Dinotasia aka Dinosaur Revolution ?

[scallenger]

So, UK fellows, Dinotasia comes out on DVD in the UK tomorrow. Anyone here going to get it?

Here is a review for the DVD I just found, and at the end it also says it will be available On Demand as well!

http://www.brutalashell.com/2012/08/dvd-review-dinotasia/

[Balaur]

So, UK fellows, Dinotasia comes out on DVD in the UK tomorrow. Anyone here going to get it?

Here is a review for the DVD I just found, and at the end it also says it will be available On Demand as well!

http://www.brutalashell.com/2012/08/dvd-review-dinotasia/

Awesome! Come on UK people. You can do it!

But why oh why must high school start the day after Dinotasia is released!? 

Oh no! This isn't good! On amazon.com in the pictures for Dinotasia, they show the mosasaur! Great, that scene wasen't all that good!

[scallenger]

Nooo! Not the Mosasaur scene! LOL. But the pics may not be accurate. Who knows?

However, check out this review. This review explains a bit more of what this version is like with a couple notes:

http://flickfeast.co.uk/reviews/dvd-reviews/dinotasia-2012/

Beginning 250 million years ago in Siberia at the end of the Permian period...
Okay, so that confirms it basically starts out exactly the same as Dinosaur Revolution, but I figured as much. That was a good opening.

The superb narration by eccentric Bavarian filmmaker Werner Herzog is limited to a minute or two every few chapters...
Nice! Although in a way I am still confused if this bit of narration is over the actual footage or not... even though we were told it wouldn't be. Still hoping it really is just between the footage.

Not only that, but the same review lists the DVD's special features! I hope these all carry over onto the U.S. BluRay edition!

The extras on the DVD are decent with an extended scene/story that makes you think the whole film would have worked a lot better if they had linked all the dinosaurs in one narrative, a 'six months after impact' hand drawn storyboard demo, a mating ritual vignette and a bizarre 'forbidden fruit' demo with split screen showing people crawling around pretending to be dinosaurs on one side and crude animation on the other giving us an insight into the production process.

Interesting features, especially the first one! I wonder which scene is extended? Hmm...

[Balaur]

 

Nooo! Not the Mosasaur scene! LOL. But the pics may not be accurate. Who knows?

However, check out this review. This review explains a bit more of what this version is like with a couple notes:

http://flickfeast.co.uk/reviews/dvd-reviews/dinotasia-2012/

Beginning 250 million years ago in Siberia at the end of the Permian period...
Okay, so that confirms it basically starts out exactly the same as Dinosaur Revolution, but I figured as much. That was a good opening.

The superb narration by eccentric Bavarian filmmaker Werner Herzog is limited to a minute or two every few chapters...
Nice! Although in a way I am still confused if this bit of narration is over the actual footage or not... even though we were told it wouldn't be. Still hoping it really is just between the footage.

Not only that, but the same review lists the DVD's special features! I hope these all carry over onto the U.S. BluRay edition!

The extras on the DVD are decent with an extended scene/story that makes you think the whole film would have worked a lot better if they had linked all the dinosaurs in one narrative, a 'six months after impact' hand drawn storyboard demo, a mating ritual vignette and a bizarre 'forbidden fruit' demo with split screen showing people crawling around pretending to be dinosaurs on one side and crude animation on the other giving us an insight into the production process.

Interesting features, especially the first one! I wonder which scene is extended? Hmm...

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! That is my imediate reaction when I saw the special features listed. So boiled up with excitment! Aaahh!!

[scallenger]

Not to overload with more reviews, but this is by far one of the most positive reviews I have read on Dinotasia that just got put out. This person clearly "got it" the way Krentz intended. It also seems to clear up again that the narration really is just between each section, as a sort of "buildup" to what you are about to see. I just hope whoever wrote this review wasn't a "plant" (aka, someone associated with the production reviewing it).

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2012/08/27/dvd-review-dinotasia/

EDIT:

Gosh I keep finding more! This one actually talks more about the bonus features!

http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/dvdreview/dinotasia-dvd-review-by-jennie-kermode

Most of what we get here is just slightly extended versions of some of the most traumatic scenes in the film. There's a rather sweet hand-drawn early version of the last major drama, but it's filler stuff - it doesn't really stand up by itself or add anything to our understanding of how the film was put together.

The one extra scene that really does work is a sequence involving a mating display. The animation here is a dodgy as ever but the characters come across well. It also adds to the story of small mammals that develops quietly in the background throughout the film. There's nothing overtly sexual in the scene so prents shouldn't worry that it's been left out of the main film because it's unsuitable for younger kids. In fact, it's probably the least violent scene in the whole story.

Last and probably least, there's a bizarre piece in which we see a man crawling round on his living room floor to demonstrate the movements of the dinosaur in the film's magic mushroom scene. There's no explanation for this, though one assumes it's illustrating part of the creative process. Young kids may engage with it, however, as a prelude to games. Be prepared to be climbed on.

So... there is more than one extra scene? Or maybe they just include the extra scenes that were from Dinosaur Revolution that didn't make it into Dinotasia? Interesting...

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

No mention of the concept art or models though..darn. I was also hoping David or Angie might get an interview or something. :/

[Balaur]

Not to overload with more reviews, but this is by far one of the most positive reviews I have read on Dinotasia that just got put out. This person clearly "got it" the way Krentz intended. It also seems to clear up again that the narration really is just between each section, as a sort of "buildup" to what you are about to see. I just hope whoever wrote this review wasn't a "plant" (aka, someone associated with the production reviewing it).

