In a sad turn of events this past weekend, the fire that engulfed the Universal studios theme park in Hollywood burned down a number of famous attractions. Among the wreckage were the “Hill Valley Courthouse,” as well as the “New York Street Area, “which were used in movies such as Back to the Future, To Kill a Mockingbird, War of the Worlds, and Bye Bye Birdie, and Spider Man 2, Transformers, Ghost Whisperer, and Crossing Jordan. The iconic King Kong segment of the studio ride/tour was also reduced to ashes.

While it’s no doubt that the attractions that have been the main attention grabbers for more than twenty years will be rebuilt, albeit with revamped effects and animatronics, the original shall be left buried within the hearts and memories of those who experienced them some years before (or before the fire that is).

But in a swift breeze of good news, nostalgics and theme park buffs alike have posted their videos on Youtube in order to somehow keep the past accessible and alive. Thank God for video streaming technology. While it’s a pale comparison to actually being there, it sure is better than nothing. So like it or be moved to tears about it, Youtube has now become a memorial, or burial ground for days gone bye at the Universal Studios lot tour.

On a note leaning towards a conspiracy, one could see this “accidental” fire as a publicity stunt. The burned down attractions had been up for over two decades, so it may have been a move by Universal execs to do some house cleaning. And by collecting on insurance, part of their possible “renovation” project would be paid for. Also, isn’t it a miracle that out of the 40,000 to 50,000, every single one had duplicates stored somewhere else? The execs even commented that “nothing is lost forever,” that is discounting the original look and feel of the rides (including King Kong’s infamous ‘banana breath’). The fire may have caused $25M in damages, but that’s chump change compared to a typical movie budget. No wonder the suits at Universal aren’t even scrunching up their brows with the bad news. In any case, it’s a thought to consider.

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