Joshua

My memory may be playing tricks on me but for some reason I keep thinking there was/is a billboard in some odd corner off the path around the KI Theater area, advertising season passes or something.

I prefer the layout of the second one but gimme the tunnel from the first.

I have always enjoyed the simplicity and quickness of Congo Falls. I know its location isn't popular with most but it is nice having a water ride in AZ that you can hop on real quick to cool off in a jiffy. When it goes, I'd like it to be replaced by another water ride.

That happens fairly often, even in major publications. Last year, LIFE published a JAWS retrospective with a sidebar perpetuating an oft-stated myth that a shot of the little boy (Alex Kintner) being devoured by the shark was removed because "Spielberg thought it was TOO terrifying to be in the film." In actuality, the shot IS in the film, the majority of it at least, albeit as a "blink and you'll miss it" rapid fire shot, and while the actual CHOMP didn't make it into the film, there is little evidence to suggest it was trimmed for violence (in the shot, the boy was portrayed by a mannequin, so lingering on it would make it less scary, not more -- plus the scene is quite horrifying as it is). However, Spielberg DID comment on trimming down the pond scene (where the fisherman, who is quickly dispatched in the film, is dragged in the shark's jaws, spewing out blood towards Mike Brody) because it was too gruesome and "in poor taste." But since the myth has been told so much, it's often been presented as bonafide fact. (Cue narrator voice: "It isn't") I imagine this sort of thing also happens with the KI ghost stories and sinking Vortex myth.

I don't recall mentioning Disney or Universal in my earlier post and while I can't vouch for anyone else, I know I personally don't expect Rise of the Resistance-levels of high end immersion at Kings Island. Having said that, apart from the notable exceptions above, I do think KI's current era of theming on Banshee, Mystic Timbers and Orion is not only better than some of Paramount's but also more than enough to immerse myself into some sort of film-like experience. For example, the abandoned truck, creepy music, loudspeaker warnings and overall tarnished old mill theme of Mystic Timbers make me feel like I'm stepping into some Stephen King-ish, 1980s midwestern horror just like Top Gun felt like you were about to take flight off a naval carrier to quickly shoot down some MiGs and buzz the tower. I think these examples (as well as maybe a few prior to the Paramount years, I'm sure) show that immersive themes can be done on a regional park's budget. The final stretch of Mystic especially makes great use of technology that should, in theory, be very maintainable and allows for a certain level of flexibility and variety in experiences while also leaving room for potential updates should KI decide to add in different endings. Obviously, I do think Paramount offered some great themed experiences, but I also think there was a whole lot of mediocrity and a considerable amount of missed opportunities, particularly in the years leading up to their eventual sale to Cedar Fair. Granted, I do wonder what PKI's legacy might have been had 1) Viacom not purchased the studio or at least held more value in the parks 2) they maintained the park better and placed their rides in better spots, and 3) instead of building the problematic Son of Beast, they went with another ride experience akin to FoF or Top Gun, smaller scale but themed well.

Jokes aside, I was a fan of Top Gun's theming. That, sadly, might have been the best thing Paramount Parks ever did at Kings Island.* *Although, I never experienced The Crypt when it was Tomb Raider since I was barely coming to the park during my high school years and just never got around to riding it. Edit: As a big fan of movies, there was so much wasted potential. I tend to look back fondly on the park's selection of film music, props and posters rather than Paramount's selection of rides which, apart from a couple of notable exceptions, amounted to little more than slapping a movie title on an attraction and calling it a day (i.e. "Drop Zone", "Face/Off"). (Although, it makes me wanna hurl that KI never got the aforementioned "Wayne's World" coaster. )

The ad campaign, which featured a sinister shot of a baby carriage, took a visual cue from Paramount's "Rosemary's Baby" promotion: Other films have used similar imagery to promote their films. Here's a teaser trailer for "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child": And another for "It's Alive": However, the ride itself seems loosely based on classic B-movie horror sequels, which often featured titles that implied the titular terror is either a spouse or direct descendant of the previous monster ("Dracula's Daughter", "The Bride of Frankenstein", etc.), but most of were "Sons" ("Son of Dracula", "Son of Frankenstein", "Son of Kong", "Son of Godzilla", "Son of Blob", "Son of Flubber"). Coincidentally, Son of Beast shared another commonality with those "Son of" movies, it too paled in comparison to the original.

I'd like to see the park spend the next couple years sprucing up the themed areas, touching up current attractions, and maybe focus more on unique festival-like events. Perhaps this would also be a good time to finally re-theme Action Zone?

