a gangster movie he made 49 years ago, and the fact that his subsequent efforts have either been too clinical to work (The Terminal Man), too flawed to completely satisfy (Pulp), outright awful (A Prayer for the Dying) or saw him fired early in production (Damien: Omen II) has done little to deter labelling him as a one-hit wonder. True to his run of luck, this neat little supernatural thriller was barely released, going straight to cable in the US and getting caught up in a distribution scandal in the UK, where Palace tried to get copies into video stores (selling it as virtual soft porn, believe it or not!) before the film even opened theatrically.

It's that old chestnut, the medium who sees too much - in this case getting messages from dead people who haven't died yet - and puts her life in danger, but it's rarely been done this well. Starting off as a sort of Emily Gantry as written by Eugene O'Neill (with Jason Robards playing another of his drunken pater familiases), it offers Rosanna Arquette her best role, and she certainly rises to the challenge. The premonition scenes carry a real frisson, there are neat humanising touches (the hitman for once has a family life and can't get a decent seat on an airplane) and Hodges' dialogue is surprisingly good. But what really carries it is the characterization: these are all believably damaged people clinging onto any tenuous hope they can find, be it religion or the bottle, to prevent taking a good look at themselves - as one bereaved character puts it, "Maybe if we weren't so bothered about the hereafter we'd pay more attention to the here and now."

The Curse of Hodges struck again with Anchor Bay's R2 DVD, which has a good collection of extras but a poor transfer with lots of ghosting and poor detail in long shots (the previous UK video and laserdisc issues from Tartan and Encore were much better). Arrow's talk of a proper transfer is encouraging, but with Hodges luck...

Oh, and...



.

Hodges’ true hidden gem is Squaring the Circle, his 1984 BBC film written by Tom Stoppard. Just stunning

[Aclea]

So I've heard, but like most of Channel 4's early output it's almost impossible to find.