Apes vs. Dinos
The third battle in ETOnline.com's "Summer Showdown" is now open, pitting JP3's "Dinos" against POTA's "Apes". You know what to do! (Thanks Nathon)

Harry Likes JP3
The other movie critic whom I really respect besides Ebert, Harry Knowles of AICN.com, has posted his very positive of JP3. Harry didn't really like JP or TLW, so it's even more surprising he calls JP3 an "adrenaline filled A-list Dinosaur attraction", adding, "Joe Johnston, way to go… you clocked Spielberg fiercely for Dino fun! Way to go!" You can read Harry's full review here.

Bob Posts Original Ending
Bob from Hawaii Movie Tours let me know he has posted the final two pages (nice HTML effect!) of his draft of the JP3 script, which you might call JP3's "original ending" (we don't know, however, whether or not these shots were actually filmed). The scene features a final return of a pteranodon and another appearance by Dr. Sattler.

'Jurassic Chickens' Possible
Not really JP3 related but interesting nonetheless, this story from Ananova.com reports scientists believe that they may one day be able to reverese-engineer bird DNA and "make it more primitive" so the resulting chicken would be very close to a dinosaur. (Thanks Joonas)

Macy on 'America's Sweethearts'
What does Macy think about going up against Julia Roberts and her new film "America's Sweethearts"? "I'd like to see Julia Roberts up against a velociraptor," he said to Access Hollwyood last night. "All I ask is that several million people see [JP3] 4 or 5 times." Access Hollywood also cited some "exit poll" numbers, saying 55% of those polled "liked" JP3.

Hollywood Premiere Pics
JP3HQ has some very nice pics from smack-dab in the middle of the red carpet at Tuesday's ritzy Hollywood premiere (Jon was the guy I hinted at who was attending the premiere a few weeks ago). Jon also has his positive review online, you can read that here. My review? Coming soon...

Deleted Scenes List
Ahh, they beat me to it: JPAftermath.com has already started to compile a list of JP3 "Deleted Scenes". For instance (spoilers!): A line said by Macy's character after the red dino (Cerataurus) sniffs the group when they're retrieving the phone was, "Well, I can't help but feel a bit offended." Apparently the line was cut because it was a bit too "cheesy".

July 18, 2001

Ebert Likes JP3
Probably the only movie critic that I actually listen to, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Roger Ebert has given JP3 a positive review, saying "This movie does a good job of doing exactly what it wants to do.. Like the second half of a double bill in the 1940s, it doesn't overstay its welcome." More from Ebert's review:

I am aware that ''Jurassic Park III'' is shorter, cheaper and with fewer pretensions than its predecessors, and yet there was nothing I disliked about it, and a lot to admire in its lean, efficient storytelling. I can't praise it for its art, but I must not neglect its craft, and on that basis, I recommend it.

JP3!
Hey, guess what, JP3 comes out today! If you haven't seen it already (amazingly enough the only theater that was showing JP3 at midnight tonight near me was about a hundred miles away), you'll see it tomorrow, at which point you should head over to the new You Review JP3 section and type-up your thoughts!

Laura Dern Prego
Looks like Dr. Sattler has finally found a man who will settle down after dumping that low-life Dr. Alan Grant -- according to this Launch.com story, Laura Dern and her husband, singer-songwriter Ben Harper, are expecting a baby in the fall. This will be Dern's first child.

July 17, 2001

JP3 on TV Tonight
If you're not standing in line for a midnight screening of JP3 tonight, turn on your TV: According to the Jurassic Passport, JP3 will be featured on the major entertainment news shows (EXTRA, Access Hollywood, and E! News Daily), and a segment on Jack Horner's new dino discovery (which will no doubt be tied in with JP3) will air on NBC News Tonight. Check your local listings for times and channels.

How Animatronics Works
The amazingly interesting website HowStuffWorks.com has launched a new section entitled "How Animatronics Works", an guide to how Stan Winston Studios went about creating the animatronic spinosaurus for JP3. The 11-page article talks in detail about each step of the involved process, from building a maquette to "test it and work out any bugs".

JP3 Reviews
Here come the reviews from last night's premieres/special screenings. Maybe its time for a bulleted list:

• A reviewer at The Mediadrome likes the film, asking, "So what if the story line is lacking? The fact remains that practically everybody is fascinated by dinosaurs and the idea of mixing them with people is irresistible."
• Site reader Rusty says, "I would liken [JP3] to a comic book page turner where, yes, there is little character developement, but OH MAN, does the action kick ass... I do have to say that I agree with just about every reviewer so far in that it IS TOO SHORT and does end abruptly...but what you do get to see leaves you craving more, more, more."
• Brandon agrees, saying "Other than the ending (the last minute before credits) it was a great movie!"
• Almost the exact same sentiments from Ruben, who says it was "a great movie, except for the ending". (A full review is promiesd later at his site)
• 'michaelsch' says he "liked it a lot", and "I'm sure fans will really like it too since it ties in with the original and the sequel quite well. The cast is solid except for Tea Leoni, who is annoying."
• While Garth (of Dark Horizons) hasn't posted his review yet, Dan J. managed to get an "suffice to say I really enjoyed it" out of him. (There's an interview up with Tea Leoni at his site, by the way.)
• And finally, the guys over at Hometheaterforum.com are have been offering their thoughts on the film, with one member giving it a 4/5 and saying "Jurassic Park III almost lives up to the original and is much better than the crap that was The Lost World."