Oh they'll reuse. But when it's not being used for Haunt, that'll be where the employees find the brooms.

In no particular order: The Beast Racer Diamondback Mystic Timbers Banshee Orion didn't make the list because I've only ridden it once.

A ferris wheel would be great for the park. Think about a big family group. The parents, the teens and older children want to ride the thrill rides. But maybe the grandparents want to enjoy a slower paced ride by themselves or perhaps spend time with the younger grandchildren who aren't big enough yet for the rides everyone else is interested in. Or maybe it's not a grandparent but someone who for one reason or another can't handle the tall, fast, spinning rides and need something that's a gentler pace. Or maybe they want the view, but also to sit down, relax and enjoy it without the vertigo that comes from walking on those grated floors.

Glad to finally see there is proof this thing actually happened. I seem to be the only person who ever remembered it. IIRC, it included the sat-phone prop (or a replica of it), some monitors and advanced camping gear from the film. I do remember the promotional video, which I'm sure was the standard EPK (electronic press kit) used to promote it. The funny thing is I think that was the only time I entered that building. With this, the "we are watching you" ads and the Taco Bell campaign, I remember being so hyped for CONGO. It's more of a guilty pleasure, one I like probably more than most, but Jerry Goldsmith's score is undeniably amazing.

I barely remember Cinema 180 but if my memory is correct, it was the venue for a short term walkthrough with props/replicas to promote the then-upcoming release of CONGO. I remember it being in a "dome tent" in Coney Mall near The Racer. It would've been Summer 1995, the year the last movie (Crazy Wheels) was shown.

That sounds like the kind of thing someone says the night before they end up in jail

Interestingly enough, the mine cart sequence from Temple of Doom was the subject of a 1985 special effects documentary called Horizons: How to Film the Impossible. In it, the visual effects artists discuss the influence rollercoasters had on creating the sequence, which was brought to life using mostly miniatures. They went out to parks and filmed reference footage on log flumes and rollercoasters in both fixed and handheld positions in order to study intuitive camera movements that would best reproduce the sensation of riding a rollercoaster.

There isn't a mine train in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Temple of Doom features a mine cart chase sequence. Mine train coasters predate Indiana Jones.

Yes, they both have a yellow to orange gradient. But at one point, AE's logo was just yellow with a grey-ish 3D effect. I actually don't think it is all that reminiscent to the Indiana Jones movies themselves. At least, not directly. The actual visual similarities are very loose at best and is purely in its setting that practically comes standard in the jungle adventure/treasure hunter subgenre, which predates Raiders of the Lost Ark. But at the same time, it makes you feel like you're in an Indiana Jones film, so who can argue with that?

Samples from the Raiders of the Lost Ark score were used in its station at different times and there are some very loose similarities to a sequence from ToD, but AE was never directly themed to Indiana Jones. It opened shortly before the Paramount years, but also the famed archeologist is Lucasfilm's IP and was already being used for Disney attractions at the time.

I agree. Coney Mall is the throwback area of the park. It should feel like you've been transported to an amusement park from a different area. If not ragtime music, then there should at least be a well-balanced playlist with classic songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

I think about this all the time. It seems like such a stupid obvious thing for the park to do and yet, correct me if I'm wrong, they've never done it. The original open layout (before the area was condensed to the small little nugget of an area it is today) seemed ideal for such an experience. Perhaps KI will turn such events to draw in crowds in the upcoming years when they may not be able to budget in major new attractions (if that is indeed the case). Although less likely, I think it'd be cool if there were a bourbon festival of sorts in Rivertown. Perhaps they could put those decorative barrels to good use?

While I do like the instrumental covers, I think it's a step down from the John Williams and James Horner selections from previous years. You just can't beat the majestic energy that the music and melodies from the likes of E.T., Hook, and Apollo 13 brought to I-Street. But to mirror what others have said, the new playlist beats hearing the same mediocre pop, rock, and country songs you hear literally everywhere else.

The term "fan" carries too much of a negative stigma these days. Do toxic fans exist? Absolutely. But for every jerk there are at least five or six who are genuinely nice.

"The shark still looks fake."

More accurately, it would be Janusz Kaminski, who has been Spielberg's cinematographer since Schindler's List. Still looking forward to Max Spielberg's JAWS 19, which was due out in 2015.

I've only watched the Banshee one so far, but I do like the look. One thing I'd like to see is a series of mini-documentaries about the history and making of current/former KI attractions.