By MICHAEL GINGOLD
It’s described as being in the vein of THE HILLS HAVE EYES.
Howard J. Ford, who with his brother Jon was behind the 2010 Africa-set zombiefest THE DEAD and its 2013 sequel THE DEAD 2: INDIA, marks his 10th film with ESCAPE, which he helmed solo. It’s a brutal kidnapping thriller Ford describes as “a total outlandish blast,” starring Sarah Alexandra Marks, Sophie Rankin, Sean Cronin, Angela Dixon, Louis James and Glenn Salvage. “I wanted to go back to films and filmmakers that had an impact on me growing up, like Sergio Leone’s classic westerns with echoes of THE HILLS HAVE EYES, but with a completely modern twist.”
ESCAPE will be launched by GFM Film Sales at this month’s European Film Market in Berlin. Ford also has DARKGAME coming later this year, about a Portland private detective (Ed Westwick) leading a task force trying to stop a deadly reality game show being played on the dark web. Gary Grant and Niall Johnson scripted, and Andrew P. Stephen, Natalya Tsvetkova, Lola Wayne and Rory Alexander co-star.
“It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride to reach this milestone in my career,” Ford says, “and it’s taken me around the globe. There have been plenty of incredible challenges, at times life-threatening, but these have been far outweighed by the achievements and the fabulous talents I have worked with. My experiences as a commercials director have taught me how to think on my feet and get the best out of shooting in diverse locations. Plus, I owe my continuing longevity to never giving up, adapting to everything the film industry throws at me and remembering the most important word in moviemaking: ‘Action.’ Both on and offscreen! Now with 10 movies in the can, and probably near 300 commercials, I feel the real adventure is just beginning. I’m already looking at new filmic adventures in faraway lands!”
