Released in celebration of Jurassic Park’s 25th anniversary, this “Velociraptor Chase” LEGO set recreates a classic scene from the original blockbuster film in just 360 pieces! The kitchen features the famous cabinet doors to hide Lex and Tim Murphy from the prowling Velociraptor, as well as the iconic green Jell-O and other accessories. The control room contains the computers, ladder, telephone, and locking door function, plus a breakable window for the dinosaur to continue the chase! There’s loads of other Easter eggs and references too – from the cold storage unit to the shaving cream can to the shotgun, which is a stud shooter that actually works! 

Building this now-retired diorama is the perfect activity to do before going to see the final entry in the Jurassic World series, which is in theaters NOW! 🦖

A video mashup I made back in May 2022 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Also, I threw in the Japanese title theme from Pokémon The Movie 2000 into the mix too. 

🦕 Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Jurassic Park / Jurassic World film series! 🦖 I know there's still few months until the official release date of the first film but that didn't stop Disney/20th Century Studios with Titanic 25th Anniversary theatrical re-release and it does not certainly stop me. Jurassic Park is the most important film to me in the world with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and even though many of you might hate the sequels, I don't actually. I recognize the problems in them but I also see lot of good in them. #jurassicpark #jurassicworld #30thanniversary #bluray #4k #thelostworld #movie #film #cinema #elokuva #leffa #dinosaur #universalpictures #stevenspielberg #colintrevorrow #jabayona #joejohnston #samneil #lauradern #jeffgoldblum #chrispratt #brycedallashoward #bluraycollection #moviecollection #bluraycollector #blurayaddict #tyrannosaurusrex #trex #johnwilliams https://www.instagram.com/p/ComfoBMND-i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Now, what did I do on my six month hiatus? Here's a recap of what I made:

• Went to livestream a Genesis tournament surrounding more Rivals content and fast gameplay mechanics • Secretly watched the first episode of Animaniacs on Hulu • Received a new ID so that I can safely get an AirTag myself • Afforded new accessories for my iPad Pro • Get a haircut in time for summer vacation • Live streamed a new webisode of Indie World despite receiving too much negative reviews • Finished all webisodes of The Boys DIABOLICAL on Amazon Prime Video • Live streamed Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers on Disney+ • Live streamed all experimental animated content found on Netflix before it kept getting laid off • Live streamed Prehistoric Planet on Apple TV+ • Tried out Barbasol and Aqua Velva for the first time by removing my unwanted mustache • Signed up for Ko-Fi • Tuned in to WWDC for the latest news about iPadOS 16 • Tuned in to the Summer Game Fest and Day of the Devs event • Watched Jurassic World Dominion in IMAX 3D at Regal Cinemas because... Pepsi • Bought Ranno's Frog Wash from Smashersoap • Celebrated my friends from TREASURE's 25th anniversary event by playing their select games on my Mega Drive mini • Went to try beignets for the first time at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express • Then made said beignets from scratch but with a twist • Went to experience Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland • Oversaw not just the return of Main Street Electrical Parade, but a nighttime dance area debut with a live DJ at It's a Small World • Revisited Buena Park Downtown after 14 years during my trip to Knott's • Tried Fatburger for the first time and it was amazing because again... Pepsi • Saw the Rise of Gru in cinemas since I now have my utmost respect for Universal Pictures • Grabbed a free Slurpee without checking those defending a liar • Oversaw the worldwide releases of Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series and Digimon Survive while waiting for the former to get a physical treatment (Going digital is for the weak) • Returned to Ensenada for the first time in three years after it was hit by Covid-19 restrictions • Saw the reveal trailer for Oppenheimer from Syncopy Inc. and Christopher Nolan (Again, utmost repsect to Universal) • Saw Luck just for Heimdall, Babe and other creature designs • Celebrated Ranno Day in style • Partaken South Park's 25th anniversary via a live concert • Tried out Buldak for the first time and it was insane (I suggest cold lemonade, ice cream and Pepto Bismol) • Afforded AirPods MAX so I don't need to cause loud noises • Improved my animation around August despite it being the worst • Tuned in to both the NIS Showcase and Ubisoft Forward • Oversaw game releases based on Midnight Fight Express, Metal Hellsinger, Shovel Knight DIG, TUNIC and Radiant Silvergun in September • Played Sonic CD for the first time on my iPad Pro • Tried out Papa Murphy's for the first time and it was awesome (Will do it again during Thanksgiving) • Finished all webisodes of BNA - Brand New Animal • Watched the premiere trailer of the Super Mario Bros. Movie at Comic-Con • Oversaw game releases such as No Man's Sky, Persona 5 Royal, Them's Fightin' Herds and Sparks of Hope • Connected my Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to my iPad (FINALLY!) • Took home brushes and text fonts via Procreate during iPadOS 16.1's launch • Watched all 13 episodes of P&SwG each per day just for frantic action and insane art styles • Did early Christmas shopping • Focused hard on Stickybutter with scenes yet to be materialized in the future • Oversaw the worldwide release of it takes two on Switch (Thanks, Josef!) • Live streamed the Bad Guys on Netflix since I now officially hate direct-to-video • Watched Baymax!, I am Groot and On the Road via Disney+ that led me to my return • Got another haircut; this time, I wasn't caught with my bowl haircut in preparation for Christmas!

