Thanks to Jamie Stuart for the heads up about the trailer for After Last Season, which is in the early stages of going viral by virtue of its genuine oddness. Michael Tully at his Indiewire blog writes, “It’s like Todd Haynes lost his mind after Safe and was hired to direct a series of cable access sci-fi infomercials,” while David Lowery writes, “I’ve watched the trailer about ten times now, and have yet to tire of it. It is so beyond logic in its construction that it essentially reinvents itself anew upon each viewing.” In addition to being featured on the film’s own website, the trailer also appears on Apple’s trailer page.

Jamie at Knox Road says he’s spoken to the film’s director, Mark Region, and the picture, which many doubt is an actual feature film, is apparently for real and slated for a June 5 release. Region also says in the interview that the film’s budget is $5 million.

From Knox Road:

[Region] said the trailer for the movie can be misleading.

“It’s pretty much what you see in the trailer, but more than that,” said Region. “It’s different.”

Although Apple Trailers labeled the film a comedy, Region said it’s a mistake. He said the movie is more like a Hitchcock film, dark and mysterious.

“The movie is just a regular mystery… with special effects and computer effects,” he said.

The special effects, which appear in the trailer, cost a big part of the movie’s $5 million budget said Region. He said most of the money came from local investors, not from Hollywood.

He said he wanted to keep the set simple and hired local actors to keep the the film low-budget.

“It took a lot of effort, we tried to do our best,” he said.

The trailer for After Last Season is below. And I agree with Lowery — this demands multiple viewings.