News

Mere hours after Disney Experiences held its big showcase at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and touted major and exciting new film, TV and parks projects at D23, the “ultimate Disney fan event,” it appears one fan-favorite attraction could be closing for good. Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive arm of the Walt Disney Company responsible for the theme parks, has only a few weeks to decide whether to keep Muppet*Vision 3D or to shut it down, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap, and its closing was originally going to be tipped during a D23 presentation until a last-minute swap.

The original attraction opened in 1991, exactly a year after Jim Henson’s tragic death and has since become something of an institution. The film itself is a hilarious trip to the Muppet Labs, where your favorite characters are working on demonstrating a new 3D technology. It...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery

Where You Can Stream It: YouTube via the Defunctland channel

The Pitch: Back in 2020, /Film's Jacob Hall published a Quarantine Stream entitled "'Defunctland' Is The Best Damn Theme Park YouTube Channel On The Internet." In it, he discussed the popular YouTube channel, run by Kevin Perjurer, and how his videos on theme park history go beyond regurgitating facts. Instead, Perjurer frames the events of this relatively niche industry as it relates to the broader societal culture in general. For instance, the 2018 video "The War for Disney's America" is both a rundown of a canceled Disney theme park and an examination of Disney's cultural and political place in American history.

However, a lot...

Defunctland is a YouTube channel that started in February 2017. Created by filmmaker Kevin Perjurer, the documentary series focuses on the creation and history of lost theme parks and attractions. It eventually extended beyond recent decades and examined rides from as far back as the late 1800s.

Related: 10 Best Movie/TV Show Theme Park Lands Of All Time

High production value, comprehensive examination, and witty narration epitomize the best episodes of Defunctland. With the vast amount of attractions discussed, the very name of the series harkens to a theme park. And like a park with good attractions, some episodes stand out among the rest.

In the not-too-distant past, Mystery Science Theater 3000 returned with two seasons on Netflix, a comic book miniseries, and an annual live tour. Unfortunately, nothing can last forever as Netflix stopped ordering new episodes, the comic miniseries finished up, and the third incarnation of the live tour had to take a powder due to the stupid coronavirus pandemic. That live tour had been something of a way to keep MST3K active enough off TV while killing the time it takes to allow co-creator Joel Hodgson to find a new home for the series.

This Sunday, May 3rd, the MST3K Live crew will be doing a special online event at 6pm Et/3pm Pt. Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live Presents: The MST3K Live Riff-Along!

Now, yes, Joel will be showing up here and there and will be answering fan questions. Otherwise, if you only know the cast through the...