George Romero Made a Movie You’ve Never Seen Titled ‘The Amusement Park’ and You May Soon See It
Hardcore fans of George A. Romero may be aware that between Season of the Witch and The Crazies, Romero shot a 60-minute film titled The Amusement Park, made in 1973 but largely unseen to this day. Billed as a “PSA on age discrimination,” the film was apparently shot for TV but never actually released, and it’s making waves on Twitter this weekend.
NY Times best-selling author Daniel Kraus (Trollhunters, The Shape of Water, The Living Dead) announced on Twitter tonight that he was watching the “virtually unseen” Romero movie, which he’s been seeking out for the past 20 years. In a multi-tweet thread, Kraus subsequently called the film “a revelation,” as well as “Romero’s most overtly horrifying film.”
“The people who funded it wouldn’t allow it. And no wonder. It’s hellish. In Romero’s long career of criticizing American institutions, never was he so merciless,” Kraus continued. “Where can you see this savage masterwork? You can’t. But I’m dedicating myself to changing that. Can you help? Yes, probably. Give me some time to figure out what’s what.”
He added, “This is truly one of those magical (cursed?) objects that I cannot believe has fallen through the cinematic cracks. We’ll drag it back.”
As you may recall, the late George Romero’s wife Suzanne Desrocher-Romero had teased earlier this year that a film Romero shot in 1973 was going to be restored and released for all to see, which we now know to be The Amusement Park. She had mentioned last month, “We’re gonna restore it, and we’re gonna show it to Romero cinephiles. It’s a scary movie, but it’s not a horror movie, and it’s about ageism. Anyway, he has a cameo in it, and it’ll be fun. And we’ll show the movie, or get it distributed. It’ll be a project that the foundation’s gonna do.”
In The Amusement Park…
“An elderly gentlemen sets out for what he thinks will be a normal day at an amusement park and is soon embroiled in a waking nightmare the likes of which you’ve never seen.”
Check out Kraus’s complete Twitter thread below. And if you want to help The George Romero Foundation fund the film’s restoration, head over to the foundation’s website.
I’m about to watch George A. Romero’s virtually unseen 1973 movie THE AMUSEMENT PARK (shot between Season of the Witch & The Crazies). Been trying to find this for 20 years. pic.twitter.com/ng6WqOeR6y
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 10, 2018
OK, this movie is a REVELATION. pic.twitter.com/PaZA2HNDAW
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
With the exception of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD—maybe—THE AMUSEMENT PARK is Romero’s most overtly horrifying film. Hugely upsetting in form & function. pic.twitter.com/BmyS5iTIyU
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
The scholar Tony Williams, who saw the film 30 years ago, wrote “The film is far too powerful for American society…It must remain under lock & key never seeing the light of day.”
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
It was never shown publicly. The people who funded it wouldn’t allow it. And no wonder. It’s hellish. In Romero’s long career of criticizing American institutions, never was he so merciless. pic.twitter.com/987qbeb1J0
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
Where can you see this savage masterwork? You can’t. But I’m dedicating myself to changing that. pic.twitter.com/nayHmSzeNq
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
Can you help? Yes, probably. Give me some time to figure out what’s what. This is truly one of those magical (cursed?) objects that I cannot believe has fallen through the cinematic cracks. We’ll drag it back.
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
I mean, THE AMUSEMENT PARK doesn’t even show up on Romero’s @IMDb page! This thing is long-long-long-lost. What does that tell me? It’s dangerous & uncomfortable.
— Daniel Kraus (@DanielDKraus) November 11, 2018