Whew! That was a hoot. Who wants hot chocolate? :)

Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Celebration - Universal Studios Hollywood - Surprise Guest Jeff Goldblum at Q&A

When it comes to planning a social media strategy, it can be easy to fall into the trap of coming at it exclusively from a digital perspective. On the other side of the coin, live activations can also often be planned and implemented with the social media element shoe-horned in as an afterthought (please stop with the giant Instagram frame cut outs, no one actually wants to share them). The real problem here is treating marketing activities in silos, as well as not going back to the basics of considering how the audience actually behaves and why they would feel compelled to share or recommend something. People trust people but, more importantly, they trust their friends. The most powerful ambassadors at any brand’s fingertips are their own customers. The eternal problem is getting those customers to engage and share in an authentic way. Tactics like competitions can be an easy way to boost numbers, but increased engagement and followers does not necessarily equate to real tangible value. The majority of sharing also now takes place on “dark social” apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp, presenting another challenge for brands, with consumers preferring to share content privately rather than on public forums. So how do you cut through in a space you can’t see? The simple solution is factoring in real-life experiences when planning your digital and social media approach. Whether it be something simple like a permanent in-store “Instagrammable” moment, or a fully integrated experiential activation, some of the most impactful branded moments and campaigns have been from taking a social-first approach that also seamlessly blends online and offline. Anyone who has studied marketing learns about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and how it applies to consumer behaviour. If it was updated for 2019, right next to WIFI we’d have “cool pics for my socials”. Cool pics for the Insta is almost as important as WIFI these days. An excellent example is Now TV’s giant Jeff Goldblum statue. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Jurassic Park, giant Jeff could be seen all over social media last summer alongside Now TV branded deck chairs, as well as attracting plenty of media coverage (and its own Wiki page). Source: Now TV Blended real-life activations are also an excellent way for heavily regulated brands, such as beer and spirits, to connect with consumers while minimising the risk of falling fowl of the regulators. Promoting alcohol can be tricky on non “age-gated” spaces such as Instagram but creating highly ‘grammable experiential moments (where people are presumably ID-ed at the bar) is an effective way of ensuring your brand stays visible on consumer timelines at peak moments. Asking customers to share photos of their drinks can be a risky business but creating a cool experience that’s essentially designed to look cool on Instagram, such as Aperol’s Spritz Social events, and you’ve got guaranteed social buzz. Source: Aperol Spritz Yes, actually creating real life things can be a lot more expensive than a digital-only campaign. However, in today’s always-on world where the average attention span is constantly getting shorter, real-life experiences are likely to make a longer lasting impact. Many savvy retailers are already seeing the value of using physical space for social moments – if you look at the Old Spitalfields Market tag on Instagram I guarantee you’ll see at least a few photos of folk posing next to the Daniel Wellington phone box. It’s a prop that lives there all year round and ensures brand visibility on social on a daily basis without the inhouse marketing team having to lift a finger. Source: Instagram If you would like to find out more about how social & experiential could benefit your brand, get in touch. The post Social Is Not Just An Online Platform appeared first on FOUND.

