Carnival of Fear: Closed for the Season (2010) User Reviews

The pits

[Leofwine_draca · 2/10 · 25 June 2015]

Yeah, it doesn't get much worse than CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, which has to be one of the cheapest, dumbest, worst-looking horror films I've seen in a good while. The only - and I mean ONLY - good thing this production has going for it is that it was filmed in a genuinely abandoned theme park somewhere in the US. But everything else is the pits.

The story is vague, ambiguous, and boring. There's not enough plotting to sustain an hour-long running time so why they made this an excruciating two hours I'll never know. The storyline involves a young woman (Aimee Brooks, forgettable) trapped in an abandoned theme park at night, where events from the past are forced to play themselves out for eternity.

There are extraneous characters who come and go in the plot and attempts at a surreal atmosphere a la CARNIVAL OF SOULS but none of the atmosphere-building works. Instead we get tons of dumb moments involving incredibly cheesy gore effects and people dressed up in CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON costumes. CLOSED FOR THE SEASON also employs some absolutely HORRENDOUS CGI effects in the form of a CGI roller-coaster in the opening scene. I actually guffawed when I saw how awful it looked. Sadly it's the most entertaining scene (albeit unintentionally) of an otherwise worthless film.

Deadly dull wash-out

[Woodyanders · 3/10 · 4 October 2012]

Pretty young Kristy (fetching blonde Aimee Brooks) gets trapped in an old abandoned amusement park. Kristy and nice guy James (the hopelessly insipid and underwhelming Damian Maffei) find themselves being terrorized by the living memories of the park. Will the pair discover a way out before they become the park's latest victims? Writer/director Jay Woelfel not only lets the drab story unfold at a sluggish pace and allows the disjointed narrative to meander all over the place, but also gets bogged down in way too much tedious talk and crucially fails to generate even a modicum of tension or spooky atmosphere. Moreover, Woelfel attempts a surrealistic anything-can-happen nightmarish mood, but the pervasive dreariness that hangs over this movie like a depressing thick fog of pure boredom completely undermines said mood. The repetitious plot just goes around in increasingly tiresome circles without ever building any suspense or momentum. Most damagingly, the painfully overlong 114 minute (!) running time makes this film an absolute chore to endure. Brooks tries hard as the confused heroine, but her character is too inadequately developed to elicit any interest or sympathy from the viewer. The tacky and unconvincing CGI effects don't help matters any. To be fair, the sharp widescreen cinematography by Jose Cardenas and Jay Ellison gives the picture an impressive polished look, underrated character actor Joe Unger provides some desperately needed (and appreciated) rip-snorting life as a freaky and menacing carny, Woelful's shivery score ain't half bad, the real rundown amusement park setting is genuinely creepy, and the Lake Monster makes for a cool guy-in-a-rubber-suit creature, but that's about it. A total snorefest.

To my horror, I just realised that I've watched this twice!

[Stevieboy666 · 2/10 · 25 November 2019]

Started watching this under the UK DVD title "Carnival of Fear", thought it looked familiar but couldn't be sure. Not until after I sat through 109 minutes of this crap that I realised that I had previously watched it, probably on TV, under it's original title. It really could make a good cure for insomnia. Boring, incredibly slow, confusing, rubbish effects and some very bad acting (in particular the guy who plays the carney. On the other hand Aimee Brooks as the heroine was quite passable). Dialogue such as "Where did she go?" "How should I know? I was too busy eating you!" GROAN. The only good, or rather interesting, thing about this movie was the filming location of a real life abandoned amusement park. Watching this was a painful experience. Under any title it's a loser.

Waste of Time

[TrukDrivr · 2 August 2011]

Kept hoping it'd get better but the first 5 minutes pretty much tell you how interesting the whole movie is going be. The boring just never ends. It just goes on, and on, and on. Occasionally the boring gets spiced up with some confusing, some irrelevant, and some totally lame CGI. The story makes little sense, the actors are terrible and the plot is retarded. It keeps jumping around from one strange (and still boring) scene to another as if whoever wrote it, simply made it up as they went along, hoping to make a quick buck. Pathetic. Boring. You don't even care how it ends or what happens to any of the characters. I couldn't wait for it to hurry up and end. If you have absolutely nothing better to do and someone else paid for it - meh, go ahead and waste your time. Otherwise - avoid.

