Time For A Coaster "Mockumentary"???

All you need is a hidden camera with a pickup mike at the customer relations window at Great Adventure.

Show a Spanish lady screaming in Spanish...

(Subtitle: This park sux)

Show an Asian Gentleman arguing in Chinese...

(Subtitle: Open your rides on time)

Show a Kenyan tribesman "clicking" away...

(Subtitle: Do something about capacity)

Various aspects of coaster buzz social behaviour are at peeking point right now. The perspective has been applied extensively through exciting and increasing involvment with this mockumentary. We want to be apart and all be damned If I can't have a say.

I would like to push each other back and forth while running towards the latest thrill, for I want the first ride. Oops, did someone fall into the garbage can. O-well.

keep it real!

I'm very sorry for that nasty spelling horror when I tried sticking each and other together as one word. This is the end as we know it.

*** Edited 11/29/2006 3:43:21 AM UTC by CoasterDiscern*** *** Edited 11/29/2006 3:44:14 AM UTC by CoasterDiscern***

Not directly related to this project, but last weekend I was watching the news. Of course everyone had a reporter doing a story from a local mall for Black Friday. One reporter did her story with the mall's "midway" and escalators in the background.

I thought it would be totally hysterical if while this reporter was chirping along about the typical Black Friday blah, blah.. 4 am.. blah, blah, blah... that some klutz would come along and take a header down the escalator. OK, I'm sick.

Anyway, that made me think it would be funny as hell if during one of the "interviews," in the background you would see people in a queue beating the living crap out of some line jumpers.

There's been a wealth of funny and eye-rolling material included in TRs over the past couple of years. I think if everyone would think of 2 or 3 totally outrageous things that happened to them or they observed in a park this year, there'd be tons of material to choose from.

For some reason, I keep having this image in my mind of some coaster geek having a backpack in the middle of a line, he opens it up, and raises a big coaster wheel high above his head.

All the coaster geeks in the line let out a simultaneous 'oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh'.

Just like Anthony Michael Hall did in the bathroom scene in Sixteen Candles.

I remember reading here about some moron brandishing his coaster club membership card like a policeman flashing his badge and blathering on about line jumping or seatbelts or something or other. That always stuck in my head as funny.

Another good one would be having a geek talking in full on enthusiast mode, using all the slang like B&M,WDW, CP, SLC, OTSRs, Hyper, Giga, etc. and having subtitles in "Normal" English....

You also would need the obligitory non-enthisiast drag-a-longs.

The spouses and children who just don't get it and just don't want to.

"Can we go home now?"

"No!"

"Look, you've already been on every stinkin' ride three times."

"Not in every seat."

If you can't laugh at yourself, it makes it cruel when you're laughing at others.

This would be a hard sell for non-enthusiasts. I don't think they'd get it.

This has always been a personal issue of mine but, here's a scene I'd find ammusing. As you know being a coaster enthusiasts is an expensive lifestyle and I end up saving up money for trips and passes and then have to wait in lines longer than those with extra money who buy fast-passes. It drives me nuts that my line takes longer so people with money are rewarded with faster lines. I know parks just want to make money but it's really unfair to those of us who can't afford it. I've always felt if you can't handle waiting in line stay home. Now having said that? I'd love to see some spoof of it where well dressed or money flaunting people get to step in front of a bunch of trailer trash and ghetto people. Or, a poverty stricken enthusiasts willing to go to desperate lengths for a fast pass.

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There is a certain amount of improvisational quality to this that, if executed properly, becomes a comic vein of gold. It will be scripted to a large degree but we have found that the BEST STUFF is usually that which is sort of quickly discussed and then let the cameras roll. We did an impromptu bit in the Rabbit Hash/MAYOR DOG thing...We were completely "improving" but it wound up being some of our best footage. The same will hold true with our "faux" interviews with coaster enthusiasts when everybody is going to know to be deliberately "tongue in cheek." It's a fine line, though, because the best humor simply cannot be forced. It happens naturally and is usually best if "thrown away."

