Asylum's "Age Of Dinosaurs"!

[scallenger]

Jurassic Park 4? Pft. This is the dinosaur movie to look forward to!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=udQ1e-XUybE



Comes out on video May 7th. Here is the synopsis:

"Using breakthrough flesh-regeneration technology, a biotech firm creates a set of living dinosaurs. But when the creatures escape their museum exhibit and terrorize Los Angeles, a former firefighter must rescue his teenage daughter from the chaos brought on by the Age of Dinosaurs."

[Takama]

Low budget Dino films are common from the Asylum. This would be straght to video and bad qulity.

[CityRaptor]

Yep. Jow many bad Dinosaur Movies do they have by now? 5? 6? All Garbage!
Sadly they usually don't even qualify as hilariously bad, just regular bad.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

lol I'm sure Scallenger was aiming at a joke here.. looks kinda like JP combined with Night at the Museum. Though the dino FX look a tiny bit better than their past work...the Carnotaurus and the Ceratosaurus are some pretty interesting choices.

Might be a fun movie if you turn your brain off. Much like I'm hoping Raptor Ranch will be :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6w2zsXytSo

[scallenger]

Indeed it was a joke, haha. Although I do honestly think it looks like it COULD be a fun and hilarious (intentionally and not) little movie. I have an affinity for bad cinema sometimes (grew up on Mystery Science Theater 3000).

Raptor Ranch also looks like it could be a fun time! Haha! Nice find! Can't find a release date for it, though.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Should be soon according to a post Billing's Prod. made on facebook.

This guy claims to have it for download  :https://twitter.com/amecseer/statuses/295746546996240384

[Yutyrannus]

This was what I thought when I saw the trailer: "This is a cheap Jurassic Park rip-off that stole sounds from Primeval."

[Primeval12]

I like both 

[scallenger]

Well I finally saw this film today. And let me tell you... I actually thought it was a LOT of fun for a silly B-Movie! No, really! Unlike some of their films, this one isn't plagued with endless dialogue scenes to take time away from the main draw: the dinosaurs. No, they are shown right away, and once they "break out"... you see them constantly. And the CGI doesn't always look horrendous either (although yes, it still DOES quite often). What's even more amusing I guess are the film's attempts at giving more character to the father and daughter protagonists. They really seem to drive home their relationship, haha, sometimes in semi-forced ways, and yet it oddly felt genuine often. There is still PLENTY of bad acting to go around, but it isn't quite on the constant "LOL" level of some of their features... some of these actors really do seem to be attempting to give it their all here, with the material they are given. Which still isn't that much for some, but you DO see effort!

It really was fast, dumb, summer fun kind of a film. In the end, not really much worse than something like Jurassic Park 3, besides lower production values and actors. But I was still oddly impressed by how well the film kept my attention with it's fun qualities. It's completely ridiculous, unbelievable, unrealistic, and has a bit of a "so the movie ends here?" kind of ending... but otherwise, it really was one of the better B-dinosaur movies out there in recent years. They actually use puppets sometimes, too, for the little Carnotaurs (it's never explained why they are so little... but the movie DOES explain why they chose to only bring back carnivorous dinosaurs, which was quite amusing that they even thought of addressing it in such a movie). There really is no true "human" villain in this one, except for one careless/selfish character I guess. It's all about the dinosaurs chasing people, haha. And there are some pretty amusing deaths throughout.

What's even better are the numerous Jurassic Park references. The guy who has the dinosaurs made in the first place has a bit of a Hammond (film version) quality. He even has a reflection-like moment where he is standing around and you hear him, I guess, reminiscing his own dialogue from a previous scene (like a self-"Petticoat Lane" moment). It was, of course, TOO forced, but a nice character moment nonetheless. There are other direct references to the first Jurassic Park film littered here and there that I won't spoil in case you DO see this movie. One of them is REALLY obviously displayed at one point. Not only that, but the music pays homage to the film frequently in either a John Williams-inspired style overall or even some direct "mutations" of actual Jurassic Park themes! The most obvious one, to me, was the use of a mutated version of the "carnivore motif" from the first film that would play when the raptors are around (in this film it happens early on when one of the little Carnotaurs is sneaking into a room with the daughter hiding by a table... very similiar to how Tim was in famous kitchen scene). As for other movie references, there was also, randomly, a quoted line from "Aliens" that I spotted.

Well, clearly I had a good time with this film. It's not a GREAT film by any means, but it does succeed in what it wanted to do: entertain you with a mindless, but fun, dinosaur movie! You get what you paid for, and nothing more! I guess I felt entitled to write a review of sorts for it because I'm sure many people wouldn't give it a chance otherwise. And aren't we the real audience here? Well, maybe not because I'm sure many would like to see ACCURATE and well-rendered dinosaurs in a film... but you know what I mean! Just go with it!

