'OBEX', the surreal sci-fi film with a soundtrack by Animal Collective's Deakin, now streaming

"One of the most original, quirky and transfixing films in recent memory was OBEX, a surreal sci-fi fantasy written, directed and starring Albert Birney and released via Oscilloscope, the indie film company co-founded by the late Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys. Birney plays Conor, a shy young man who lives with his dog and spends much of his time playing games on his Macintosh computer (the year is 1987)."

"He orders a mysterious game, OBEX, and he soon finds himself trapped in a "low-tech, but high-stakes analog hellscape as the line between reality and game blurs." Shot in black and white, OBEX is in some ways Tron if it was made by David Lynch or Guy Madden, as Birney uses inventive low-fi effects that embrace the film's themes (and modest budget). Adding to the eerie vibes is electronic score by Josh Dibb, aka Animal Collective's Deakin."

OBEX follows Conor, a shy young man in 1987 who lives with his dog and spends much of his time playing games on his Macintosh computer. After ordering a mysterious game called OBEX he becomes trapped in a low-tech, high-stakes analog hellscape where the boundary between reality and the game blurs. Shot in black and white, the film uses inventive low-fi effects that amplify its themes while accommodating a modest budget and evokes comparisons to Tron filtered through David Lynch or Guy Maddin. An eerie electronic score by Josh Dibb (Deakin) reinforces the film's unsettling atmosphere. OBEX was released by Oscilloscope and, following a January theatrical run, is available to rent on VEEPS.

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