Dino’s Still Rule At Universal Studios Hollywood’s Celebration Of 25th Anniversary Of JURASSIC PARK

This past weekend, Universal Studios Hollywood celebrated the 25^th Anniversary of JURASSIC PARK. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but the iconic Steven Spielberg-directed classic came out 25 years ago!

To celebrate the momentous occasion, Universal Studios Hollywood opened its doors to only the most hard-core fans of the dino-flick, and WeAreMovieGeeks.com was there to soak in all the action.

For three nights, fans were invited to come in costume and celebrate all things Jurassic Park. There were props from the movie on display, including costumes and vehicles, photo ops and other interactive displays, including a virtual reality experience where fans could don VR goggles and headphones and be transported directly into the “park”, complete with Raptors, a Triceratops and a Pteranodon, as well as an erupting volcano.

One of the most interesting parts of the evening was the panel discussion, hosted by Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow.

Other members of the panel included Jurassic Park 1st Assistant Director John T. Kretchmer, Director of Photography Dean Cundey, and Oscar-winning Special Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren.

Having all worked on the movie in 1993, they had the greatest behind-the-scene stories. The die-hard fans in attendance ate it up, especially the fun fact that the final scene in the movie, where the T-Rex comes in and saves the day by taking out the raptors wasn’t originally scripted. The T-Rex wasn’t even in the scene. Said Kretchmer, “as we were shooting it, Steven (Spielberg) felt something wasn’t right. He felt we really needed to show the T-Rex one more time…that it was what the audience would really want.” And he was right…who can forget that image of the T-Rex exerting his final power over all of the other living things?

The biggest highlight of the evening was being able to ride Jurassic Park the ride. As many times as we have ridden that ride, (and it’s a lot) it never gets old. It’s still the most fun attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. There was also a bit of nostalgia – this would probably be the last time for us, because Universal Studios Hollywood recently unveiled plans to replace the attraction with a brand new Jurassic World attraction that promises to be even better.  And oh we cannot wait!!

For the final event of the evening, those in attendance were sent via Universal Studios Tram from the lower lot to the AMC Theater at City Walk to watch the film on the big screen, as it was presented in 1993, in all its glory.

And if it’s been 25 years since you’ve seen the film, take my advice and throw in that DVD you’ve had all these years. It’s worth another look because this is one movie that definitely stands the test of time – and it will prepare you to head out to the theater on June 22 for the next great dino-flick,  JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM.

Owen (CHRIS PRATT) meets the vicious T. rex in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire (BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Welcome to “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.”

Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Gary Salem.