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Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parks. Show all posts

Apr 3, 2022

Freeze You Scuzzbuckets, This Is A Citizen's Arrest!



Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol
Warner Bros (1987)
My favorite movie in the Police Academy series, and one of my favorite comedies of the 1980's premiered in theaters 35 years ago today.



Police Academy 4 is never going to be mistaken for a cinema classic.  It has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Janet Maslin of the New York Times reviewed the film by saying that "the optimum viewer for Citizens On Patrol would be a 10-year-old boy".  She's not wrong, but I don't see that as a bad thing,



I taped this movie when it aired during an HBO Free Preview Week when I was seven years old, and I can attest that Ms. Maslin is absolutely right.  This movie is a silly and fun comedy that's just edgy enough for a grade school kid without ever crossing a line where it becomes inappropriate for a child to watch.  For god's sake, it has skateboarding, ninjas, an air chase scene with guns, AND Bobcat Goldthwait!  I must have watched that tape a hundred times because it's about as close to perfect for a kid in the 80's as a movie can get.
 

The whole movie is cheesy as hell and the skateboarding part is no exception, but this scene was the coolest thing that the seven-year-old me had seen since Daniel LaRusso crane kicked Johnny in The Karate Kid.  The blonde kid is comedian David Spade in his first movie role, and the other skateboarders in this scene include an 18 year old Tony Hawk, as well as Steve CaballeroTommy GuerreroMike McGill and Lance Mountain.



About halfway through that video clip, David Spade skates through a mall where he's hassled by the police.  I've been obsessed with this mall ever since I first saw this movie.  It's a dimly lit stone and tile atmosphere that has lots of trees and other green plants.  It even has a large carousel.



The area with the carousel has what appears to be shops that have false fronts of two and three story buildings on the walls above them.  Seeing this today reminds me of the Virginia City Buffet that used to be at Bally's Wild Wild West Casino in Atlantic City.




Most of the storefronts aren't on screen long enough to figure out what they are, but you get a pretty clear look at the name and logo of the mall in mosaic tile on the floor when Sgt. Copeland and his partner are coming down in the elevator to confront Kyle.  It's called the Woodbine Centre, and it's a real mall in Toronto that's still open to this day.  The carousel is part of Fantasy Fair, Ontario’s largest indoor amusement park, which is located entirely within the mall.  There is also a roller coaster, bumper cars, and a 50 foot ferris wheel called the Crystal Kaleidoscope which, according to the park, is the only one of its kind in North America.  The carousel that you see in the movie is no ordinary amusement park ride either.  It's an antique 1911 Looff Carousel that was built by master carver Charles Looff, and it's one of only 13 that are still in operation today.  The Grand Carousel at Knoebels Amusement Resort is another one of these that are still running.


If the promise of David Spade skateboarding through an 80's mall with an amusement park inside enough to incite you into giving this movie a try, perhaps the romantic overtures of Officer Zed will change your mind.

Early in the film, Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait) gives his sales pitch for the Citizens On Patrol program to a poetry guild.  While he's there, he decided to share a poem that he knows with the ladies in attendance.
 

Gene, Gene made a machine
And Joe, Joe made it go
Art, Art blew a fart
And blew the whole damn thing apart

His presentation convinces a cute-as-a-button Corinne Bohrer (from Zapped and Joysticks) to sign up for Citizens On Patrol.  She and Zed become an item, after which the officer is inspired to write and perform this piece of music for his new girlfriend.


It's getting to the point now when I'm with you
I no longer want to have something stuck in my eye.
Your mother, my mother
Ain't never looked like Florence Henderson.

If you don't have an old VHS tape from the 80's laying around, you can stream Police Academy 4 on Amazon Prime or YouTube Movies for a few bucks.  It's definitely worth watching if you're the type of movie watcher who can relax and enjoy something silly and fun without taking it too seriously.

Sep 30, 2021

So Nice To See You Again, King Tut



Pharaoh's Fury
Bloomsburg Fair (2021)
I found this ride sitting on the back of a truck in the Regal Cinema in Hazleton a few months ago.  It was there for the Spring Fling Carnival that was held in the Laurel Mall parking lot.  Since then, it made the trip down I-80 West and is now at the Bloomsburg Fair.

Jun 17, 2021

Discovering King Tut



Pharaoh's Fury / Sea Dragon
Chance Rides Inc.
On the way home from seeing The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, I noticed a large King Tut mask at the end of the parking lot.  As it turns out, it was an amusement park ride that had been dropped off for the annual Laurel Mall Spring Fling Carnival, which begins tomorrow and runs through June 26th.




