George Romero’s Missing Movie is Found!
When October rolled around this year, Geroge Romero’s widow, Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, revealed a number of interesting items that the Legendary horror director had left behind after he passed in 2017. Romero seems to had been a very busy man between films, having knocked up almost 50 potential films scripts, an unfinished novel, and the gem of all horror findings, an unreleased movie that was fought to be buried or destroyed.
Before Romero became a famous film icon, he hit the small screen, directing commercials such as his most well known Calgon ad that spoofed the Fantastic Voyage. Well this niche of creating commericials followed Romero into his film carrere, and at some point between Crazies and Martin , he was hired to make this public service announcement film about the travails of the elderly. Whoever funded the project was not happy though, and the film was never released.
The Amusement Park, clocking in as a 60 minutes featurette, has only ever been seen by a select few people , before the reel was thought destroyed back in 1973. The rediscovery of a legacy telecine transfer, after Romero’s death, has prompted a campaign to get this movie released.
“With the exception of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD—maybe—THE AMUSEMENT PARK is Romero’s most overtly horrifying film.”
American author Daniel Kraus was lucky enough to get a look at the film after a series of screenings, and he took to twitter to praise the film.
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
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
The Amusement Park certainly has Kraus very excited, and he is now dedicating himself to finding a way to get the film released. You can head over to George A. Romero’s official website, and donate money towards the cause. What exciting time we live in!