Posts Tagged ‘theme park’

Movie Review – Futureworld (1976)

Back in 1973, the sci-fi movie Westworld gave audiences a vision of a fantastic and technologically advanced theme park for adults, a place where they can live out their fantasies in every way possible.

Although it had a few plot holes and other issues, Westworld was still a fantastic movie that really sparked the imagination.  So how could a film like that be topped?  Which direction would you take the story for a sequel?

Those questions and more were answered in Futureworld, a 1976 sci-fi movie that’s a direct sequel to Westworld. In Futureworld, Delos has been repaired and expanded.  All of the programming has been repaired and it’s guaranteed that the androids will not go berserk again.  To help promote the park to the general public, a team of journalists and foreign dignitaries are invited to tour Delos and prove that it’s safe to visit.  But as we see, not everything in this newer version of Delos is as innocent as it appears.

Futureworld (1976) – movie poster

Futureworld was directed by Richard T. Heffron, and the movie has a new cast of actors.  The movie stars Peter Fonda as Chuck Browning, and Blythe Danner as Tracy Ballard.  Except for a dream sequence featuring the Gunslinger, nobody from Westworld returns in Futureworld.

Futureworld (1976) – (c) American International Pictures / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Futureworld begins with newspaper reporter Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) receives a strange phone call from a man named Frenchy (Ed Geldart).  Frenchy won’t say his important information over the phone, but he needs money and will meet with Chuck in person to exchange the information.  They agree to meet at a nearby location in a few minutes.  When Chuck finally meets with Frenchy, he and others see that Frenchy had been fatally shot in the back by an unknown gunman.  Before he dies, Frenchy says the word “Delos.” Read more…

Movie Review – Westworld (1973)

Theme parks are known for having a combination of highly themed lands as well as a mixture of family-friendly as well as thrilling attractions.

These places also draw a firm line where there’s limited interaction between the park guests and the theming.  While you may see a costumed actors, you’re not allowed to challenge them to a duel.  There may be a bank in a western town, but you’re not allowed to draw your gun and rob it.

What if there was such a park where you could carry out such fantasies?  What if you were allowed to live for several days in a highly themed, interactive area, living life as you would in that time period, complete with being able to actually fight and “kill” bad guys?  Don’t worry though, safety protocols are in place to prevent the park guests from receiving any harm.

Westworld (1973) – movie poster

That’s the premise in the 1973 science-fiction film, Westworld.  Written and directed by Michael Crichton, Westworld follows along as a small group of tourists arrives at one of if not the most technologically advanced theme park in the world.  Instead of having rides, this theme park allows guests to live out their fantasies in one of three themed areas.  This movie features Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin, James Brolin as John Blane, and Yul Brynner as the Gunslinger.

Westworld (1973) – (c) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Westworld begins with a television commercial for Delos – The Vacation of the Future, a sophisticated, futuristic theme park divided into three zones / “worlds”:  West World (the American Old West in the 1880s), Medieval World (medieval Europe), and Roman World (pre-Christian Rome).  A reporter asks guests about their recent experiences in Delos and how much they loved their experience.  Although visiting Delos costs $1,000 a day, the interviewees claim that it was an incredibly realistic experience well worth the money.  To get to Delos, all we have to do is speak with a travel agent and arrange a ride on the hovercraft that transports guests there. Read more…

Book Review – Lincoln Child’s “Utopia”

Summertime is here for many school children, and a popular activity is going to amusement / theme parks, such as the Disney and Universal theme parks in central Florida.

Of course, heavy crowds, overbearing heat, and ridiculously high prices for food and beverages can make going to a theme park a rather hellish experience, and that’s without dealing with a small group of terrorists who will gladly kill everybody.

Lincoln Child – Utopia

That’s basically the premise for Lincoln Child‘s thrilling novel, Utopia.  At one of the most advanced and high-tech theme parks in the world, a small band of terrorists infiltrates the computer systems to cause “glitches,” and they also use explosives to add to the terror.  It’s up to a computer specialist and his assistant to figure out what is happening and how to stop the terrorists before they kill everybody in the theme park.