Jurassic 25: A Celebration - From Victoria's Cantina

“An adventure 65 million years in the making.”  The year was 1993.  8 year-old me, who had already been obsessed with dinosaurs at that point, caught wind of a TV spot that contained that simple tagline.  I distinctly recall seeing the herd of Gallimimus flocking, and it excited me in a way no other movie commercial had.  The movie was called Jurassic Park, and it was the movie to see that summer.  Thankfully, my wish came true.  It was a hot day in Fort Worth, Texas, when my father, uncle, brother and I went to see it at a theater in a local mall.  The moment the film began, I was mesmerized.  The way it began with such an intense scene of a man being violently attacked by what was obviously some sort of monstrous dinosaur truly set the mood.  But this was not a scary movie.  Sure, it had terrifying moments.  (I still recall the shot of the Tyrannosaurus Rex breaking through the glass to attack Lex and Tim scaring the living daylights out of me.)  But there were warm, touching moments, such as when our heroes are taken to see a dinosaur for the first time.  Or when everyone suddenly abandons their Jungle Explorers to get up close and personal with a sick Triceratops.  Indeed, for an 8 year-old dinosaur-crazed kid, this movie was nothing short of a great adventure.  And it was one that would stay with me into adulthood.

Fast-forward 25 years to 2018.  In April, Universal Studios Hollywood announced that it would be hosting the Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Celebration.  Originally set to span two days on May 11th and 12th (May 13th was added due to the high demand for tickets), it would celebrate a quarter-century of one of the biggest film franchises in cinema history.  Being somewhat local in San Diego, I knew this was an event I could not miss.  I convinced my husband that this was something we absolutely had to do.  (If visiting Kualoa Ranch and hunting for Jurassic Park filming locations across Hawai’i in 2016 did not affirm my fandom to him, what would?)  We booked our tickets and made plans to drive up to Hollywood on Friday, May 11th.  While I do visit Disneyland periodically, I had not been to Universal Studios Hollywood in 8 years.  I did get the chance to visit Universal Studios Japan last year, but I always feel that despite the grandeur of their newer iterations, theme parks just do not hold up to their original locations.  (And surely, the same is often true when we speak of our favorite film series.)   After surviving the always chaotic Los Angeles traffic, my excitement heightened as we parked in Jurassic Parking and made off towards Universal CityWalk.  According to our tickets, we would not be let into the event until 5:30 PM.  Since we were a bit early, we bided our time at CityWalk and admired the beautiful Jurassic Park Jeep Wranglers and Jungle Explorer that sat adjacent to the CityWalk AMC movie theater.  It was a cool evening, and my hair decided early on that the intermittent drizzle would become its greatest foe.  What was nice about this event was that the park did not close until 7 PM.  So we made use of this precious time to wait a ridiculously short 10 minutes for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  After admiring the recently opened The Simpsons area, we followed the signage leading our way to the Jurassic Park event and rode the Starway down to the Lower Lot.  When we arrived, we were instantly thrown into Jurassic mode. 

Universal used the Jurassic Park: The Ride area to stage the Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Celebration.  Along with the ride itself, the celebration included a main stage, an activity area, the Raptor Encounter experience, restaurants, shops, and multiple bars that were set up to meet the needs of alcohol-deprived fans.  The queue of Jurassic Park: The Ride contained prop displays such as Claire’s outfit and a gyrosphere from Jurassic World.  There was also a Mattel Jurassic World toy display.  The activity center featured face painting and caricatures.  The main stage would be where Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow would be moderating a panel with special guests a little later.  Shops such as Jurassic Outfitters were filled with merchandise, some of which was created for the 25th Anniversary Celebration.  Mattel toys were priced double their MSRP.  You could get a Super Colossal T-Rex for the “special” price of $90.  (Markups on merchandise are not uncommon at theme parks, but such drastic premiums came across like gouging.)  And as an added bonus, Revenge of the Mummy and Transformers: The Ride were open for fans attending the exclusive event.  Both were walk-ons for the entire night, which again, is just unheard of.  Around 7:15 PM, the D.J. put his beats on pause as Velociraptor Zulu and Velociraptor Blue made their way out to taunt the crowd awaiting the panel.  This was a confusing moment, as many fans who had already gathered in front of the stage for the panel were asked to disburse so that the raptors could do their thing.  The “show” included several ACU soldiers who were working to steady the two raptors and contain them.  It really lacked any choreography or plot and came across as very disorganized.  I got the impression that most fans could have done without it; especially since it disrupted most everyone who had already claimed a spot for the panel.  Moments later, the emcee welcomed Colin Trevorow to the stage.  The Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom co-writer spoke a bit about his fandom and then promptly welcomed three Hollywood veterans who were involved with the production of Jurassic Park.  They included assistant director John Kretchmer, cinematographer Dean Cundey, and visual effects artist Dennis Muren.  The three esteemed guests shared stories about working on Jurassic Park and why it remains such a beloved film.  For me, the panel was the biggest highlight of the evening.  And what was quite great about it was that each night of the celebration would feature different guests.  (Saturday attendees got to hear from Laura Dern, while Sunday guests got a nice dose of Jeff Goldblum!)  When the panel concluded, the D.J. cranked the music back up.  But his performance was again paused for the costume contest and trivia game.  Of course, another highlight of the evening was the IMAX showing of Jurassic Park at the CityWalk AMC theater.  It contained the opening sequence to Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which was met with a rave response from fans.  And of course, there is nothing like seeing one of your favorite films on the big screen.  While all of these activities were fantastic, I would be remiss if I did not mention how special it was interacting with so many Jurassic Park fans face-to-face.  Seeing their enthusiasm for the franchise, with their faces lighting up as they discussed their favorite characters and dinosaurs and memories, truly left an impression.  It was truly special to connect with like-minded Jurassic Park fans, and it was tremendously special to meet former online friends who I can now simply refer to as friends. 