Not the Worst

[FerusMD · 1/10 · 2 June 2012]

Not the worst horror film I've ever seen but not for lack of trying. Being a long-time fan of horror movies as well as circus and carnival thrillers, I was looking forward to enjoying a feature combining the best of both worlds minus perhaps the extreme surrealism of Alex de la Iglesia's "The Last Circus". This one, unfortunately, failed to deliver at any level. Had I been shackled before the screen, I would have seriously considered chewing off a leg to escape the very real horror of a complete and utter waste of film stock. Here's hoping the wonderfully spooky atmosphere of Chippewa Lake Park will one day serve as locale for a well-executed and memorable fright film. Closed for the Season? Closed for a reason.

Good Attempt At Something Different

[thomandybish-15114 · 5/10 · 2 October 2023]

Closed for the Season aka Carnival of Fear offers something that seems more like a feverdream, a stream of consciousness excursion into fear that gets rather muddled in the second and third acts. Director Jay Woelfel has to be given credit for trying to create an alternate universe where fear and regret exist tangibly and haunt the lives of the characters. Yes, it's a very slow burn, but it's fascinating. Woelfel has helmed many films, mostly in the horror and action genres, so it's interesting to see this approach. It's also understandable that so many reviewers would hate this movie--it's not a "gotcha" horror movie. Other reviewers have compared it to "Malatesta's Carnival of Blood", which has a very dreamlike, metaphysical feel to it. In some ways, it also resembles Herk Harvey's "Carnival of Souls", although that film has a very clear-cut rationale that is revealed at the end. Both films are exceptional in their use of cinematography to set an eerie mood. The whole idea of a closed amusement park being a receptacle for the negative energy produced by human suffering is a great metaphor, and Woelfel tries to layer on other ideas as well, but it seems like too many metaphysical concepts spoil the broth. If you like your horror with a lot of esoteric philosophical concepts drenched in atmosphere, then this one might be for you.

Didn't get it, didn't like it. A real chore to sit through.

[poolandrews · 1/10 · 30 September 2012]

Closed for the Season starts the day after an amusement park closes for the season, a young woman in her early 20's named Kristy (Aimee Brooks) ask's an attendant if she scan enter the park to look for a Teddy bear that she left there the day before. Unable to enter Kristy sneaks in & wanders around looking for her Teddy bear, suddenly she sees a construction worker who says the place is abandoned & condemned & is then squashed flat by a huge Bulldozer as Kristy runs away. Kristy runs to a nearby house where James (Damian Maffei) lives & ask's for his help. James agrees to go with her & look around by the two become trapped in the amusement park, the abandoned amusement park that refuses to let them leave & traps them in a nightmare of dreams, fantasies & hallucinations that represent Kristy & James childhood fears...

Know under the alternative title Carnival of Fear here in the UK on DVD this was co-edited, scored, written & directed by Jay Woelfel & I have to say that I hated it, no ifs buts or maybes I absolutely hated Closed for the Season as it's so far removed from the type of horror film that I do like. Looking at the cool cover artwork on the IMDb you might be forgiven for thinking that Closed for the Season might be a teen slasher in the mould of Halloween (1978) & The Funhouse (1981) but credit to the makers they have gone for something totally different & against expectation, unfortunately that is the only credit I will give the makers since everything else is a mitigated disaster. At just over 110 minutes long Closed for the Season is an utter bore from start to finish, 90 minutes would have been much better but I still think without the padding & boring repetitive plot Closed for the Season would have been rubbish. The whole duration of Closed for the Season feels like two random people walking through an amusement park & experiencing strange little episodes every so often, the Carny owner dressed as a Clown turns up a lot & spouts a lot of dull dialogue that I assume is meant to have some meaning in the context of the film but completely went over my head, some rubber suited pond monster, a few amusement attractions show & they also encounter themselves, see themselves being killed several times & meet other odd character's from their past lives. The script for Closed for the Season really is a complete mess, it makes zero sense, I simply don't understand what the makers were trying to say or what message they were trying to get across, the seems to large contradictions all over the place, nothing is ever made clear & it ended just when I thought there was going to be some clever twist ending revelation which never came. I just didn't think Closed for the Season worked on any level as either a straight horror film or a twisted psychological thriller, a real waste of nearly two hours.