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And that proves to me that you have the right idea. Get the right people and you're on to something. :)

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I'd love to see some spoof of it where well dressed or money flaunting people get to step in front of a bunch of trailer trash and ghetto people. Or, a poverty stricken enthusiasts willing to go to desperate lengths for a fast pass.

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Ooooh! I so want to be a part of that. If that even remotely becomes a reality, make sure I'm there Barry!

Make sure you include some holier then thou "I am not an enthusiast " enthusiast.

They can be almost as much fun a rabid ACER.

And add this ;)

I can envision some horribly long queue line during which someone dies in line. However nobody notices, and their body just keeps getting pushed along with the rest of the line. Sort of like "Weekend at Bernies." Of course they cannot secure their lap restraint and thus are jetisoned while cresting a hill. Sorry, I've got a sick sense of humor.

It's definitely not ahead of its time. I'm surprised someone hasn't jumped on it already. I've talked about the idea with friends for awhile, but nobody had the means to fund something at that point in time. ;) Idea was definitely inspired by Christopher Guest and my friends have enough interesting footage of different kinds of comedic people and situations that the film would practically write itself. *** Edited 11/29/2006 6:43:12 AM UTC by +Danny***

There is some HYSTERICAL STUFF coming up here. Again, thanks for all of the input. Keep it coming!

The holding up of the coaster wheel with "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs" is a DIRECT LIFT of real life, because I actually witnessed that happening at Indiana Beach a few years back.

The line jumpers of RGB's. . .very funny. That must be used. I actually know some coaster enthusiasts who literally go wild and start screaming if they see ANY inappropriate behavior while waiting in a line. I mean they will get OUT of line, find park personnel, and report them directly so that, in fact, an incident will then occur (reprimand, ejection from the line, etc.) Positively homicidal they are in regards to it.

And the general public can carry their own water as well, when it comes to wild and crazy behavior. When the rope line was let down for KINGDA KA a couple of years ago and it was only the second or third day of operations, I found myself in the middle of a stampede melee the likes of which I had never experienced EVER before. I was running, there were 1000 other people running, people were knocking each other over, into bushes, into trash cans. . .it was wildly unbelievable and I remember thinking, "I'm not sure I'm going to survive getting to the front of that line. . ." Why the park would ever allow itself to even have something like that occur is beyond me. Those early morning rope lines do nothing but create a kind of antagonism and herd mentality that can't be held in check once it is unleashed. . .

Barry J.

Great idea!

Would it be a muscial mockumentary?

ohhhhhhh Vekoma!
I lurched my lunch
good bye
my Tony Roma's....

OK OK...you really need to film this at Kings Island and somehow weave in a sub plot involving missing blueprints for the new ride. ;)

Here's an idea stolen from Brazil. Have a RideMan type (sorry Mr. Althoff) acting as a renegade mechanic who fixes rides and escapes before security comes.

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janfrederick said:OK OK...you really need to film this at Kings Island and somehow weave in a sub plot involving missing blueprints for the new ride.

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...and a cool Yogi Bear poster? ;)

If possible, you have to have one person who appears at each park, standing in line for coasters and giving the complete stats to the people in line around him/her.

Even being an enthusiast of sorts, it always seems I see the same people in line ALWAYS giving stats of the coaster they are in line to ride to several eye-rolls from the people around them.

And lets not forget Gravy and Cheese on a stick!

And, for that matter...the buffet lines *** Edited 11/29/2006 9:03:59 PM UTC by CPLady***

There must be a heated arguement over whether there are hardened steel bolts on Batman KnightFlight or non heat-treated.

or

I saw track that looked like B&O going south on I-71 today on the back of a flatbed. *** Edited 11/29/2006 9:20:34 PM UTC by FLYINGSCOOTER***

I attended my first enthusiast events this year (after 30+ years of being one no doubt) and I was absolutely floored at what I saw.

I am certain that all you need to do is visit Holiwood Nights 2007 (the kick off of the true enthusiast event season) for enough material to pull together multiple projects.