I read about Escape From Tomorrow in Entertainment Weekly and was intrigued by the fact that this was a "horror" movie filmed in Disney World - or Disneyland, or maybe both (but not sponsored by Disney) - since I think Disney's image is far too pure and pristine. Well, this movie's got sex, and this movie's got violence, but that doesn't necessarily make it good. It's full of promise and potential, and certainly the method of filming is ambitious, but it falls short of delivering any kind of coherent vision. It's also filmed in black and white, which is a peculiar decision. Perhaps it's to emphasize the draining of life in this "trouble in paradise" tale of hardship (not that there's anything new about that) in the so-called "Happiest Place on Earth". But I still think I would have enjoyed it more in color.
I'll tell you what, Escape From Tomorrow is a head trip. It's a surreal experience that starts out like that last childhood vacation your family took before your parents got divorced, when all they could do was argue with each other, and evolves into what seems to be the fever dream of a schizoid alcoholic, who may or may not be suffering from the symptoms of "cat flu". Unfortunately, it's closer to a feature length version of a short from The ABCs of Death than Itchy & Scratchy Land (which I was hoping for). The subplot about a family man [innocently] stalking two hot French teens around the park was painfully relatable (although he totally goes overboard, neglects his kids, and makes voyeurs everywhere look bad - as the visible cases always seem to do), that could have made some poignant commentary had it felt inclined to. Alas, it's a very imaginative film, but I'm afraid that it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
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