DVD Corner's blog

The Amusement Park Blu-ray Review

‘The Amusement Park’ is a must see for George Romero fans.

Last year, the late great George Romero’s once lost film was released on the horror streaming service Shudder (review here: https://dvdcorner.net/2021/06/01/the-amusement-park-movie-review/). Now, it’s been given a home video release courtesy of RLJE Films for all to see.

For those that are unaware, ‘The Amusement Park’ was originally conceived as an educational film, but Romero wound up creating what can only be described as a nightmarish and surreal tale of an elderly man’s horrifying outdoor amusement park adventure where he is mistreated, bullied, used, and ultimately abandoned. It’s very much a hard hitting story about ageism, class, and society’s treatment of the elderly that feels just as relevant now as it did in the 70’s. It’s also unlike any educational movie you’ve ever seen before (which is ultimately why it was never released by The Lutheran Society who commissioned it).

Despite its short 54 minute runtime, ‘Amusement’ is pure Romero through and through. In my humble opinion, Romero is (and always will be) one of the greatest horror filmmakers of all time. Not only did he spark an entire subgenre (zombies), but he had a distinctly unique way of examining society through a horror lens. That’s exactly what he does with the raw, visual, and unsettling ‘The Amusement Park.’

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.33:1 1080p. How does it look? The film has been given a 4K digital restoration. Despite the presence of print defects, it’s just amazing this film still exists at all.

Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Truth be told, the audio is a bit on the rough side (very snowy and tinny sounding), but again, the real treat here is the release of this movie.

Extras:
* Behind-the-scenes photo gallery
* ‘The Amusement Park’ script and official brochure still gallery.
* 5 person Zoom panel interview (including Suzanne Desrocher-Romero and Greg Nicotero).
* ‘For Your Amusement With Artist Ryan Carr’- The Illustrator for the George Romero Foundation talks about ‘The Amusement Park’ graphic novel.
* ‘Bill And Bonnie’s Excellent Adventure With Bonnie Hinzman’- Bonnie talks about being a script girl (and an actress) in the film and her late husband Bill Hinzman (the DP).
* ‘Re-Opening The Park With Suzanne Desrocher-Romero’- An interview with Suzanne Romero about ‘The Amusement Park.’
* Commentary by moderator Michael Felsher and assistant cameraman Michael Gornick.

September 13, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | George Romero, Horror Movie, Shudder, The Amusement Park Blu-ray Review