The Amusement Park
| The Amusement Park | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by | George A. Romero |
| Screenplay by | Wally Cook |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | S. William Hinzman |
| Edited by | George A. Romero |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Shudder |
Release date |
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Running time | 52 minutes |
| Land | Vereinigte Staaten |
| Sprache | Englisch |
| Budget | $37,000[1] |
The Amusement Park is a 2019 American surrealist psychological thriller film directed and edited by George A. Romero from a screenplay by Wally Cook. The film was produced in 1973 but shelved after completion. It stars Lincoln Maazel, Harry Albacker, Phyllis Casterwiler, Pete Chovan and Sally Erwin. The film was commissioned by the Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania as an educational film about elder abuse, but was soon shelved.[2] It was considered lost until 2017, when a 16 mm print was discovered. The film was restored in 4K and premiered in Pittsburgh on October 12, 2019.
Plot
An elderly gentleman goes for what he assumes will be an ordinary day at the amusement park, only to find himself in the middle of a hellish nightmare instead.
Cast
- Lincoln Maazel
- Harry Albacker
- Phyllis Casterwiler
- Pete Chovan
- Sally Erwin
- Jack Gottlob
- Halem Joseph
- Bob Koppler
- Marion Cook
- Michael Gornick
Production
The Amusement Park was originally produced in 1973, between director George A. Romero's films Season of the Witch and The Crazies; The Amusement Park is Romero's only work-for-hire.[3] The film was shot over the course of three days[1] at the now-defunct West View Park in West View, Pennsylvania,[4] on a budget of $37,000.[1]
The film was commissioned by the Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania, as an educational film about elder abuse and ageism.[2] According to Romero's wife, Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, "They [did] use it initially, but I suspect that they thought it was a little edgier than they would have liked," and it was soon shelved.[5]
Rediscovery and release
The film was believed lost until a 16 mm print was discovered in 2017 and used in a Romero retrospective at the Torino Film Festival.[2][5] The 16 mm print and a DVD copy were given to Desrocher-Romero.[3] She, along with the George A. Romero Foundation, oversaw a 4K restoration of the film by New York-based film preservation organization IndieCollect.[1][6]
The film made its official premiere in Pittsburgh on October 12, 2019.[7]
In February 2021, it was announced that Shudder had acquired the streaming distribution rights for the film in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.[8][9][10] It was released on Shudder on June 8, 2021.[5]
The film was invited for screening at 25th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival held in July, 2021 in Strange Hommage section.[11]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[12] Peter Bradshaw, writing for The Guardian, gave the film three out of five stars, calling it "an absurdist nightmare."[13] Chris Evangelista of /Film gave the film a score of 10 out of 10, writing: "I can't remember the last time a film shook me like this."[14] Jim Vorel of Paste called The Amusement Park "a strange, occasionally mesmerizing film that is not often pleasant to look at, but contains an air of nihilistic doom that is often effectively disturbing."[15] Screen Anarchy's Jaime Grijalba Gómez called it a miracle to be able to see the previously lost film but lamented that sometimes its "metaphors are too obvious."[16]
References
- ^ a b c d Corvin, Ann-Marie (June 5, 2021). "George A. Romero Short About an African American Father and Son to Be Restored (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c Crump, Andrew (June 3, 2021). "How George Romero's Amusement Park Was Brought to Life 48 Years Later". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Kaye, Don (June 8, 2021). "The Amusement Park: How George Romero's Long Lost Film Was Found". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
- ^ Waltz, Amanda (February 26, 2021). "Lost George A. Romero film, shot in Pittsburgh's North Hills, acquired by Shudder". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Eddy, Cheryl (June 3, 2021). "George A. Romero's Wife Suzanne on His Horror Legacy and 'Lost' Film The Amusement Park". Io9. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (June 26, 2020). "George A. Romero's Restored Lost Film Is Ready for Release: 'His Most Terrifying Movie'". IndieWire. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ Ferguson, Liam (September 20, 2019). ""Lost" George Romero Film The Amusement Park Premiering This October". CGMagazine. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (February 25, 2021). "'The Amusement Park': Shudder Releasing Long-Lost George A. Romero Movie This Summer". /Film. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ferme, Antonio (February 25, 2021). "George A. Romero's Lost Film 'The Amusement Park' Comes to Shudder". Variety. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Film and TV Projects Going Into Production - The Amusement Park". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
- ^ "Strange Hommage". Bifan. July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ "The Amusement Park (1973)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
- ^ Bradshaw, Peter (June 8, 2021). "The Amusement Park review – George Romero's absurdist nightmare on growing old". The Guardian. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Evangelista, Chris (June 3, 2021). "'The Amusement Park' Review: George Romero's Long-Lost Film is One of the Scariest Movies Ever Made". /Film. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ^ Vorel, Jim (June 7, 2021). "George A. Romero's The Amusement Park Is Mesmerizing, Experimental Horror". Paste. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ Gómez, Jaime Grijalba (June 7, 2021). "Review: George A. Romero's Recovered The Amusement Park Shocks Even Today". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved June 7, 2021.