THE AMUSEMENT PARK (1973) Movie Review

The Amusement Park (1973) d. George A. Romero (USA) (54 min)

This recently uncovered and restored “lost” film from the Zombie King is a decided curiosity, with as much going on behind the scenes as in front of the camera. I’m sure most of the folks reading this are familiar with the backstory by now, so I’ll keep it to a thumbnail version: Apparently, Romero was approached by a religious organization, The Lutheran Society of Western Pennsylvania, about creating a PSA about the ill treatment of the elderly and highlighting the need for empathy and support. What Romero subsequently delivered is an Expressionistic nightmare of an older gent (Lincoln Maazel, who would later star as Martin’s vengeful vampire-killing uncle) trapped inside an amusement park filled with attractions that highlight the ageist plight. (“You must be this old, and a limited fixed income and no preexisting conditions, to ride this ride…”)

It’s easy to draw a line between Herk Harvey’s 1962 low-budget masterpiece Carnival of Souls (which Romero also cites as an influence for 1968’s Night of the Living Dead) and the dreamlike horrors presented here. There is a sense of the uncanny, with the director’s pointed social commentary in full swing. Similar to his other genre efforts, it is the everyday humans with their selfish and fearful nature of anything unlike their personal experience who are the real monsters, with the elderly posited as the “freaks” (literally, with several exhibited in a sideshow) and the “normal” population treating them with disregard, disrespect, distrust or outright abuse.

When an “accident” occurs on the bumper car attraction, the younger (at-fault) driver’s word is immediately trusted more than that of the older innocent. The account of the person who witnessed the incident is also dismissed due to the fact that she is older and obviously couldn’t have seen it clearly. When a woman calls seeking medical care for her ailing husband, the doctor complains to her about his workload and then hangs up. Romero relentlessly hammers his troubling message home over and over, so much so that the Lutheran Society, upon viewing the final product, found it too disturbing and dark for its target audience. The film then disappeared from public view for nearly 50 years until a few damaged prints were discovered in the late 2010s and painstakingly resurrected for modern audiences to appreciate anew.

Shot for $37K, the minimal production values will make this a rougher ride for those accustomed to the more polished and pristine; the sound can be wonky at times and the 16mm footage, even in its “restored and remastered” state is a little tough on the uninitiated eyes. Filmed primarily with non-professionals, the performances range from the highly theatrical (Maazel) to amateurish (everyone else), which also hinders the message’s impact a tad.

Still, for those willing to overlook its humble failings, The Amusement Park remains a fascinating artifact that fans of the director will consider essential viewing, even if it’s just to check off the list.

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