On the whole, Universal did a remarkable job organizing this special event for the Jurassic Park fans who had traveled not only from within California, but also from other states and even other countries.  There was abundant signage throughout the park for fans to find their way to the event.  The fact that the Upper Lot was available for attendees for an hour and a half was a huge plus that made the event all the more enjoyable.  The exhibits, activities, and games added an extra layer of interactivity that gave fans an ample number of things to do.  The Raptor Encounter special show was quite disorganized and seemed more of a nuisance than a contributing element to the experience, but it was countered with a great panel and a tram ride through part of the backlot towards the movie theater.  And then when you factor the showing of Jurassic Park with a preview of Fallen Kingdom, you truly feel like the $69 paid for the event was quite a bargain.  What’s more is that through my observations, I noticed fans of all demographics enjoying the event.  I also got the sense that attendees were happy and having a great time, and it was certainly nice to see Universal commemorating the anniversary of one of its biggest films.  With the first two events selling out, I have to wonder if Universal will hold similar events in the future not only for Jurassic, but also for other established franchises like Harry Potter or Back to the Future.  I know more than a few fans who would wholeheartedly welcome a Jurassic Park 30th anniversary party in 5 years. 

In 2018, I am enormously excited.  Not only is Universal celebrating the 25th anniversary of one of my favorite films, but they are also releasing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom this summer.  Mattel is putting out some of the finest Jurassic Park toys of all time and truly delivering on the promise of what a great toy line should be.  Indeed, it is perhaps the best time to be a Jurassic fan.  Somewhere inside 33 year-old me, 8 year-old me is smiling and enjoying every minute of it. 

Victoria B.

Please find Victoria's Cantina on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! Don't miss our special episode focusing on the Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Celebration at Universal Studios in the player below. Also find a few more photos in the gallery below:

On June 20, the fourth installment of Toy Story was released, and in November next year it will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. There are plenty of reasons to talk about one of the biggest hits on the film scene and animated films. For its production they invested 30 million dollars and raised more than 350 million, becoming a cinematic success.

 It was supposed to be the starting point or the beginning of the Pixar era, it is that so many good times and magnificent works have given us. Therefore Toy Story can proudly boast being the first animated film in history to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. She was also nominated for Best Original Music and won the Oscar for Special Achievement. And today it's time to comment on 20 curiosities about Toy Story and how they were shaping it.

1. The first Pixar movie, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

Toy Story was the first official Pixar movie and the first to be created entirely by computer. What was a before and after in the history of cinema.

2. Tin Toy as the protagonist, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

At the beginning the idea was to have Tin Toy, the character of a Pixar short film created in 1988, as the protagonist of the film. But the producers thought that this character was somewhat outdated, so they started despite what types of toys children would use at that moment. That was how Buzz Lightyear was born.

 3. You are a toy, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

The original name of the film was You Are A Toy, which has been "You are a toy". That by the way, we could hear it in the form of a phrase within the film itself. Woody tells Buzz.

 4. The voice of Tom Hanks, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

Tom Hanks is the one who puts the voice to Woody in the original version of Toy Story. The funny thing is that the actor did not finish reading the script, and what they did was to draw dialogues from other films in which the actor worked.

