Escapism Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre recaptures the magic of twelve favorite fantasy and adventure movies in glorious 35mm on the big screen

Durham, N.C. - The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc., has announced the schedule for the 2010 ESCAPISM FILM FESTIVAL. Twelve classic fantasy and adventure films will be presented during the three-day festival which takes place Friday, September 24 through Sunday, September 26, 2010, at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, located at 309 W. Morgan Street in Downtown Durham. The 10-pass is on sale at now, and single tickets go on sale at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10. The 10-Pass is $60, $55 for star members in advance and $65 during the festival. The 5-Pass is $35, and $30 for star members and will only be available in advance. Individual tickets are $8, $6 for star members and $6 for children twelve and under. Passes and individual tickets are available at the theatre box office or online at www.carolinatheatre.org. Call 919-560-3030 to purchase tickets. Box office hours are weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and one-half hour prior to show time.

Created in 2003, The Escapism Film Festival began with a collection of action-adventure, science fiction, fantasy, animation, comedy, and cutting-edge thrillers equally intermingled with anniversary screenings and eclectic filmmaker retrospectives. Over the years, it has evolved into a festival where audiences have shown the strongest support for screenings of classic films shown in their original 35mm format on the big screen. This year's festival will present twelve films, hand-selected by the Carolina Theatre staff that will allow filmgoers to rediscover some of their favorite movie heroes in films from the late Seventies and early Eighties.

Senior Director, Jim Carl said, "We've brought back some of your favorite movie heroes from Buck Rogers and Admiral Kirk to Kermit the Frog and Indiana Jones. We've spent months searching through studio archives to present some of the rarest prints in existence including Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, John Carpenter's Escape From New York, The Last Starfighter, Ridley Scott's Legend, and The Legend of Billie Jean, one of the first girl-empowerment movies." Carl is adamant about presenting these classics the way they were meant to be seen. He said, "Despite modern advances in digital technology, these films will never look as good on DVD or Blu-Ray as they do when exhibited in their original 35mm formats. We are proud that all of our films will screen exactly as the filmmakers intended."

ESCAPISM FILM FESTIVAL FILM SYNOPSES & SCREENING TIMES

John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA
(US, PG-13, 1986, 99 min)
Friday, September 24 at 7:10 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 3:00 p.m.
Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a tough-talking truck driver whose hum-drum life takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend's fiancée is kidnapped. Speeding to the rescue, Jack finds himself deep beneath San Francisco's Chinatown, in a murky, creature-filled world ruled by Lo Pan, a 2000-year-old magician hell-bent on his own reincarnation.

Ultra-rare 35mm presentation!
BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY
(US, PG, 1978, 89 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 3:20 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 5:15 p.m.
Gil Gerard stars as Captain William "Buck" Rogers, a wisecracking astronaut who's accidentally time-warped from 1987 to 2491.  Colonel Wilma Deering (sexy Erin Gray), Twiki, Dr. Theopolis, and Princes Ardala join him in this campy combination of lightweight adventure and Spandex disco chic.  Escapism is proud to screen this rare 35mm print of the theatrical pilot (including one of the greatest theme songs of all time) that spawned the successful TV series. 

Wolfgang Peterson's ENEMY MINE
(US, PG-13, 1985, 108 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m.
This stunning science-fiction adventure was Wolfgang Peterson's first big-budget American production. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. star as two warriors engaged in a savage, futuristic war. After crash-landing on a desolate, fiery planet, the two stranded pilots gradually realize that the only way for them to survive is to overcome their undying hatred.

Ultra-rare 35mm presentation!
John Carpenter's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
(US, R, 1981, 99 min)
Friday, September 24 at 9:25 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 at 9:25 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 9:25 p.m.
A thrilling landmark cult classic that jolts along at a breakneck pace with its mind-blowing vision of a lone warrior (Kurt Russell) battling his way out of a post-apocalyptic Manhattan! In a world ravaged by crime, Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutality rules, but when the U.S. President crash-lands inside, only Snake Plissken can bring him back.

Ultra-rare 35mm presentation!
THE LAST STARFIGHTER
(US, PG, 1984, 101 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 5:10 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 1:10 p.m.
After 17 year-old Alex conquers the Starfighter video game; he's whisked out of his trailer park home for the outer regions of space and thrust into the midst of an intergalactic war.   Escapism is proud to present one of the last surviving 35mm prints in existence.