Singapore/Malaysia Report 'Unfair'
File this one under 'bad reporting': According to 'michaelsch', it looks like Final Fantasy actually didn't really beat JP3 last weekend at sneak screenings in Singapore and Malaysia (story). "It's not fair (for Variety) to compare box office receipts of Final Fantasy with JP3," says Michael, who lives in Malaysia. "FF was released island-wide, while JP3 had sneaks from Thursday to Sunday period only at a select number of cinemas (usually 2 evening/midnight sneaks per day)."

Johnston Interview
There's a nice interview with Joe Johnston over at IGN FilmForce, where the JP3 director comments about the series, and what Spielberg told him about why making TLW a successful film was so difficult:

"The only thing that Steven had said to me about it was that the problem for him [with the second film] was that everyone who went there was a specialist; everyone who was on the island knew why they were going. They knew there were dinosaurs there that could eat them; they all had these agendas. Jeff Goldblum had the only agenda that didn’t involve the dinosaurs -- he wanted to get his girlfriend back. The first one was so great because the people had no idea what they were getting into. I think Steven was always conscious of needing to go back in that direction."

July 16, 2001

Reviews Coming In
More JP3 reviews trickling in... Ross Anthony's Hollywood Report Card looked at the film, giving it an "A-" and saying "take your intellectual needs elsewhere, but if you want a movie you can ride, then sit back and enjoy this well paced audio/visually saturated adventure." And while the reporter at Starburst Magazine calls the film a "great thrill-ride packed with back-to-back scares" (giving it a 4/5), an anoymous reviewer at Dark Horizons says JP3 has a "weak script [with] ridiculous humor at the wrong time." Finally, Slant Magazine also pans the film, saying "Those who admired the first Jurassic Park's vain attempt at scientific credibility will, no doubt, bemoan the relatively brainless nature of this third sequel." If you see JP3 tonight, be sure to send in your thoughts!

No Deleted Scenes on JP3 DVD?
A tiny article at Videostoremag.com indicates Joe Johnston told reporter Jessica Wolf that "he used every scene he shot -- and most of the footage from each scene," so deleted scenes on the JP3 DVD look doubtful. "DVD extras may come in the way of unused storyboards, Johnston said. Two other complete versions of the film were written and storyboarded before he scrapped the script just five weeks before filming began in Hawaii." You'll remember Johnston previously told this site that two tiny scenes were cut from the final film, but not really worth including on a DVD. (Thanks David)

Final Fantasy Beats JP3 In Sneaks
An interesting story from Variety this morning reports that for some odd reason, sneak previews of JP3 were shown to audiences this weekend in Singapore and Malaysia. The movie took in $210,000 and $140,000, respectively, but in both markets it was beaten by "Final Fantasy". However, the article says, the gross for JP3 was more than a 3-day preview of TLW back in 1997.

Watch 'Walking With Dinosaurs' Tonight on Discovery
Another incentive to watch Discovery Channel's "encore presentation" of the award-winning "Walking With Dinosaurs" tomorrow night (starting at 8pm) -- besides being hosted by William H. Macy and Tea Leoni, the special promises "exclusive" new clips from JP3. (Thanks Matt)

News Bites
JP3 news and tid-bits, in tiny, bite-sized shapes!

• An article from the LA Times entitled Bon Vivant talks to Sam Neill and Joe Johnston, probing the men about JP3. "I think the actor playing Dr. Grant actually does him better this time," Neill says. "I think Grant's better delineated, more interesting. He's gnarlier, kind of a chewy old guy."
• A tid-bit in the Vancouver Sun yesterday says that JP3 may make-or-break the industry this summer: "When Jurassic Park III opens on Wednesday, not only will Universal Studios be watching the box-office take for its big summer release, the entire movie industry will be checking the numbers."
• The Chicago Tribune sat down with Joe Johnston about JP3, where the director comments about the first time Spielberg visited the set: "Steven stopped by the first time we did a shot for our first big [special-effects] sequence, and he left saying, `Boy, I'm glad I don't have to do this.'"
• An article that ran over the BPI Wire talks to Neill and Leoni about JP3, with the former relating an amusing story about when the crew took a break on 'JP: The Ride': "We all had the fake blood on us and were in wardrobe, covered in dirt and stuff, but no one on the ride even blinked at us."
• Theatergoers in Manhattan, take note: Loewes theaters are debuting a new technology on their website called "In-Home movie tickets", which you can actually print out and bring to the theater instead of standing in line. "The service will officially be launched on Wednesday, to coincide with the release of "Jurassic Park III"

July 15, 2001

New JP3 Review
Nick Dixon, an employee of Scottish TV in Glasgow, was lucky enough to attend a "media screening" of JP3 this morning and wrote in to share some of his thoughts with us. Here's Nick:

Where do I start? Well, first off all, I want to address the negative comments I have read recently - complete nonsense. The film is not too short, the characters are just fine, story is OK (for an action movie!) - but the movie itself is just one big adrenaline rush! Very exciting, scary, tense and enjoyable. I think it is the best of the 3 (so far) and it certainly exceeded my expectations. And after visiting Dans site daily for god knows how long - my expectations were pretty high!!

