The Amusement Park: Romero's Surreal Carnivalesque Nightmare
George A. Romero lives! This time, he’s returned from beyond the grave with an early career work which was thought to be lost. Originally produced in 1973 (the same year Romero’s The Crazies was released), The Amusement Park was shelved after the Lutheran Society, who originally commissioned the film as an educational PSA about ageism and the treatment of the elderly, refused to release it due to its disturbing content. Thankfully for all of us, Romero’s decidedly surreal nightmare has been found and is streaming on Shudder for our viewing pleasure!
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.
Content-wise, The Amusement Park may not be as off-brand as some of Romero’s other projects — like his O.J. Simpson or Pittsburgh Steelers documentaries — but it probably has the weirdest origins of his career. Although he was raised as a Catholic (a religion he quickly fell out of step with at a young age), you don’t often think of Romero having close ties with any religious denomination, let alone working with them directly. Yet, when it comes to 1973’s lost work,The Amusement Park, Romero would be sought out by the Lutheran Society and commissioned to make an educational PSA that tackles elderly discrimination and abuse. Even though the end result is something pretty special, the Lutherans probably should have done more homework. Displeased with the final product and its visceral, unnerving bleakness, the Lutherans shelved the project indefinitely, refusing to release it, and for 44 years the film was thought to be lost, until a 16mm print was discovered in 2017 (the same year as Romero’s passing).
Sandwiched in between The Crazies (which released in 1973) and 1978’s Martin, The Amusement Park (which wouldn’t be available to an audience until 2019) finds Romero dabbling in the style and techniques that would become a mainstay of his. Particularly, his penchant for visual metaphor and social commentary is strong here (more so than many of his formative project, with the exception of Night Of The Living Dead), but there are several scenes which echo and foreshadow his previous films and the ones yet to come. In many ways, the film is somewhat of a hybrid of Season Of The Witch’s surrealist experimentation with sound and editing, Martin’s darker, more bleak narrative leanings, and the allegorical satire that we’ve all come to expect from this master of horror. You can even see a bit of Dawn Of the Dead working its way to the surface (specifically the bikers, the ravenous elderly attacking the plate of food, and the shots of the empty amusement park). Although it’s not the kind of straight horror film Romero is known for, it’s definitely a product of the same mind, and oddly enough, it might just be the most effectively terrifying film of his career.
The film is bookended by direct addresses by actor Lincoln Maazel (who stars in the film and would later appear in Romero’s Martin), which essentially fulfills the PSA requirement for the church. These segments are easily the weakest points of the film, as they directly communicate the film’s intent which is pretty well illustrated in the meat of the film, but they make sure that everyone gets the gist of Romero’s carnivalesque nightmare. Although it’s nice to see the film as it was intended, it would probably be a stronger work with the direct addresses trimmed off, but fortunately, they’re fairly short and not much of a chore to sit through. Once the intent of the film is explained, we meet our nameless elderly protagonist (Lincoln Maazel), who’s been battered, bloodied, and bruised. His all white suit is dirtied and disheveled, and his expression is distressed and exhausted. Suddenly, as second Lincoln Maazel appears, unruffled and dressed in a spotless white suit, and things get deliciously metaphorical.
The disheveled Maazel bemoans, “There’s nothing out there. You won’t like it!” These defeated and nihilistic sentiments are inverted in the spotless double, who ignores these cries and takes us out into the amusement park proper. The place is teeming with people and quickly becomes disorienting for both Maazel and the viewer. In classic Romero fashion, the park essentially serves as a stand-in for American society; it’s a crowded place intended for fun, but it wasn’t built with the elderly in mind. For the old, this place is nothing but a noisy, confusing, oppressive hell, and it really does a number on Maazel, who begins to resemble his battered doppelgänger more and more as the film unfurls. Romero impressively places us firmly in the shoes of the elderly, recreating their confusion and disorientation by a world that doesn’t stop for them at all (pretty perfectly symbolized by the marching band in the film), and by the end, we’re just as beat up, disoriented, disturbed, and exhausted (in a good way).
Romero’s found work is all about “feeling” (as stated in the direct address), and through the film’s experimentally surreal narrative and the various formalist techniques Romero employs, we’re given a bit more empathy for our elders — with the haunting notion that this is basically what lays in wait for us all. Despite its rough edges, The Amusement Park stands as one of Romero’s more solid post-NOTLD/pre-DOTD works. Notable for its absolutely blistering existential bleakness and its refreshing inclusion (particularly against that of the time period), this carnivalesque nightmare is sure to resonate with viewers of all ages, and it’s sure to stick with you long after the credits roll.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of Romero, this is a must a watch, but truly this film should be required viewing for everyone since it adequately shows us how it feels to grow old in the world.
Rating: 4 flashes of death outta 5.
Ravenous for more?! Check out the links below:
ROMERO LIVES: Remembering a Horror Legend
Top 5: Zombie Films
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!