DVD Advert Looks Behind-the-scenes
I received a few reports this morning of a new 30 minute paid advertisment for the JP/TLW DVD's, which features a look at JP3 in addition to trying to convince people to buy the discs. inGenNET has a few clips with new JP3 footage shown on the show (it apparently aired this morning on CNBC), which included this memoriable line from Grant to Billy: "If I lose you, its just me and the damn tourists." (Thanks Sean and Dan)

Film Journal Interviews Johnston
The new issue of Film Journal International, an industry magazine on filmmaking, features a raptor on the cover and an interview with JP3 director Joe Johnston inside. Some excerpts from the interview, entitled "Dinosaur Legacy":

"I didn’t sit down and say I want this film to look different, but it’s part of a lot of different people’s styles. I have a style, my production designer Ed Verreaux has a style, and Shelly Johnson, the cinematographer, has a very definite style. What happens is you start evolving a look and feel for the film based on the amalgamation of these different styles. I think the one thing that will be obvious to anyone who has seen the other two movies is this one is a little bit darker. Tonally and thematically, it may be a little frightening for younger kids."

[On casting choices] "I like to go to movies and see someone you don’t expect to see. That’s very entertaining for me. You could think of a hundred actors who would be more apt to be stuck on an island, trying to survive among man-eating dinosaurs. Bill Macy is not a name and a face that automatically springs to mind, but that’s what makes it interesting, especially when you team him with Téa Leoni, who has a little more experience in this kind of movie than Bill."

BK Cups Out
Apparently the Burger King promotion is in full swing in Canada, as several people have reported seeing commercials advertising the promo, where you can get collectors cups and special "dino cookies" with purchase. At right is one of the cups available, certainly destined to be collector's items simply because you can only get them in Canada. (Thanks 'Velocisaur')

New Reviews
Several new JP3 reviews have surfaced, one at BBC Online and several others at Ain't It Cool News (Warning, spoilers!), many of which seem to have been written following a recent JP3 press screening in London. The first reviewer at AICN seems to struggle with his thoughts on the film, though ultimatly likes it, deciding that, "[JP3 is] guilty of being a loud, fun, exciting piece of entertainment." The BBC look at the film is shorter, with the reviewer giving the film 3 out of 5 stars. Other comments from the reviews at Harry's site run the gamut, ranging from "I thought [it] was totally crap" to "Jurassic Park 3 is a fun summer popcorn movie". (Thanks 'Ellersaur')

JP3 Racing News
For those of us who missed tonight's debut of the Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte's JP3-themed NASCAR's at Daytona, 'lew dodgson' reports the drivers finished 6th and 5th, respectively. In related news, the two drivers will be on QVC next Friday at 8pm hawking various NASCAR products, including the diecast models of their cars. If you just can't wait, this Yahoo! store is selling JP3-themed race car models, including the NASCAR's, Funny cars, and Pro stock bikes. (Also thanks 'Bigdlefr77' and Rob)

July 7, 2001

You just caught me. The offices are closing down. I'm going in to load up the last of my stuff... The running time is around 94 minutes, but I still don't understand anyone's alarm with this. As I've said before, this film has more dinosaur shots, both CG and animatronic, than the other two Jurassic Parks combined. What is this hang-up with running time? Makes no sense. Do your readers think that longer is better? I could name a few recent long-winded dogs to refute that argument. What do they want, Doctor Zhivago? You'll have to set them straight on this, Dan. It's now up to you.

Anyway, nice chatting with you. I'll be off to Montana shortly to dig again with Jack Horner. As you may know, the official premiere of Jurassic Park 3 is being held in Bozeman as a fund-raiser for the Museum of the Rockies. I'll be at the dig for the remainder of the summer helping Jack excavate one of the largest specimens of Edmontosaurus ever found...well over 40 feet long. A hadrosaur, mind you! He also has five separate T-Rexes still in the ground, including one that he believes is over 90 percent complete. Plenty to keep the volunteers busy for the rest of the season.

Cheers, hope you like the movie and farewell. Signing off. Over and out.

July 6, 2001

I won't go into too much detail, but there are some suspense sequences which work an absolute treat (the pteranodon sequence, and the boat sequence with the Spino is good) while others seem rushed and more than a little contrived. Ultimately, Johnston just doesn't have the courage of his convictions, and the film isn't anywhere as dark or nasty as it could, or should have been. Not enough people die, for one thing. The script is at times messy, as you might expect, and is hugely over-reliant on a hoary device of characters stopping in the middle of the action and suddenly detecting an important noise which can help them. There are also a couple of major holes in the plot, and yes the ending is a little abrupt. Performances are good, Sam Neill is a little older, surlier, while Bill Macy is his usual good value self (although his big comedy line - "It's hard not to feel a little insulted" wasn't there; shame).

