The BLOGFlume—Three Simple Questions

I had an opportunity to catch a preview screening of the much anticipated adaptation of “Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events”. I have still not had an opportunity to read the books by Daniel Handler, but found the movie very accessible, much like the Harry Potter movie series. My wife has read the books, and found some discrepancies between the books and movie, but most of the content is presented without changes. The story follows the three Baudelaire children (Violet, Klaus, and Sunny), and their strange journeys that result from the untimely death of their parents in a house fire. The evil Count Olaf wants to gain custody of the children so that he can collect their sizable inheritance. What makes this movie so entertaining is the performance of Jim Carrey. I know there are a lot of people who really don’t like the shenanigans of Jim Carrey, but playing the role of Count Olaf and his numerous disguised characters is simply amazing. I can’t think of anyone else who could play the role with such prowess. Every one of his characters is distinct, and when he is not on screen, you feel that something is missing. Meryl Streep also provides a solid performance as a paranoid widow who takes guardianship of the three Baudelaire children. The child actors are also very good, with an especially excellent performance from Emily Browning. The movie does have a bit of a dark look to it, and may not appeal to the youngest of children, much like Harry Potter. It also doesn’t have the happiest of stories (which should be clear from the name), or the whimsy and wonder of Harry Potter. I think Tim Burton might have done a better job directing this film, especially with the customary Danny Elfman score that comes with a Burton directing credit. However, Brad Silberling, whose largest previous credit was the forgettable Casper from 1995, does a decent job weaving an interesting story that plays out a little differently than the books but still keeps much of the plot intact.

Now, you’re probably wondering why a silly movie review leads off a BLOGFlume. Well, for those of you who are new to the site, it has been an ongoing point of interest on Themeparkinsider.com what would happen if a theme park created an attraction or a land based on the Lemony Snicket series. The film is presented by Paramount, Nickelodeon, and Dreamworks, so anything that would be based directly on the film conceptualization would most likely be found in a Paramount or Universal park (more likely Paramount though). With Paramount turning more of their movies into theme park attractions (Tomb Raider and Italian Job), could a Lemony Snicket dark ride or haunted house be on the way? The possibilities are nearly endless, but after watching the movie, I would suggest a dark ride. Each room of the ride could recount a scene from the movie, from the first meeting with Count Olaf to the leeches of Lake Lacrimose. I think this could be a sure-fire hit, especially if Jim Carrey could lend some voice work to the attraction. I know everyone here at TPI has an opinion, so what do you think?

Is Disney Cooking Its Books?
Orlando Sentinel 12/12/04

The Walt Disney Company reported an annual operating profit of $534 million, which is a 39% increase over last year. But wait, something’s fishy here. Weren’t there 3 hurricanes that caused park closures and clean-up expenses? As well, other than the recent Incredibles, The Village, and National Treasure, I can’t think of a Disney movie this year that made a significant profit. In reality, the profit margin is one of the weakest performances from Disney since 1980, with an accounting change creating the appearance of greater success. Disney also consolidated its profits by including Hong Kong Disneyland and EuroDisney into its financial statements, which makes comparisons to prior years difficult. The bottom line is that Disney’s report of a 39% profit increase is a bit deceiving. The reality is that while Wall Street may go ga-ga for Disney at Monday morning’s bell, but when analysts break down the final numbers, Disney will still have a ways to go before it regains the success of the 1990’s.

Will Six Flags Ever Buy Marine World?
Times-Herald 12/9/04

While Six Flags is currently in no financial shape to do an outright purchase of Marine World in California, the Vallejo City Council is poised to extend its current deal with the theme park chain to continue to operate the park. The council is betting on Six Flags purchasing the park and assuming its $52 million in debt by 2010. The extended deal allows the city to score nearly $2 million annually while Six Flags gets flexibility to try to find a way to pay off the operating debt and purchase the park. If Six Flags does purchase the park, the city would get 2.5 percent of admission revenues (no less than $750,000 annually), which makes this deal a win-win for both sides and fans of the park. While I have never been to Marine World, the park is frequently complimented on being one of the nicer parks in the Six Flags Empire with its lush landscaping and animal exhibits, and hopefully this park will continue to be the gem of the franchise.