I don't know if was intentional but the film seems to switch between night & day without a second thought, there are various flashbacks that might be more than they seem or maybe not & there are lots of odd little encounters that make zero sense. The whole film just feels incoherent & edited together seemingly at random, if anyone can decipher the narrative here that makes any rational sense then you are better than I. Then again I did lose all interest in this very early on so maybe I was spending too much time hoping it would finish rather than paying attention to the plot. There's a bit of gore but nothing to get excited about, a Crocodile rips a guy's leg off, there's some guts in a wall, a guy is squashed by a huge Bulldozer, someone rams a spike in their own head, someone is seen impaled on a tree & there's a bit of blood splatter.

Apparently shoe on a low budget of about $250,000 it looks even cheaper than that, filmed in the actual abandoned Chippewa Amusement Park in Ohio. Production values are pretty rough, the CGI computer effects in particular are awful. The acting is poor, well I thought it was anyway & none of the performances are engaging or likable.

Closed for the Season is a film which bored me rigid, I really hated it & I genuinely have no idea what the makers were trying to achieve or what sort of film they set out to make. All I can say is I am glad I saw in on cable television for free & didn't spend money on it & I am even gladder I never have to see it again.

Worst Movie Ever

[rocabee1 · 1/10 · 29 May 2012]

The beginning of it was confusing and was jumping back and forth between kids and adults and different scenes. Terrible acting. Terrible effects. Terrible directing It could have been a good movie if it was directed better. The alligator looked plastic, and a stuffed bear attacked them. They obviously used dolls to throw around to make it look like the people. The only reason I watched the whole thing was to see all the stupid things that would happen. It was more funny than scary because of how terrible it was. It lasted almost 2 hours and seemed like it was never going to end. If you want a scary movie to watch, do not get this one.

Good concept. Good actors. Bad delivery.

[RobMS88 · 4/10 · 8 November 2013]

OK, I am going to try and give constructive criticism here.

I agree the CGI was poor. It let the movie down right from the get go. I kept asking myself why they did not just film some of the shots actually on a roller coaster somewhere as that would still fit the budget and be better. For example, the first person shots as if you are on the ride or the external shots as if you are watching the ride. OK, I know you could do not do the scene where the bar was raised on the car and the boy is thrown from it look good on a budget, but I feel some of the footage could have been better.

This brings me to the bulldozer guy. What was up with him? I could act better than that. Him falling over was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen in a movie. Damian can also be identified obviously laughing out of character in one scene at Joe's good, funny comedic clown acting. That should have been shot again.

On a good note, the concept of the movie is fantastic as was the location. The footage quality was also top notch. The cameras were excellent. The script and pacing of the film was not. It did not build up to anything. You had not idea if they were getting closer to finding the exit or whether the characters would be in the park forever. Each scene was fragmented from the others. It was as if they wrote the script around what was in the park and tried to use everything that was there as a set piece. "Ahh, there is a fun house. Let's have them be scared in there." "Ahh, there is a lake. Let's have them fall in there". Etc etc.

I like the actors. I feel the comments from people who say the acting was poor is not down to the actors' abilities. For instance, Aimee was fantastic in Monster Man, and I hear Damian does theatre so he must have some skill. I feel it was down to the poor direction and script. Joe Unger's acting was great, especially in the dunking tank. The sexual profanity used was excellent and fitted the scene well. It was disturbing and dark. My favourite scene and probably the only good scene in the movie.

I did not understand the "rape" scene. That was just unnecessary. There was also too much car chase as well. Once would have been enough. The ending could have had a better as well with a good twist. This never happened.

The actors were let down by the poor script and pacing of the film. They must have known that the film was rubbish when they read the script? Also, trying to act scared of a river monster that looked like an outfit you'd buy on a budget for Halloween is just impossible, even for the best of actors. They should have left that out and put another clown in its place.