But you want to know about the dinosaurs, don't you? Well, the effects are even better than before. With the possible exception of slightly fake CG pteranodons, the combination of CG and animatronics is seamless, while the Spino is every bit as kick-ass as had been mentioned. The raptors are under-used, though. As ever, they contribute to possibly the best sequence, where they set a trap for the humans, but then just fade out of contention. They're built up at the beginning to be super, hyper-intelligent, but their sporadic use is very disappointing. The pteranodons are mean and nasty, but once again under-used, though. Oh, and the big fight between T rex and Spino is effective, but once again way too short. As is the movie.

With a little more care, this could have been the best blockbuster of the summer; as it is, it smacks a little of a lost opportunity, leaving the original - still - as the King of the Dino flicks.

Update2: Yet another review has been spotted, this one sent into Corona's Coming Attractions (scroll to the end -- watch out for spoilers!). This one is not as negative as the previous look at JP3, with the reviewer saying, "You leave the theatre going: That was certainly a movie of an exciting nature." (Thanks inGenNET)

New 'Survivor' Pics
Gamespot.com has some new screenshots from the upcoming PS2 game based on the Jurassic Park franchise called "JP: Survival". "Although slated for release alongside the home video release of Jurassic Park III, the game will present an entirely new storyline that will work in unison with the action-adventure gameplay system." (Thanks Simon and Mike)

Commercial #9!
Here's another recent JP3 commercial, this one featuring lots of cool shots, again thanks to Yvonne! (It's missing the first second or two, but it's cool nonetheless):

Commercial #9 (3.8mb ZIP, mpeg format) "[On July 18th, Universal Studios] invites you to experience the wonder.. the excitement... and the adventure.. like never before."

ET Clip
Missed tonights Entertainment Tonight segment on JP3, which reportedly contained several new shots, including a somewhat-funny scene with Dr. Grant? Don't worry, inGenNET managed to encode the clip -- it can be downloaded here (12.2mb ZIP, mpeg format)!

July 5, 2001

JP3 On ET
Apparently the JP3 story (with "exclusive new footage") that was supposed to air on ET last night was bumped, as 'Mike007' noticed ET Online has a big thing up on their website about the film. (Update: Almost 100% sure it'll be on tonight's episode, apparently ET messed up last night.)

Get Commercial #8!
Here's the new JP3 commercial everyone's talking about -- extra special thanks to Yvonne for making this clip possible. Apparently there's yet another new commercial out there, so be on the lookout!

Commercial #8 (4.7mb ZIP, mpeg format) "It's their world now....."

Leoni on the Human Characters
Tea Leoni talked to "Ian Spelling's Inside Trek & Sci Fi" about her character in JP3, Amanda, and her motivation as an actress -- which Tea seems to have taken pretty seriously. Here's an excerpt from Cinescape.com's excerpt:

"We didn't have a very conclusive script at the time we began filming, but what I knew at the start would remain the same throughout whatever changes were made: Amanda is a mother who has lost her son, which is my own worst nightmare, and I'm sure it's top of the list for most mothers. That drives everything Amanda does, every move she makes."

Contests And Ads
New contests and advertisements for JP3 seem to be popping up everywhere: MTV.com has a JP3 banner ad and accopanying contest, where you can win a trip to Hawaii and $5,000. Some Toys 'R Us stores are currently running an in-store "spine-tingling sweepstakes" to win a Jeep, a replica of a Deinonychus foot and claw, or a 'Dino Discovery Trip' to Canada (You can enter that one online, here). And speaking of Canada, visitors to Canadian website MusiquePlus.com can enter to win two tickets to the JP3 premiere in Montreal on July 16th. There are also some notable JP3 advertisements: At Uproar.com, look for the JP3 ad banner which makes noise and shakes your browser window. Back in the real world, in one of the strangest JP3 advertisements yet, John reports seeing a "huge JP3" banner being pulled by an airplane in the skies over Hampton Bays, Long Island last weekend. (Also thanks Andreas, Scott, and Kevin)

First Look at JP3 NASCARS Tonight
'Lzreadr' reports the Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart NASCARs with the JP3 themes will debut tonight during qualifing at Daytona, which will air on TNT at 8pm ET. The race itself is Saturday at 8pm on NBC.

Actors Strike Averted
Here is an article which talks about the deal, which calls off any strike or walk-off by the actors guild. Not not would a strike have brought Hollywood to a stand-still, it would have also endangered JP3's promotion, preventing actors from appearing on talk shows to promote the film. (Thanks 'Sinorsis')

July 4, 2001

Man, reviewing a soundtrack is hard. I've listened to the JP3 score about 8 times now -- all day at work yesterday, driving around in my car after work yesterday, and all day today, and I'm still not sure what to say about it. Basically, you're just going to need to get the score and decide for yourself.

I think, however, that while the JP3 score does not really come close to equaling the majesty and brilliance of John Williams' original JP score, the JP3 soundtrack may be what Jurassic Park fans were hoping for (but did not really get) with the TLW soundtrack. The JP3 score is definitely a return to the roots of JP music -- sweeping strings, loud horn sections, and in some places, the original JP melodies. The bongos/drums Williams employed in TLW are fortunately not here.