It certainly doesnt feel too short - people seem to be getting very concerned about it's duration. Joe Johnston certainly packed a lot into 90 minutes. It really never crossed my mind at all whilst watching it. As for the "sudden ending"... I don't know what folks are talking about. Really. The ending is just fine. (I don't want to spoil it for anyway, so I will say nothing.) The movie never plods, the pace is just right.

The action is very exciting throughout the film. You constantly feel like the characters are being stalked and hunted. Very scary. And when the dinos do strike... well, it's pretty intense. They look fantastic - and hungry!

Acting perfomances (humans!)... Sam Neill is great, as is the kid and William H Macy. To be honest, I found Téa Leoni a little annoying (when she screamed!) at times but it wasnt that big a deal.

The audience reacted very well to it - even gave it a round of applause at the end, which is quite unusual for us reserved UK folks!

Davis Interview
Cinemusic.net has posted a pretty lengthy interview with JP3 composer Don Davis entitled "David-Saurus-Rex", where the composer talks about the JP3 cd, his other projects (Davis also is composing music for the soon-to-be-canceled ABC TV show "The Beast"), and his past work. An excerpts:

Was JURASSIC PARK a chance to take the series in a new musical direction or was it a chance for you to just write big, old-fashioned action music?

DD: The point of it was to expand upon John Williams' style and themes. The producers were concerned that the feeling of the first two films be continued into the third one. It was our priority that John's themes be used and I was actually honored to be able to work with him. There were some instances in the third movie which some new themes could be presented, because there were new characters and new situations. I was able to give the score it's own personality because of that. John Williams in terms of his JURASSIC PARKS themes is quite the traditionalist composer, and I think the real brilliance of his music is that he can take a traditional language and concept and make it sound completely new. I looked at this as an opportunity to expand my traditional chops.

Johnston on the 'Shimmys'
There's an interesting talk with some of the JP3 interview regulars over at Canadian website Canoe.ca, where JP3 director Joe Johnston comments on some of the problems they faced working with mechanical dinosaurs:

"As soon as one of those dinosaurs began to shimmy, everyone ran for cover," said Johnson, who is no stranger to special effects and mechanical stars.

"On the first two Jurassic movies, it was always the T-rex who seemed to get the shimmys, but on ours it was the newest gigantic villain, the Spinosaurus, who gave us all a fright or two," Johnson said. "One day, the Spinosaurus went crazy.. Instead of lowering its head into the hole in the plane, it began slamming it in like a jackhammer.

"Everyone ran for cover... That would be the day that Steven Spielberg was visiting the set... He just shrugged and said it was a case of deja vu. He'd gone through the same thing on both his Jurassic movies."

July 14, 2001

Cinefex Magazine Looks at JP3
Well, we're not getting a "Making of JP3" book, but this is probably the next best thing: According to the Cinefex website, the next issue of the prestigious effects magazine (not due out until October, unfortunately) will feature an in-depth article on the new Jurassic film. (Thanks Kyle)

JP3 in Chile
Bruno Hernandez sends in a JP3 report from all the way down in South America, where the film was shown to several VIPs at a special screening. Bruno seemed to like the film a lot, saying, "The movie is great!!!! ACTION, ACTION, ACTION and blood!" He also added that the t-rex/spino fight is "one the best fight's I've seen since King Kong and company." He also sends along a pic (right), taken during the film itself!

Park Builder Website Opens
MangoMonkey sends along a link to the official website of the upcoming Gameboy Advance game that I think most everyone is anxiously awaiting, Park Builder (due out Sept 12), where you can create and manage your own dino park. The website is not completely finished, but has sections on "How to play" and "Dinosaur File".

1 Million And Counting
Funny this should happen so close to the release of JP3, but sometime late last night, Dan's JP3 Page passed the 1 million hit mark! Break out the beer, 'cause I'm payin'! Thanks for everyone who has made this page more successful than I could have hoped: from the countless people who sent in news, to my fellow competing JP3 fan sites for keeping me on my toes. Stick around over the next few days, things are gonna really get interesting....

Correction: JP/TLW DVD's
Just wanted to mention a quick follow-up to a story I posted here a few days ago: According to 'DrAlanGrant01', the JP/TLW DVD's that have been re-released do not have different content than the ones released back in October (except for the fixed audio track on the DTS version of the JP disc). Sorry about that, my other source was apparently mistaken.

[News from July 9th through July 13th]