Would a "Great Movie Ride"-type attraction work at Universal Studios Florida?

[anotherboardnposter]

Having read a few-weeks-old article at miceage.com, I came across an interesting bit about how they were hoping to improve the backlot tour at USH. One of the things was that they were looking to do a "Great Movie Ride"-type montage of the best Universal movie moments during the ride. Unfortunately, the plans never got past a certain point.

This leads me to ask...could Universal do such a thing at the Florida park if they wanted to? Considering the many great Universal releases throughout the years, it would probably make for something interesting.

My idea for such a thing:

It wouldn't be a ride, I would think, but instead sort of a walk-through attraction (a la "Lucy: A Tribute") with a theater at the end that would show the reel, maybe compiled by Academy Awards montage man Chuck Workman. The soundtrack would include bits and pieces of the best Universal scores and songs accompanying clips from each decade.

Example: For the 80s part, the theme from "E.T" could accompany clips of movies ranging from the Spielberg films and "Scarface" to "Out Of Africa" and "Born On The Fourth Of The July" to "Streets Of Fire" and the John Hughes films.

This is all wishful thinking, of course.

Any thoughts?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff

 

[h20jag]

Sounds like a good idea. It'll give the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue actors something to do if/when they ever close that cherished show. (But they gotta replace it with somethin' just as rockin'!)
Maybe Frankenstein, ET, & a raptor doin' 3 stooges routines on the Movie Ride?
Jim

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

i think that is a great idea and have often wondered why universal did not take that route.

 

[BarryHom]

How about putting this in the old Herc and Xena building? Something needs to go in there.

 

[anotherboardnposter]

You know, Barry, that's dead on the money. SOMETHING needs to go in that building...

I'm 20 years old, and I can remember when that place was about "Murder: She Wrote". It's been a couple of years since Herc/Xena went dead...it sure would be swell if they relaunched it with a Universal Movies attraction.

What would a good name for this attraction be if it were real? More accurately, how does one go about proposing about such an idea?

Sincerely,

John Kilduff

 

[h20jag]

"The Universal and You" ride?

 

[DocBosch]

Now with the closing of the Alferd Hitchcock attraction, Universal seems to be getting father and farther away from the concept of filmmaking and film history.

I always regarded USF as a type highly interactive movie museum. The fact that the park is located in what would be a studio backlot, where you can experience, simply by walking around, a large part of what it takes to make movies, re-enforces this idea. While a great part of USF is that you can "Ride The Movies", being able to immerse yourself into the events of a favorite movie, it was also great to learn about and experience the "movie magic" used by filmmakers. I can honestly say that, because of it, USF is one of the reasons I wanted to become a filmmaker.

My favorite part of the Hitchcock attraction was always the post-show. I loved the way it showed, in an interactive way, the special effects and techniques that Hitch utilized. As I grew up, and my film vocabulary expanded, I started recognizing more of the movies depicted in that section. It was cool to climb the Vertigo stairwell, or peer through binoculars at Jimmy Stewarts neighbors. Not only that, but, inversly, when I first saw those movies, I recognized them because I had learned about them at USF first.

Now it no longer exists, and there isn't as many opportunities at USF to expand one's film knowledge. They seem to be concentrating more and more on creating technologically advnaced trill rides, which is fine, but they also have to remember the orginal reason and theme of the park.

I wish they would take that old "Murder, Hurcules & Xena Wrote" building, and create some sort of cross between the Lucy Tribute and the Hitchcock post-show. Maybe it could be a profile of some of the most infuentail directors of the past century, with stations that detail their achivements, and maybe Hitchcock type exhibites where guests can experince them. Or maybe the same, but instead of filmmakers, it would profile, like anotherboardnposter said, some of the top Universal films.

Even though I appreciate everything that Universal has become, creating benchmarks of innovation within the themepark experince, they can't forget where they came from. They have to continue making attractions that not only thrill and amaze, but also advance one's cinematic appreciation and education.

-Kevin

 

[Robinrs]

Great thoughts, Doc Bosch!

Universal first captured me with the whole aspect of moviemaking and film and the closing of Hitchcock was a sad time for me. I have a degree in Theatre and sharing the history of an incredible director like him with my son was priceless to me.

The Great Movie Ride is one of our favorite rides in Disney. A concept like that would be great for USF and I agree with Spaceman Spiff I've always wondered why they didn't take that route.

 

[kellymonaghan]

You're preachin' to the choir, Doc!

I always wondered why they didn't include a "revival house" in the Cineplex - just one screen (the smallest theater perhaps) that would show the great old films. After all, the moviemakers of Spielberg's and Scorsese's generation grew up in New York's revival houses, or "repertory cinemas" as they're sometimes called. It would be a way of "giving back" and encouraging the next generation of filmmakers. Even if they only used old Universal films, which in theory would cost them nothing to screen, it would be a good idea, IMHO.

How's about this for a (cheap) concept: in the Herc, She Wrote building, do a walk thru with film clips from the various genres you mention. Or maybe they could just limit it to the old movie monsters. It could be a mix of posters, props, memorabilia, narrated film clips and compilations, and perhaps a few interactive elements - but nothing requiring a host (i.e. cheap to run).

At the beginning, everyone gets a "program" listing the films mentioned/featured in the exhibit. At the end, in the inevitable gift shop, guests can buy the films they like or use the program to order films that aren't in stock to be delivered to their home. With current just-in-time technology, this should be a slam dunk operation to set up and would allow Universal to milk additional income out of its film library.

But I think the problem, here, is that Universal has done its homework and has learned that most people don't know anything about these old films and Universal sees no great profit in educating them. That's why Hitch is gone. That's why you don't see WC Fields and Marilyn Monroe on Hollywood Blvd any more. Even more recent fare like Murder She Wrote and Xena seem to drop into oblivion as soon as the show is off the air.

Marketers only seem to see "synergy" in the latest products: hence Jimmy Neutron, SpongeBob, Shrek, and the Mummy.

I agree that something is lost as USF abandons its "educational" role in teaching about how movies get made. But I think the shift is inevitable, a sign of changing tastes.

I also think that as we shift from VHS to DVD some great films will be lost. I don't know how many Hitchcock films are on VHS, but I'd be willing to bet that as those tapes crumble to dust only some of them will make it to DVD. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[anotherboardnposter]

There's still a market for the Universal projects of the past...well, the recent past.

I post at various message boards devoted to the 80s and DVDs, and people are on tenterhooks for some of Universal's 80s material.

They're begging for a "Streets Of Fire" Special Edition...they're freaking out and hoping that Jay-Z doesn't re-do Giorgio Moroder's "Scarface" soundtrack...everyone I know of on these boards is apoplectic that John Hughes' Universal trilogy ("16 Candles", "The Breakfast Club" and "Weird Science") has been put on hold indefinitely.

If Universal could grasp this concept, they could get people to go before the 80s...before the 70s...before the 60s, even, and into the golden days of the cinema, when Universal was doing great things in all fields.

Someday, somehow, "Somewhere out there, if love can see us through, then we'll be together, somewhere out there...out where dreams come true".

Sorry, Universal flashback.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

A guy can dream, right?