The Defunctland series explores the history of the now-extinct "Back to the Future: The Ride" attraction at Universal Studios. The ride was first conceived in 1986 by Steven Spielberg and Peter Alexander, with the goal of creating a Star Tours-style motion simulator. After a five-year production process, the ride opened in Universal Studios Florida in 1991, followed by openings in Universal Studios Hollywood in 1993 and Universal Studios Japan in 2001.
The ride featured a four-minute film shot in 70mm and projected onto an 80-foot Omnimax dome screen. The experience simulated a time-traveling adventure with Doc Brown and the DeLorean. The ride was a huge success and a fan favorite, but it eventually closed in the US in 2007 due to Universal's desire to move on to newer franchises. The Japan version of the ride closed in 2016.
The ride's legacy lives on through a cameo in the Simpsons ride, a DVD release of the ride's film, and attempts to recreate the original Imax reel online. The video also proposes the idea of creating a virtual reality park called Defunctland, where extinct attractions like "Back to the Future: The Ride" could be recreated and experienced by fans.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The host's name is Kevin Perjurer.
2. The video series is called Defunctland.
3. The series can be found on theperj.com.
4. The video discusses the history of the "Back to the Future: The Ride" attraction.
5. The ride was located at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan.
6. The ride opened in 1991 at Universal Studios Florida, 1993 at Universal Studios Hollywood, and 2001 at Universal Studios Japan.
7. The ride closed in 2007 at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood, and in 2016 at Universal Studios Japan.
8. The ride was a motion simulator that used an 80-foot diameter Omnimax dome screen.
9. The ride film was shot on 70-millimeter film.
10. The ride vehicles were hydraulically powered and programmed to move with the film.
11. The ride required 35 employees to operate.
12. The ride was the most staffed ride at Universal Studios.
13. The ride was replaced by "The Simpsons Ride" at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood.
14. The Japanese version of the ride was replaced by "Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem".
15. A DVD of the ride's film was released, but it was not well received due to technical issues.
16. Fans have attempted to recreate the original Imax reel of the ride film.
17. The idea of a virtual reality park called Defunctland is being considered.
18. A YouTube user has recreated the Back to the Future ride in virtual reality.
19. The host is considering creating a VR walking path through Defunctland.