Within the vast world ofย D.I.Y. film exists Dark Prism, a surreal horror-satireย created by the multi-talented director and artist Dylan Greenberg in 2015, when she was only 18 years old. With Lloyd Kaufman as her mentor and part of the cast, it definitely has that Troma edge to it. Horror fans will appreciateย the nods to Phantasm, Carrie, Rocky Horror Picture Showย and Twin Peaks.ย Other prominent cast members include Mac Demarco, Robert Prichard, Reverend Jen, and even Dylan herself.
I was completely taken by surprise when I watched this film, having never seen any of Dylan’s previous work, and it quickly became a favorite. I ended up watching it three times. The cinematography is beautiful and skilled, the special effects are wacky and awesome, the actors are talented and really know how to commit to their roles, there are plenty of quotableย one-liners, and the movie itself doesn’t let up. You’re entertained from the get-go and it keeps enticing you further down this bizarre, dream-like rabbit hole. It feels like more of an adventure you’re experiencing.
The movie is about three different girls whose lives are very different, but entwined within each other in a complex way having to do with the dark prism itself. I know that’s vague as all hell, but this is really the type of movie you need to experience for yourself. Every scene invokes its own mood. For example, there’s a part where Margaret’s father anxiously starts writing in his journal about how his daughter won’t stop staring at him in this unsettling way, and it made me feel tense. There’s also a realistic scene of Margaret having a panic attack that actually made me start breathing heavily. Performances like this are so powerful and tragically rare in mainstream films, where so much seemsย overly-scripted.
I really don’t think you need to be a Troma or even a horror fan to enjoy Dark Prism. There are prominent nods to Mae West and 1920’s filmmaking, and there’s also a ton of fantastic music. Every song feels like it was carefully chosen (yes, even the silly grindcore track); at times it feels like you’re watching a movie with several music videos mixed in. There are even two original songs for the movie performed by Matt Katz-Bohen (of Blondie) and his wife Laurel.
One of the most hilarious scenes in Dark Prism is when Margaret’s dad is being harped on by his boss (Lloyd Kaufman) about “the rodent project.” More of my favorite notable scenes include Margaret’s encounter with a terrifying penis monster, the messy murder of her friend Caleb, Margaret and her cousin as children, some charismatic topless mermaids (as seen above), an underground historical figure fighting ring, and Reverend Jen’s funny conversation with Mr. Information in a room that strongly reminded me of Peewee’s Playhouse.

Director Dylan Greenberg on January 6th, 2017.
You can watch all of Dylan Greenberg’s films on Disck Picturesย and watch the trailer for Dark Prism below. Here is my interview with her:
Dark Prism is your thirdย film. How did your career in cinematography begin? Who are your influences?
My career in film began when I picked up a camera and started shooting things, I suppose. I was 5 years old and my mother had an old VHS camera. I taught myself to edit and eventually do special effects. For a long time I made skits on my YouTube channel called “dyli” and amassed over 300ย videos from the time I was 9 years old to the time I was 15. Then I started making more art films when I met my godmother Reverend Jen and took inspiration from her, and someone I truly admire, Scott Shaw, who invented a new type of filmmaking called the Zen technique.
I made my first feature film,ย Glamarus, when I was 17. It was executive producer by Scott Shaw himself and featured one of my favorite actors of all time, Jacob Reynolds, who plays Solomon in one of my most favorite movies,ย Gummo. In my film, he played an older version of myself who lives in the TV. Glamarus was very surreal and impossible to decipher, and eventually I started making my movies more structured, which led to Dark Prismย โ which is non linear, but I think it is really solid as a film.
My influences are my very own boss and mentor (and in a way, uncle) Lloyd Kaufman, who directed Class of Nuke Em High and The Toxic Avenger; no wave filmmaker Nick Zedd, who I am privileged enough to have recently co-directed a new film with; Scott Shaw who I mentioned earlier; Guy Maddin, who I hope one day notices that I mention him all the time in press because I am a big fangirl of his; Harmony Korine; and also my godmother, Reverend Jen, who truly changed the way I view art.
The musical sequences throughout the film were some of my favorite bits. You have great taste in music and you really know how to eloquently portray it on film. Do you tend to pick out the music first and base the cinematography on it, or vice versa? And do you create music videos outside of your films?

Dark Prism isย a healthy length for a movie and every shot has depth; clearly a lot went into it. I watched it a second time and caught a bunch of things I didn’t notice the first time around.ย How long did it takeย take to shoot and edit?

Some of the coolest special effects occur when Margaret is using her powers. Howย was that accomplished?


What was your favorite scene to shoot? Do you have any particularly funny/weird stories from filming?


One of my favorite scenes is when Margaret cuts Caleb’s throat. What did you use for the blood? What about the green vomit later on?

The scenes with the child actors are awesome because the kids look so much like their adult counterparts and they’re stellar actors. Was that a nice coincidence or did it take some searching?

When May West enters the home with the crowing rooster, is the conversation between Mr. Information and the two women improvised? It felt extremely natural.

What were some of your favorite special effects to work with that weren’t already mentioned?

What are you currently working on?
[youtube id=”ps9F0LWe8FA”]
Dark Prism is now available on Amazon Prime!
