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ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW

October 7, 2013, 7:00 P.M.

The Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre, SCA 112, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

 

Outside the Box [Office] and Mankurt Media invite you and a guest to a special preview screening of

Escape from Tomorrow

 
Written & Directed by Randy Moore
Produced/Edited by Soojin Chung
 
Followed by a Q&A with guests from the film, TBA
 
7:00 P.M. on Monday, October 7th, 2013
 
The Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre, SCA 112
900 W. 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007
 
FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival 2013

In Theaters on Friday, October 11th, 2013

About Escape from Tomorrow

An epic battle begins when 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 fairytale princesses. Soon, the manufactured mirth of the fantasy land around him begins to haunt his subconscious. An idyllic family vacation quickly unravels into a surrealist and darkly comic nightmare of paranoid visions, bizarre encounters, and an obsessive pursuit of a pair of sexy Parisian teenagers. Chillingly shot in black and white, ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW dissects the mythology of artificial perfection while subversively attacking our culture's obsession with mass entertainment.

Provided courtesy of Mankurt Media. Not rated. Running time: 90 minutes.

Visit the Official Website: www.escapefromtomorrow.com
Visit the Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/EscapeFromTomorrowOfficial
Visit the Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/EscapeTomorrow

 

Director's Statement

Heavily influenced by various strange outings I endured as a boy with my father - who at the time lived in Orlando, Florida – ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW is my personal attempt to make sense of what felt like a very artificial childhood, brought on by our cultural obsession with these fake, manufactured worlds of so-called fantasy - escaping into which, as a child, I adored. Sadly, I believe this made me, and probably a huge percentage of the general population, partly insane! Because what I wanted more than anything else was to live inside this other world that didn’t really exist, with a different set of rules and magic - and in a tragic, almost fateful way, I still do. But I wasn’t alone back then. There were other forces at play, pulling me along for the ride with their own nefarious agendas... Moreover, these sacred spaces of my youth constituted a very surreal landscape, as they were both extremely personal and yet shared by millions; and they continued to haunt me, even more so as I became an adult and had children of my own.

Ultimately, I think the film is really about defining the word “escape” and how so many American households seek it out in a yearly pilgrimage to a materialistic Mecca in hopes of finding divine diversion and amusement perfected, which I believe is merely a synthesized fantasy passed on to us from early childhood. The mythos in which today’s children are raised suggests that everyone can be a prince or princess, entitled to their very own kingdom to reign over happily ever after. But these realms only exist because of their elusive corporate architects who profit in unfathomable ways, perpetuating archetypes while our fleeting children become villains and the grand delusion takes hold.

The writing process was fast, like I was on autopilot. I didn’t use a computer and drafted the entire story out in long hand on yellow legal paper. I tend to rewrite too much when I use a computer, so I don’t anymore. Then I put it away, worked on something else and didn’t look at it again for about a month or so. Usually, when I go back and revisit one of my early drafts I cringe and contemplate death, but this one held up surprisingly well, though I instantly began adding more layers. Ideas were shifting, new characters emerged and everything became very dark for a while, and then, oddly, it all lifted up a bit at the end. They say you’re supposed to cut things when you rewrite and “trim the fat,” so to speak. I went in the opposite direction. But I was obsessed! Constantly adding scenes in hotel rooms, restaurants and airplanes, whenever I could get a free moment throughout the entire production, I just couldn’t stop, and we ending up shooting a huge amount of footage.

-- Randy Moore

About Outside the Box [Office]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

Check-In & Reservations

This screening is free of charge and open to the public. Please bring a valid USC ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 6:30 P.M.

All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.

Parking

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $10.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & McClintock Avenue. We recommend parking in Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Metered street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.

Contact Information

Name: Alessandro Ago
Email: aago@cinema.usc.edu