What to Watch This Weekend: August 28, 2020 - Bill & Ted, Get Duked!, The Binge, The 24th, Some Great Black Films, and Documentaries

For The Dark Comedy Fan - Get Duked! (Amazon)

Get Duked! has a dark comedic style, quirky characters, and story that puts them all to great use with plenty of ridiculousness and laugh out loud moments!  For more information, check out our review!

A Historical Story About Racial Injustice That Feels All Too Familiar - The 24th (Digital)

The 24th tells an incredibly powerful and timely true story that will spark emotions with its fantastic performances and focus on issues that we as a nation are still confronting.  For more information, check out our review!

For The Thrillseeker - Class Action Park (HBO Max)

Class Action Park tells an unbelievable story with fantastic archival footage and first-hand accounts by those most affected by this fun and dangerous abusement park.  For more information, check out our review!

For the World Traveler - Through Greenland (Topic)

Through Greenland lets you follow along Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's journey of self discovery, giving an intimate look at the people and places that make this such a special land.  For more information, check out our review!

For Those Wanting A Night Out - The Binge (Hulu)

The Binge is a fun, ridiculous Purge-like movie with good camaraderie, ridiculous situations, a good group of friends and Vince Vaughn being his Vince Vaughniest.   For more information, check out our review!

For The Fan of Most Excellent Adventures - Bill & Ted Face The Music (Digital)

It's been a long time, but Bill and Ted are back and this sequel / reboot is better than ever.  It has the characters and humor that made the original films so great, but has been updated for our modern times.  

For the Spike Lee Fan - BlackKKlansman (Free to rent on streaming platforms)

Spike Lee has been one of the most outspoken and influential black movie voices of our time.  BlackkKlansman tells a compelling historical story with an amazing cast, biting commentary, and a lot of humor.  And it is free to rent on various streaming platforms so now is a great time to experience it.

For the Action or Keannu Fan - John Wick 3: Parabellum (HBO)

Tick tock Mr. Wick.  The latest John Wick film leaves HBO this month, so make sure to check it out.  It has John Wick's trademark flair, brutal and imaginative action, and continues the assassin's story against ever increasing odds.  For more information, check out our review!

For Those Living Their Best Life - The King of Staten Island (Redbox)

The King of Staten Island was one of the first films to go direct to on demand, and Pete Davidson's semi-autobiographical comedy-drama received rave reviews for Davidson's fantastic performance.  

Class Action Park Review: A Dangerously Good Time

Release date: August 27, 2020
Running time: 90 minutes

Class Action Park is the first-ever feature-length documentary to explore the legend, legacy, and truth behind a place that long ago entered the realm of myth. To some, New Jersey's infamous Action Park was the most spectacularly fun amusement park on Earth: A place where unruly 1980s teenagers were given free rein to go gonzo on strange contraptions that seemed to violate the laws of common sense (and perhaps physics). To others, it was an ill-conceived death trap. One thing is sure: It's the type of place that will never exist again. Class actin park documents the accounts of those that worked there, those that had fun there, and those whose lives were permanently altered by that place to reveal the true story behind this dangerous amusement park.  

Class Action Park tells a pretty insane story, but backs it up with some amazing archival footage and accounts.  The footage shows both the thrilling rides and perils of some of the more questionable decisions that the park made.  And the interviews with the former park employees are enlightening.  They describe some of the terrible events that occurred in such frank detail that it is a little shocking.  There is one scene where people end up getting scratched up in a ride and the description for why was so shocking, you would think it would be the plot of a new horror movie.  And the fact that they lived through some of these accidents and deaths is even more shocking to see.  But it is when the emotional scenes occur that you really get your heartstrings pulled.  Some of the victims of Action Park have some heartbreaking stories to tell, which are laid bare in this documentary.  

The combination of the footage and witness accounts makes for a compelling story, but it is some of the reveals in the film that really make this a special documentary.  The ways that the founder was able to avoid liability and operate for so long are scary to see.  It really does harken back to different time and one that we will likely never see again.  And another thing that was interesting was to hear some of the employees describe the park with a sort of nostalgia, despite knowing that it was a death trap.  Maybe it is the time that has passed or the fondness of youth, but many of the former employees definitely remember their time at Action Park fondly.  And this is a central tension in the film: Action Park was decidedly dangerous and poorly maintained, but it also allowed for youth to be young and have fun.  Now often that fun would result in some sort of injury, but it still was a place with no rules.  It is an interesting dichotomy that this place lives in, a thrilling abusement park but also a place that never should have opened.

Class Action Park tells an unbelievable story with fantastic archival footage and first-hand accounts by those most affected by this fun and dangerous abusement park.

Watch it.

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following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube.  Class Action Park premieres on HBO Max on August 27.