Located in the deserts of Nevada, Utopia is one of the most high-tech theme parks in the world.  The entire theme park is covered by a massive dome that protects people from the outside environment, as well as providing additional effects and theming to the park.  Utopia is divided into four themed areas:  Camelot (medieval Europe), Gaslight (Victorian England), Callisto (a moon of Jupiter), and the Boardwalk (a New England-style turn-of-the-century Boardwalk).  A fifth land, Atlantis, is currently under construction and scheduled to open in several months.

A series of portals connect the various lands to the central area, the Nexus.  The portals provide a gentle transition to allow for park guests to “decompress” and better adjust to the highly themed lands, enhancing their visit to Utopia.

The workers at Utopia use a series of underground levels to operate the park and see about its day-to-day business.

Utopia opens with a prologue where a family of four is riding Notting Hill Chase, a thrill ride / roller coaster located in Gaslight.  Suddenly part of the ride breaks and the ride vehicle is thrown off the track, seriously injuring the riders.  Fortunately, nobody is killed.

Two weeks later, Dr. Andrew Warne, a computer and robotics specialist who has done work for Utopia, arrives at Utopia in response to a request by the park’s management.  He’s there to diagnose the system and try to determine why the computer programming led to a safety failure which caused serious injury to some riders.  Tagging along with Andrew Warne is his young teenage daughter, Georgia Warne. Read more…

Movie Review – Blackfish (2013)

On February 24, 2010, Tilikum, a killer whale in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando, attacked and killed his trainer, 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau.

Dawn was killed during the final show of the day.  What makes matters worse is that this is not the first or second time that this particular killer whale has killed anybody.  The death of Dawn Brancheau marked the third victim for Tilikum.

The 2013 documentary Blackfish takes a look at Tilikum’s history, from the whale’s capture off the coast of iceland to his initial (mis)treatment at Sealand of the Pacific park in British Columbia, Canada, to the whale’s killer record at SeaWorld Orlando.  Along the way we also learn more about the treatment of certain killer whales in captivity, how it affects their behavior, and what little the whale trainers allegedly did not know about Tilikum’s past.

Blackfish (2013) – (c) Magnolia Pictures

Blackfish begins with the interviews of a few former SeaWorld killer whale trainers and how they achieved their dreams of working with the magnificent water animals.  To be able to work with such creatures is still a dream for thousands of people.  It’s the same desire as wanting to work in a zoological park and get up close and personal with the animals, an opportunity some people can only dream about.

As these whale trainers explain, there’s just something special about not only touching but being able to swim in the water with such massive, agile and intelligent creatures.  It sounds like it’s truly an amazing experience for the right person, something that’ll be remembered and cherished for the rest of his or her life. Read more…

Four More Days . . .

. . . until the start of summer break.

Yes, believe it or not, but many students in the metro Atlanta area only have four more days of school.  Summer vacation begins on Friday afternoon.

But for the students, when will it feel like being on summer break?

• A) That last day of school including the bus ride home.

• B) On Sunday night when you don’t have to go to bed early.

• C) On Monday morning when you’re sleeping in and not heading out to the bus stop.

• D) A few days into the break when you’re making use of your freedom, not worrying about homework, tests or school projects.

• E) Anytime in July, from fireworks on the 4th of July to the peak of summertime heat at the end of the month.

No more class! Hooray!

You’ll get a different answer no matter who you ask. Read more…

Welcome to Jurassic Park

As most of you theme park fans should know, Universal Studios Singapore opened a few days ago.

From what I’ve seen of the concept artwork and a few videos, this latest Universal park looks nothing but spectacular!

Having a Jurassic Park water ride in a Universal theme park is a necessity, like having a Space Mountain ride in a Disney park.  It’s a signature ride and the fans would be deeply disappointed if it’s not included in the latest and greatest version of the park.

Universal Studios Singapore does have a Jurassic Park boat ride, but unlike the river adventures at Universal Studios Hollywood, Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando, and Universal Studios Japan, this new version of the ride is a river rapids ride! Read more…