Coming to HBO Max tonight, Thursday, August 27:
CLASS ACTION PARK
Directors:
Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges
World Premiere:
Florida 2020
Select Festivals:
Fantasia, Indie Street, Docville
About:
A look back at NJ’s notorious amusement park, Action Park.
Located in Vernon NJ, just 50 miles away from NYC, Action Park was a regular attraction for families and teens from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. As revealed in Chris Charles Scott and Seth Porges’ infectiously enjoyable revisitation of the site’s heyday, Action Park was also likely the world’s most dangerous amusement park, with patrons regularly suffering injuries both minor and major, and, in many cases, death. Drawing on a parade of past attendees, former staff, and Vernon residents, the film indulges the audience in a wild recounting of the highs and lows of Action Park – the Wild West, no-holds-barred freedom that attracted die-hard fans, but also the shocking lack of even basic security precautions that resulted in far too many accidents, and, intriguingly, the story of Gene Mulvihill, the shady owner that made it all possible. While not the most polished production, this memorable film successfully evokes nostalgia for a lost era when kids could enjoy the thrill and adventure of unsupervised play and parents didn’t live in constant fear.
what (not) to doc 