 5. Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

The one in charge of interpreting Buzz at first was going to be Jim Carrey, but due to the lack of budget they opted for Tim Allen. While in the Spanish version, I imagine that most of you already know it well, it is José Luis Gil who gives him a voice.

6. In honor of Andries Van Dam, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

It is rumored that Andy's name is in honor of Andries Van Dam, a pioneer in animation and computer science, as well as vice president of research at Brown University in Providence. And by the way, he taught many of the creators of the film.

 7. Inspired by a real character, 20 curiosities toy story, the governing film.

Sid Phillips' character is inspired by a real person, specifically a former Pixar employee. In addition to the last name, they share the “mania” of dismantling toys to create really strange creatures with the pieces.

8. The short Luxo Jr.

We have a clear reference to the 1986 Pixar short Luxo Jr. Well, we see the lamp appear on Andy's desk and also the famous yellow and blue ball with a red star.

9. Tribute to Pixar short films.

When Woody climbs on the "lectern" to speak at the meeting that the toys have, we see several books placed on the bookshelf behind him. As it turns out, the titles that can be read on the back of the books belong to different short films developed by Pixar. What's more, even the name of the film's director appears.

10. Giving movement to the soldiers.

To create the movement of the soldiers we see in the film, the animation team did paste several shoes on a sheet of wood. Then they tried to walk with them on, so they would get an idea of ​​how soldiers' dolls should walk.

 11. Buzz Lightyear inspired by ...

Buzz Lightyear colors were not chosen at random. Green and purple were the favorite colors of the director's wife. Likewise, the animators to design Buzz's face were inspired by Lasseter himself. And the detail of Woody's back rope is due to a Casper doll that Lasseter had in his childhood.

 12. Wink at Jurassic Park.

An obvious that not everyone has to know, is that Rex was included in the film because at that time everyone was talking about the success of Jurassic Park.

 13. Negotiations with Hasbro and Mattel.

Pixar contacted the Hasbro toy company, to include the G.I. Joe in the movie. But of course, when they revealed that the idea was that Sid was going to blow one of them up, they refused. They also called Mattel to include a Barbie in the movie, but as they thought the feature film would not succeed they scrapped the offer. What happened after? That was a success, so when the sequel to Toy Story was announced it was Mattel who called Pixar and asked him to include Barbie. Of course, if there was a toy that benefited from Toy Story was the telesketch board. And it is that the company was on the broken bench before the premiere of the film, but after the premiere they increased their sales and saved themselves from ruin..

  14. The origin of Pizza Planet.

The original idea was that Pizza Planet be called Pizza Putt and be a restaurant with the theme outside of miniature golf. It was supposed to be a parody of the Pizza Hut franchise, but later they decided that the theme was space and called Pizza Planet. In this way Buzz might think that he could really return home in a spaceship.

 15. The participation of John Lasseter.

The voices of the Martians were put by the director himself, John Lasseter, who to get that effect in his voice decided to suck a little helium.

 16. Julie Macbarfle.

In Sid's backpack you can see that there are several drawings made in pencil. In one of them specifically you can read: "Julie Macbarfle has cooties" - what has been "Julie Macbarfle has lice". It is a tribute to the camera manager, since he kept insisting that his name appear in the film.

 17. Cinematic references.

We can find a clear reference to The Shining on the carpet in the lobby at Sid's house. It is inspired by the one in the Overlook Hotel. There are also a couple of references to Alien on Pizza Planet.

 18. Wink at a fudge at home.

Another reference, this time to a series, is the toolbox on the plastic box in which Buzz and Woody are trapped. It belongs to the fictional brand Binford, which is the same as Tim Allen used in the series A fudge at home.

19. The Pixar seal.

Here comes that little wink that appears in all Pixar movies. In the license plate of Andy's mother's car, the famous A 113 appears, which was the number of the classroom in which many of the animators who work at Disney and Pixar studied. If you look we can also see the registration NOV and the number 95, referring to the date on which the film was released.

 20. The Mickey Mouse cameo.

As you know, a Mickey Mouse appears in every Disney movie. Well, in Toy Story we see it inside the giant clock that is hanging in Andy's room.

