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It’s Been 5 Years Since the ‘Jaws’ Ride Shut Down; Universal Orlando Pays Tribute
We’re gonna need a bigger box of tissues.
Having experienced its awesomeness firsthand on a trip to Universal Studios with my dad over a decade ago, I was incredibly saddened by the 2011 news that Universal Orlando would be dismantling the iconic Jaws ride to make room for a new attraction. The ride’s final voyage took place on January 2nd, 2012, and now five years later, the park is paying tribute to the coolest ride ever with an “in memoriam” video that may make you cry. No really. You might.
The Jaws ride was launched on June 7th, 1990, and for over twenty years it terrified park-goers by literally putting them inside the 1975 classic. The boat tour took you through Amity Harbor, where a hungry shark was of course waiting. At several points during the ride, the mechanical shark would leap out of the water and attack the boat, making for a wet and terrifying experience.
Today, the Harry Potter-themed Diagon Alley occupies the space that was once Amity Island. But though the ride may be gone, Universal certainly hasn’t forgotten it. If you prowl around Diagon Alley you will spot many tributes to the Jaws ride, including shrunken heads that sing “Show Me the Way to Go Home” and a record on display in a shop window from the faux band ‘The Quint Trio.’ Coolest of all, an open-mouthed shark that used to be at the entrance of the Jaws ride can still be found hanging around in the park, now located in the San Francisco-inspired area.
Grab a tissue and watch Universal Orlando’s touching tribute below.
The best part about engaging with collaborative genre fiction on the internet is that anyone can get in on the action, with worldwide accessibility often resulting in absurd story beats that wouldn’t be possible if any single person was responsible for the entire narrative. And while Kane Parsons’ Backrooms film is definitely the young filmmaker’s own unique take on the infamous creepypasta, it’s fun to see other creators join the Backrooms sandbox now that the big screen adaptation is getting ready for a record-shattering opening weekend.
As if cleverly timed releases like Puppet Combo’s The Backrooms game weren’t enough (not to mention that Scary Movie poster poking fun at Parsons’ flick), McDonald’s official social media accounts have now released an analog horror video of their own celebrating the liminal terrors of the McRooms – complete with a familiar purple surprise at the end of the footage.
While it’s funny enough to see the world’s most recognizable Fast Food giant engage with internet-borne Found Footage thrills seemingly out of the blue, the video is actually referencing a long-running gag among the Backrooms fandom where creators jokingly talk about there being a fully functional McDonald’s restaurant hidden somewhere in level 0 of the infamous liminal labyrinth.
Now, would it be too much to hope for a moist-carpet-flavored McShake to tie in with the film?
Backrooms is now playing only in theaters from A24.
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