Thursday Movie Picks: Amusement Parks


Hello there, it's Thursday Movie Picks's time, the weekly series hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves where you share three movies to fit the theme of the week each Thursday.

It's another vacation related week. While last week we had movies involving with actual vacations, this week we have amusement parks, one of the many places people can go on vacation. But enough with the nonsense, here are my picks

Scooby-Doo (2002)

The Mystery Inc. gang break up only to be brought back together in an amusement island to investigate strange things going on. I love the Scooby-Doo since always and there was a time when this film was my favourite. I would watch it over and over again without getting bored. I haven't seen it in years, literally, so I don't know how I would feel about it today. 

Zombieland (2009)

A shy student pairs with a tough guy and two sisters and heads to an LA amusement park to survive the zombie apocalypse. I can't stand Jesse Eisenberg, but I had to watch it because of Emma Stone and I loved it. It's pretty much the American version of Shaun of the Dead but it's very funny, and that Bill Murray cameo is fantastic.

Jurassic World (2015)

22 years after the Jurassic Park disaster, the park is finally working as envisioned by John Hammond. There's only one problem, a genetically modified giant dinosaur escapes and goes on a killing spree. Although many complained about it being just a bad copy of the original, I really liked it. It was exciting and fun. And a great tribute to the original. Who cares is the story is basically the same? The film still entertains. 

14 comments :

  1. I also chose Zombieland, I've seen all of your picks but Zombieland is the only one I liked. I barely remember Scooby Doo though.

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    1. The only reason I remember it is because of all the times I watched it. I used to like the second one as well (I had a crush on Seth Green I think).

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  2. The Jurassic Park series is getting a lot of play today which makes sense. I liked this one, none are the equal of the original but then that's true of almost every series. I've only seen bits and pieces of Scooby-Doo but it's a wonderfully fun choice. Eisenberg gives me the heebie-jeebies so I avoid his movies like the plague including this one, I'm not even sure I knew Emma Stone was in it, but it's another that is getting a great deal of play today.

    I haven't been to an amusement park in ages but generally enjoy them when I do but hate rollercoasters which is why I had no problem watching my first pick. And even though I'm neither a horror or zombie fan I had to include my second which is just a strange mashup and what's an amusement park theme without a trip to Disneyland?

    Rollercoaster (1977)-After a rollercoaster derails due to a device placed on the track the major amusement park owners receive a taped message from the mad bomber (Timothy Bottoms) that unless they pay him a million dollars the carnage will continue. Safety inspector Harry Calder (George Segal) who had cleared the first coaster and was investigating the crash is pulled in by FBI agent Hoyt (Richard Widmark) when the nameless young man demands Harry deliver the extortion money to his next target or he’ll detonate another bomb. Suspenseful but not quite the experience it was in theatres where it was presented in Sensurround.

    The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)-I really can’t better this IMDB description: "Jerry falls in love with a stripper he meets at a carnival. Little does he know that she is the sister of a gypsy fortune teller whose predictions he had scoffed at earlier. The gypsy turns him into a zombie and he goes on a killing spree."

    Or the tagline:
    SEE: the dancing girls of the carnival murdered by the incredible night creatures of the midway! SEE: the hunchback of the midway fight a duel of death with the mixed up zombies! SEE: the world's first monster musical!

    It’s not good but it’s unique!

    40 Pounds of Trouble (1962)-Sixties version of the Damon Runyon story Little Miss Marker about a little girl left in Lake Tahoe casino manager’s Steve McCluskey (Tony Curtis) care as a hold against the debt owed by her father. When the father is rubbed out Steve with the help of the casino’s singer Chris Lockwood (Suzanne Pleshette) has to look after the tyke and dodge various people after him for different reasons. They decide to take the little one to Disneyland (at this point open less than 10 years) and between rides are chased through the park offering a pretty complete picture of what the place looked like in the 60’s. Cute comedy where unsurprisingly being mostly a Disney movie all ends happily.

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    1. To be honest I wanted to pick the original Jurassic Park too. And Westworld. But I already used them a few months ago so I had to pick something else.

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  3. Jurassic Park and World are very popular today and it makes sense. I would never be motorcycling with the raptors though:) We match with Zombieland! I can't stand that twit either but I like Woody and that Bill Murray cameo is hilarious. I never saw the Scooby-Doo movie but I always watched the cartoons in the 1970's

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    1. I would never ride a motorcycle. Period. I think it's because my uncle had an accident when I was younger. He wasn't hurt or anything but I think that was enough to traumatize me.

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  4. I was so-so on Zombieland but it's always a joy to watch Woody Harrelson

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    1. I agree. I'm not a fan but I'd watch anything with him.

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  5. Zombieland is fantastic, and yes, Bill Murray's cameo is brilliant. I liked Jurassic World, but as a so bad it's awesome type movie. It's crazy fun...but crazy stupid, too. I've seen Scooby-Doo a few times since my kids used to watch it often. Meh.

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    1. Haha now I really feel like I should rewatch Scooby-Doo.

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  6. I liked Zombieland but I went with Adventureland this week instead.

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  7. The Scooby-Doo movies were just not for me...but I did love the cartoons growing up, watched it all the time on Cartoon Network

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