Shane Carruth is a guy who should be making more movies. Never heard of him? He wrote and directed an indie sci-fi film called Primer. Primer is about a couple of guys who accidentally build a time machine, and all of the really bad things that happen as a result. It was made for about $7,000, and it’s really, really hard to follow. Carruth has a degree in mathematics and used to be an engineer, and he’s happy to let you know this via Primer‘s script: it’s full of technical jargon that makes almost no sense to non-engineering types, and thinking about the way time travel works in the movie is enough to give one a brain aneurysm. If there’s an Anti-Michael Bay, it’s Carruth.
Carruth has finished the follow-up to Primer. It’s called Upstream Color, and he’s doing something interesting regarding its distribution: rather than pitch it to distributors, he’s doing it himself – even putting out the DVD/Blu-ray editions through his own company.
On the one hand, it’s a bold move because it allows him to have complete control over his product. On the other, it might be a necessary one, because WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN THIS MOVIE? Watch:
Maybe Carruth’s film is about how we deal with controlling our fate; the two young lovers we see are being manipulated by an unseen force, one that has taken over their identities. Or it could be a reboot of Green Acres. Either way, it’s a creepy, lovely, altogether great trailer (despite the use of the Christopher Nolan Ubiquitous Musical BWAAAAH).
Upstream Color opens in New York on April 5.
About Jason Avant