- Dylan Rivera

I was swamped with various obligations all throughout #JurassicJune. So while I did celebrate by re-reading both Michael Crichton novels and re-watching all the previous Jurassic films and attending the premier of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - I wasn’t able to blog about it. Now #JurassicJune has come and gone and we are in #Kaijuly. But I have one post that I really wanted to make that I think appropriately touches on both month’s themes...

Jurassic Park as Monster Movie

“Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is nothing more – and nothing less – than the world’s most extravagant Godzilla movie.”

So said film critic David Ansen in his 1993 Newsweek review of the first Jurassic movie. Today this may sound like a rather dismissive assessment of a film which has come to be regarded as one of greatest sci-fi movies ever made. But rather than the snarky opinion of a single critic I find Ansen’s appraisal to be a rather frank and refreshing summation of what Jurassic Park actually is. A high tech monster movie.

Today everyone who was of the right age in 1993 agrees that Jurassic Park is a great movie. But curiously when you ask them “Why?” many have trouble explaining exactly what it is that made the film so great. This goes for professional film critics as well as self-proclaimed fans. Usually people put in this corner tend to fall back on vague adjectives claiming that Jurassic Park was great because it invoked a sense of “awe and wonderment,” a somewhat ironic claim since back in ‘93 legendary film critic Roger Ebert argued that it was exactly these qualities which Jurassic Park lacked... along with decently realized human characters and an interesting story. Both of which further adds to the amusement since in recent years a number of videos have started to pop-up on YouTube (see: here, here & here) made by people attempting to elucidate Jurassic Park’s greatness by examining its themes and characters. Much of the content of these videos is simply a rehash of observations made about Jurassic Park by academics over the last 25-years and deals with how the movie touches upon ideas regarding the perils of scientific advancement while advocating an agenda of reproductive futurism via its characters. See paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould’s essay “Dinomania” and sociologist John O’Neill’s essay “Dinosaurs-R-Us” as well as W.J.T. Mitchell’s The Last Dinosaur Book (U. of Chicago Press, 1998) and Joshua Bellin’s Framing Monsters (S. IL U. Press, 2005) for an example of some of this scholarship. Furthermore, what these YouTube commentators seem to have missed, which the actual scholars did not, is that these elements – the themes of technophobia and the importance of marriage and children – are among the most hackneyed and clichéd aspects of Jurassic Park, not to mention utterly retrograde in their outlook. These elements are certainly not what made Jurassic Park great or what has allowed it to endure for 25-years.

So what does make Jurassic Park great? For critics like Ansen and Ebert the answer, back in 1993, was obvious. The special-effects of course! “You want great dinosaurs, you got great dinosaurs,” wrote Ebert, “[and] because the movie delivers on the bottom line, I'm giving it three stars.” Jurassic Park spent nearly three years in special-effects research and development and combined the artistic might of stop-motion maven Phil Tippett, animatronics maestro Stan Winston and the cutting edge CGI work of Dennis Murren and ILM studios to usher in nothing less than a revolution in special-effects technology. Back in 1993 everyone who saw Jurassic Park left the theater believing – despite their better judgment – that they had seen real dinosaurs. And because of its special-effects after Jurassic Park the world of cinema has, quite literally, never been the same.

Yet as sci-fi author John Scalzi notes in his surprisingly provocative book The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies (Rough Guides, 2005), the fact that Jurassic Park – which Scalzi counts as being among the then 50 most important sci-fi films ever made –  is great precisely because of its groundbreaking special-effects work has often led to the film being severely underappreciated. Again this may sound odd in 2018 when everyone is celebrating the 25th-Anniversary of Jurassic Park and the fifth film in the franchise – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – just finished its second week as the Number 1 movie in America, but it’s important to remember that Scalzi was writing this in 2005 when the Jurassic Park brand was effectively dead in the water and Universal was seriously considering rebooting the franchise as something approaching a live-action adaptation of the cheesy 90s cartoon Extreme Dinosaurs.

