I think we can all agree that in a certain light Disney can seem like a dark universe to immerse yourself into. If it’s not Buzz Lightyear losing his arm in a botched flight, then it’s Bambi’s mum getting blown away by hunters. Disney mixes a bit of the mildly macabre into their movies for the obvious dramatic effects. So it is interesting to see this new film trailer come out that focuses on this very aspect. Escape From Tomorrow is directed by Randy Moore, who filmed inside Disney theme parks secretly, without Disney’s knowledge or approval. It got some much deserved attention at Sundance, as well as some noted buzz for the unusual filming method, which is never a bad thing.
Before you watch here is a brief synopsis of the movie from Slash Film
[box_dark]In a world of fake castles and anthropomorphic rodents, an epic battle begins when an unemployed fathers sanity is challenged by a chance encounter with two underage girls on holiday.[/box_dark]
Well, that sounds freaky enough for this reviewer as it is, but here is the trailer if you have the bottle to watch it. [Ed. Note: Apparently ‘having the bottle’ is British slang for ‘having guts’, or ‘cojones’. We think. Knowledge is Power.]
Now it is really difficult from the random images that assault our senses to know what the hell is going on but what you do get is a very unnerving feeling of unease. The black and white photography gives it a stark and disturbing look and gives the place a very disconnecting feel. Also certain creepy images stand out that all combine to make quite the powerful piece of entertainment. The setting is a key factor as well, taking this recognized area where we assume children are meant to be safe and twisting it on its head. this alone puts the viewer off kilter, which continues throughout the trailer.
Much like Eraserhead (the classic David Lynch movie) it seems to be able to plunge us into this fathers mind and makes you think about whether what you are watching is real or the ramblings of a mad man. Looks like a very small cast to so it should be easier for the audience to get emotionally connected to the characters. It is always great to see surrealist concepts put onto screen and it looks like this film will be full of them.
So far Disney has not taken any legal action against the film, which does seem a bit of a shock as they are very protective of their faimly freindly name. It has been touring the festivals and has a release date in October, so it won’ be long before we see just what the heck is going on with this movie. Check out this interview with the cast and crew, which goes into more detail on their reasons for making the movie and the problems they had while making it.
Grizzly Bomb 