This plaque was on the side of the ride.  It shows that the King Tut ride is called Pharaoh's Fury / Sea Dragon, which looks like a large boat that swings back and forth, kind of like The Galleon at Knoebels.

May 8, 2021

From My Laboratory In The Castle East



Monster Bash
Williams (1998)
Last weekend, we stopped by Knoebels for WVIA Day.  The park's lack of effort to promote masks and social distancing was pretty disappointing, so we didn't stay for very long.  There was one pleasant surprise to be found in the arcade - a 20th anniversary edition Monster Bash pinball machine.



Whether you're a big fan of horror movies or not, this pinball machine is a hell of a lot of fun.  There are lots of opportunities for multi-ball and challenges to complete, and it's not one of those tables that feels unfair with ramps that direct the ball to the dead center between the flippers.  You get a free game if you get a score higher than 27 million, which I managed to do with a score of just over 36 million.  However, I wasn't even close to the top score, which according to the scoreboard under the backglass was a whopping 150 million.  Damn!



Speaking of the backglass, the artwork is pretty crazy.  It shows the Universal Studios monsters as a band playing to a rampaging mob of villagers.  The Bride of Frankenstein is on lead vocals with her husband on the keyboard.  They're flanked by Dracula and The Mummy on guitar and bass, and backed by The Wolfman on drums.  Then, there's The Creature From The Black Lagoon standing to the left of Dracula.  He appears to be playing... well... I'm just going to go ahead and let you draw your own conclusion on his instrument.  Last, but least visible, there is a floating saxophone on the far left of the stage.  I suppose that means The Invisible Man is a jazz musician.

Mar 27, 2021

All This Machine Does Is Swim, And Eat, And Make Little Sharks



Jaws Dog
Universal Studios Japan (2021)
These photos of the newest Jaws themed menu item at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka were shared by Universal Parks News Today.  The theme park describes the Jaws Dog as "a super juicy sausage... with delicious dough and meat sauce".

Jun 7, 2020

Mankind Rides The Phoenix


The Foley Family
Knoebels Amusement Resort - Elysburg, PA (2016)
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley is turning 55 years old today.  Four years ago, the former WWF World Heavyweight Champion celebrated his birthday with his wife and kids at Knoebels.  Their day at the park aired on the WWE Network reality show, Holy Foley.  In this photo, Mick and his three kids are sitting in the display car that is set up near the exit of The Phoenix roller coaster.

I met Mick at a meet-and-greet before a PPW Show in Hazleton five years ago.  He was a very nice dude.  He took a photo with me and signed my copy of his first two books.  I'm glad I met him in a situation like that instead of bumping into him at Knoebels.  As cool as it might be to meet one of my favorite wrestlers at my favorite amusement park, I know I wouldn't have approached him.  I'm sure the last thing he wants to deal with while he's enjoying a day at the park is being stopped every three feet to reminisce with nerds like me about the time that Undertaker threw him off of the cell.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused the opening of Knoebels this summer to be delayed until further notice.  I hope he's still getting some fudge.  Happy birthday, Mick!

Jan 12, 2020

Gute Nacht


1001 Naucht
Knoebels Amusement Resort - Elysburg, PA
Newswatch 16 reported that the 1001 Naucht magic carpet ride at Knoebels has been retired and will not return for the 2020 season.  I wrote a little bit about this ride in the past because it's always been one of my favorites.  It takes you up pretty high so that you can see a lot of the park, and it was one of those rare amusement park rides that give you the thrill ride butterflies while still being a relaxing and mellow experience.

Description of 1001 Nacht on Knoebels.com


The photos below were taken from May 2006 to May 2008.

Aug 21, 2019

The Home Of The Future


Futuro House (1968)
Futuro Corporation - Philadelphia, PA
The UFO building that was used in the Star Trek, Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back attraction at Morey's Pier in the late 70's and early 80's was designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen.  The Futuro Corporation created 96 of these beginning in 1968 with approximately 60 still in existence today.


Five years ago, the one that was used in the Wildwood ride was put up for sale on eBay for $29,900.  It was in Berlin, New Jersey at the time.  The seller shared this document with the dimensions of the fiberglass and plastic structure, as well as an original floor plan and publicity photos that show how it can be turned into a living space.

After the sale, the Futuro House was transported to 390 Hancock Harbor Road in Greenwich, NJ.  Five months ago, photographer Jeff Heilman shared a short video of the inside and outside of the structure.  Sadly, it has not been turned into a home, but it's been preserved and remains an attraction in New Jersey.