Listening to much of the music, you can imagine what will go with it on the screen: chases -- lots of 'em -- and lots of action. The music is certainly good driving music -- I found myself speeding down the highway at probably a higher rate of speed than usual. The few slower pieces on the CD are also well done. I especially liked how Davis "remixed" some of the original JP themes (and some TLW bits), weaving them into different tracks.

However, while the JP3 cd certainly has some bright spots, the major differences between it and the JP soundtrack are not hard to miss: while Williams created a set of themes for JP that are among the best ever made for a movie, Davis seems content to create a score that simply tries to imitate Williams instead of really trying to stand out on his own -- especially unfortunate since Davis is a talented composer in his own right. His few "new" themes -- for instance, ones for Billy and the spino, are simply not very memorable.

That said, however, the JP3 score does give us what the film needs: fast action music to go with a fast action movie. Viewed along with the film, I'm sure everything will fall into place perfectly.

Oh, the "enhanced features" of the cd are really nothing to write home about -- they include a few stills from the film, the theatrical trailer, and a trailer for the upcoming PS2 JP3 game, "Survivor".

JP3 on E! News Daily
More JP3 in the entertainment news: Yvonne reports E! News Daily will run a segment on the film with "the stars of JP3" on Thursday.

Chat With Sam Neill
News from the Jurassic Park Passport: JP3 star Sam Neill is scheduled to chat live on MSN, next Monday, July 9th at 5pm. (Thanks 'Aqua Spinosaurus')

Official JP3 Site Updated
Several sections of the Official JP3 website has been updated with new content, including soundtrack clips, cast and crew pictures and information, and my favorite -- more production notes. Here's some excerpts:

Johnston savored the idea of bringing back Neill’s character. "This is a different Dr. Grant," said the director. "He barely survived Isla Nublar and he’s been hardened by his experience. He’s more cynical and he really doesn’t want to be there."

His character may have been reluctant to enter the fray, but Neill was eager to don the doctor’s fedora - and his shoes. "I’ve never played a film role twice, and coming back to play Grant was like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes."

Johnston put each of the film’s main characters in classic Jurassic jeopardy -- a head-to-head encounter with a carnivorous dinosaur. "I think my favorite scene was when a Pteranodon picks me up," said 14-year-old Trevor Morgan

"We do know that [the spino] had a skull that was eight feet long, and a body that was about 60 feet long," Jack Horner [said]. "If we base the ferocious factor on the length of the animal, there was nothing that ever lived on this planet that could match this creature. Also, my hypothesis is that T-rex was actually a scavenger rather than a killer. Spinosaurus was really the predatory animal."

Like the T-rex, the full-scale Velociraptor [animatronics] received a face-lift from Winston and his staff based on new information from Horner. "Every year we discover new things," he said. "We now have pretty good Velociraptor skulls and know that they look very different from how they were portrayed in the first two movies. We’ve found evidence that Velociraptors had feathers, or feather-like structures, and we’ve incorporated that into the new look of the raptor."

According to Horner, the Pteranodon, the flying reptile in Jurassic Park III, is fictitious, and based somewhat on the Pterosaur. Producer Kennedy described the creature as "enormous and scary. We put together a fairly intense scene that probably defines this movie as vastly different from the other two."

In addition to the full-sized adult flying reptiles that required a combined methodology of animatronics, puppetry and a man in a suit, Winston’s artisans also designed and built a nest full of baby Pteranodons. While the raptors and the Spinosaurus were hydraulically controlled, Rosengrant explained, these baby Pteranodons were old-fashioned rod puppets. There were five of them in the nest set, with four puppeteers working underneath the set for each puppet.

The biggest challenge facing veteran effects technician Michael Lantieri and his crew involved simulating the 44-foot Spinosaurus’ attack on a downed plane in Isla Sorna’s dense jungles. This task required close collaboration with Winston’s crew.

Rosengrant oversaw the construction of a full-scale Spino leg prop (á la King Kong’s hand holding Fay Wray) that would be suspended from poles guided by two Winston puppeteers. For one series of shots, Johnston directed the puppeteers to slam the leg down on the plane fuselage - a full-scale prop built by Lantieri’s team. Once director Johnston completed that portion of the sequence, another prop fuselage was placed on the sound stage. Lantieri rigged this plane with a hydraulic machine that crushed the fuselage from inside, creating the illusion that the Spinosaurus’ weight was squashing it. ILM added the complete rendering of the animal, Johnston filmed the actors rolling around in yet another prop plane, and the scary scenario was complete.

See the Spino at Universal
It looks like the animatronic spinosaurs from JP3 on display now at Universal Studios Hollywood is going to stay there awhile, as our man on the scene, 'Scififann' reports they've added props like trees and a bent light pole around the spino, to "give the appearnce that the spinosaurus has just crashed into the park."

[News from June 28nd through July 3th]