I
watch quite a few independent content creators on YouTube. Among the
things I enjoy are the urban exploration videos about abandoned malls
and other places. I also like looking at the history of things that
started out with so much hope and ended up going away. Some of the
stories you see are heartbreaking.
One of the
content creators I enjoy is Jake at Bright Sun Films. It was probably
through him that I saw a video talking about Six flags New Orleans. It's
heartbreaking to see what remains of the place after Hurricane Katrina
hit New Orleans hard back in August of 2005. After the hurricane went
through, there was so much devastation. Some people still haven't fully
recovered, and it's been 15 years.
There was a
restructuring of the corporation, and Six Flags used the hurricane
devastation as an excuse to bail out on the New Orleans location. Maybe
that wasn't evident at the time. Only a week before the hurricane hit,
the park was open and it was business as usual. It seems pretty obvious
now that the corporation behind the theme park was looking for a way
out, and the devastation caused by the hurricane was a good excuse. This
is only part of the story that is touched upon in this documentary.
It
seems to me that the amusement park was built on a dream and the belief
that it would help elevate the surrounding community. The vision was to
make it a tourist attraction. The park really didn't have much of a
chance. It was only in operation for about five years. The people behind
the idea in the first place all went bankrupt of left, and it
eventually ended up in the hands of Six Flags. The sad reality is there
was no plan for how to proceed after the devastation left by the
hurricane.
This abandoned theme park obviously
struck a cord with Jake. He does 15 to 30 minute video documentaries on
YouTube, and they're quite good. If you check out his page, I'm sure
you're going to see one topic or another that would interest you. When
it came to making his foray into a full-fledged documentary, he knew
that it had to be about Six Flags New Orleans.
This
is no expanded YouTube video. The production quality is much better.
The camera work, editing and even the soundtrack are very well done. The
documentary takes you from the idea of an amusement park in East New
Orleans to the realization of the dream. You see actual footage of the
park being opened. You hear the story of the original investors pulling
out or going bankrupt and Six Flags taking over. You see the optimism
surrounding Six Flags being involved with this park.
What
I like is that not only do you see the effects the hurricane had on the
amusement park, but you get a glimpse of just how hard it impacted the
city of New Orleans itself. They make a trip to the park to look at it
as it stands now, and It's haunting to see some of those images. From
there, we hear what they've been trying to do with this location since
the hurricane hit, and it's enlightening. It's amazing how slowly the
bureaucracy moves.
There are so many points I
could cover here, but I find it better to recommend viewing the entire
documentary. I was moved by the lady who went on a crusade to bring the
amusement park back again. They were taking proposals, and after nine
years of making her effort, it's sad to see how it all went down in the
end for her. You'll see where everything is as of 2020 when the
documentary was shot.
I'm in full support of
the independent content creators that are out there. This includes
people who make entertainment properties via YouTube and other
platforms, but also people who make mini documentaries. This is where
Jake started with Bright Sun Films, Closed For Storm takes his passion
for documentaries to the next level. I hope he continues beyond this
project, because he truly has a knack for what he does. I would
recommend this documentary to anybody.
