Escape from Tomorrow (2013)

Shot clandestinely entirely within Disney World and Disneyland without the parks’ permission, Escape from Tomorrow is an unusual movie.

According to supplemental DVD material and Wikipedia, the film’s scripts were stored on iPhones the cast and crew could access (which is also largely how the film’s crew communicated). It was shot on hand-held DSLR cameras, similar to those tourists carry around the park every day. The actors, director and camera crew had to communicate selectively and secretively, to avoid attracting attention. Actors rode rides dozens of times repeatedly, to make sure shots were complete, and that the film crew got full coverage. Also according to Wikipedia, director (Randy Moore) “was so determined to keep the project a secret from Disney that he edited it in South Korea.” The fact that his team accomplished filming an entire feature-length movie inside the Magic Kingdoms—given its immensely protective reputation— without inviting legal action or immediate ejection, is remarkable.

Like Avatar, I was more impressed with Tomorrow as an accomplishment than as an piece of entertainment. Website Rotten Tomatoes describes it as “conceptually audacious but only intermittently successful in execution…” I whole heartedly agree. As I watched, I often wondered “how’d they get that on film?”, but rarely thought “this is an interesting, engrossing film.” More often I questioned “what, exactly, is going on here?” Tomorrow has some interesting themes and ideas, but it doesn’t quite hold together. I’m sure the filmmakers knew what they were aiming for, but they didn’t put all the connective tissue up on the screen. What they’ve omitted leaves the finished product confusing and disjointed.

According to first-time director Randy Moore, scenes were blocked and rehearsed in hotel rooms. Preproduction included charting the position of the sun, since using additional lighting equipment wasn’t an option. Multiple scouting trips through the park meant the movie was practiced several times on location prior to actual shooting. Read the Wikipedia entry for more fascinating facts about production.

The bulk of the story a is satire, commenting on the always happy, false façade Disney creates. It’s largely an meditation on how the same park can at once be an exciting, wondrous, joyful place for kids, while at same time often become a nightmare for parents: overwhelming crowds, interminably long ride lines, screaming kids who want expensive plastic toys and yet another t-shirt from overpriced gift shops, etc... For example, there’s an especially creative and effective sequence where It’s a Small World ride transforms from peaceful and inclusive into evil and menacing.

The story follows a family on their final day of vacation at the park. The leering, lecherous father Jim (Roy Abramsohn) eyes every woman in the park. Jim’s constantly hoping to spy revealing flesh. At one point he gets drunk at Epcot, and tries to make out with his wife on a floating ride. When she resists, he embarrassingly vomits over the side, into the water.

Jim spies a pair of Parisienne teenagers riding the monorail. Though they’re way too young for him, he’s seemingly enchanted and hypnotized. They’re his Lolitas. He spends much of the remaining day dragging his kids all over the park, following the girls. To what end?

His wife Emily (Elena Schuber) is a constant nag. Nothing Jim does is ever right (even when, in reality, admittedly nothing he does really is ever right). She’s a drag, constantly reminding him about what he’s not doing for the kids.

There are weird subplots about a nondescript “cat flu,” evil robots, the Siemens corporation conducting mysterious research, and a general sense that Disney is Big Brother, always watching. There’s stuff about hookers and Japanese businessmen, emu, former park princesses with magical amulets, body doubles, and on and on. Who knows what any of this means?

The movie’s strange, ambiguous ending is thoroughly confusing. I won’t reveal what happens. However, if you understand it, your powers of insight trump mine.

The film uses black-and-white footage effectively. It mutes Disney’s hyper color scheme, creating an eerie, dreamlike quality.

A couple of the green-screen scenes are conspicuous; actors are clearly superimposed. However, most of the effects are convincing.

Though it’s confusing and disjointed, I found Tomorrow entertaining enough to recommend. If for no other reason than the film makers were courageous and audacious enough to even attempt something like this. That they there were then actually successful, made the movie’s 90 minutes worthwhile.

PS- Researching this review, I came across another surreptitiously-shot-at-Disney short: Missing in the Mansion. It’s a found-footage thriller, about an urban legend involving the park’s Haunted Mansion. I found it clever, creative, well executed, entertaining, and enjoyed it more than Escape from Tomorrow.