Shudder Saturday: The Amusement Park (2019)

A film from George A. Romero that was considered lost for decades, The Amusement Park is a surprisingly excellent short feature (it clocks in at just over 50 minutes), and one that is absolutely in line with the work that Romero did when he wasn't back in the company of his shambling ghouls.

Lincoln Maazel plays an elderly gentleman who goes for a day out in an amusement park, still heading out there after being warned by a disheveled and distressed elderly gentleman who has just returned from the experience. The amusement park is quickly shown to be a bit of a nightmare for all of the elderly people visiting it, from stalls offering very little money as they buy items of value to bumper car experiences that allow people to pass blame on to drivers they assume are too old to be driving reasonably. And it just keeps getting worse, to the point that the character played by Maazel starts to crave a moment of genuine connection with anyone else.

A work commissioned by the Lutheran Society, The Amusement Park was envisioned as a film that would show the abuse of the elderly, and how important it is to look after them. That means both protecting them from a number of perils, such as those that seek to prey on their vulnerability, and also just giving them your time and attention without making them feel like a burden. As wild and hellish as this is, it absolutely fulfils the remit. Romero seized on a great an idea that he ran with, and I have to say that it works perfectly. 

Most of the stuff here is very much on the nose, but that doesn't make it any less effective. In fact, on this occasion, the more blunt and obvious the mistreatment of the characters onscreen the more it should give people watching it a wake up call. Writer Wally Cook stabs at the heart of a major issue that has, if anything, only grown worse over the decades since this was made (back in 1973). We see it every day, even if we don't recognise it immediately. Every advert that uses fear about people leaving their loved ones unprepared after their passing, every company that offers to "free up the value of your home", and the general feeling of being a bit left behind as younger generations find more of their time taken up by phones, computers, and anything else that stops them from wanting to just spend some time with, or talk to, their parents/grandparents.

Romero doesn't overtly pick from his bag of horror movie tropes, despite the amusement park setting being rife with imagery we've seen used throughout the genre so often, but he contents himself with building an atmosphere that starts to become oppressively disorientating and bleak, arguably culminating in a beautiful and horrifying moment that shows the main character breaking down after trying to tell a short story to a young child, only for her to then be moved away by her mother.

Maazel is superb in the main role, although all of the cast does a very good job. Considering the budget, I suspect that many non-actors were put in the mix, but you can't really tell. That's helped by the fact that many of the elderly people onscreen, as in life, are talked over and left confused by others trying to bamboozle them and frighten them into giving up their money, assets, and rights.

Of course it's a curio piece, but The Amusement Park holds up surprisingly well as a strong outing from Romero, a film that shows his continuing attempts to mix intelligence and social commentary within some loose horror genre confines. I'd go so far as to say that this is in his top five, personally, and the other four would be Martin and his first three "Dead" movies.

8/10

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Nightmares In Red, White And Blue: The Evolution Of The American Horror Film (2009)

Based on the book by Joseph Maddrey, this documentary may not provide anything new for major horror fans, but it contextualises the genre throughout the 20th century and beyond, and serves as a nice rebuttal to those who roll their eyes and dismiss horror as something not worth their time.

I cover EVERY movie that I can when it comes to writing reviews. That's because it helps with my OCD and allows me to think that my time here, rooted to my sofa for a lot of my time, has some small sense of purpose. I'm fooling myself, of course, but I'm fooling myself while being able to enjoy lots of great movies. Horror movies, however, will always remain my favourite. And I get tired of defending my love for them to people who think "well, isn't it a bit much to watch all of those horror movies?"

No, no it isn't. It's important to remember that a lot of the independent horror movies, as well as the crime flicks and, yes, adult movies released over the years have done more to buoy the fortunes of film studios than most of the tentpole releases that we may have all enjoyed at a local multiplex. There's nothing wrong with enjoying big-budget, mainstream fare. I do it a lot. But there's also nothing wrong with enjoying any film from any genre, especially anything that delivers so many movies that have perhaps reflected, and adapted with, the culture and politics of the where and when of their conception.

Narrated by Lance Henriksen, this documentary reinforces just how horror has allowed for escapism, how it has (directly and indirectly) dealt with important issues over the years, and how it has remained a constant companion to those held in its thrall. It does this with a number of clips, and chat from luminaries such as John Carpenter, George A. Romero, Roger Corman, Mick Garris, Darren Lynn Bousman, Brian Yuzna, Joe Dante, Larry Cohen and many others.

From the world wars, to the development of nuclear power, to the repercussions of 9/11, Nightmares In Red, White And Blue: The Evolution Of The American Horror Film touches on every major event in the past century that has helped to feed into, and create, horrors of all shapes and sizes. And it serves as a great reminder of how important the horror genre is in helping to filter reality and change it into something more tangible, transforming it from an uncomfortable and unnerving mix of paranoia, facts and hypotheticals into a boogeyman that can be held at bay by a strong closet door and a reassuring night light.

7/10

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Creepshow 2 (1987)

Following Creepshow was always going to be a tough job, but I'm pleased to say that Creepshow 2 holds up as a decent little sequel. It's not on a par with the greatness of the original movie, but there's something for everyone and the mix of horror drawn from comic tales is once again nicely evoked, this time with animated sequences in between each tale.

Slimming down from five tales to only three, things begin with Old Chief Woodenhead, which is all about a nice, elderly couple (played by George Kennedy and Dorothy Lamour) who are sorely wronged. But their fates will be avenged. The second tale is my favourite of the three. The Raft, a tale of four young folk who swim out to spend some time on a raft and end up trapped by . . . . . . . . . something that looks like an oil slick but devours animals like The Blob. Last, but not least, comes The Hitchhiker, the tale of an unfaithful wife (Lois Chiles) driving home from her latest tumble between the sheets and hitting a hitchhiker (Tom Wright) in her haste. She drives off, but it turns out that the hitchhiker still needs a lift.

Based on stories by Stephen King, this was written for the screen by George A. Romero (with some uncredited help from Lucille Fletcher, apparently) and directed by Michael Gornick. It lacks the commitment to that gaudy E.C. Comics style that the original movie had but the crudely animated sequences linking each of the tales do enough to remind viewers of the thrill felt when encountering these horror tales for the first time.

The cast all do a decent enough job. This was the last movie role for Dorothy Lamour, and she and George Kennedy make such a sweet pairing that it's not the worst swansong she could have gone for. The stars of The Raft - Paul Satterfield, Daniel Beer, Jeremy Green and Page Hannah - are there to play second fiddle of the featured creature, and that's what they do. Lois Chiles is saddled with too many moments that have her filling out backstory by talking to herself during her drive, but Tom Wright fares better with the main line that he gets to repeat, catchphrase-like. Tom Savini appears, although he's pretty much unrecognisable, as The Creep and Stephen King is fun to spot as a helpful truck driver.

While it doesn't ever hit the heights of the first movie, this is still a lot of fun for horror fans and it just manages not to outstay its welcome. It's an easy watch, nothing more and nothing less.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creepshow-2-DVD-Domenick-John/dp/B003H9MXRE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380213121&sr=8-1&keywords=creepshow+2