From Vanilla Sky to Red River Gorge

It's been a while since the trippy electronic ensemble SPACECRAFT has released an album or taken part in some sort of virtual-grid performance. But for those who remember the group's music from the soundtrack of 2001's Vanilla Sky, there is an opportunity this summer to catch one of the band members in a different setting.

SPACECRAFT's John Rose plays the part of Cecil in Red River Moon, a wilderness drama premiering Thursday June 20th at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington. Shot mainly in the Red River Gorge portion of the Daniel Boone National Forest, it tells the story of a mother looking for her two lost daughters.

Rose (pictured) also acted as the film's safety advisor and contributed to the soundtrack, writing a pair of compositions and playing piano, flute. On the film's website, writer-director Bruce Barnett separately recalls a most unusual reason for a stoppage in the 2010, 20-day production schedule:

There is no bear in this movie. Wild bears are hard to direct. But one did shut down the Red River Gorge and the production of this movie for a week while the great bear hunt took place. There were people on both sides, but the bear seemed to the favorite with most. The young bear, believed to be the equivalent of a teenager, was believed to have been spotted in Lee County 19 miles away a few days later. Safety was restored, and the production continued. Perseverance. Vaya Con Dios.

Barnett hopes to arrange more local screenings and get his film onto the festival circuit this fall. No bears on the latter front, but he might want to keep a lookout for odd hungry journalist.

[Red River Moon]