Another reviewer commented that is was like a Goosebumps novel put in a film. I thought the exact same thing. It would make for a better kids' horror series with each new episode introducing a new scene with a new scare. R L Stine would be embarrassed for them.

If you are going to watch this film, I strongly recommend swapping the pop corn for acid or some other trippy substance. You might actually enjoy or at least understand the film then.

In all, I give it 4 out of 10. That is being generous as well because Aimme is hot.

Never mind closed for the season this should be knocked down and forgotten about.

[one9eighty · 1/10 · 19 August 2015]

The summary advised - Kristy wakes up in a dilapidated theme park and must survive the living memories/ ghosts of the park before she becomes the next victim.

The actuality is - God awful CGI from the offset ruining an already terrible film. The film is a series of random people and random events happening in no sensible narrative order. Time/effect and continuity is thrown out of the window and has been crushed by a waiting steamroller. The main vehicle is actually Kristy (Aimee Brooks) but she seems to be losing her mind & seeing ghosts/ seeing her own death/ seeing her own rape/ being attacked by swamp monsters and crocodiles and seeing a lot of odd balls.

Boring boring boring broken up by random nonsense then back to the boring boring boring random nonsense. The story is awful, the acting is damp and wooden and will never light the world on fire (even if it was doused in fresh petrol), the plot is confusing, and when you think that the boring none-sense is about to end you get hit with another breeze-block of boring none-sense. I like bad movies but this looks like it was made with the intention of being taken serious which in itself is the biggest joke the film delivers.

The Special FX in the movie are only special in the sense that they arrived to school on the special needs bus - you'll know exactly what I mean when you see the Crocodile attack! This is such a poor movie that I'd never watch it again, I struggled to watch it the first time truth be told. Events in the film make little to no sense. Time and Continuity isn't linear and hard to stay alert to. If somebody gets you a ticket to a screening of this film slap them, if somebody buys you a copy of the film never talk to them and burn their house down before beating them to death with the film case/box.

Was Jay Woelfel on bad crack when he wrote and directed this (sorry Mr Woelfel)??? Looking at other reviews I can't actually believe somebody has given this a 9 out of 10, I personally think anyone who awards this more than 2 stars must need their head examining.

Avoid avoid avoid or you are risking losing 114 mins of your life and a few more hours on top of that wondering why you bothered.

At first I was merely confused, by the end I was totally lost! What boring, unfathomable garbage...

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 2/10 · 11 October 2012]

"What the f**k are you about, film?!" is what I actually shouted out at the TV the first time I watched this! Might sound a little nutty but it was just so aggravating trying to get into and understand something that sure as hell wasn't giving anything back. It's not that much better on a second viewing either, when you can sort of grasp some of the more wildly bizarre surreal aspects of the movie, like the crocodile, the gangsters and the smoking lady- manifested fears! Didn't really help none, as whatever the case this monstrosity surely has no plot to get. It positively redefines cheap. You can hardly tell what's going on in any given scene. It's all continuous scenes of dreary windblown foliage in the dark and chirping background crickets. I didn't get the whole thing with the teddy-bear,(that bit where teddy was 'drowning' in the puddle, it made me laugh!) or why they kept meeting different versions of themselves. What the hell was that all about?! Alternate lives? Maybe they were they all dead! A hint, somebody please! Gah, it's a mess, it's an irredeemable total mess-I watched damn horror movies for twenty years, I would have to say this qualifies as a mess! And it's an insult to all Goosebump books by the way... ::: Damian Maffei was a pretty bad actor, in one scene he just seems to give up on his real lines and literally just said "blah, blah, blah."" He was kinda cute except his eyes were too close together which gave him a bit of a doofy look, and he looked real weird close up or from the side. I also noticed he had dark circles under his eyes - I don't know, perhaps he was having trouble sleeping because it'd hit him just what kind of anti-movie he was actually 'acting' in! I strangely really enjoyed the part where they played invisible carnival games! Hm. I guess the actors did what they could, I appreciated the enthusiasm of the guy who played the ghost carny, but they(and we) just had virtually nothing to work with. There was nothing to build upon, or figure out - of course they'd like you to believe otherwise! The plot was as skeletal as the rather intriguing remains of a "Ferris Wheel" that can be seen a couple of times, or simply "Big Wheel" as I've always known them. This was the only movie I ever saw that was dedicated to the memory of an amusement park. That was a new one.. To me its one redeeming aspect was that it got me musing a little on the meaning of a long closed down and abandoned amusement park. How very sad, a place of joy and laughter rendered over time into the sad lonely nowhere place that is seen in the film. I'd imagine such a location would be even more depressing than a cemetery. If it would be haunted by anything at all, it would be faded joy and happy memories... I really think they overestimated the atmosphere of the site. It's probably very interesting to visit in person, but it did not carry this movie, which I bet is what they were hoping for. This picture may be very moving to at least somebody who went to that park in their youth and remembered it when it was alive. Still, it did have a hundred years, I'd call that a good run. I can think of much sadder things in life personally. It maybe could have been a good movie if done better with a real story and with more money. Pity, it felt like there was a good idea buried in there somewhere underneath it all. But as it stands, it's really nothing more than a failed ode to a long-dead amusement park.

