Earlier this week, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (you know, the Oscar peoples) held a free screening of Steven Spielberg's 1993 summer box office terror, Jurassic Park. RSVPs were scooped up in two minutes flat and a sizable Stand By crowd showed up hoping to get in.
The Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Wilshire was buzzing as guests, staff and security mingled about. Inside, the lobby acts as a museum exhibition space with rotating galleries. Currently, Stanley Kubrick materials adorned the walls in the form of posters, photos, storyboards, call sheets and more (Kirk Douglas as Spartacus alert!).
A great panel of guests was lined up to speak before the movie: Production Designer Rick Carter, ILM designer Dennis Muren, Dinosaur Supervisor and ED-209 creator Phil Tippett, 3D Conversion maestro William Sherak and Blood Sucking Lawyer actor Martin Ferrero (from Miami Vice!). It was a short and sweet affair moderated by the capable David S. Cohen of Variety.
- The T-Rex attack was the hardest scene to convert because of the multiple elements: rain, truck, actors, T-Rex, trees, leaves, fence wires, etc
- Stan Winston's board room is a silent contract negotiator, a potential client walks in, sees life size makes of Terminator endo-skeleton, Predator, Alien and signs up knowing they're getting the best.
- A hurricane struck on location, stranding cast and crew in a hotel ballroom. Spielberg wanted to go out and film mother nature at work and put it in the movie.
- Kathleen Kennedy bribed the local military to fly cast and crew to safety, forever endearing her to the panel or at least Phil Tippett.
- Tyrannosaurus Rex is a lot of people's favorite dinosaur (Stegosaurus for life baby!) and was inserted into the end as a last minute idea to make the Raptors more villainous.
Of course more was discussed but you don't have time for that. The movie holds up well as an exciting mix of science tinged adventure, thrills, practical and computerized effects with a great cast, sweeping music and that weird yet hilarious beefcake moment with Jeff Goldblum. 3D didn't add much for me but then again it never does (except Titanic because they went double the depth of frames than other movies).
A great night at and put on by The Academy. Looking forward to seeing Enter the Dragon there soon.
http://www.oscars.org/events-exhibitions/events/index.html
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