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Coasters in Media

Edward M

Edward M

Strata Poster
This is just something I've been thinking about, and I felt that there wasn't a proper topic to talk about it. There's a topic for media related directly to roller coasters, but how about all the coasters that pop up in movies and TV shows. It isn't about the coaster per say, but they are there nonetheless. This topic is just for the discussion of movies and tv shows with roller coasters. Here's some examples:

  • The best use of coasters on film in the brilliant National Lampoon's Vacation. Magic Mountain is just better with John Candy.
  • The famous roller coaster scene from Final Destination. Probably the most impactful coaster scene for modern audiences and also a notable reason why people think they're dangerous.
  • Viper at SFMM is in the film True Romance.
  • I was recently watching The Wire when two characters said they wanted to go to Six Flags. It's a show about Baltimore, so seeing them actually at Six Flags America was very satisfying.
  • Iron Wolf is in the fantastic film Richie Rich (sarcasm explicitly stated here).
  • House on Haunted Hill (1999) has the Incredible Hulk Coaster.
  • A horrible old movie called Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park was filmed in SFMM circa 1980. Yes, it is about the band Kiss fighting a phantom in a theme park. It's practically lost to time by now but some VHS copies still exist.

I'd also like to open up the table to the presentation of coasters in all kinds of media, as well as the impact that media has on the coaster industry. How has its presence in films like Vacation and True Romance helped Magic Mountain? And, with us now moving into a time of social media and media saturation, how will theme parks and coasters be changed?
 
Presumably Magic Mountain features in a lot of stuff because it's just outside LA! I think it was where Katy Perry filmed a video last year and it's also been in The A-Team, Knight Rider, etc.
I remember it best from the title sequence of awful sitcom Step By Step in which Patrick Duffy and the family go on Colossus and they badly superimposed a sea next to it, just to confuse you.
I suppose a British equivalent would be Chessington, where The Bill and The Quatermass Xperiment have filmed, or Thorpe Park, where The Inbetweeners and (I think) Primeval went.
 
That one ridecat sandwich monica pier? the yellow one with white supports, you see that alot


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I think I'm going to write to Los Angeles County and ask them to change the name to the Sandwich Monica Pier.

That's brilliant.
 
Magic Mountain again - Donald Sutherland was seen riding Viper in Space Cowboys, plus an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (best tv show ever) was filmed on park.
Crappy Brit flick The Parole Officer featured Blackpool Pleasure Beach, I think.
 
Can't remember the name of the park but a park in Southern California is featured quite prominently in The Lost Boys. Based off a quick RCDB search, I think it's Belmont Park but not sure.
 
Don't tell the bride (UK show) where the groom arranged their wedding reception at Alton Towers. Awesome telly.
 
The movie Adventureland was filmed at Kennywood. That's certainly the first one that comes to mind.
 
shawnoc said:
Opening sequence to knocked up, Knott’s Berry Farm, they are on silver star.
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Surely you mean Silver Bullet?

While we're on the subject of Knott's Berry Farm - a POV of Jaguar was used as one of Channel 4's very clever "idents":

If you're not in the UK this probably won't make much sense - but Channel 4 (a British TV station) had loads of these short videos and the idea is to 'spot' the number '4' when it appears in the clip. (0m25s)
 
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Speaking of Knott's, wasn't there a game show that took place there? I remember it including Boomerang, Silver Bullet, and Xcellerator was the highest level.
 
Thekingin64 said:
Can't remember the name of the park but a park in Southern California is featured quite prominently in The Lost Boys. Based off a quick RCDB search, I think it's Belmont Park but not sure.
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It was Santa Cruz Boardwalk, I don't remember much from Lost a Boys but I remember it starts with a shot of the Big Dipper.
 
TommyAlex said:
It was Santa Cruz Boardwalk, I don't remember much from Lost a Boys but I remember it starts with a shot of the Big Dipper.
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Very likely, I know it was a Giant Dipper coaster somewhere on the coast, no desire to rewatch the film to verify though.
 
Surprised nobody's mentioned Rollercoaster, the 1977 thriller set at Ocean View Park, Kings Dominion, and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Fun little film that's great for anyone wanting to see the parks in the 70s.

The Warriors is bookended with Coney Island. I really love the film, and the use of Coney Island in it is great - the complete opposite of how parks are normally presented in films. Again, really adds to the feel of the film, both the 70s feels and the New York feel.

James Bond visits Prater in The Living Daylights, and rides a rollercoaster. Leads to a unique kill by a villain involving a sliding door.
 
Beverly Hills Cop is incredible and clearly the best answer here.

Shout out to Mr Bean falling asleep though.
 
Rye playland in Big, dragon coaster as well as the creepy scene along the boardwalk with the sultan machine.
 
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