A creepy & poetic ride

[tdeladeriere · 9/10 · 24 December 2011]

A girl wakes up into a dilapidated amusement park and seems to drift from nightmare to nightmare until she meets the caretaker of the park, who's willing to anchor her back to reality. But the nightmare doesn't end that easily and the newly-found couple are haunted and pursued by the ghosts of the park, including the Monster from the Lake, the Alligator and most of all, Carny, who holds the key to their escape.

The 1st five minutes firmly establish a dreamlike quality, an ethereal half-sleep that holds on until the very last reel. For once, the CGI helps more than hinder, giving the effects an old Hollywood magic. Still, the strength of "CFTS" is that it never drifts into complete absurdity, even at its most awkward. Each kooky segment leads to the final revelation, which of course is love.

There's enough humor, grue & thrills to keep the unprepared audience satisfied, and those that are willing to take the plunge will be taken for a creepy and poetic ride.

Verdict: Has You Thinking

[MoviesReviews101 · 7/10 · 8 November 2014]

Story: We follow a young lady who wakes up in an abandoned theme park, haunted and chased by people and creatures she teams up with a local young man to figure out what is going on. They both get led around by a mysterious carny and have to go around on all the rides. Now I am a fan of a horror film that has mystery about it and this really keeps you guessing on what will happen and what just happened. It does turn into one of those mystery ghost stories which contain jumps but don't push for anything over the top. I felt by the end it would go a couple of ways but I wasn't sure which one it would be, so I think that offers something refreshing in a horror like this. The final reasoning does come off a little bit disappointing, well from what I understood from it. For low budget this shows strong story telling instead of just going for a slash and grab horror. (7/10)

Actor Review

Aimee Brooks: Kristy the young lady who wakes up in the park, though we never truly get explanation to why she was there. She trusts a local stranger to help her escape what seems like an endless nightmare. Good performance from Aimee who shows she could be a horror queen if she wanted to. (7/10)

Damian Maffei: James local stranger who gets up to try and help the helpless lady in the park, he ends up getting caught up in the maze. With both having nightmares he gets caught up in the much more deadly ones. Good performance in the supporting lead role. (7/10)

Joe Unger: The Carny mysterious man full of riddles and clues to what is going on, he brings the young couple along to play his games. Good performance from Joe who makes the role his own. (7/10) Support Cast: Each member of the supporting cast is other people in the fair, and one old friend who might hold the answer to everything.

Director Review: Jay Woelfel – Good direction to create an interesting horror on such a low budget. (8/10)

Horror: Is a mystery horror so makes you think which works well, but don't expect too much gore. (7/10) Thriller: You do get caught up wanting to know what is happening. (8/10) Settings: With nearly the whole film being set in an abandoned fun fair it makes for a great isolated setting. (10/10) Special Effects: Good practical effects used to show for the gore moments, but the CGI moments are bit poor. (6/10) Suggestion: This is something to try it may end up being too slow for some people but does reward if you like a mystery side to a story. (Try It)

