Moving from funny to disturbing to heartbreaking to bizarre, "When Dread Worlds Collide" is a freshly honest look into the increasingly obsessive world of Disney collectors and fanatics and how they came to be. Having been repulsed by the adult world of demanding responsibilities and constant global turmoil, a growing number of adults are attempting to make the fantasy world of Disney their constant state of mind, some even going so far as to visit Disneyland every single day.
While some devotees dedicate almost all of their time and energy toward collecting Disney memorabilia, others sex lives have been shaped almost exclusively by the brand (Disney's Robin Hood was the catalyst for the "furry" movement). The film covers how multifaceted and wide spread this phenomenon is while chronicling the ultimate dysfunction and breakdown of relationships, families, finances, and mental health that result from completely leaving reality behind in favor of consumerist obsession and regressive fantasy.
Some of the interviews have to be seen to be believed; one man's comments regarding wives & daughters vs. Disney will never leave your memory. Some profiles are sad and others terrifying, but there's plenty of genuinely funny footage to balance out the experience (one interviewee declaring his awareness while a fantastical backdrop crumbles behind him is priceless). With a final montage that brought many in the audience to tears, the film is not a vehicle to make fun of people's delusions but rather an inquiry as to how our society has become so dark that people are inadvertently destroying their lives in order to escape it.
I originally saw this at the Palm Springs Film Festival but hope for a DVD release soon since this original, entertaining, and seriously relevant film deserves much wider exposure and contemplation!