Ultra-rare 35mm presentation!
Ridley Scott's LEGEND
(US, PG-13, 1986, 89 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 7:20 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 3:20 p.m.
Ridley Scott's fourth film is a fantasy adventure in which good and evil battle to the death in a mythical forest inhabited by fairies, goblins, unicorns and demons.  Tom Cruise stars as Jack, chosen by fate to save a beautiful princess and defeat the demonic Lord of Darkness...or the world will be plunged into a never-ending ice age.  Escapism is proud to present one of the last surviving 35mm prints in existence.

Ultra-rare 35mm presentation!
THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN
(US, PG-13, 1985, 96 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 1:20 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 3:10 p.m.
One of the definitive girl empowerment movies of the 80's (never released on DVD) is back with its memorable battle cry of "Fair is fair!"  Long before Thelma and Louise hit the open road in their 1966 Thunderbird convertible, Helen Slater (Supergirl) starred as an average Texas teen who becomes a modern-day hero in this cult classic about rebellion and counter culture. Featuring Pat Benatar's smash hit, "Invincible", Escapism is proud to present one of the last surviving 35mm prints in existence.

Jim Henson's THE MUPPET MOVIE
(US, G, 1979, 95 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 1:10 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 1:00 p.m.
The Muppets first full-length movie! It all began with a rainbow, a song...and a Frog.  After a fateful meeting with a big-time talent agent, Kermit heads for Hollywood dreaming of showbiz. Along the way, he discovers Fozzie Bear and the dazzling Miss Piggy. But all bets are off when Kermit falls into the clutches of Doc Hopper, a fast-food mogul seeking to promote his French-fried frog-leg franchise!

Steven Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
(US, PG, 1981, 115 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 1:00 p.m. and 4:50 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m.
It's said that the original is the greatest, and there can be no more vivid proof than Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first and indisputably best of the Indiana Jones adventures cooked up by the dream team of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. This wildly entertaining adventure has it all: non-stop action, exotic locations, grand spectacle, a hero for the ages, despicable villains, a beautiful love interest, humor, horror... not to mention lots of snakes.

Paul Verhoeven's ROBOCOP
(US, R, 1987, 103 min)
Friday, September 24 at 9:15 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 at 9:15 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 9:15 p.m.
The future of law enforcement!  When it hit in 1987, Robocop was like a high-voltage jolt of electricity, blending satire, thrills, and abundant violence that audiences couldn't help feeling stunned and amazed.  When a good cop (Peter Weller) gets blown away by some ruthless criminals, innovative scientists and doctors are able to piece him back together as an unstoppable crime-fighting cyborg.

Don Bluth's THE SECRET OF NIMH
(US, G, 1982, 82 min)
Saturday, September 25 at 3:10 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 1:20 p.m.
Suspenseful and heartwarming, this beautifully animated odyssey is about a mild-mannered mother mouse named Mrs. Brisby who must save her family home from the plow. She needs an engineering miracle to hoist her house, and for that she must face a mysterious rat, fend off a ferocious cat and claim a magic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding secret of NIMH...it could change her life forever.

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
(US, PG, 1982, 113 min)
Friday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 25 at 7:10 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 at 7:10 p.m.
This is arguably the best Trek film in the series.  Admiral Kirk is reunited with his nemesis, the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban). While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend.

The Escapism passes are on sale now. Prices are $60, $55 for star members in advance and $65 during the festival. 5-Passes are $35 and $30 for star members and will only be available in advance. Individual tickets go on sale at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 10 and are $8, and $6 for star members and children twelve and under. The box office is located at 309 West Morgan Street in Downtown Durham.  Tickets are available by calling the box office at 919-560-3030.  Box office hours are weekdays from 11: 00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and one-half hour prior to show time. Tickets are also available online at www.carolinatheatre.org.
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About Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc.

Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. (CTD) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which manages the City of Durham-owned Carolina Theatre complex at 309 W. Morgan Street, Durham. The organization is dedicated to presenting vibrant, thought-provoking film and live performances that contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of downtown Durham and the Triangle.

The Carolina Theatre
309 W. Morgan Street
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 560-3040
Tickets: (919) 560-3030
carolinatheatre.org