Best Part: Mystery is good Worst Part: The opening computer effects could turn people off as they are terrible. Believability: No (0/10) Chances of Tears: No (0/10) Chances of Sequel: No Post Credits Scene: No

Oscar Chances: No Budget: $250,000 Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes Tagline: Welcome to the carnival of fear

Overall: Smart Thriller That Keeps You Guessing

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There is no plot, so i'm just gonna go straight under the hood

[daniel-mannouch · 3/10 · 1 December 2021]

I have doubt's whether Closed for the Season is a deliberate effort in magical realism rather than the usual kind of low budget horror film dissonance that comes from plot holes and poor technical quality, but that's all i have. The goal for the film makers, as illusive as it is, appears to be creating a constant sense of disorientation and not much else. Whether that goal is achieved or not is not for me to say. I'm not confident even on what the feat is, let alone if it was defeated.

Reviewing the film first on Youtube, i was ok to dismiss Closed for the Season as pretentious hipster crap. But that was until i recently rewatched Malatesta's Carnival of Blood (1973), a film with striking similarities to Closed for the Season that i had a good time with. Not wanting to keep double standards based on vintage, i thought i'd revise my opinion. I have also come across director Woelfel's highly ambitious and much more engaging Beyond Dream's Door, which, above everything else, made me realise that i might not do enough research.

Because with watching these two films, i get a better idea of what Season was going for. That is was made by a man who spent the majority of the 80s trying to get his passion project off the ground and not by grad trust funders with no respect for the horror genre. And my main problem with Season was issues revolving around sincerity. But the fact that i considered the work of a 20+ year vet to be on the level of fresh faced amateurs still backs up another point i made, which is Season failing to engage in it's sound and images.

Malatesta was an experimental short expanded to feature length, set in a carnival, with impoverished production values and under-lit cinematography. But unlike Season, it was made by a guy who was a documentarian as well as an experimental film maker. Even if the images were poorly defined, they were numerous and creatively framed. Season's cinematography overall is both flat as well as dark. Malatesta also definitely had stronger continuity in both it's themes and tone, which helped retain engagement.

But Closed for the Season, like Malatesta, does feature solid art design and atmosphere throughout. Unlike Malatesta, or Beyond Dream's Door, the acting is poor as well as the pacing. Scenes are drawn out way too long and your mileage will vary. Kudos for still being a unique horror film amongst its contemporaries. It's intentionally confusing instead of just being confusing through ineptness. It's intentionally dream-like and surreal, but has very little to say. Something about carny culture dying or something. Whatever the point was, it wasn't worth bringing up it seems because the whole film comes off as a random bunch of scenes that have very little effect. For the life of me, I could not find a reason to care after twenty minutes. It all just felt like pretentious nonsense.

Closed for the Season is indeed one of the most unique horror films I've seen from the 2010s and time may be kind. If you are really that desperate to see something that is south of the Asylum, then I would recommend Closed for the Season as it does try something new. Jay Woelful is obviously dealing with resources that appear to be even more disparate than he was in '89 in his debut feature and i can appreciate how he has retained his esoteric ambitions. But the film has no point and it doesn't have enough spectacle to inspire the levels of charity in the audience that this film's indulgences would require.

Missed opportunity

[Michael_Takes · 31 July 2011]

Watching this right now. Am writing as I watch.

Interesting beginning, good concept spoilt by poor execution, horrid acting and even worse CGI.

Confused presentation - the premise is that 2 people who were traumatized and scared by the theme park when younger suffer. Is it in their dreams? whilst on the borderline to death. The rumours and myths of the theme park comes to life to haunt them. Not entirely original, I've seen movies similar such as Rest Stop.

The characters of Kristy and James are one dimensional. I tried so hard to like the characters but there is nothing to like or respond to. Didn't mind 'Kristy' wearing a tank top the whole time though! The characters seem to be linked to their experiences together in the past, when younger they witnessed something together, but what does this have to do with them in their 20s? It seems that they have to progress through the horrors to free themselves of their past. Live through and experience and survive the ghosts and stories to be free. But whose interpretations and memories are they? The film is more a mystery then a horror movie.

Seems like a kids Goosebumps novel put to film. To me its a waste of a good title and idea... a horror movie based around a closed haunted theme park could have been interesting.