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Really? I rented it roughly a week ago and found it just nauseatingly poor myself. The dinosaurs were given broken pronated hands and paraded around a bit too much like zombies for my eye. I did catch the myraid Jurassic park swipes so yes they are quite obvious. Aside from that, the thing with having the dinosaurs always bite people's heads off I felt was exceptionally lame, and silly.
  The pterosaurs in the movie at least were fun and seemed more well done than the other animals. I had hoped for a bit more from the dinosaurs, and found this to be basically another drive in slash fest with dinosaurs instead of a chainsaw wielding maniac.

[scallenger]

When it comes to cheap B-Movies like this, it truly is "to each their own", depending on the level of glee one gets from things like bad acting and mindless entertainment. I just thought this one was one of the better ones compared to the many others out there. Unlike many, I don't think this one ever got boring, which says at least something about it. They gave it a very consistent pace. Despite it's sudden end, the film does still have quite a fun climax, as noted with the pterosaur. Yeah, the dinosaurs weren't too accurate, but then again I don't think that was something the filmmakers were trying to do at all. They just wanted "fun" or "cool" dinosaurs, which I thought they did at least look pretty cool, again, for a movie of this caliber. This movie really is for the people who get some kind of pleasure from films like the Carnosaur series, Project Dinosaur, and even other older dinosaur films. And personally, I thought it was better than most of those.

With JP4 currently in the dark... I'll take all the dinosaur films I can get in the meantime. For accurate dinosaurs, I'm waiting for the new documentaries to deliver. If they don't get them right, it's no wonder these films don't, either. Haha!

[MontanaJoe]

Scallenger:  Thanks so much for the kind words and good job catching the references...  I try to toss in as many as I can in all my films.  This one was particularly fun... and thanks for knowing that that's all the film is, a fun entertaining ride, not a "change the world" piece.  That being said everyone did have the hope of making the BEST JP 3.5 film we could with a low budget, 15 days shooting and six weeks post-production.  Glad we made for a fun short diversion.  ;-)  <BTW, there's a lot more references on that jug than you think, see if you can catch them ALL>

amargasaurus cazaui:  Honestly?  I thought the Pteranodons were our weakest models.  As for the pronated hands, yeah, the guys that did the DNA resequencing weren't too happy with the results either and I'm sure Geneti-Sharp will get it right next time around.  ;-)

Takama:  I have a T-shirt with that "Exercise Some Motivation Required" on it and wore it several days to the set.  :-)

Yutyranus:  Actually, all the dinosaur sounds were all created for the film...  I know, some of them are me.  And let me tell ya was my voice wrecked for a day or two after!  ;-)

Cityraptor:  You and I might agree on the previous efforts.  I invite you humbly to give this one a try just for fun.  :-)

As to why the Carnotaurus' were small, a line that didn't make it is that these are actually juveniles and very, very hungry.  We did try to cover the logic bases but sometimes an edit's an edit and the director doesn't get everything they want.  ;-)

So now you've seen what we did with less than a quarter million... imagine what we could do with ten or a hundred million!  :-)

JJL

[MontanaJoe]

BTW, In case you're interested, here's some behind the scenes information on Age of Dinosaurs just for fun:

http://asylumfan.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/age-of-dinosours-wjoseph-j-lawson/

http://observationnotes.blogspot.com/2013/05/exclusive-interview-with-age-of.html

We may not make great films but we do try to have fun making them (and I do try to make them better than they likely deserve)... hopefully some folks will enjoy the ride!  :-)

JJL

[scallenger]

Omg! Thank you for responding here, MontanaJoe! What a treat! And welcome to the forums!

As for the references, I spotted quite a number of them, but didn't want to post them all so other people would have a chance at seeing them. But I noticed many that were either an actual line itself, the way a line is delivered, camera angle, or overall familiarity of the scene. All of which I was sure was intentional, and it seems I was right.

Did you advise your composer to make his score Williams-like at times, or was that his choice? I have chatted with him a few times, actually. Awesome guy!

I love that you actually did originally address the reason the Carnotaurs were small, and the fact that you all knew they were. I'm sure a lot of lower budget films just slap a skin on a dinosaur model because it looks cool and just go with it without any thought to it. I noticed the film actually does try to at least answer some questions an astute viewer would notice. Like why they chose carnivorous dinosaurs over herbivorous ones (although I DID see at least one later in the film). I believe the answer was something like "because they are cooler/more popular" which may sound like a silly explanation, but it was good enough for me! Sounds like something an eccentric guy with a lot of money really would say, honestly.

I really do hope you get more projects as a result of this film. Will you try to do a sequel, or are you going to let this one stand on its own? Would you tackle a dinosaur-related film ever again regardless?

