The Amusement Park

An old geezer wanders around an amusement park for 50 minutes. There's something about it that feels hypnotic and intriguing though. Many of Romero's directorial flourishes and styles are rough and recognisable here, and there's a Horror/Nightmarish vibe to the whole thing. That being said, I kind of needed more from it to give it higher than an alright watch. Not a bad little lost project though, and there's at least a purpose to the whole picture.

5.5/10.

George Romero takes us into the Amusement Park of life, in this case in particular, old age. Predictably we discover that its not all gaiety and all the fun of the fair but rather a sobering and at times harrowing indictment on the plight of the aged population in society. While at times moralising and at other times unmistakably a Romero film in its horror outing leanings, the thing I found most predominantly coming through to the surface in this lost 1973 film is the director's heart of gold. Yes, it was made partly as an educational offering but it has Romero stamped all over it and reminds us, well me anyway, that in spite of the rather 'colourful' nature of Romero's own self made genre, he must have been a most wonderful man if the underlying emotions firing this film are any indication. People have said they found this film disturbing and I have a sure feeling that these particular spectators are of a younger age. Myself, belonging now to an older age bracket, instead find it incredibly wise. Of course watching its protagonist stagger through the park, on a limited income, being ridiculed, beaten, and even having the clergy close their pearly gates on him, you can't help but realise that the film was perhaps just too accurate and ahead of its time for the people who originally requested that it be made. Its a potent and important film that finally saw the light of day nearly fifty years after its making. Bravo George...

This is an educational film about elder abuse shot by Romero in 1973 (early in his career) and not released until a couple of years ago. After seeing it, it's obvious why the film was shelved: it's a pure nightmarish trip, original and fresh, and very educational, but clearly not in the conventional way. Romero has in his career, until the early 80s, a maverick style of filming: very independent, rough and dirty, close to documentalists like Frederick Wiseman, and this is a great almost lost example of that period.

When I first heard this was being released I was excited and the more i heard about it, the more excited I got. And let me say this, it truly lived up to my expectations. It's depressing how something that came out all the way back in 1973 is still relevant. How we mistreat elderly and are so cut to the point with them and not giving them time to think or give them equal opportunities.

The symbolism, from the white suit he wears getting dirtier to elderly people selling of clocks, will burn into your memory. The visuals progressively get more and more distressing.

It truly is the scariest thing Romero has ever directed. Maybe even one of his greatest films.

THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1975/2019) Shot in 1973 and shelved after a couple of showings in 1975, this George Romero public service film about elder abuse has been rediscovered and remastered.

In many ways, this is a pretty remarkable document. It's a one hour semi-surrealist nightmare about an elderly man (Lincoln Manzel, who also does the introduction) who goes to an Amusement Park. There, he experiences the nightmare rides of his life: Driving, health care, indifferent and even hostile youth, poverty and just general neglect. Not having to adhere to a set 'plot', frees Romero to create some of his most striking scenarios. One bit about the man being shooed away while he's eating crackers and peanut butter and then having rats descend upon his food is as horrifying as anything in his Living Dead pictures. Romero understood that 'reality' is as frightening as anything one could conjure. It's clear why the film was just too odd, too real, for its intended purpose of being a PSA (it was financed by the Lutheran Service Society).

It's not perfect, but THE AMUSEMENT PARK is a glimpse at what Romero could have achieved if he hadn't been pigeonholed. He often played with other styles when making his commercials and industrial films (a Calgon commercial done as a parody of FANTASTIC VOYAGE etc.). This film was shot just before THE CRAZIES and one will notice several of Romero's past and future collaborators in the credits such as Richard R. Rubenstein, the Hinzmans and Michael Gornick. It's a fascinating film that is worthy of reappraisal.

Trivia: Manzel (who was also ion Romero's MARTIN) was 70 when he shot the film. He lived another 36 years! The location, West View Park in Pennsylvania, closed just four years after this movie was made.