Shudder Releases Trailer for George A. Romero's The Amusement Park

Years after his passing, filmmaker George A. Romero proves to be a powerful voice in the horror genre, with Shudder having released the trailer for his film The Amusement Park, which was shelved for decades and has only recently been screened for the public. While the world of zombies might be what Romero is most known for, he often dabbled in other corners of the genre, with The Amusement Park potentially being his most unconventional story, as it focuses more on allegories regarding ageism and how the elderly are often cast aside in communities. Check out the above trailer for The Amusement Park before it debuts on Shudder on June 8th.

Shudder describes the film, "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."

"The first and only work-for-hire in Romero's career sheds a new perspective on an ongoing issue of ageism and Romero's uncanny sense of reflection on society, and the Romero 'footprint' is ever-present and bodes well for the future of his impact on American cinema," Desrocher-Romero shared in a statement earlier this year. "We are thankful to Yellow Veil Pictures who helped forge a path for us to find the most perfect custodian for this piece. Shudder understands that this film adds an important element to the Romero oeuvre. We are grateful."

Given his influence on the horror genre, many are likely assuming that The Amusement Park is a full-blown horror experience, though his wife previously hinted at how unconventional the narrative would be for even his most devout fans.

"We have a film that he shot in 1973 that most people haven't seen. A handful of people have seen this film," Desrocher-Romero admitted to ComicBook.com back in 2018. "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. I think it's the first project we're gonna do actually."

She added, "A lot of people are like, 'Oh, my God, I can't wait to see it.' And I go, 'It's not a zombie movie now, remember.' And what's also terrific is that you see his footprint. You see how he shoots and the story. It's a unique find. I'm so happy I have it."

Check out The Amusement Park when it hits Shudder on June 8th.

Are you looking forward to checking out the film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!