Paramount's Thrill Ride Survey...

I probably missed a thread on this earlier, and if I did, I apologize...

So, out of the two coaster concepts (The Italian Job and The Addams Family), which did you think was more feasable?

I, for one, can't see the concept of a ride themed to the Italian Job holding up over time. Is it just me? Basing an entire ride over a movie that, quite frankly, had less popularity than Tomb Raider (talking overall 'franchise' here [TIJ- two films, one which is rather obscure VS TR - two recent films and a popular video game], since Italian Job was a much better film than either Tomb Raider.

The Italian Job ride would only be able to survive based on two things: Mini-Cooper popularity and thrilling ride system. I can't see the 'theme' adding much to the experience, IMHO. I could easily replace 'The Italian Job' theme with, say, 'Starsky and Hutch' and have the same ride...

OTOH, The Adams Family concept has years of history in television and movies. Many more people know who Uncle Fester is than ANYONE in The Italian Job (can YOU name one character from TIJ? I can't.). More people overall would be interested in the theme. Couple that with the Mansion setting AND a vertical drop coaster and I'm sold already. Any Paramount Park (*ahem* PKI/PGA :) *ahem*.... sorry, had to) would benefit from adding a ride with a theme this widely known, that CAN stand the time test.

The other qualm I had about TIJ is the Mini-Coopers themselves. If you're going to have something 'accurately' coming close to the Mini as a ride vehicle, then helloooooo height restrictions, because there's a reason they're called MINI-Coopers. Why not make a Bond ride with the BMW Convertable as the vehicle if you want to shove my knees into my eye sockets (oh wait... I forgot about SOB *slaps forehead*)?

At least with the vertical drop concept, the ride vehicles I've seen (B&M or otherwise) are far less restrictive for guests overall even with OTSRs...

I don't know about y'all, but I'm all for a TAF concept. Sounds like a blast.

-Chris

Sorry... referring to this:

http://thrillresearch.com/start.asp?StudyCode=RIDE05

The Italian Job is a horrible idea for a coaster/ride theme. It has zero drawing power and even less hopes for longevity. Wayne's World didn't even have staying power at pC or PKD but if they opened a new section in PKI PGA or PCW with that theme it would draw better than The Italian Job. There has to be a better Paramount franchise that they could use.

Addam's Family however has tremendous drawing and longevity potential. I personally feel a ride with this theme should be more family oriented but either way it's better than The Italian Job

These are basically the sentiments I expressed on the survey. The Italian job has no staying power in my mind- and not much going for it to start with other than coopers which are just a fad. Addams Family would be better as it would appeal to all ages and would stand the test of time. Personally, Mission Impossible seems like the way to go to me.

The Napster. :) Seth Green's character from The Italian Job.

Hold up, this Italian Job thing is actually truth? I heard it mentioned in the BORG thread and I thought it was a joke. Is someone a paramount sniffing elmers or something?

I understand what everyone is saying, but don't forget about the original The Italian Job movie, the new version that made $106 million at the US Box Office, $70 million overseas, $15 million in rentals, and the video game. It's not the most horrible idea (Mission: Impossible would be similar but a more popular idea) and sounds much better than trying to theme a ride to The Core or Timeline (BO bombs). Paramount didn't have a great year at the theatre in '03, so they don't have a lot of recent stuff to pick from. Does anyone really want to see a ride themed to Titanic? :-\

Saying that, The Addams Family idea is much better and if they want to use some of the Italian Job ride concepts with it, that would work for me. Sleepy Hollow could be a fun theme too.

-Danny, waiting for Grease or Ghost: The Musical ;)

$100 million movies were hits back when matinees cost $2. These days, it's a meaningless statistic. Would anyone call Matrix Revolutions a smash hit? How 'bout Godzilla?

-'Playa
(who reminds you: They pulled, then re-released TIJ to reach a 9-digit gross)

I would say no to your first two questions Playa. I would call both "disappointments". The Italian Job on the other hand was a nice-sized sleeper hit with a lot of good word of mouth. Bad Santa made around $60 million and I would call it a hit for the same reason. A lot of movies have been re-released for the same reasons or for awards season. Mystic River is this weekend and Lost in Translation was a couple weekends ago. Underworld was rereleased during Halloween. If you can get more money off of something, why not rerelease it?

