Haunted Castle at SFGADv homemade documentary.

I think “docudrama” is the more correct term for this. It seems like the author was trying to make it more overdramatic entertainment than factual. While bad in this regard, it was entertaining.

Looking around for some other things on the fire, I found the author plans to release a 3 year follow up (part 6) this month.

Yeah, that seems like a pretty fair assessment. I'd liken it to one of those Lifetime movies that are "based on a true story."

At the core is a fact based account, but it's told in a dramatic way and liberties are taken to make it more engaging.

Theres some music put in (the actual music from the ride?) but it just seems like its told by someone who was there, I don't think it was really over-dramatized. Its just the facts and what really happened was dramatic and disturbing and spoke for themselves. I dont really know about the WTC comparason or anything that seems a little off. What a horrible tragedy still. Now that I remember, I don't live really far from Great Adventure at all, but I have NEVER been there. Being born in the mid 80s my friends/family and I would go to Dorney/Hershey/Morey's instead because our parents never viewed Six Flags as the safest of places.

Also, I did a google search and found NOTHING in terms of pictures of this attraction, does anyone have any or know of any? Im curious of actual pictures of the inside possible or more of the facade. The video gave some interesting shots though. *** Edited 11/16/2006 9:14:20 AM UTC by P18***

The tone of voice of the narration, the whole conspiracy/cover-up angle, the repeated overdramatized bits like comparing it to 9/11, using the phrase "principality of evil" several times, the 'curse', the religious overtones as fact near the end...

...that was all on the straight and narrow? An unbiased documentary with no angle, bias or agenda?

Hardly.

It was as much entertainment as information.

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Intamin Fan said:

Are things more subdued now, or am I just used to it?

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Yes things are a lot better. For a few years in the late 80's, Great Adventure wasn't a place that anyone in their right mind would go. The Haunted Castle fire was a big deal but I remember stories in the news of other happenings like stabbings and muggings. I'm sure that's how the park got its reputation as a haven for gangs, even though I never remember anything resembling gangs back in those days and definitely never see any gangs now. I know nothing about gangs but I doubt part of their agenda is going to the local theme park for the purpose of acquiring territory there.

Question: The narrator states that the Ham-on-Rye: Castle Escape was about escaping a "buring castle". Was that actually the plot? If it is then that is a tad bit sick; if not then it should not be a big deal.

Also about how the narrator calls for a memorial of some type. Intamin Fan hit that one on the head. I am all for memorials, but in this case sadly that would be a very bad idea for this park. What could it say? "In Memory of eight who lost their lives at this very spot due to our criminal negligence." Come on!

I’m guessing the 3d simulation contracted out to Ham on Rye and they choose the program, and SFGAdv has little to do with the operation of it. Ham on Rye probably has no clue about the tragedy, and Gadv has changed management so many times that current management might not know the aspects of the fire and catch it. If this is true, this is actually the one thing the documentary did find wrong (besides the obvious fire hazard which was just stupidity on the parties involved and not a conspiracy theory) and should be changed as it’s disturbing.

Here are some pictures of the Castle
http://amusementpics.com/Haunted%20Castle.htm

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Rob Ascough said:

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Intamin Fan said:

Are things more subdued now, or am I just used to it?

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Yes things are a lot better. For a few years in the late 80's, Great Adventure wasn't a place that anyone in their right mind would go. The Haunted Castle fire was a big deal but I remember stories in the news of other happenings like stabbings and muggings. I know nothing about gangs but I doubt part of their agenda is going to the local theme park for the purpose of acquiring territory ther.

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Back in 91' when we went, my Dad's brand-new Dodge Shadow's computer chip failed, so we couldn't get off the parking lot. A security guard took us off the parking lot to a hotel and told us stories about all the knives and weapons they confiscated. She also said that groups would rent buses and get drunk before they ever made it to the park.

So I was right:)

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Chitown said:
Call me crazy, but I ended up watching this whole documentary on the fire of Haunted Castle at SFGAdv on YouTube.

While at times boring and dragged out, it did talk about and describe some interesting points about supposed cover-ups, etc.

It says it's 6 parts but it actually is 5. Check it out when you have some free time and form your own conclusion to this sad but mysterious event.

Part I starts here. *** Edited 11/14/2006 1:34:15 PM UTC by Chitown***

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I don't find it mysterious one bit. They built a structure that followed no permiting or fire codes and tried to get around it by saying that it wasnt really a building because it was a trailor.

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Sometimes lifes lessons have to be re-learned the hard way!

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1. Rattler, Hercules, Mean Streak, Son of Beast...?

2. 1st WTC attack, US Cole, 9/11...?

It is not that we don’t learn, we just ignore the obvious and tend to get lazy. There has been many a tragic fire (Great White concert, Chicago nightclub, etc) since this one and there will be more. Most of these types of “accidents” have some component of negligence or infallibility complex associated with them. Everybody would like to think it cannot happen to them and it won’t happen again. Accepting this flawed yet soothing mindset is a lot easier in the short-term. Sadly, long-term planning and prevention take a little more effort in the present. An effort that many (most?) are not willing to endure for so many different reasons…

As for this particular case... It is indeed dramatized in the spirit of a Michael Moore film. This does not mean there is not some fact mixed into the entertainment, but you have to sift through the bias. I’m with Gonch in the sense that I blame the little bastard who started the fire. I give this punk 95% of the blame. I’ll leave the other 5% of the blame for the big, mean company who behaved parallel to my discussion in paragraph one.

Did anybody ever notice in cases like this we spend 80-90% of our efforts/discussion belittling/blaming the party with the most money regardless the portion of assignable blame?

*** Edited 11/27/2006 8:52:09 PM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***

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It is indeed dramatized in the spirit of a Michael Moore film. This does not mean there is not some fact mixed into the entertainment, but you have to sift through the bias.

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That's exactly the description I was struggling for!

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Jeffrey R Smith said:

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Sometimes lifes lessons have to be re-learned the hard way!

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1. Rattler, Hercules, Mean Streak, Son of Beast...?

*** Edited 11/27/2006 8:52:09 PM UTC by Jeffrey R Smith***

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I'm so glad my signature has effect on peoples posts