So bad you have to watch it

[larawoolley · 3/10 · 17 August 2012]

You have to see this to believe how bad it is. I've given it a 3 - generous I know - only because I think the idea for this film is brilliant. If it was filmed and written and acted a hell of a lot better then this would be worth a lot more in my rating. What I had the biggest problem with was the needless over the top usage of CGI - The problem being that it was completely obvious that it was CGI, even when the intention was probably for the use of it to be subtle. The only part I've enjoyed so far is the crazy clown ghost's acting, I am totally convinced about his character, that he is crazy as hell. The other characters - the main characters, Kirsty and James - they are so irritating and the acting is awful. The acting overall is terrible - to the point where it's comical (the demolition guy about 10 minutes in - some ... interesting acting). It's disappointing to be honest - I would have loved this film to be more than what it is. I have only watched about 40 minutes before deciding to switch it off - which is annoying because this film could have been so much more than what it was. Watch it if you have a spare few hours and fancy a laugh (for free - I wouldn't pay for this).

Carnival of Pish

[Bezenby · 3/10 · 9 May 2016]

What were these folks thinking when they cobbled together a full two hours of two bad actors running around an abandoned fairground being harassed by an old man portraying some sort of ghost-carny? They must have been making this one up as they went along, because it starts off confusing, settles into mediocrity, then tries to give you some explanation if you're still awake by the end of it.

This long, boring, film reminds of that old eighties film Spookies. Only worse. Yep, this film is worse that Spookies.

I'd imagine they were aiming for some sort of vibe like The Beyond, where the whole film plays out like a surreal nightmare that makes little sense, but is ultimately rewarding.

In fact, just watch that instead.

Nice mix, just enough horror & thrills, touch of comedy.

[divona98 · 8/10 · 31 July 2011]

This is Alice in Wonderland goes to Hell by way of Insanity-land, with a little House of 1000 Corpses thrown in. Has some of everything...clowns (that kill!), gangsters (that kill!) rubber suit swamp monsters, car explosions, burned, haunted, abandoned buildings, forgotten childhood memories, teddy bears that bleed... Filming was excellent, great shooting location, worth watching just for the sheer eeriness. Good mix of horror, weirdness, despair, flashbacks & nightmares come true, and the occasional laugh. Acting was a bit weak here and there, and I would have preferred a different style of ending. Could have been stronger, more conclusive. All told, I'm happy I watched it...and the slightly off kilter filming left a strong sense of warped reality with me after watching this, found myself viewing other people as if they were subtly changed...

Nostalgic Fantasy

[vur_y · 7/10 · 30 July 2011]

I found this film amazing. The story was really creative and it was enough to pull audience to the atmosphere. Besides, the purpose and the story of the film gets more meaningful after learning the story of abandoned Chippewa Park. I can understand how local townsfolk felt with watching and attending the filming of the movie.

If you are looking for something artistic which combines surrealistic fantasy with nostalgic moments, watch this film. But if you are looking for a standard colourful and jumpy horror film, this is not for you.

I gave 9 points not 10 only because of animated roller-coaster scene at the beginning of the film. This story was good enough to stand alone without any effects. And third class graphic animations just only creates the bad prejudice at the beginning of the film.

Loved it!

[erisheali · 11 October 2011]

Excellent horror movie for amusement park/roller coaster fans! Being filmed at the old abandoned Chippewa Lake amusement park makes it awesome because how more real can a set for an abandoned amusement park can be? The movie shows pretty much all that was left of Chippewa. They shot really nice scenes throughout the park and the music fits the movie perfectly. I really liked the story and thought that Joe Unger "the carny" was awesome! The only thing that kind of bugged me is the animated roller coaster scene at the beginning. I would have much preferred a real roller coaster scene than what they did. But other than that I really enjoyed this movie. I kind of hope that Jay Woelfel makes another movie of this kind in an amusement park!

