Escapes

“Hampton Fancher has worlds falling out of his sleeves. His irresistible voice, with all its surreal U-turns, has been spectacularly netted by Almereyda.”—Jonathan Lethem

Directed by past Wex guest Michael Almereyda (Experimenter, Hamlet), Escapes showcases the surreal life and storytelling talents of Hampton Fancher. Emerging from a moderately successful career as a B-list Hollywood actor, Fancher became the unlikely producer and screenwriter of the landmark sci-fi classic Blade Runner, as well as a screenwriter on the film’s highly anticipated sequel scheduled for release this fall. With a little help from author Philip K. Dick and impressive collage of archival footage, Almereyda weaves together Fancher’s captivating stories of near-death experiences, romantic flings, and bizarre encounters with the Hollywood elite. The result is “a unique, breezy pastiche that’s as nostalgic as a TV Land binge-watch, and as intimate as having one’s ear pleasurably bent by a garrulous ‘man of the world’ at a dinner party” (Variety). (89 mins., DCP)