Banksy's 'Dismaland' now has its own darkly comic commercial

Get to know Dismaland, courtesy of Banksy — (Image credit: Banksyfilm/YouTube)

Conceptual street artist Banksy's dystopian "bemusement park" is open for business in Weston-super-Mare, England, and in case you need any more reason to visit Somerset in August (or much of September), "Dismaland" now has its very own commercial. Tim Burton would be proud. It opens in what looks like the set of the Dursley house from the Harry Potter films, with a soundtrack ripped from the pages of a Danny Elfman score. Then you get a brief tour of the actual park itself, featuring homages to security theater, Ferguson, Europe's migrant crisis, a paparazzi-swarmed Cinderella death tableau, and other similarly family-friendly fare. Enjoy it while you can — Dismaland is scheduled to close in about a month. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.