NEWS RELEASE
Contact Information:
Don Helbig
Public Relations Area Manager
(513) 754-5797
don.helbig@visitkingsisland.com

April 16, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KINGS ISLAND OPENING DAY WILL BE APRIL 18
More Than $95,000 Raised For Rides On New Coaster

CINCINNATI, OHIO – Local amusement park, Kings Island, will open its gates to the public on April 18. This summer season for the park will include many new attractions, the most popular being a new rollercoaster – Diamondback. More than $95, 000 has been raised for charity through an auction for the first rides on Diamondback.

Kings Island joined forces with A Kid Again (formerly known as Adventures for Wish Kids) to hold an auction for the first rides on the new Diamondback roller coaster. The park auctioned off seats on the first five trains to the highest bidders. The highest bidder will get to select his or her seat on the first train. The auction ended April 15, with the top bidder bidding $5,000.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the auction will go towards supporting A Kid Again. A Kid Again is an organization that enriches the lives of over 550 children through the tri-state region. These children have life-threatening illnesses and the organization provides fun-filled activities to foster joy and normalcy.

The auction was able to raise this large sum of money due to the appeal to coaster-enthusiasts who wanted a first ride on this one-of-a kind coaster.

The Diamondback boasts of being the tallest, fastest and meanest roller coaster at Kings Island. The coaster has 5,200 feet of steel track, is 230 feet tall and twists through 10 acres of land. The roller coaster ends with a splashdown. The trains on Diamondback feature open-air, stadium-style seating to allow riders to experience an excellent view of the thrills. Kings Island is the first amusement park to have a roller coaster with trains like this.


Also new at the park this year are three new entertainment shows. The new shows include Down Home Country, Don’t Stop The Music and Marty’s Party. Returning favorites include Endless Summer on Ice and Flashback: Totally 80’s. The Vortex (Kings Islands steel coaster with six inversions) has a new, bright orange paint job. The Beast (the longest wooden roller coaster in the world and Kings Island’s claim to fame) will turn 30 years old this year.

Kings Island is located in Mason, Ohio. The 364-acre amusement and water park features more than 80 world-class rides, shows and attractions. Kings Island was recently purchased by Cedar Fair, owners of world-renowned Cedar Point amusement park. Kings Island is open weekends only through Memorial day, then daily the rest of the seasons (hours vary).

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Twilight - Just Another Teen Flick?

Twilight opened in theatres to lines of screaming teenage fans across the country. Twilight was released to DVD as people held release parties in retail stores across the globe. The book series by Stephenie Meyer has caused an uproar of fans and has left everyone familiar with Edward and Bella’s love story with a twist. So what’s all the fuss about?

Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart from Panic Room and Into The Wild) is an average teenage girl who moves from sunny Arizona to the wettest, dreariest place in the United States – Forks, Wash. Bella feels unamused to be living with her father and going to a new school, setting up the plot for the all too overdone teenage flick. However, this story has a dangerous twist.

As Bella struggles with her new life, she becomes intrigued with the pale-faced, introverted Cullen family as one of them becomes even more intrigued with her. Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) steals the stage through stunningly good looks and a mysterious presence. As Bella begins to uncover the Cullen’s mysteries, she discovers they are a family of vampires who have spent their lives becoming affluent while drinking animal blood (deer, bear, etc.) instead of human.      

Good thing for Bella, since Edward thirsts for her blood and is in a constant battle of self-control.

Bella falls madly in love with Edward, but who wouldn’t? Apart from the mere fact that he is a vampire, he’s amazingly intelligent, caring, and strong, the most protective lover anyone could ever have, and he loves Bella too. He’s perfect, minus the hunger for blood.

Catherine Hardwicke was the director who sought to bring this story to life on the big screen. Since directing teenage films such as Thirteen (2003) and Lords of Dogtown (2005), Hardwicke knew a lot about the audience of Twilight. Hardwicke stays close to the book although some fans may be upset that everything they love in the book is not in the movie. Hardwicke had never worked on a project as big as Twilight or anything like Twilight, so with that being said she directed a decent flick. Not a great flick because the film seemed to lack the flow of events and scenes that the book had.

Hardwicke is fantastic at creating the mood and atmosphere of the setting and story. Shot in moody, washed-out tones by Hardwicke’s regular lenses, the audience is able to sense foreboding and understand the dreariness of Forks. Visual effects, used to convey the vampires’ superhuman strength, agility and resistance to gravity, are excellent and exciting. Scenes in the deep forest as Edward seems to fly from tree to tree with Bella on his back are exactly how they are depicted in the book. These aspects of the film are flawless and breathtaking.

Casting for the movie was on spot. Kristen Stewart gives a stunning performance, bringing Bella’s earthy and withdrawn character to life. Robert Pattinson fits the role of Edward with his charming good looks and seems to find ease with diminishing his British accent. However, many of the scenes involving the two seemed forced and interactions seem awkward. This is due to the script giving the actors nearly nothing to work with. The dialogue and interactions do not express the extreme love for each other as the book did.

Other actors include Billy Burke as Charlie Swan and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black who both do well in their small roles. The rest of the vampire family ( Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone and Elizabeth Reiser) do an excellent job giving off an aura of mystery while remaining stunningly beautiful.

Is Twilight is love-fest for teenage girls to swoon over? Yes. But Twilight can be enjoyed by other people as well. The movie is able to give a deeper look at lust and love. Those that do not particularly enjoy the book series may find that the movie added to the mood and feel of the story – and yes, Edward does dazzle.