Cinematic Masterpiece

[brewkahassault · 10/10 · 21 August 2011]

This movie was filmed in an old abandoned amusement park in Ohio. Though a low budget film the story and acting are first rate. In fact, the motion picture debut of Mike Nugent (of Brewkah Assault pod-cast fame) is something that Hollywood will definitely take note of. Nooj as Wackles the Clown is captivating and this movie is a must see for fans of not only the genre but fans of immense talent. Nooj, a local legend of the Cleveland underground, takes the viewer on a journey that is very seldom ably piloted by a newcomer. In a film loaded with talent, dear sweet Nooj's gift takes us on a journey of self discovery. From his sad frown to his wide eyed stare, his role completes the film. We must all thank CLOSED for the Season because it has OPENED our hearts...to Nooj. Closed For The Season and Brewkah Assault, come for thrill, stay for the Nooj.

Good, but could be more

[FlamingTorch9 · 7/10 · 23 June 2012]

The premise for this film sounded great when I bought it. The film was, in reality, a little disappointing yet, visually, it looked awesome. The characters were a bit one dimensional but that seems to be the norm for horror movies. The story confused me a bit in places but apart from that it was good. It's not scary at all, but well worth a watch and it was worth the £7 I paid for it. I did find the end reveal that James was dead all along a bit predictable. The movie feels like a Stephen King movie, which is good. The film is more of a mystery then a horror movie. The effects aren't that great in places but, seeing as how the effects aren't important to the story, I don't care. I would be lying if I said it was all bad and, even though it is more funny than scary, you will get some enjoyment out of it.

Seriously

[phuze · 30 August 2011]

Even as a native of Ohio...I tried to find some love for this....i have watched just about every "horror" flick there is...Albeit, it has a 250,000 dollar budget...um...yeah...blonde with nice...looks...still bad. Being "nice"...good ideas with a camera that I may own...um...spend your three dollars on something else...I wish that I had some other positive reviews...but I do not. I give horror films a break on quality, being that they are typically regurgitated stories...but...I cannot give this one a break. It was purely "that's good...next"-type filming. My sons and I, in my backyard, have done better with finger puppets. Do not waste the new release rental. Wait for the dollar release. Interesting premise, but...sorry folks. It just didn't get me more than an after school special from the seventies.

Beyond Dream's Door, revisited

[VinnieRattolle · 7/10 · 26 April 2019]

A young woman finds herself trapped in an abandoned amusement park, hunted by a Carny who seems hellbent on killing her, and she soon teams up with the caretaker's son as the park itself messes with their sense of reality and time.

I'm thankful that I wasn't deterred by other IMDb reviewers' assessments. Any potential spoilers are very minor.

While watching this, I couldn't help but keep recalling an obscure '80s film that I adore titled "Beyond Dream's Door." It featured the same type of tone, editing, mind-messing moments, cerebral dialogue, and pithy wit. After finishing, I discovered that the same writer/director made both movies. It was pretty obvious, although I had no idea Woelfel kept pursuing a movie career. The earlier film was slightly better (despite some painfully amateurish acting), but both films tread similar ground.

As for the ridiculously low rating and the plethora of merciless reviews, I get it, but I don't. The movie opens with a CGI rollercoaster ride that would have looked hokey in 1990, followed by nearly 10 minutes of our heroine aimlessly running around screaming. It wasn't a strong way to begin, and I'm sure many viewers had tuned out before the male lead even appeared. There are definite issues with pacing, unfortunate (and often unnecessary) FX inserts, it's very talky, and anyone watching for the abandoned park is sure to be disappointed (the oft-featured wooden coaster track, an overgrown ferris wheel, and a few crumbling stands are all that were left).

Where the movie excels is in its characterizations and dreamlike nature. The performances are solid (with horror vet Joe Unger giving an absolute tour-de-force as the Cheshire-Cat-like Carny), there's an intriguing mystery, and they did an excellent job subverting one's expectations with the quirky writing and clever editing. This ain't a mindless popcorn flick to half-ass watch while playing with your phone; it requires a functioning brain and an attention span (both things that I suspect are lacking in those who've heralded it as "the worst movie ever").

As I said before, it has some problems, but I certainly didn't feel like I wasted 2 hours of my life on it (as a matter of fact, it makes me wanna track down more of Woelfel's films). If you like independent horror movies with a high weird quotient, I'd certainly recommend it.