For more information on the former Wildwood attraction and the remaining structures, check out TheFuturoHouse.com.  They do an excellent job keeping track of the remaining Futuro Houses with photos and videos of each of them that are still known to be in existence.

Aug 20, 2019

The Boardwalk Strikes Back


The Empire Strikes Back: The Ride (1980)
Morey's Pier - Wildwood, NJ
The Star Wars ride was updated after the release of The Empire Strikes Back in the spring of 1980.  The spaceship, which had been white in the days of the Star Trek and Star Wars ride, had been painted like the Millennium Falcon, and the mountain on the right was turned into a massive Darth Vader helmet (photo credit: James Ippoliti).


After the ride closed, the UFO portion was moved to Berlin, New Jersey.  In 2014, it was put up for sale on eBay as a Futuro Home.

Aug 19, 2019

Star Wars At The Seashore


Star Wars: The Ride (1978)
Morey's Pier - Wildwood, NJ
This incredible photo (above) was shared by Lack Emeyer whose father recently scanned a collection of slides from the late 70's.  The ride debuted on the Wildwood boardwalk in 1975 and was originally called "Star Trek: Journey To The Planet Of The Apes" and was converted for the summer of 1978 when the world was in the grip of Star Wars fever.


The photo from FredManaha.com shows the mountain on the right of the ride's entrance.  This would later become Darth Vader's mask when the ride was converted for the release of The Empire Strikes Back.

Aug 18, 2019

Captain Kirk and Dr. Zaius Go To Wildwood


Star Trek: Journey To The Planet Of The Apes (1975)
Morey's Pier - Wildwood, NJ
In 1975, vacationers to the Wildwood boardwalk were treated to an incredible sci-fi crossover experience.  The ride was created by Fred Mahana with the UFO portion created from a 1968 Futuro prefabricated home.  It was described by Wildwood Video Archive as "a one-of-a-kind attraction which allowed riders to travel through space until their ride was cut short by apes who would attack the crew".

The ride would continue for three years until it was converted into a Star Wars themed attraction for the summer of 1978.

Photo Credit: Wildwood Video Archive

May 25, 2019

Pork At The Park


Pulled Pork on a Ciabatta Bun
Dexter's Deli - Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
Amusement parks have their own version of the Oscars and the Grammy Awards.  It's called the Golden Ticket AwardsKnoebels won the Golden Ticket for the amusement park with the best food 16 times since the year 2000, and it is well deserved.  We ordered a pulled pork sandwich, a Memphis Pork Barbecue, an order of deep fried broccoli and cauliflower and rice pudding with cinnamon and whipped cream. All of it was delicious, and it clocked in at less than twenty dollars.  That's not a bad price for a roadside diner, let alone an amusement park.  You could have a full meal at Knoebels for less than the cost of a soda at most places.

By the way, Knoebels also has free parking and free admission, and in addition to the reasonably priced food, everything else in the park is very affordable, from the rides to souvenirs.  The family that runs this place are outstanding human beings who run a very successful and fun park that is approaching its 100th anniversary, and they do so without squeezing every last dime out of your pocket.

Pineapple Overload


Dole Whip Float
The Loaf - Knoebels - Elysburg, PA
I've never been to Disney World, but I've been told they have a delicious frozen desert called a Dole Whip.  As it turns out, Knoebels has them too.  You can get them in four different flavors, or you could opt for the Dole Whip Float, which is the Dole Whip served in pineapple juice with large chunks of pineapple in a plastic pineapple mug.  I am one happy Hawaiian.

Nov 15, 2018

Psychedelic Pinball Park


The World of Sid and Marty Krofft
Atlanta, GA (1976)
This theme park was only open for about six months before it went out of business.  It included a dark ride in which you sat inside of a pinball and ricocheted through the inside of a giant pinball machine.

Aug 27, 2018

The Newest 20th Century Game


Skee Ball Alley
This undated photo is hanging on the wall near the pinball machines at the Playland Arcade in Knoebels.  It cost five cents to play.  The sign advertises a $1 prize for achieving the highest score of the day, a Gillette Razor for the highest score of the week, and $100 in gold for a perfect score of 450.

Despite the fact that the photo features three men and a boy, the sign promises that "ladies play it as well as men".

Aug 26, 2018

The Lost Logger


The Lost Logger
Knoebels Amusement Resort
Throughout my life, there has been an area just past the Phoenix and the water flume where a man carved, panted and sold beautiful wooden statues at very reasonable prices.  Since I've been coming to Knoebels as a child, we always took a few moments to admire the things on display here.  I have photos of myself and my family next to large statues of alligators and bears from when I was a child.  As an adult, I've purchased a few decorations that I have around the house and in the back yard.

