COME ONE, COME ALL! // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE AMUSEMENT PARK"

BY MATEO MORENO

In 1973, The Lutheran Society commissioned George A. Romero to direct an educational film about ageism and elder abuse. What exactly they were thinking they would receive back is only known to them (and puzzling to the rest of us), but what they received was THE AMUSEMENT PARK, a trippy, horror fantasia that disturbed them so much that they immediately shelved the film. It wasn't until a lost print was discovered in 2017 that the film's existence was even known and now it'll be able to be streamed in its entirety on Shudder. It's fascinating alone to see what Romero, who would in five years later create the blueprint for modern zombie and horror films, was cooking up. But it's also equally fascinating knowing that this was meant to be an educational film and not something meant to be a midnight movie shocker.

Romero's film was clearly not the film that the Lutheran Society wanted, but it's the film that we didn't know we needed. It's a disorienting, strange, mad little slice of a film (it runs about 52 minutes) that would have been lost in the vaults of time had Romero not been the visionary behind it. It's a lost piece of history, rediscovered over 40 years later and can now be appreciated through a very different lens. The film itself is surreal, starting off strange and only getting stranger. It's experimental in nature, worrying less about the plot or any dialogue and more about how off-putting it makes you feel (only the lead is a trained actor). The film starts and ends with a sort of "Prologue/Epilogue," delivered straight to the audience and breaking the fourth wall. It sets up what we're about to see and asks us to feel for the victims within. The end wraps us up in hopes that we will step away trying to better ourselves. It's an odd thing to have on a regular film, but this being an educational project, it makes perfect sense. 

Lincoln Maazel plays an older man in a bright white suit, exploring an amusement park and losing his sanity in the process (Romero fans will know him immediately from the 1978 classic Martin). He is ready for enjoyment and to lose himself in the fun of the park, yet he is almost immediately taken back by the strangeness of it all. Certain rides are restricted if you are old or if your wealth is under a certain number.  One "fun house" ends up being a bizarre old folks home where everyone inside is truly miserable. He's treated poorly nearly every step of the way, knocked down, knocked about, shocked and dazzled by the oddities around him. Much of the film is without dialogue, with only a few lines here and there, and often dubbed in a way that makes the image feel even stranger. As he becomes lost, so do we and the overtaking sensation of fear strikes deep within the audience as well. It's an absorbing experience, one that's meant to creep deep within your psyche, and boy it does just that.

GRADE: B+

WRITTEN BY Wally Cook DIRECTED BY George A. Romero STARRING Lincoln Maazel STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON SHUDDER STARTING JUNE 8th. FOR MORE INFO: THE AMUSEMENT PARK

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? // A FILM REVIEW OF "SCARE ME"

BY MATEO MORENO

The horror anthology is a time old cinema tradition. From The Twilight Zone to Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt to V/H/S, audiences have thrilled at being scared with multiple stories in one viewing. The new Shudder original SCARE ME attempts to tell it through a new lens and, for the most part, it works really well. The new way that Writer/Director/Star Josh Ruben uses is how the anthology aspect is told. Usually in these types of films, we see separate short stories, telling self-contained tales. Here, we never leave the two leads and it's up to them to tell us the tales themselves, acting out all the parts themselves. It's clever and inventive, and gives a great showcase for Ruben and co-star Aya Cash.

Ruben plays Fred, a writer who at first glance seems like he's simply taking a trip to a cabin in the Catskills woods. To write, recuperate and relax. We quickly learn that he's not a working writer, but someone who wants to be a writer. His cabin neighbor is Fanny (Cash), an already very famous writer whose latest novel is critically acclaimed. When the power goes out, Fanny comes over to Fred's cabin and they decide to tell each other scary stories to help pass away the time. So they do, taking turns telling stories to each other in an attempt to out scare the other. Some are based on their own work, or in Fred's case his ideas (Werewolves... guns... revenge!) while others are tales spun out of the air. Instead of seeing other actors play out these stories, we watch Fred and Fanny act them out themselves, with sound effects and spooky lighting to help along the way.

As the night goes on, and the booze and coke start flowing, Fred reveals himself to be the worst kind of male writer: one who's jealous that he doesn't have the success that others have, especially someone like Fanny (re: a woman). He's toxic through and through and Ruben relishes in revealing that. He plays the wannabee writer as a self-made failure, one that may not have the talent others do and will blame everyone but himself in that failure. His script is clever and funny, calling out toxic masculinity well and smartly playing up the genre itself. Cash shines as the slightly braggy but supportive Fanny. She does toot her own horn a bit, but she also really seems to want Fred to shine. Cash is great in the role, charming and funny and her stories are a hoot. They both play off of each other great and their comic timing is spot on (as is their weird voices).

The addition of Chris Redd as a horror loving Pizza delivery guy sadly brings nothing to the table, nor does it make sense in the context of the story why he stays. Redd is a very talented performer and he does the best that he can with the slight material his character is given. But in the end, it's a character that's simply not needed. Rebecca Drysdale also briefly appears and has a few solid laughs as a painfully weird Uber-like driver. SCARE ME starts off very strong and original, but by the end wears out its welcome. The running time could definitely be trimmed to a lean 90 minutes (or even a bit less) and even though "scare" is in the title, it's not in any way scary. Not even a bit. Funny and original yes, but not scary. Having a few actual scares or freak out moments would have really helped the film, especially its lackluster ending. That being said, it's still very much worth a watch. Head over to Shudder and give it a whirl to see Ruben and Cash's spot-on chemistry and to see an Anthology told in a very unique way.

GRADE: B

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY Josh Ruben STARRING Josh Ruben, Aya Cash, Chris Redd, Rebecca Drysdale. Now Available Exclusively on Shudder. For more info: https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/scare-me/14e5d7d2ac9ab61c