Escapism Film Festival Oct. 17-19 in Durham

The Escapism Film Festival, this week at Durham's Carolina Theatre, promises something for everyone (who is looking for something a little different on the screen).

Celebrating its 5th year, Escapism presents foreign and American indie films, often well before they reach general release. This year, the lineup includes two films that made a big splash at the Toronto International Film Festival, Eden Log and Not Quite Hollywood, as well as an uncut director's edition of The Punisher, in its U.S. theatrical debut. (And about time, too. Australian filmmaker Mark Goldblatt, who made this film in 1989, will answer questions after the film's screenings.)


Not Quite Hollywood is a little different - a documentary journey through low-brow Australian filmmaking of the 70s and 80s, "a time when if the script demanded it, real dope was smoked and real booze was drunk." Cameos from many well-known and not-so-much stars, including Quentin Tarantino, Dennis Hopper, Barry Humphries, Jamie Lee Curtis, and George Miller among others, make this film a hoot - and a big hit in Toronto, as well as a don't-miss at Escapism.


Horror comedy is a genre well represented this year, with Jack Brooks, Monster Slayer, the 1988 classic Dead Heat, and Midnight Movie, a horror movie within a horror movie, all on the schedule.

Sukiyaki Western Django, a spaghetti Western made by Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, and The City of Lost Souls), is in a class all by itself.


Other advance screenings include Surveillance, a film made by Jennifer Lynch (daughter of David), and Dogs of Chinatown, a thriller made in North Carolina, featuring performances by Bill Oberst Jr. (The Secret Life of Bees) and Patrick Keenan (Dark Remains), as well as lots of martial arts action. Micah Moore and Blake Faucette, respectively the director and producer of Dogs, will also attend the festival.


Escapism also will screen some classic works from the past, including John Carpenter's They Live, the 1988 classic where Reaganomics met alien invasion. Remember the subliminal message: “OBEY, CONSUME, NO INDEPENDENT THOUGHT”? Sound familiar?


For the younger horror fan, there's Something Wicked This Way Comes, a Walt Disney pic based on a Ray Bradbury story. Expect mild violence and a few scary moments.


And finally for Hitchcock fans, Escapism screens one of his coolest classics, The Birds, with sexpot Tippi Hedren (Alfred did like his blondes). Made in 1963, this film (shown here on 35mm) holds up well to its 45 years.

For ticket information and screening times, visit:
Escapism Film Festival