Retroseans with Filmostrada: “Jurassic Park”

The Filmostrada publishing house has recently launched a series of classic titles in a retro version, referring to the 90s, i.e. the era of VHS cassettes, on the Polish market. Let’s take a look at this edition of the film directed by Steven Spielberg – Jurassic Park .

26 years have passed …

On June 9, 1993, the movie Jurassic Park made its debut in American cinemas. A little later, on September 3, he also came to Poland. It was directed by the then-recognized Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. He made his debut in 1959 with The Last Weapon . However, he was famous for films such as Jaws , Raiders of the Lost Ark and ET. The Jurassic Park scriptwriters were Michael Crichton and David Koepp. All three probably did not expect the title to bring them numerous awards, including three Oscars, and to turn out to be one of the most profitable productions in the history of cinema.

Dinosaur Island

I don’t think there are too many people who haven’t seen Jurassic Park, or at least didn’t know it. It is a cult and timeless movie. It tells about an extraordinary amusement park created by John Hammond. Thanks to his money and a group of eminent scientists, he managed to bring back to life dinosaurs that every visitor will now be able to see. Due to doubts as to whether the park will be safe, a special group consisting of two palaeontologists, Allan Grant and Ellie Sattler, mathematician Ian Malcolm and lawyer Donald Gennaro, has to visit it first. They are to set out to explore the island and see if tourists are allowed here. They are joined by Hammond’s grandchildren, Alexis and Timmy. Meanwhile, an underrated computer scientist, Dennis Nerdy, decides to make some extra money on the side and steals some frozen embryos to pass them on to the competition. To do this, it turns off all security systems. This sabotage makes

There can only be one hero!

Although Jurassic Parkis associated mainly with the name of Spielberg, its originator is the film’s screenwriter, Micheal Crichton. He made his way to six different labels with his story, but ultimately it was Universal who bought the rights and finalized the production. We saw many real Hollywood celebrities among the actors. However, the proposals to play in the film were rejected by, among others Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, Sean Connery, Jodie Foster, Michele Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Christina Ricci and Jim Currey. The studio, in turn, gave up the possibility of working with Nicole Kidman. Ultimately, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards were cast as the lead roles. Samuel L. Jackson and Wayne Knight also starred in the film. Although the actors found themselves perfectly in their roles,Jurassic Park . The audience, of course, loved the dinosaurs. Brachiosaurus, triceratops, parasaurolphs or vel attracted the attention of viewers, and their behavior, sometimes funny, sometimes drastic, aroused great emotions. Here, of course, the greatest praise goes to the creators who made the special effects and created models look so good and authentic that even after almost a quarter of a century they still look great on the screen. There is no artificiality here, and there are no major shortcomings. Everything feels real and natural. In this field, the film certainly trumps many productions released in later years, and it could compete with some of those times.

And a word more about the biggest star in Jurassic Park . He was present on T-shirts, posters and backpacks. Numerous smaller and larger figurines were created, modeled on him. Several artists have even created songs in his honor. Its roar so far movie fans hear in their heads. I’m talking about T-Rex, of course. Even before the premiere, the producers themselves stated that he is a real hero of the production and decided to add one scene with him. Well, the moment when the tyrannosaur saves people from velociraptorami was initially not in the script.

A must for fans

Jurassic Park in the “VHS Collection” edition looks very interesting. Filmostrada made sure that the box itself attracted attention and was associated with the 90s and cassette rentals. The film itself also refers to that period. It is not an HD version, and when the opening credits appear, the picture jumps a bit, like with a still not warmed up video. As for the Polish teacher, it is Jan Czernielewski, whose voice we can listen to since the 1960s, so it is as nostalgic as possible.

The menu is also nice. Although it is in English, you can easily find your way around it. In the foreground, we have options regarding what scene or language we want to choose and whether we would rather go to the bonuses. In the background, however, we see the bones of dinosaurs and a velociraptor running between them, which at the moment of making a choice, attacks us.

The biggest treat for fans, however, will be the accessories. I assume that they know the film by heart, so they won’t discover anything new here. However, among the bonuses, we get an almost one and a half hour long film about creating the title itself, in which James Earl Jones plays the role of our guide. It shows us the places where Jurassic Park was filmed, behind-the-scenes scenes or the process of creating dinosaur mockups. We’ll also hear what Steven Spielberg has to say. However, this is not the end of attractions. We will also be able to watch short films about film curiosities. And so, for example, we will find out, among others the fact that a mini-model of the island was created for the purposes of production, in which the treetops were replaced with … broccoli! We will also meet with sound engineers who show how the sounds of a dinosaur hatching from an egg were created using pineapple and ice cream cones. There is also a very interesting animation showing velociraptor chase after kids in the kitchen. The most interesting parts of the film were also presented in the form of a comic book. If you are still not enough, thanks to this issue you will be able to listen to how each great reptile sounded like, read information about them and check where exactly they were. To all this, there are also production notes and trailers for all three partsJurassic Park . It can take you even longer to get to know all the bonuses than the video itself!

Great idea and execution

Jurassic Park in the “VHS Collection” edition is a real treat for everyone. Cinema lovers cannot miss such a cult hit. People who remember the times of videotapes with nostalgia will also be satisfied. However, the most happy fans of dinosaurs and the title itself should be. All additions prepared by the publisher make the jaw drop. It will take over three hours to view the whole thing, and if you want to read the numerous notes more carefully, you will need to reserve even more time. A DVD released in this way is not too expensive, so it is even more worth getting it or giving it a gift. He will certainly be pleased.