Playland Park.
As always, the exclusive release on New Worlds. This is based on a true story, just alternate universe, byronstyle. The logline reads: ‘A family living in 1948 San Antonio nearly dissolves when the oldest son is killed by a drunk driver’.
My seventh screenplay, and my first family drama. Difficult to write. The story bothered me. Too close to home. The research was vast and intense for this one. I’ve listened to hundreds of hours of 1947-48 radio programming, read hundreds of issues of the San Antonio Light and Examiner, and talked to every living relative that was there. As close to time travel as you can get. Theoretically.
Off to the contests.
Next up: A Really Weird One, part of it sketched in Chortly Kills. After that: Albik Trizz?
PS: Radical Rules just hit the finals at a decent contest. Top ten, so far.
Doesn’t that clown just scare the bejesus outtaya?
Freakin’ clown. I could beat the crap outta that clown. Shut your piehole, clown. Damn clowns.
Outta be a law.
Comment on July 26, 2010 @ 9:18 pm
byronius: Whoa! High Octane Nightmare Fuel!
Haven’t read all of Playland Park yet, but I liked the scene where Preston’s car almost hits Janee and she looks at her reflection in the bumper… nice touch!
I saw San Antonio in 1963… don’t remember much except The Alamo… but I must have seen Playland Park’s ‘The Rocket’ coaster since it was only blocks away and San Antone didn’t have much of a ’skyline’ back then… probably not too different from your time-frame…
I haven’t read enough of your script to know how much a part the actual amusement park plays in the story, but it got me thinking about the old (now long gone) parks of my own youth (not counting Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm, which really aren’t the type of parks we’re talking about here):
Pacific Ocean Park (POP): Santa Monica, CA (pictured above)
The Pike: Long Beach, CA
Legend City: Phoenix/Tempe, AZ
ALL ARE NOW HISTORY.
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 9:46 am
I had an odd encounter with the past once. I was hitchhiking home from McKeesport, PA (Penn State branch campus) and spent an hour or so of fruitless thumbing beside a vacant lot with a bunch of broken down buildings & machinery amongst the tall weeds. In boredom I took a walk through the field for a while. It became apparent that the lot had formerly been an amusement park, and eventually I came upon a sign that identified it. Rainbow Gardens. Suddenly I flashed back to a memory of when I must have been no more than five. I had a strong memory of one of those silly haunted house track ride things, that at the time had probably scared the bejeezus out of me. It had been Rainbow Gardens. The place must have gone out of business shortly afterward based on how long it had been evidently decaying. Somehow very sad.
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 3:45 pm
According to this link it closed in 1968 when I was 11. It would have been about 10 years gone when I re-discovered what was left of it.
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 3:48 pm
John Wayne Gacy as ‘Pogo the Clown’
There is something deeply creepy about clowns (even when they’re not sexual sadists and mass murderers)… and we associate them with circuses, parades, children’s parties and of course amusement parks…
The typically seedy and run-down ‘ambience’ provided by these amusement parks gave us thrills and chills throughout their heyday of the 1940’s-1960’s…
The annoying barkers, the sleazy attractions of the neon shadowed ‘midway’ and ominously dark little ‘alleys’… the requisite carousels, ferris wheels and rickety wooden roller coasters… the aromas of popcorn, urine and beer all added up to a certain ‘je nais se quois’ that remains embedded in the memories of those of us who grew up during this era and experienced these unique and slightly disreputable signposts of Americana…
Long Beach, CA’s “The Pike”
An amazingly bad but very weird film made at “The Pike” (above) we’ve mentioned elsewhere:
IMDb: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? (1964)
Saltair on Great Salt Lake, UT
‘Saltair’ (above) was a key location for an odd movie that was made with a budget of about $29 but is actually quite effective in its atmospherics:
IMDb: Carnival of Souls (1962)
Both of the above IMDb links have links to allow you to view these dubious ‘classics’ online in their glorious entirety for free!