Today Jurassic Park has regained its cultural capital in large part due to the phenomenal box office success of 2015’s Jurassic World - which as horror author and film critic Kim Newman observed succeeded in being the first film in the series to bring a definite “kaiju feel” to the franchise - but also because of the wave of 80s and 90s nostalgia currently surging through American popular-culture. But this same nostalgia has now caused Jurassic Park to be put on a pedestal, elevated far above its station to such an extent that many people now become nervous when you point out that they are venerating what is essentially a glitzy Godzilla flick. And make no mistake this is exactly what Jurassic Park is. In Don Shay and Jody Duncan’s highly recommended book The Making of Jurassic Park (Ballantine Books, 1993), Spielberg talks about what his seminal cinematic influences were when filming Jurassic Park. Among the foremost were a number of films which I have blogged about here including the original KING KONG (1933), THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS (1954), GORGO (1961) and of course GODZILLA (1954) which Spielberg singles out as “the most masterful of all dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening.” Other obvious influences, as noted by author Mark Berry in his The Dinosaur Filmography (McFarland, 2005), are the movies DINOSAURUS! (1960) and THE VALLEY OF GWANGI (1969). Jurassic Park – depending on your point of view – may have better special-effects than all of these films, but it is certainly not any better or more sophisticated than any of these films. In many ways, what Jurassic Park really is is a culmination of these films. The ultimate pop-culture dinosaur potpourri.

Currently there seems to be a great deal of monster-movie-denial going around with regards to Jurassic Park for a variety of different reasons. In fact, the only time people seem to want to mention the phrase “monster movie” in conjunction with Jurassic Park is when talking about the sequels and here the association is always negative. As in: ‘Jurassic Park was a great movie, but the sequels are just a bunch of dumb monster movies.’ I happen to like all of the Jurassic sequels to a greater or lesser extent, even the most recent film – Fallen Kingdom – which I nevertheless do acknowledge as being the most seriously flawed movie in the franchise to date. (If you want to hear my opinion of each film I suggest popping over to The Film Find podcast where I recently recorded an episode with regular host Adam Portrais on the entire Jurassic franchise.)

And while I would never insist that everyone who likes Jurassic Park also has to like the sequels I do expect that when someone is going to say a film is bad that they at least lay out a series of well thought out arguments about why they feel that way. And in this case saying that the Jurassic Park sequels are bad because they are “monster movies” when the original film wasn’t simply doesn’t count as a valid argument. I’m not sure how you prove to someone that Jurassic Park is a monster movie - really seems self-evident to me - but in the following series of posts I’m going to endeavor to demonstrate some of the ways that Spielberg used Jurassic Park to pay homage to the dino-monster movies of yesteryear and by doing so firmly seated his film as existing within that same tradition of fantastic film-making. 

Hello, tumblr Jurassic friends!

Here’s my latest video that celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Jurassic Park, my favourite film of all time. It briefly covers the filming and release of the film, and how the world reacted to it. Plus, there’s a section at the end that shows how fans today are still inspired by this wonderful dinosaur movie. 

I wanted it to be a big, rousing, celebration of Jurassic Park, and I’m happy with the response it’s gotten from my fellow fans.

See you around!

Garageland celebrates Jurassic Park's 25th anniversary with a print by Luke Martin. It measures 18x24, is limited to 100, and costs $30.

@choppedcreationcheesecake:  A massive statue has popped up on the banks of the River Thames by London’s Tower Bridge to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Jurassic Park” — and, no, it’s not a dinosaur. Now T…

Have you already heard of this? Thought you’d think it’s funny, that’s why I am submitting this. hehe

Anna:  OH MY GOODNESS!  Thanks so much for this @choppedcreationcheesecake  :D 

It’s Colin-Mr. Darcy-Firth emerging from the Serpentine in 2013 all over again!

AHAHAHAHA

Oh, London.

Just a few pics I took while at the JP 25th Anniversary Celebration!! With tons of friends who I met throughout the weekend! #jp25 . . . . . #jurassicworld #Jurassic #jurassicpark #world #park #chrispratt #dino #dinosaur #raptor #rex #rexy #trex #tyrannosaurus #velociraptor #thelostworld #cute #fun #cool #awesome #collectible #90s #vintage #collection #fallenkingdom #jurassicworldfallenkingdom #bluevelociraptor #legacycollection #jurassicparkvintage

'Jurassic Park' returning to theaters for 25th anniversary

What better way to celebrate a whopping quarter of a century since Jurassic Park hit theaters than by returning to the theater to see it again?

Jurassic Park 25th Anniversary Celebration - Universal Studios Hollywood - Surprise Guest Jeff Goldblum at Q&A

They talk about THE Jeff Goldblum scene in the Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldblum rubs his chest, and the director of Rogue One asks him to unbutton his shirt. There’s not really much else to say about this except everyone is thirsty for Goldblum apparently.  😂