my $fh = IO::File->new;
*{$fh} = \ "foo";       # we'll split at foo

$fh->open("< $file") or die "barf: $!";
my @ary;
{
    local $/ = ${*{$fh}{SCALAR}};
    @ary     = <$fh>;
}
[download]

:-)

update: a bit less ugly:

{
    local $/ = $$$fh;
    @ary     = <$fh>;
}
[download]

More ugly:
You could also shoehorn a hash reference reference into the typeglob SCALAR slot to associate more stuff with it:

*{$fh} = \ { input_record_separator  => "foo" };
{
    local $/ = $$$fh->{input_record_separator};
    @ary     = <$fh>;
}
[download]

_($_=" "x(1<<5)."?\n".q·/)Oo.  G°\        /
                              /\_¯/(q    /
----------------------------  \__(m.====·.(_("always off the crowd"))."·
");sub _{s./.($e="'Itrs `mnsgdq Gdbj O`qkdq")=~y/"-y/#-z/;$e.e && print}