On my visit to the park yesterday, I noticed some pumpkin statues and wanted to buy one to have as a fall decoration.  While I was waiting for the person ahead of me to finish paying, I noticed a news article tacked up to a sign that told a little more about The Lost Logger.  His name is Don Nilson.  He's the man in the yellow shirt behind me and to the right in the photo above.  He opened his shop at Knoebel's in 1979 (winning a $50 bet in the process), and he's been here ever since.

I hope that everyone who visits the park has an opportunity to stop by and appreciate how truly cool this is.

Aug 25, 2018

Heads Up


Heads Up! Baseball Stars
Topps (1990)
Knoebels Amusement Resort - Roaring Creek Arcade
There are two arcades at Knoebels, both of which have a prize counter where you can redeem tickets won playing Skee Ball and many other games.  Between the two buildings, there has got to be over a thousand different things you can win.  The Knoebel family prides themselves on not wasting anything.  It's a principle that I admire and respect, and it sometimes results in finding a prize in the arcade that has been sitting there since my childhood.  Such was the case for these.

Topps Heads Up! Baseball Stars are a unique series that I believe were only issued in 1990.  It's a series of 24 player heads, each of which have a suction cup and double sided tape so that kids can hang them wherever they want.  Each head is about six inches tall by four and a half inches wide.

When I mentioned to the woman at the counter that these had been at Knoebels since I was nine years old, she shrugged and said that no one ever wanted them before.  They were only 50 tickets per package - not much higher than the bouncy balls and mini-Slinky toys, so after about a half hour of Pokerino, we had enough tickets to bring home six out of the seven that they had (and the box they came in).  I could have gotten the seventh one too, but I figured that if it's been sitting in their prize window for the past 28 years, it's become part of the ambiance of the Roaring Creek Arcade, so I left it behind to be discovered by someone else.
No Phillies in the set, but they found room for Craig Worthington?

Oct 20, 2017

Castle Dracula


Castle Dracula
Midway Pier - Wildwood, NJ
In this side shot of the castle, you can see the I-Scream shop (with the giant pretzel).

Oct 7, 2017

Remembering Angela Park



Angela Park: The Documentary
Cinema & Drafthouse - West Hazleton, PA (2017)
One of my earliest childhood memories was going to Angela Park with my dad and my grandparents.  It was a small, but beautiful little park just outside of Hazleton on Rt. 309.  The park opened on Mothers Day 1957 and remained in business for just over 30 years.  It had a roller coaster, an olympic-sized swimming pool, bumper cars, a train, a Tilt-A-Whirl, and lots of other rides; particularly ones for young children, including tanks and classic cars.

My favorite was a ride where you would climb to the top of a wooden tower and ride on a carpet down a spiral slide.  They're apparently known as a Helter Skelter in the UK.  I don't remember them ever calling it that here.  In fact, I only heard that term associated with this kind of amusement park ride while I was looking for a photo for this post.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find a picture, but I'll never forget how much fun it was.



The documentary did a fantastic job of showing the history of the park and the many things that made it special to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania.  There was a special section dedicated to Porky The Paper Eater.  This was a small wooden shack that looked like a miniature barn and had a statue of a pig's head coming out of the front.  There was a vacuum hooked up to the pigs mouth that would gently take garbage out of your hands and deposit it into a trash barrel inside.  It also had a speaker that would play a message to children who fed their garbage to Porky.  It sounds simple by today's standards, but there wasn't a scrap of litter to be found on the grounds of Angela Park because children would pick it up and give it to Porky The Paper Eater.  It became so popular that when kids couldn't find garbage, they'd take brand new napkins from the dispenser at the snack stands just to have something to throw away.  Porky has had a new home at Knoebels, but it's now just a regular trash barrel without the speakers and vacuum.



For 28 of its 31 years, Angela Park was owned and operated by the Barletta family.  Congressman Lou Barletta stopped by the Cinema & Drafthouse for the screening of the documentary to speak to the crowd about his memories of the park.  Lou was born the year before Angela Park opened, and he gave a nice talk that was absent of politics of any kind to share his memories of growing up with his father, grandfather and uncles owning an amusement park.  The Congressman and I may not agree on too many things, but where Angela Park is concerned, we most certainly see eye to eye.  It was a treasure of Northeast PA, and I'll never forget it.