Just to personally say, despite the budgets and other restraints filmmakers like you are given, your work is not any lesser than those with the big names and budgets. Your films can be just as enjoyed, or hated, as those by the likes of Michael Bay or Steven Spielberg. Everything in this world has an audience and an equal chance to be liked or hated, at least on some level. For example, one of my favorite movies is this little gem from the 80's called "King Solomon's Mines". A remake of a classic film based on a classic novel (which has since been remade I think a few more times already). It clearly did not have a big budget, mostly had a cast of stars that either weren't that big or not that big anymore (although Sharon Stone would go on to become big... but not due to this film). Special effects that were "special" in a bad way, even back then. Sure, Jerry Goldsmith did the score, but even he was asked to channel John Williams to the point where he clearly was imitating him (earning him a Razzie nomination for the score). The script is atrocious and laughable. So this is one of my favorite films? Yes. BECAUSE IT IS SO DAMN FUN! And it knows it. Sure, it kind of fizzles out near the end when it for some reason gets a bit more serious and lacks the pace it had before. But still... check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4xsKHBx8c

I will check out those links you posted. Thank you again, and hope to hear back! I've always had an interest in film and have always wanted to write and direct, if life ever allows me to!

[radman]

It's on tonight in the US on SyFy channel.  I'll be watching!  Actually, I'll tape it 'cause my wife wants to watch the Tony awards , so I'll see it tomorrow.

[radman]

It's on tonight in the US on SyFy channel.  I'll be watching!  Actually, I'll tape it 'cause my wife wants to watch the Tony awards , so I'll see it tomorrow.

Apparently, syfy's showing "Rise of the Dinosaurs", which is a totally different other movie, so, never mind.

[John]

Scallenger:  Thanks so much for the kind words and good job catching the references...  I try to toss in as many as I can in all my films.  This one was particularly fun... and thanks for knowing that that's all the film is, a fun entertaining ride, not a "change the world" piece.  That being said everyone did have the hope of making the BEST JP 3.5 film we could with a low budget, 15 days shooting and six weeks post-production.  Glad we made for a fun short diversion.  ;-)  <BTW, there's a lot more references on that jug than you think, see if you can catch them ALL>

amargasaurus cazaui:  Honestly?  I thought the Pteranodons were our weakest models.  As for the pronated hands, yeah, the guys that did the DNA resequencing weren't too happy with the results either and I'm sure Geneti-Sharp will get it right next time around.  ;-)

Takama:  I have a T-shirt with that "Exercise Some Motivation Required" on it and wore it several days to the set.  :-)

Yutyranus:  Actually, all the dinosaur sounds were all created for the film...  I know, some of them are me.  And let me tell ya was my voice wrecked for a day or two after!  ;-)

Cityraptor:  You and I might agree on the previous efforts.  I invite you humbly to give this one a try just for fun.  :-)

As to why the Carnotaurus' were small, a line that didn't make it is that these are actually juveniles and very, very hungry.  We did try to cover the logic bases but sometimes an edit's an edit and the director doesn't get everything they want.  ;-)

So now you've seen what we did with less than a quarter million... imagine what we could do with ten or a hundred million!  :-)

JJL

I could not help but notice that the "big bad" of the movie happened to be one of my childhood favorites,Ceratosaurus

[MontanaJoe]

Scallenger,

Thanks so much for the kind words... and from your mouth to God's ears as to what the future may hold as a director.  I follow wherever the path of life may lead.  :-)

As to the dino choices I very deliberately wanted to stay away from JP been there/done that territory with that part of the film...  so I selected Ceratosaurus for our large lizard, Carnotaurus for our raptor-like breed and Pteranodon instead of Pteradactyl.  We also made the Ceratosaurus a brighter color scheme than olive drab, maybe a bit too much, but it does make it unique.

Chris Ridenhour... the composer I've been blessed with on all four of the films I've been privileged to direct... is a great composer AND a great nice person. The music was very deliberately evocative of the established dino style largely because a) I think that tends to make movies more timeless than contemporary tracks and b) if you wanted to consider this a JP 3.5 love letter to all the wonderful folks who have made (often better) dinosaur films before us you would get that atmosphere...  and at the end credits we take a moment to give credit and thanks to the many fantastic VFX artists who inspired us with their dinosaurs.

As to when SyFy will be carrying the film I believe it is slated to air Thursday, August 8th so feel free to spread the word.  I think it's a bit better than some of the offerings I've seen, not as good as others, but everyone on the shoot put genuine heart into it.

Again, glad you enjoyed!  JJL

[CityRaptor]

Eh, Pteranodon is the one used in the JP Series. Even if the ones in JPIII have teeth...just another biological issue in the series.

[MontanaJoe]

CityRaptor... so I guess we have one up in the science department, hooray!  (Though I somehow suspect it kinda doesn't really make up for that which we missed...)   ;-)   JJL