Escape From Tomorrow (2013)

 The project of reviewing old magazine before giving them away continues with Diabolique Magazine Issue #18 Nov/Dec 2013 The Holiday Issue. Always packed with great writing this issue focuses on Apocalyptic Cinema and Literature, so if this is a subject you are interested in and want to receive this issue when I finish with it, let me know and it could be yours. I will only be doing a couple more films featured in this issue, this being the second from  Ken Hanley's "2013 is the new 2012" he looks at post apocalyptic visions Hollywood and television are putting into the world analysing how that media reflects and deflects from the ever present inequality of the world.  and the final from the Colin McCracken called "Flesh for Thought" where he talks about Dominic Brunt and Joanne Mitchell's film Before Dawn.

What that means is I am skipping over a couple features that are not movie oriented, the first is about FX artist Remy Couture who at the time was in legal battle because of his skill in depicting extreme violence. The article and interview get Couture's opinions on the saga he was going through. Charged with various indecency crime because officials saw his shorts Inner Depravity I and II and thought they acts in them were real and not FX. You can see Remy's IMBD here he also has a website here It's a well written article and interview by Lacey Paige but I have no movie review to attach it to.

I am also skipping Max Weinstein's piece on Rob Guillory's comic series Chew, and another Weinstein article on Artist Arthur Suydam these were both very interesting pieces but not the movie review material that I am looking to cover. If thay interest you though I will be happy to give this issue of Diabolique Magazine to you.

  Escape From Tomorrow is known for its making, as cited here from wikipedia: "The film drew attention, because Moore had shot most of it on location at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Park without permission from the Walt Disney Company, owner and operator of both properties. Due to Disney's reputation of being protective of its intellectual property, the cast and crew used guerrilla filmmaking techniques to avoid attracting attention, such as keeping their scripts on their phones and shooting on handheld video cameras similar to those used by park visitors. After principal photography was complete, Moore was so determined to keep the film a secret from Disney that he edited it in South Korea."

    The film itself is a strange little story of a man setup to give his son to a mysterious corporation that operates under the Disney amusement park. Framed as one family's final day at Disney where the cracks in the family structure are fully explored. The perfect appearance of the park is the surface much like the happy family in the park is the surface, but like the family tensions that ensue we also see the cracks in the parks façade. Jim and his family are in the final day at the park, but Jim learns he is fired over the phone in conversation with his boss. This sets Jim off on a very disorienting day including marital trouble, whiny kids, disappointing outcomes at rides, drunkeness, and the creepiest adult stalking teenage girls behavior you will see in a public space. I am not sure how this film fits into the apocalyptic theme of the issue but it certainly speaks to false fronts in our society where pretending everything is fine and perfect becomes an art form. Like the fascists running a distorted throwback society in underground Topeka KS in "A Boy and his Dog" Disney creates the image of perfection so generations of families can funnel money into their corporate pockets. They are the world's largest amusement parks but instead of shady outfits trying to hustle money out of passers by they are institutionalized. Watching the family on the rides, particularly designed for children reinforces the shallowness of the experience, drifting through tunnels in a boat watching animatronic characters sing disney songs is just that, a recording and simple robotics. Jim on his journey of discovery in the film disassociates a couple time during these activities building for the audience a sense of dread for the family.The mounting pressure of holding the secret of his firing with obvious marital issues betweenhe and his wife Em, to the misbhaving son and daughter Elliot and Sarah, we see the building crisis Jim is heading for. Add in a couple oddball characters, a nurse who knows a secret about the park but can't bring herself to reveal it. Another woman who obsconds peoples children to fulfill a princess fantasy see obsesses about after her own tragic turn at the park and you have the makings of a horror movie in "The Happiest Place on Earth"  The secret plot in the film I won't give away here since this film although less complex than I wished is solid in it's strange little mystery. Lets say all of Jim's behaviors are designed instead of side affect of the pressure from losing his job.  I feel like this plot could have been a bit more but was satisfied with where the film ended.  Give it a watch.

  Before Dawn (2013) After watching this today I decided not to give it its own review, simple put this film did not hit with me and frankly was a downer to watch. The film is an couple who are obviously breaking up trying to reconnect over a weekend away without the kids. Primarily about the Husband Alex (Dominic Brunt) an unemployed lay about who wants to keep an already failed marraige going but is so indecicive in everything he does you totally understand how it got to this point. His wife Meg (Joanne Mitchell) is driven and self assured but obviously done with Alex, there is this moment and in this slow burn zombie movie there are lots of interpersonal moments between the two. Meg is silent when he says they have shared a life together pleadingly. Then he asks "Is this all we are" shared memories what else do we have?  She just answers the kids where he was not even entertaining that when she asked.When the zombie part start we learn even how Meg and Alex differ she in loooking for support after being assaulted by a zombie he is hoping that she won't leave him because of it, his lack of insite into her psyche is notably missing for someone who wants her in his life. His decision making in this film is so warped and the ending is soooooooo unsatisfying. It just made me think who is really the monster.

So if you are interested in a magazine with this content, read updates here soresportmovies.blogspot.com, or on Letterboxd.com to learn how my magazine giveaway is going but follow me on Letterboxd if you want to read my movie reviews and comment on the films. I still have a mail connected to my blog movies@edhovey.com where you can write me or comment on blog entries.

My Letterboxd.com handle is @Hovey1127, when I am done with the Issue of the magazine I will offer it up and we can work out the details of me getting it to you. I am not really looking for money just someone who also would love to read it. If no one wants it well it will probably end up on a magazine rack at the library or something.

Chatting with me is difficult, I have stopped my social media account years ago because time… it’s ticking at my age and I would rather spend it doing other things like this for example. Or chatting with my friends at the Zombiegrrlz.com podcasts on their discord. I am a fan of the podcasts they publish The More Deadly Podcast and the Zombiegrrlz podcast and as a Patron for very little $ I get access to the discord. So if you want to good horror content and a great horror community check them out.You can also find me on the Here's Johnny Podcast and  Faculty of Horror Podcast discords. Look them up join my online friends for some good conversations.