So my thanks to byronius for jogging my brain into yet another sordid stroll down memory lane! ;-}
(BTW: I looked but couldn’t find any decent pix of Max’s “Rainbow Gardens”)
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 8:15 pm
byronious-
see pg.78 “INT. CLASSROOM
Mrs. Neal is standing at the blackboard writing.
MRS. LAFFERTY
Therefore, the product…..”
should this be Mrs. Lafferty at the blackboard?
and
see pg. 81 “INT. GALVESTON STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL, DEBBIE’S ROOM - DAY
Dale sits on the edge of her bed, feet on the floor, looking
off into the distance . . . ”
should this be Debbie instead of Dale?
fyi - couldn’t stop reading it once I started.
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 9:25 pm
RE: Playland Park
couldn’t stop reading it once I started.
noticed two possible corrections/edit .
see pg.78
“INT. CLASSROOM
Mrs. Neal is standing at the blackboard writing.
MRS. LAFFERTY
Therefore, the product is
represented by . . . . ”
believe this should be Mrs. Lafferty at the blackboard versus Mrs. Neal.
and page 81.
“INT. GALVESTON STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL, DEBBIE’S ROOM - DAY
Dale sits on the edge of her bed, feet on the floor, looking
off into the distance . . . . ”
believe this should be Debbie
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 9:32 pm
Cat-eyes is clearly a faster reader than I am… plus (as you can see) I got a bit distracted! ;-}
Anyway, to wrap-up my clownish detour, I’d like to mention a fun if obscure flick that is really quite imaginative in its usage of all the typical clown accoutrements:
“Killer Klowns From Outer Space” (1988)
The end credits to this fun-fest was accompanied by this theme song from The Dickies:
Ok, I’ll go finish reading byronius’ script now…
Enjoy!
Comment on July 27, 2010 @ 10:27 pm
byronius: Still only about half way through your script… but I remembered your early research notes and had to comment… Because I did know about the actual historical accident, I saw the sweet and good Togo’s sad demise coming a mile away… and it felt like a bad car wreck in very slow motion… and made me very sad. So it’s working. Nice time/place feeling too…
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 12:47 am
byronius: Wonderful. I was getting pretty worried as the Bellamy world seemed to disintegrate around the gaping hole left by Togo’s passing… but it (WHEW!) seemed to eventually work out alright. I particularly enjoyed how Lynn and Dale (I liked her!) were able to survive and grow through their abuses… and I was happy to see that Mr. Neal and ‘Buzzy’ finally ‘got theirs’… how richly deserved!
Fine work maestro! I’d immediately volunteer for scoring chores, but I really think period music would be far more appropriate!
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 2:12 am
Oh yeah… I liked it that Phyllis’ apparent pregnancy by Togo is to be borne by Preston… appropriate, and so Togo truly DOES live on! And it looks like Richard Neal ISN’T going to get to be an ‘Officer of The Fan’ after all! ;-}
Some nice little period details too… Bakelite and Hudson, and electro-shock machines by ‘Reiter’…
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 2:27 am
Finally, Cat-eyes is correct in her edit suggestions.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 3:48 am
Yes, she is. She has the eyes of a Cat. And after twenty read-throughs, and a reading aloud, I still missed those. Just goes to show.
Thank you for your kind comments. Dale’s copy is going in the mail today, after I fix the errors.
I learned a lot about her while writing this. And about my father.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 7:01 am
ummm, maybe that’s why they call her ‘Cat-eyes’ ;-}
Proofreading your own stuff is notoriously hard.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 7:14 am
Especially when it’s in italics. WTF?
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 7:16 am
Got it. There was an extra em tag in {Long Beach, CA’s “The Pike”} and the Saltair img tag wasn’t closed.
You guys are making me damn curious about Byron’s play. I guess I’ve got to get off my fat ass and read it. Or on my fat ass I guess will do.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 10:39 am
Max: and you can also delete comments #8 & #9
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 11:32 am
I think you meant #9,10 as those were the ones mentioning the italics. #8 would have 86′d the killer clown vid and I’m way too scared to mess with one of those guys.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 12:14 pm
Corrected version put up. Thanks, everyone.
Comment on July 28, 2010 @ 10:04 pm