-Danny *** Edited 1/21/2004 8:33:11 PM UTC by Koaster King***

Paramount's got it all wrong! "Timeline" should be the next ride concept.;)

Ops! I meant "Paycheck". Afterall, Woo's other Paramount film, "Face/Off" is a ride, so logically...

That's a great idea! They could read a book about thrill rides, then change very important details that dumb down the idea of a ride! They could have everyone sit in inflatable furniture that doesn't move and call it a ride. It'll be just like the Timeline movie... nothing like the book!

I have it... the Paramount concept of the millennium... an indoor launched 4D coaster similar to Rock N Roller Coaster with rap music by Damon Wayans and intro by Lisa Kudrow... Marci X! ;)

-Danny

Face/Off, Drop Zone & even Volcano may have movie name influences but the names also stand up by themselves. Italian Job won't. It doesn't sound like a ride.

Bomb or not Godzilla would make a great theme. Someo f the older Japanes 'zilla films were distributed by Paramount I believe so maybe it's something they could look into.

I suggested that they use the Italian Job idea with another movie. I mean, the ride concept sounds alott like Indian Jones or Countdown To Extinction (I mean, um, "Dinosaur";)), but the movie is just not all that recognizable.

If they put the basic idea of the ride with a different movie, like Tomb Raider or Mission Imposible, I think Paramount could have a very Disney or Universal-ish attraction on their hands.

I'm still waiting on a ride that is based on Airplane. Maybe someday they'll do that...

---

Dukeis#1 said:
I'm still waiting on a ride that is based on Airplane. Maybe someday they'll do that...

---

Yeah, strap yourself into an airliner seat and have person after person come up and slap you in the face for a minute and a half saying, 'Get a hold of yourself!'.

People will get off the ride feeling like they just rode SOB.... ;)

You know, honestly, most Paramount movies would make horrible ride concepts. The only bomb of a movie that I think could make for a decent ride is Timeline. I'd make it a new-style Vekoma tilt coaster that ran backwards. You enter a medieval castle as the queue and main ride building, board your 'Rock'n'Rollercoaster'-esqe train, and head backward onto the lift. The lift could be hidden in a castle's turret, so no one knew you were going backwards. Inside the 'lift turret' could be time machine theming, and once in place vertically, the ride would drop you 'back in time' through fog effects. The train would head outside through midieval theming and inversions and then hit the brake run back into the castle to disembark...

To me, the movie may be a mess, but the theme can make it work. With Timeline, it's all castles, knights, etc., but with The Italian Job, it's L.A. I, for one, don't need to see L.A. for theming. I can stick my nose out my front door and 'see L.A.', because it's contemporary. Give me something that I have to use my imagination on for a theme, not something I can see walking down the street. I think that's what make TIJ such a disinteresting concept to me, compared to TAF...

-Chris

Actually South Park had a airplane ride w/John Denver that had promise. Of course not alot of repeat riders though.

Strange, I read on the newsticker yesterday, that one of the actors of "Italian Job" has had a serious car accident. Alledgedly a Nissan crashed into his MINI COOPER!

The tasteless media snob in me thought instantly that this is a very nasty way of manufacturing "longevity". It has come this far!

I just wonder that "Addams Family" was not discovered earlier as a potential brand. Its universally famous for being the first american tv-show which showed a married couple lying in one bed, o.k. they are dead.
Besides, the coaster in the drawings looks a lot like Gerstlauer 95° drop.

Tricktrack I read years ago that Paramount was unableto secure a licensing agreement to use Addam's Family in their parks. This is why I was surprised to see it in the survey. They must have finally coughed up enough money for it. Which of course pretty much gaurantees they will use it.

Another Paramount bomb that would make for a good ride theme is Congo. Granted it's several years old now but I can see the theme being used to revamp the rapids rides complete with the gorillas,hippo attack, lost city and volcano eruption. Just a thought.

Actually, I believe Paramount could hedge their bets and start designing rides themed to "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". Doesn't come out until summer, but the trailer looks very retro-cool. If you don't know what I'm talking about, download the trailer.