WHAT WE DO
THE AMUSEMENT PARK: HOW THE GARF RESTORED GEORGE A. ROMERO'S LOST FILM
The GARF believes films are a core aspect of our history, our culture, our memory, and our future. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the material used in production, film is fragile.*
The GARF needs your help to preserve George A. Romero’s work.
Preservation is not only the action of conserving, but also restoring and distributing. Preservation is therefore an interdisciplinary process! Equally important, preserving films is not just digitizing them. It includes the much more delicate art of restoring them as they were originally perceived. For the first DVD transfer of The Night of The Living Dead, George said, “The early prints were on toilet paper, and I'm used to seeing it all grainy. On the DVD it’s all cleaned up, and somehow doesn't look as spooky anymore.” Preserving the vision, intention, and creativity of the artist’s work is our goal.
Thanks to your donations and the partnership with IndieCollect, in 2021 we were able to preserve and restore George’s “lost film,” The Amusement Park. The film, commissioned by the Lutheran Society, stars Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies, and
humiliations of aging in America are illustrated by his journey among roller coasters and chaotic crowds. It also brings a new perspective to George’s early filmmaking days. "Although not a horror film in the traditional sense, this recruitment film is disturbing in its depiction of societal indifference to aging,” said Suzanne Romero, The GARF’s president and founder. “Even though it’s early in his career, it’s a fascinating look at the
footprint of Romero’s cinematic style."
When asked why this initially forgotten film was never discussed, George said: " It was done in three days. Bing, bang, boom…done! It was nothing!" Fortunately, The GARF was able to bring it to a wider audience and continue elevating George’s legacy. This was the first in what The GARF hopes will be a culture of preservation and restoration of iinitially lost works. Please donate to The GARF today to help us continue our mission. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to learn more about our current projects and updates from the Horror Archives.
*More than half of all films made before 1950 have been lost and a mere 10 percent of those produced in the US prior to 1929 have survived.
RESTORATION PHASE 3 (JANUARY- JUNE 2020)
It’s Official! The Amusement Park Is Coming Soon!
From the Hollywood Reporter:
The 'Night of the Living Dead' creator's newly restored "lost" 1973 feature is being shopped at the Cannes Virtual Market.
Yellow Veil Pictures has picked up the worldwide sales rights to The Amusement Park, a newly-restored "lost" film by zombie movie pioneer George A. Romero.
The art house genre sales outfit will start shopping the 1973 feature at the Cannes virtual market this week. The Amusement Park, commissioned from Romero by the Lutheran Society, stars Lincoln Maazel as an elderly man who finds himself disoriented and increasingly isolated as the pains, tragedies, and humiliations of aging in America are illustrated by his journey among roller coasters and chaotic crowds.
AMUSEMENT PARK SCREENING AT MOMA!
On Saturday, January 11, 2020, New York’s Museum of Modern Art will screen The Amusement Park as part of its To Save and Project Initiative. Members of The GARF’s board and advisory board will be in attendance.
RESTORATION PHASE 2
IndieCollect has been working hard to restore The Amusement Park. The GARF is delighted that thanks to your donations, we have raised roughly half of what we need to complete the project. We hope that the film will be ready by the end of the summer for a premier this fall and subsequent series of screenings throughout the United States. In the meantime, please continue to spread the word, donate to the project, and enjoy some of the goodies that we’ve uncovered during the restoration and archiving process.
RESTORATION PHASE 1
The GARF has chosen IndieCollect to restore The Amusement Park. Sandra Schulberg and members of her talented team are already hard at work. The GARF and IndieCollect plan to showcase a teaser for the film at the upcoming Brooklyn Academy of Music retrospective, Living with the Dead: The Films of George A. Romero.
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The GARF is dedicated to honoring the life work and cultural influence of George A. Romero, and supporting a new generation of filmmakers and artists inspired by his legacy.
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