Review of Class Action Park
midlandsmovies • March 6, 2021
Class Action Park (2020) Dir. Seth Porges & Chris Charles Scott III
As a child of the 80s the risk-averse 2020s seem like an alien place at times and from The Goonies to ET, the crazy childhood adventures with few limits were always part of my cinematic childhood. Class Action Park is a new documentary covering an Amusement Park from a decade long-gone and one infamous for the most questionable of safety records.
Action Park in New Jersey was opened by Eugene Mulvihill in 1978 and immediately became legendary for school children around the New York area as a place of excitement and fun but also immense danger. With attractions like the Cannonball Loop, Colorado River and dangerous Diving Cliffs, the “entertainment” was badly designed, poorly thought out and barely managed when open.
The film cuts between ex-park employees and patrons who have nostalgic memories of the park interspersed with media footage, newspaper reports and some animations to clarify the incredibly treacherous attractions. With inexperienced managers (mostly undertrained and underaged) and freely flowing alcohol from the bars, the park was a recipe for disaster yet there was a strange respect from childhood peers for those who survived its precarious charms.
And not even the walkways being between the rides were safe with the red-hot asphalt making barefoot walking unbearable in Summer. The footage and stories are amusing and the interviewees look back on their upbringing with warm nostalgia coupled with a far more mature appreciation of the situation.
The park also had water slides causing multiple injuries and a lazy river that was basically a watery human logjam with the owner himself encouraging ever more increasingly bizarre (and risky) rides.
But the film’s second half contrasts brilliantly with its first by focusing on the real repercussions of the lacklustre safety concerns and the shocking dismissal and ignorance of customer well-being.
The film highlights George Larsson Jr., who was sadly the first person to die at Action Park. The fact the word “first” even has to be used is dreadful indictment on the disgusting practices at the park. And with Mulvihill fighting legal challenges in court to avoid financial and moral responsibilities, he comes across as a truly reprehensible man with little or no concern for others.
And as the injuries and lawsuits begin to pile up the business soon closes and becomes a distant memory for those who were involved.
The documentary contains both sentimentality and much regret which is a difficult trick to pull off, but it does so exceptionally. Class Action Park therefore finds the right balance between the exciting retro recollections of crazy 80’s Summers mixed with the melancholic memories of the tragedies that ultimately, and rightly, saw the park shut its doors. Catch this extraordinary film that will make a big splash with its mix of first-rate fun and shocking heartbreak.
★★★★★
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
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