Black Rainbow (1989)

Director:

Mike Hodges

Writer:

Mike Hodges (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

She can see the killer's face. She knows the victim's name. The only thing she doesn't know ... is when the murder will take place.

Plot:

Martha Travis is a medium who makes contact with spirits "on the other side" and connects them with their loved ones still alive...

Plot Keywords:

Alcoholic | Train | Female Nudity | Psychic | Mayor

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Rosanna Arquette	...	Martha Travis
Jason Robards	...	Walter Travis
Tom Hulce	...	Gary Wallace
Mark Joy	...	Lloyd Harley
Ron Rosenthal	...	Lieutenant Irving Weinberg
John Bennes	...	Ted Silas
Linda Pierce	...	Mary Kuron
Olek Krupa	...	Tom Kuron
Marty Terry	...	Mrs. Adams
Ed Grady	...	Editor, Geoff McBain (as Ed L. Grady)
Jon Thompson	...	Jack Callow
Helen Baldwin	...	Eva Callow
Darla N. Warner	...	Shirley Harley
Christopher L. Gray	...	Choirmaster
Lucy Williams	...	Choirlady
Peter Townes	...	President Hotel, Clerk
Dan Cox	...	Terminal Hotel, Clerk
William Brown	...	Hal Faber
Rick Warner	...	Editor, Jay Chatwin
Dandy Stevenson	...	Mrs. Koestler
Rebecca Hogan	...	Mrs. Anderson
Georgia Allen	...	Mrs. Jamais
Brenda Mitchell	...	Mrs. Dupont
Princess Wilson	...	Mrs. Kimbler
Mert Hatfield	...	Mike Braddon
Wallace Merck	...	Officer Monroe
Mary Ratliff	...	Eunice Dole
Ed Lillard	...	Pastor on Train
Judy Simpson	...	Rachel Sachs
Willie Stratford	...	Railroad Steward
Kay Joiner	...	Mrs. Prior
Jerry Rushing	...	Bud Orwell
Muse Watson	...	Police Officer
Herbert Eley	...	Caretaker
Janelle Cochrane	...	Airline Clerk
Joe Inscoe	...	Airline Clerk No. 2
Joyce Bowden-Kirby	...	Nurse Shelly
George Hart	...	Plainclothed Detective
Ivan Green	...	Preacher
James G. Martin Jr.	...	Hotel Night Clerk
Tate Gardner	...	Larry Harley
Christina Taylor	...	Lilly Harley
Jeffrey Taylor	...	Mike Harley
Corbin Gurkin	...	Cindy Harley
Joe Maggard	...	Audience Member
Mary Moore	...	Audience Member
Anna Morris	...	Audience Member
Dale Wright	...	Audience Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Members Of Cannon Cathedral Choir of Charlotte	...	Themselves
Kathleen Williams	...	Audience Member
Paula Dean	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Chuck Kinlaw	...	TV Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Hodges

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mike Hodges		writer

Produced by
Donald S. Anderson	....	associate producer
Geoffrey Helman	....	producer
John Quested	....	producer
George A. Walker	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Scott

Cinematography by
Gerry Fisher

Film Editing by
Malcolm Cooke

Casting by
Judy Courtney
Craig Fincannon
D.L. Newton

Production Design by
Voytek

Art Direction by
Patricia Klawonn		(as Patty Klawonn)

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Williams

Costume Design by
Clifford Capone

Makeup Department
Victor DeNicola	....	hair stylist
Lauri Fisher	....	hair stylist
Sheri Short	....	makeup artist
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert E. Warner	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paula Brody	....	second assistant director
Jay Tobias	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Carolyn Brand	....	lead painter
Carl Copeland	....	construction foreman
Joe Fiacco	....	assistant property master
K. Drew Fuller	....	carpenter
Barbara Kahn	....	lead person
Suzy Lapick	....	property master
Tommy Moye	....	construction coordinator
Peter Reeves	....	set dresser
Jeffrey Schlatter	....	construction coordinator
Ron Servicky	....	set dresser
Matthew Sullivan	....	set dresser (as Matt Sullivan)
Robert Testerman	....	chargehand scenic artist
Mark S. Turner	....	stand-by scenic
Doug White	....	set dresser
General Fermon Judd Jr.	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Barringer	....	assistant sound editor
David Boulton	....	adr mixer
Paul Carr	....	sound mixer
Catherine Hodgson	....	assistant dialogue editor
Derek Holding	....	dialogue editor
Colin Miller	....	sound editor
Brian Paxton	....	sound mixer
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer
Blake Wilcox	....	location sound mixer
Troy Wilcox	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Bob Shelley	....	special effects

