'Jurassic World' resurrects famed franchise from extinction
With “Jurassic World” opening June 12, our minds couldn't help but wander:
‘Jurassic' flashback
Going back 22 years doesn't seem that long, when compared with re-creating dinosaurs that became extinct 65 million years ago. Now, Steven Spielberg hopes to reanimate the success he had with the first “Jurassic Park” movie in 1993, based on the Michael Crichton book.
For those with short memories, here's a recap of the first three movies:
“Jurassic Park” (June 1993) What can go wrong during a preview tour of a new theme park with cloned dinosaurs? Just about everything. Richard Attenborough plays the owner of the park, with Sam Neill and Laura Dern as paleontologists and Pittsburgh's own Jeff Goldblum as a mathematician spouting “chaos theory.” It won Oscars for best sound, sound effects and visual effects and grossed more than $395 million in the United States and $1 billion worldwide.
“The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (May 1997) Two teams end up on a second island with prehistoric beasts, one for good and one for greed. The good guys include Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn and Richard Schiff. The bad guys, who end up bringing a T-rex to San Diego, are led by Pete Postelwaite and Arliss Howard. As Goldblum says, “Oooh, aaah, that's how it always starts, but then later there's running and screaming.” It earned one Oscar for best visual effects and grossed $229 million in the States, $786 million worldwide.
“Jurassic Park III” (July 2001) William H. Macy and Tea Leoni convince Sam Neill's paleontologist to go back to the island on false pretenses. He finds out after they've crashed on the island that the couple's son is lost there; mayhem ensues. This one wasn't directed by Spielberg (though he did produce) or based on a Crichton book (other than appropriating his characters and theme). It grossed $181 million domestically and $365 million globally.
‘Jurassic' quiz
How well do you know the world of “Jurassic Park”? A small, quick (and vicious) velociraptor-size quiz:
1. What actor returns to “Jurassic World” in the same role from the first film?
2. Which dinosaur kills the most humans in “Jurassic Park” and its sequels (not including “Jurassic World”)?
3. What animals' sounds were recorded to simulate the noises of the Tyrannosaurus rex?
4. In “Jurassic Park,” how did they make the famous glass of water on the dash of the Ford Explorer ripple, to signal the stomping approach of a dinosaur?
5. What historical personage was John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), the founder of InGen and owner of Jurassic Park, based on?
6. How many minutes of actual dinosaur footage are in “Jurassic Park”?
7. What other Michael Crichton novel was Steven Spielberg working on and dropped it when he heard about “Jurassic Park”?
8. Which two characters' onscreen flirtations preceded a real-life relationship?
9. Who admitted to doing “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997) to pay off a divorce settlement?
10. Spielberg's first choice to play Sarah Harding was Juliette Binoche, not Julianne Moore. What part did Binoche insist on playing instead?
quiz answers
1. B.D. Wong as Dr. Henry Wu, chief geneticist in the original film. 2. Velociraptors, which kill 13. Most are classified as “dragged into grass, eaten.” 3. Dog, penguin, tiger, alligator and elephant sounds. 4. A guitar string attached to the underside of the dash beneath the glass. 5. Pittsburgh industrialist and dinosaur collector Andrew Carnegie. 6. 15. (Nine minutes of Stan Winston's animatronics, 6 minutes of computer-generated imagery from Industrial Light & Magic). 7. “ER.” He would later return to “ER,” which would become a successful TV series. 8. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). 9. Julianne Moore 10. She said she'd appear only if she could “play the dinosaur.”
‘The Good Dinosaur' ahead
Five months after “Jurassic World's” release, families may be glad to know a gentler, PG-rated dinosaur movie will be hitting the big screen with Pixar's “The Good Dinosaur,” slated to open Nov. 25.
The 3-D-animated movie, Pixar's most anticipated of 2015, presents a scenario in which dinosaurs never became extinct. Under this premise, that world-altering asteroid missed hitting Earth.
The movie's main character, Arlo, a jovial-appearing Apatosaurus, follows the familiar Disney narrative of “adolescent self-discovery,” setting off on a journey to confront his fears following a traumatic family event, according to Disney's official website. While traveling along the way, Arlo finds an unlikely human sidekick. The movie includes the voice talents of Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hader and Judy Greer.
Our favorite dinosaurs
Barney: Purple PBS show favorite who sings songs about friendship
Rex: Video-game-loving toy dino in the “Toy Story” movies
Dippy: Mascot of the Carnegie Museums in Oakland
Dorothy: Singing, dancing polka-dotted companion of the Wiggles
Yoshi: Little green character in Super Mario Bros. and other Nintendo video games
Dino: House pet of the Flintstones
The Sinclairs: Sitcom about a family of dinosaurs
Gertie: One of the first animated films featured this dinosaur.
Littlefoot: Orphaned Apatosaurus in “The Land Before Time” movies and TV show
Dinos alive
If the movies these days aren't real enough for you, animatronics take that extra step.
“Walking With Dinosaurs — The Arena Spectacular” is likely the most high-profile live show with its 10 life-size animatronic dinosaurs. Each of them weighs 1.6 tons and are controlled by a team of three operators. The show, which played at the Consol Energy Center, Uptown, in July and August 2014, has been seen by more than 8 million people in 217 cities around the world. The show debuted in 2007 in Australia as a spinoff of a 1999 eight-part BBC television series.
“Discover the Dinosaurs,” a touring show that came to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown, in March, is a hands-on exhibit with more than three dozen large dinosaur figures, including animatronic dinosaurs that visitors operate by pushing a button, and static, museum-quality dinosaur-replica statues. A walk-through area features dinosaur scenes with sight, sound and motion.
“Erth's Dinosaur Zoo” is an interactive production featuring a team of performers and puppeteers from Australia-based Erth Visual & Physical.
The show is playing through Labor Day weekend at the Dallas Zoo as part of its “Giants of the Jurassic” exhibit. Another version is touring England.
“Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train Live: Buddy's Big Adventure,” a more preschooler-friendly show, has been touring the United States. The 75-minute show is based on the hit PBS series “Dinosaur Train” and features Henson's creative puppets as the show's characters. The show recently ended its current tour.
“Jurassic Quest,” the ultimate interactive dinosaur experience, is a festival-style event with over 50 realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs, fossil digs, bounce attractions, inflatable mazes, face painting and crafts. The closest it will get to Pittsburgh is when it plays Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield, Ohio, from July 17 to 19.
5 reasons we love Chris Pratt
1. He's not afraid to look like a fool — witness his six seasons as Andy Dwyer on “Parks and Recreation.”
2. He clearly loves his wife (Ana Faris) and 2-year-old son. A video of him teaching Jack the Pledge of Allegiance this Memorial Day was just adorable.
3. He was the voice of the every-man builder Emmett in “The Lego Movie.”
4. He loses graciously. For instance, he let 6-year-old Noah Ritter gleefully rub in his victory on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in a dinosaur trivia contest.
5. Despite being one of the hottest Hollywood commodities these days, he remains humble. He tweeted this week, “I'm fully expecting to wake up from a dream at some point. But until then, watch this #JurassicWorld spot...
