A blog by Cameron and Shannon

Theme Parks #5 - Alfred Hitchcock: The Art of Making Movies, Universal Studios Orlando

Opened: 1990. Closed: 2003.

Yes, that is right. Someone actually closed an attraction that showcased the work of one of the most awesome filmmakers, oh, ever. As if it were not bad enough that Universal phased out Charlton Heston, they also got rid of good old Mr. Hitchcock.

I’ll admit I am a little on the crazed side of biased when it comes to Hitchcock, but I am fairly certain that everyone in the world needed to see this attraction. A Hitchcock fan? Great! You will love it. Not a Hitchcock fan? Great! You will be!

This show was a mix of props, 3-D, Hitchcock talking to you from on-screen and kitschy set models. It actually embodied what Universal Studios is all about - conveying the magic of making movies. Good movies.

When they closed this attraction, they replaced it with Shrek 4-D, something I consider yet another sad indication of where current movie-goers’ interests lie. (“Hitchcock? No thank you, bring on Mike Myers making a funny voice. Wasn’t he in Austin Powers? That’s a classic!”)

Not to mention, I’ve been to 4-D attractions, folks, and if you were wondering what the 4th dimension is, it’s water and air being sprayed on your face during a 3-D movie. Not quite magical.