Stunts
Ellis Edwards	....	stunts (as F. Ellis Edwards)
Tom Harper	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Bartsch	....	grip
Logan R. Berkshire	....	best boy grip
Tim Bess	....	dolly grip
George Binnersley	....	camera focus
Phillip V. Caruso	....	still photographer
Frank Caslin	....	electrician
Lynn Dodson	....	best boy electric
Maurizio Dotto	....	camera focus
Bill Finger	....	assistant camera
Cary Fisher	....	second assistant camera
Rufus Granger Jr.	....	grip (as Rufus Granger)
Herb Harton	....	second camera focus
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator
George Hesse	....	camera loader
Constantine Makris	....	second assistant camera
Gene Poole	....	key grip
John Sprague	....	gaffer
Penny Sprague	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Pam Plummer	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Glynn	....	assistant to costume designer (as Gloria Laughridge)
C.J. Harris	....	seamstress
Deborah Latham	....	costume supervisor
Amy Lilley	....	set costumer
Alonzo Wilson	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Darcy Bowman	....	location assistant editor
Kerry Kohler	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Kerry Kohler	....	music editor
Alan Snelling	....	music recordist
John Fiddy	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
A.J. Bubba Forester	....	transportation captain (as Bubba Forester)
Lee Siler	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Mark Bakunas	....	assistant auditor
Paul Bosanko	....	production assistant
Eileen Eichenstein	....	production office supervisor
Ellen Gannon	....	production assistant
Vick Griffin	....	assistant location manager (as Vic Griffin)
David Blake Hartley	....	location manager
David Hartley	....	location manager
Joy Helman	....	publicist
George Howell	....	production assistant
Abigail Ireland	....	assistant auditor
Barbara R. Miller	....	production auditor
Linda Pickett	....	craft service
Randall Pickett	....	craft service
Jennifer K. Richardson	....	production assistant
Cornelia 'Nini' Rogan	....	script supervisor
Sandra M. Stott	....	production secretary
James L. Wiggins	....	production assistant (as Jim Wiggins)
Cyndie Williams	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Goldcrest Films International

Distributors

• Arcadia Digital (2005) (Greece) (TV) (Cyprus) (DVD)
• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• Palace Pictures (1989) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sonet Film (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Tartan Video (1994) (UK) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Encore (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Goldcrest Films International (200?) (France) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (200?) (Germany) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (1997) (Japan) (VHS)
• Miramax Films
• Polyband & Toppic Video / WVG (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Starz Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• TF1 Vidéo (????) (France) (VHS)
• Trinity Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Bob Shelley's Special Effects International

Other Companies

• David Sharp's Totally Looped Group  vocal effects
• Fincannon & Associates  casting
• Graunke Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• Roger Cherrill  sound recorded at
• Rotocolor  titles
• Sound One  adr recorded at

Runtime:

103 min | Argentina:95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Goldcrest Films International

Quotes:

Martha Travis: Men lie with me, not to me!

Movie Connections:

Features White Heat (1949)

Soundtrack:

HE'S SO WONDERFUL

Worthwhile Viewing!

This is not a film everyone would enjoy. It takes a poke at an old and established con game -- for want of a more precise term, fake mediumship -- and then stands it on its head.

Spoilers follow.

Before an audience in a mining town, Arquette's character tells various audience members of their losses, while the victims are still alive! She's proved to be wrong, and then, later, the persons die in the manner she describes. This happens more than once. Had she been a local lady, she might have been a murder suspect, or possibly hanged as a witch.

The story builds slowly, and each incident just throws another log on the fire, making the atmosphere murkier and more mysterious. The film opens ambiguously and ends the same way.

As noted before, not for every taste. But for those with the appropriate taste buds, the taste of this is rich and flavorful.