Filmmaker George A. Romero passed away in 2017, but he was such a prolific storyteller, his tales continue to be unearthed, with Shudder set to release his long-lost film The Amusement Park this summer. Romero crafted the film back in the ’70s, but it was considered too unsettling by the Lutheran Society, who commissioned the film, leading it to be shelved until a print was discovered back in 2018. Despite Romero being known for his visual grotesqueries, the film is a far cry from the blood and gore of his zombie films, as it instead focuses on the mistreatment of the elderly.
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Amusement Park stars Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself increasingly disoriented and isolated during a visit to the amusement park. What he initially assumed would be an ordinary day quickly turned into a hellish nightmare filled with roller coasters and chaotic crowds.
“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,” Romero’s wife Suzanne Desrocher-Romero shared in a statement. “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.”
Desrocher-Romero previously detailed how excited she was for people to see the movie, though how different it is from his more straightforward horror fare.
“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.”
Stay tuned for details on The Amusement Park before it hits Shudder later this year.
Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
