Guillermo del Toro collaborator Daniel Kraus has seen George A. Romero’s unseenAmusement Parkand calls it a “savage masterwork.” Back at the beginning of October, Romero’s widow, Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, revealed that the legendary horror director had left behind nearly 50 scripts, an unfinished novel, and an unreleased movie from 1973 that she was hoping to release. That unreleased movie isAmusement Parkand it has only been seen by a select few over the years, and now Kraus can name himself as one of them.
Daniel Kraus was brought into the fold by Suzanne Desrocher-Romero to help finish the novel thatGeorge A. Romeroleft behind, entitledThe Living Dead, which should be out by the fall of 2019. The frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro was very happy to announce that he had seenAmusement Parkover the weekend, and hails it as one of the director’s best works. Kraus called it a “revelation” and had this to say.
“With the exception ofNight of the Living Dead-maybe-The Amusement Parkis Romero’s most overtly horrifying film. Hugely upsetting in form & function.”
Daniel Kraus went on to quote the scholar Tony Scott, who was able to seeThe Amusement Park30 years ago. Scott said, “The film is far too powerful for American society… It must remain under lock and key, never seeing the light of day,” upon seeing it. Obviously, a review like that has gained a lot of attention forGeorge A. Romero’s unreleased work. Kraus went on to talk about the movie. He explains.
“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.”
The Amusement Parkclearly left a huge impact on Daniel Kraus, who now says that he is dedicating himself to finding a way to get the unreleased movie out into the world. On George A. Romero’s official website, fans can donate money to get the project restored, but there’s no information on what could happen when it finally goes through the restoration process. However, Kraus is going to do whatever he can to make sure thatThe Amusement Parkis released to the masses.
When pondering whyThe Amusement Parkhas fallen through the cinematic cracks over the years, Daniel Kraus summed it up by saying, “It’s dangerous and uncomfortable.” The movie is described as a “PSA on age discrimination,” and was reportedly shot for TV and later scrapped. It’s believed that the project was funded by a religious group, who wanted to have the movie buried so that nobody would ever see it. If Kraus gets his way, we’ll all be able to see George A. Romero’s long lost gem in the near future. you may check out the reactions toThe Amusement Parkbelow, thanks toDaniel Kraus' Twitteraccount.
