The Amusement Park

1973

54 min.

Horror

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for The Amusement Park: Trailer 1

List

96%

77 Reviews

Tomatometer

69%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Recently discovered and restored 46 years after its completion by the George A. Romero Foundation and produced by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, The Amusement Park stars Martin's Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies and humiliations of aging in America are manifested through roller coasters and chaotic crowds. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is perhaps Romero's wildest and most imaginative movie, an allegory about the nightmarish realities of growing older, and is an alluring snapshot of the filmmaker's early artistic capacity and style and would go on to inform his ensuing filmography. The "lost" film was restored in 4k by IndieCollect in New York City.

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Critics Consensus

A blunt yet visceral depiction of society's treatment of the elderly, The Amusement Park sees George A. Romero exploring a different -- yet still chilling -- type of terror.

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Logan D

An elderly man attempts to enjoy an amusement park but increasingly finds the patrons are against him and his fellow seniors. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is an absurdist nightmare that allegorizes the treatment of many seniors in our society. As such, the horror is a reality and therefore heartrending. I enjoyed the artistry but it hits hard. Thought lost until a 16mm print was discovered and delivered to Romero and his wife in 2017. A restored version premiered in 2019. Lincoln Mazel, who plays the unnamed protagonist, lived to be a centenarian and died at 106. I thought he looked pretty spry for a 73 year old in the film!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

Full Review

Mike J

George Romero's best movie ever!!!! A nightmare indictment of societies treatment of older people. A masterpiece made only in three days only one real actor and a nothing budget. In the introduction the actor says you will feel and react to the movie. SO TRUE! You feel all the traumatic events that happen to him. Never let's up til the end. Devastating! Not easy to watch not for weak or others who can't face the brutal reality Romero mastery shows in the movie Thanks for the discovery and restoration of the movie in good quality best it can be. Watch it if you can Real Romero fans and lovers of great cinema that says something important and timeless will love it. THEY SHOULD! ENJOY!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Overall, it's pretty amazing that George A. Romano made a movie in 1973, which has finally surfaced thanks to the good people at Shudder! This is unlike anything I have ever seen from George A. Romero and cinema. The Amusement Park is a world that is unforgettable and yet disturbing. It is a unique horror style filled with creativity that will have its viewers feeling and sympathising with every moment on screen. Visiting The Amusement Park is worth your while, and who knows, maybe I will see you at the park one day.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/11/23

Full Review

DRAVEN R

Terrifying in every way, The Amusement Park shows that George A. Romero can tap into different types of horror, and make it work even with a short runtime.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/20/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I think I caught alzheimers just watching this.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

max a

Maybe I don't know how to appreciate independent films, or maybe this is just a dry film with no appeal, I get the social commentary part of it, but that's it. This one I just don't recommend to anybody.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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George A. Romero

Director

Lincoln Maazel

Actor

Harry Albacker

Actor

Phyllis Casterwiler

Actor

Pete Chovan

Actor

Marion Cook

Actor

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The Amusement Park: Trailer 1

1:36

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Scout Tafoya

RogerEbert.com

"The Amusement Park" is the only one of Romero's films that feels deliberately episodic without losing its through-line.

Rated: 4/4

Jun 16, 2021

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

The Playlist

"The Amusement Park" is a concise film (only 52 minutes), but Romero packs it so full of detail and ambition that it contains more to appreciate than most films that run three times as long.

Rated: A-

Jun 16, 2021

Full Review

Maitland McDonagh

Film Comment Magazine

The Amusement Park is sharp social commentary rooted in brutal reality, a clear cousin to Romero's Living Dead movies despite the fact that it was a work-for-hire project.

Jun 16, 2021

Full Review

Soham Gadre

Vague Visages

Romero’s movies have a workshop feel to them, which elevates the horror to a startlingly realistic terror as if it was being documented live.

Jan 9, 2024

Full Review

Bill Bria

Vague Visages

Thanks to their need to propagandize, these films often lack nuance and are tonally dull, and some of them even lack creativity. Romero refuses to let The Amusement Park fall into this trap at every turn.

Jun 6, 2023

Full Review

Dallas King

Flick Feast

A surrealist nightmare where one septuagenarian has the worst time at an amusement park since the Griswolds went on Vacation... a fascinating curiosity and a must-see for Romero fans.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 12, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Recently discovered and restored 46 years after its completion by the George A. Romero Foundation and produced by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, The Amusement Park stars Martin's Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies and humiliations of aging in America are manifested through roller coasters and chaotic crowds. Commissioned by the Lutheran Society, the film is perhaps Romero's wildest and most imaginative movie, an allegory about the nightmarish realities of growing older, and is an alluring snapshot of the filmmaker's early artistic capacity and style and would go on to inform his ensuing filmography. The "lost" film was restored in 4k by IndieCollect in New York City.

Director: George A. Romero
Screenwriter: Wally Cook
Production Co: Laurel Tape & Film, Lutheran Film Division
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 8, 2021

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