Escape from Tomorrow

After reading just a few quick things on this and how it was similar to both The Shining and Eraserhead (two of my favorite horror films ever), I was quite excited for this. It looked like an indie experimental horror film that I would love. Sadly, while I think there are some very interesting things in here, or things that could be interesting, it never really amounted to much. Not enough horror, not enough intrigue. I think the acting was solid and the story decent enough, I just wish it had gone to further places, done more stuff with the concept. It's not bad and it's sort of really memorable, but I can't really say I liked it overall. Really mixed on it.

The infamous film that was shot almost entirely at Disneyworld. The thought was, when it opened at Sundance in January, that Disney would sue it out of existence, that maybe you'd only ever be able to see it if it popped up online at some point. In the end, though, Disney just decided to ignore it (some have pointed out that the company's infamous litigiousness is more a thing of the past). So the next question has to be, does this actually work as a film, or is it just a curio? In my opinion, it very much is a curio, but not just because of the circumstances of its production. It is, in fact, an extremely weird film. It's far from perfect, but, really, it's so weirdly entertaining that I don't really care. The one thing I really love about it is the black and white cinematography - it's really gorgeous and eerie. The film has a hypnotic quality. It's well worth checking out.

While this may not exactly be Heaven's Gate, Escape From Tomorrow is a case of the film's production being far more interesting than the film itself. Surreptitiously shot at Disneyland without any permission at all, this film can still earn its title of ultimate guerrilla film based on that fact alone. However, the most interesting factor is that not only do Disney now know about it, but they're not doing anything about it. Evidently it's not worth the effort but boy is is that a hook beyond the film's context itself. Everyone loved the idea of this film. It's a great juxtaposition, a surreal David Lynch/Terry Gilliam-esque nightmare in Disneyland. Unfortunately the films we concocted out of our imaginations are much better than the material Moore thought about. This is the work of an eager amateur.

Contrary to expectation, Escape From Tomorrow has an incredibly mild execution, focusing on cheap gags and slapstick rather than scares or atmosphere (black and white film is not atmosphere). Granted, I'm sure Moore had a lot of challenges and maybe the film doesn't match his initial vision, but the scenes away from the parks match the weirdly off tone so maybe this is who he is. The photography is only okay. The technical aspects do suffer, particularly with sound and visual effects in green screening, but that's forgivable given the circumstance but not forgivable given the script. The fundamental problem is that the acting is very unconvincing. Instead of a protagonist undergoing an understandable mid-life crisis, he ends up like Lester Burnham without the charm, acting just like a terribly unlikeable 16 year old pervert. And this guy is supposed to be a parent.

Perhaps Moore wants us to be uncomfortable watching him, maybe there's things to be said about man's desire for young women, but it's not the kind of meaningful discomfort that really makes a viewer think, it feels thrown in there as a character quirk. It's hard not to go into these types of films without expectations, but it simply didn't go as dark as I would've wanted and ended up feeling random instead with too many plot threads. The film could've saved itself by its final minutes by tying up all of them in an interesting way that actually says something, but instead they vouch for a single one that negates the others. It can be interesting and engaging at times, but as a whole it doesn't really work since Moore doesn't have anything to say about the human psyche, just that this would probably be cool if a film shot in Disneyland about bad things happening existed. Please make this a curiosity viewing only and don't get too excited.

5/10

Here's the thing. Yes this movie is getting a lot of press from filming in Disneyland without "their" consent, but it's still a good movie. It's an interesting journey of one mans perversions. Are they real? Are they in his head? The filmmaker explores these issues in a way that keeps your attention. My thoughts are- it could have been filmed in your local park. Where or how it was filmed, isn't the point. The story, direction, and actors is what makes it worth your while! The fact that a small independent film is getting a major theatrical release is important in the current state of the film business. This film gives hope to the up and coming filmmakers who have a good story, vision, and collaboration with production members, that you can still do it on your own.

DisneyLand, the land of dreams to come true right in front of your eyes, and your nightmares too.

The film is about a middle-aged American husband and father of two learns that he has lost his job. Keeping the news from his nagging wife and wound-up children, he packs up the family and embarks on a full day of park hopping amid enchanted castles and fairy tale princesses. Soon, the manufactured mirth of the fantasy land around him begins to haunt his subconscious.

Escape from Tomorrow is one of those films that you have to wait about two days after seeing the film, to get all my thoughts of the film to come together it's basically like solving a jigsaw puzzle. I tried my best to dissect the hell out of this movie by it's story, it's different and new style and the movies uncomfortable tone. I found out a lot of interesting things of this movie and the fact that they didn't have Disney's permission to film and get away with it, blows my mind how they pulled it off.

I enjoyed Escape from Tomorrow, I enjoyed it in a way that it feels like a guilty pleasure for me and overall I think this movie is weird, messed up, but still a well done film from a first time director. What the movie does so well is putting you in the main character shoes and showing you the anxiety and what it can do.

The cinematography in this movie are some of the best and perfect shots I have seen in a movie. I love the black and white look to it, it made the movie more sinister and nerving to watch, which worked so well. I kept thinking to myself of how they didn't get Disney's permission to film but still got away with shots that I have no idea how they got away with, Moore you are a genius.

Randy Moore first time film and straight away I want to see him doing other films, because he went for it and it didn't back fire on him.

Some people may be put off by the weirdness of the film and it's style and it's laughable moments, which is fine because people can like what their want to like, but what the movie dose so well and I think so people might agree on and that is Randy Moore made DisneyLand look like a place to avoid.

Overall I enjoyed watching Escape from Tomorrow and I'm not going to give it the perfect rating, because I don't feel that this movie is "amazing" or "the best movie of century", no but the movie is still worth checking out.