Spielberg beat James Cameron to Jurassic Park rights by only a few hours

[Krallang]

True story.

Went to the movies as a kid. Choice was between last action hero and Jurassic Park.

Picked last action hero. Funnily enough arnold turned down the lead role in Jurassic Park for last action hero instead.

I'll take a magic golden ticket any day of the week over some lame ass dinosaurs.

Arnold Bless...

 

[BisexualMMA]

True story.

Went to the movies as a kid. Choice was between last action hero and Jurassic Park.

Picked last action hero. Funnily enough arnold turned down the lead role in Jurassic Park for last action hero instead.

I'll take a magic golden ticket any day of the week over some lame ass dinosaurs.

Arnold Bless...

Severely underrated movie. It shouldn't have been the one to end his hot streak.

 

[Krallang]

Severely underrated movie. It shouldn't have been the one to end his hot streak.

It probably wouldn't have but it came out like a week after or before JP. Had it came out a month earlier or later maybe Last action hero wouldn't have been such a financial disaster.

 

[BisexualMMA]

It probably wouldn't have but it came out like a week after or before JP. Had it came out a month earlier or later maybe Last action hero wouldn't have been such a financial disaster.

Perhaps Franco Columbu shouldn't have been trusted to direct.

 

[Krallang]

Perhaps Franco Columbu shouldn't have been trusted to direct.

Well if you really think about it, arnold was still running high off his T2 success, and maybe the reason he opted for Last action hero over JP was directly (ha pun) related to James Cameron not being the director for JP.

So not only did we miss out on a James Cameron JP, we missed out on an Arnold and Cameron JP...

 

[Guestx]

I love Arnold but Arnold in JP?

No, man.

When it comes to Dr. Grant, Sam Neil > Austrian Oak.

 

[spin]

Spielberg made an all time classic

 

[Krallang]

I love Arnold but Arnold in JP?

No, man.

When it comes to Dr. Grant, Sam Neil > Austrian Oak.

In the context of the kid friendly JP ya sure, but an Alien JP? well... Arnold > all. Just think of it this way, Sam Neil as the guy who kills the Predator or arnold?

Maybe we can travel to an alternate dimension where this movie actually got made.

 

[Peteyandjia]

“Listen!! Understand! Those velociraptors are out there. They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop! Ever! Until you are dead!”

 

[The Diplomat]

I don't understand what the fucking problem is. Is there a reason you haven't just watched them? Is it that hard to put a 2-hour movie on and sit through it?

I'm starting to take it personally!

To be fair, it took you forever to watch Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. And I don't even know if you watched the rest in the Lethal Weapon series.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Id say...Cameron couldve done it better or as good.

Plus, Cameron may had gotten addicted to that genre vs his goofy Avatar shit.

Nah I disagree and for the same reasons Cameron does. An R rated Jurassic Park? Could be cool but I'll take Spielberg's version.

What Spielberg captured in his JP is something that many monster movies, and I suspect Cmaeron's version would've as well, tend to neglect. Spielberg captured the majesty of the dinosaurs in a way that really captured the imagination of a generation. Turning them into monsters and neglecting the majesty of these creatures would be a mistake. Balancing the fear and awe was the right approach.

 

[Peteyandjia]

Cameron's vision hewed closer to the novel, which isn't at all family friendly.

This was my first thought as well. I remember loving the movie so much, I went for a walk to the bookstore and got the novel, I was so excited.

Then after I read it I was like

Spoiler

Personally I thought it was a great book, but definitely a hard ‘R’. I like it this way, because now we get both, the family adventure film and the darker sci fi novel. Two different takes. It’s cool that Cameron recognizes that & gives props to Spielman.

 

[Agent Mulder's Hair]

“Listen!! Understand! Those velociraptors are out there. They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop! Ever! Until you are dead!”

"They mostly come at night. Mostly."

 

[Agent Mulder's Hair]

Well if you really think about it, arnold was still running high off his T2 success, and maybe the reason he opted for Last action hero over JP was directly (ha pun) related to James Cameron not being the director for JP.

To be fair, on paper, Last Action Hero SHOULD have been huge. It was an extremely smart, meta script (maybe the first meta movie?) written by Shane Black, an awesome screenplay writer (he wrote Lethal Weapon and parts of Predator). And it was directed by John McTiernan, the only director I'd possibly put above James Cameron for action movies. McTiernan directed Die Hard, Predator, The Hunt For Red October.

I still don't understand how it didn't turn out better than it did. It was good and I like it, but it was far from great.

Heh, funny thought: Imagine Spielberg's version of Last Action Hero. He'd be PERFECT for that. A kid gets a magical movie ticket that transports him into movies, that came from Harry Houdini? That's Spielberg territory for sure

So not only did we miss out on a James Cameron JP, we missed out on an Arnold and Cameron JP...

 

[minute bull]

“Listen!! Understand! Those velociraptors are out there. They can’t be bargained with. They can’t be reasoned with. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And they absolutely will not stop! Ever! Until you are dead!”

Severely underrated movie. It shouldn't have been the one to end his hot streak.

It did mark the beginning of then end, didn't it? Where two Arnolds literally came face-to-face with each other: classic Action Icon Arnold and PG For the Keeds Arnold.

To be fair, on paper, Last Action Hero SHOULD have been huge. It was an extremely smart, meta script (maybe the first meta movie?) written by Shane Black, an awesome screenplay writer. And directed by John freakin McTiernan, the only director I'd possibly put above James Cameron for action movies. McTiernan directed Die Hard and Predator.

I still don't understand how it didn't turn out better than it did. It was good and I like it, but it was far from great.

Heh, funny thought: Imagine Spielberg's version of Last Action Hero. He'd be PERFECT for that. A kid gets a magical movie ticket that transports him into movies, that came from Harry Houdini? That's Spielberg territory for sure

Audiences don't do well when films are self-aware, and call attention to the non-reality. It's easier when it's a comedy but people weren't yet accustomed to a neutered Arnold. Even KINDERGARTEN COP has some surprisingly sharp edges for a movie that's got this:

 

[RollSonnenRoll]

I can’t even begin to picture Arnold as Dr. Grant

 

[the ambush]

I would keep the original Jurassic Park the way it was intended. Cameron is like the king of sequels so I would have preferred giving him a shot to direct The Lost World.

 

[That209]

Good. Cameron would’ve had laser Dino’s n shit.

 

[Bob Gray]

Spielberg gave us the best goddamn movie ending of all time

Omg, spoiler, you jerk.

 

[Bob Gray]

Nah I disagree and for the same reasons Cameron does. An R rated Jurassic Park? Could be cool but I'll take Spielberg's version.

What Spielberg captured in his JP is something that many monster movies, and I suspect Cmaeron's version would've as well, tend to neglect. Spielberg captured the majesty of the dinosaurs in a way that really captured the imagination of a generation. Turning them into monsters and neglecting the majesty of these creatures would be a mistake. Balancing the fear and awe was the right approach.

This is so true. Every time I watch JP and the music swells at certain points it fills me with a sense of wonder, like when I was a kid and played with dinosaur toys. Spielberg has the kind of talent to tap into those kind of emotions and I don't think it's a technique that can be taught, it's just innate.