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2012/08/27/dvd-review-dinotasia/

EDIT:

Gosh I keep finding more! This one actually talks more about the bonus features!

http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/dvdreview/dinotasia-dvd-review-by-jennie-kermode

Most of what we get here is just slightly extended versions of some of the most traumatic scenes in the film. There's a rather sweet hand-drawn early version of the last major drama, but it's filler stuff - it doesn't really stand up by itself or add anything to our understanding of how the film was put together.

The one extra scene that really does work is a sequence involving a mating display. The animation here is a dodgy as ever but the characters come across well. It also adds to the story of small mammals that develops quietly in the background throughout the film. There's nothing overtly sexual in the scene so prents shouldn't worry that it's been left out of the main film because it's unsuitable for younger kids. In fact, it's probably the least violent scene in the whole story.

Last and probably least, there's a bizarre piece in which we see a man crawling round on his living room floor to demonstrate the movements of the dinosaur in the film's magic mushroom scene. There's no explanation for this, though one assumes it's illustrating part of the creative process. Young kids may engage with it, however, as a prelude to games. Be prepared to be climbed on.

So... there is more than one extra scene? Or maybe they just include the extra scenes that were from Dinosaur Revolution that didn't make it into Dinotasia? Interesting...

The extra scenes may explain the picture of the mosasaur amazon! Lets hope so...
Also, I think the extra scene regarding the mating display is probably the Gigantoraptor mating dance. Maybe it is extended! I could see some obvious signs of cut scenes in thst story.

[scallenger]

I'm thinking that apparently just one scene is extended (my bet is on the Allosaur one, since it is the one everyone seemed to admire most, and seemed to be the one they spent the most time on), and the other scenes mentioned in that other review (including the "mating" scene that I think you guessed correctly on, especially since it involves the mice/mammals) are what was left out of the Dinotasia that was in Dinosaur Revolution. I could be wrong, or maybe the DVD review is slightly mistaken and it is just those two scenes that are also included. Hmm.

Okay, now here is something new. Check out this other new review below.

http://www.cine-vue.com/2012/08/dvd-review-dinotasia.html

This particular sentence is what stands out:

Most disturbing of all is a worryingly poor scene, involving the skeletons of London's Natural History Museum being regenerated to life and scaring the general public.

Uhm... what?

[Balaur]

I'm thinking that apparently just one scene is extended (my bet is on the Allosaur one, since it is the one everyone seemed to admire most, and seemed to be the one they spent the most time on), and the other scenes mentioned in that other review (including the "mating" scene that I think you guessed correctly on, especially since it involves the mice/mammals) are what was left out of the Dinotasia that was in Dinosaur Revolution. I could be wrong, or maybe the DVD review is slightly mistaken and it is just those two scenes that are also included. Hmm.

Okay, now here is something new. Check out this other new review below.

http://www.cine-vue.com/2012/08/dvd-review-dinotasia.html

This particular sentence is what stands out:

Most disturbing of all is a worryingly poor scene, involving the skeletons of London's Natural History Museum being regenerated to life and scaring the general public.

Uhm... what?

That really suprised me. Now are the skeletons running around or is it like Monsters Resurrected Acrocanthosaurus, with the muscules building and all the other parts on and like real dinosaurs, they chase people around. Still, it sound both cheesy and cool at the same time. I'm just imagining Broken Jaw chasing and snapping at everybody in the museum.

[scallenger]

If done well it could be a cool effect. But who knows. The fact the reviewer didn't like the scene very much is worrisome. However, the same reviewer didn't seem to like any aspect very much of it, so who knows. Maybe something like this?

http://youtu.be/i64-GK4bkSI?t=7m1s

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Could be cool !

[scallenger]

I asked one of the reviewers what the actual list of bonus features were. Here they are:

Special Features :

·      Rivals – Extended Cut

·      Troodon Hand Drawn Demo

·      Mating Rights

·      Forbidden Fruit Demo

So there is only one scene extended, according to this list, just like mentioned in the first review. Not more like the other review made it seem like. "Rivals". That could probably either refer to the Allosaur segment or maybe the Crylophosaurus one?

[tyrantqueen]

I asked one of the reviewers what the actual list of bonus features were. Here they are:

Special Features :

·      Rivals – Extended Cut

·      Troodon Hand Drawn Demo

·      Mating Rights

·      Forbidden Fruit Demo

So there is only one scene extended, according to this list, just like mentioned in the first review. Not more like the other review made it seem like. "Rivals". That could probably either refer to the Allosaur segment or maybe the Crylophosaurus one?

Maybe "rivals" refer to Jack Palance and Stumpy, the tyrannosaurus males in End Game..

[scallenger]

Grrr... I wanna know! Haha

I may just have to get this UK DVD. I have a Region Free DVD player (just not a Region Free BluRay player). I may not be able to wait much longer hahaha! Besides I kind of like this one's cover for some reason haha!

[krentz]

  For those of you who can't wait I thought I'd post picture from the Mating Dance sequence that is on the Blu-Ray extras. 

DK



[attachment msg=17269][/attachment]

[scallenger]

Hahahaha! Love it!

Oh, and I caved in and ordered the UK DVD. I simply couldn't stand waiting, haha! If the BluRay ends up having identical features that this DVD does I will just sell the DVD online when the BluRay comes out in November.

So, probably by next week, I will post my own review on the program right here!

[Balaur]

Hahahaha! Love it!

Oh, and I caved in and ordered the UK DVD. I simply couldn't stand waiting, haha! If the BluRay ends up having identical features that this DVD does I will just sell the DVD online when the BluRay comes out in November.

So, probably by next week, I will post my own review on the program right here!

Nice! Tell us what extra scenes where in it and about the Styracosaurus story!

[Balaur]

  For those of you who can't wait I thought I'd post picture from the Mating Dance sequence that is on the Blu-Ray extras. 

DK

Ha!

[scallenger]

Well everyone, I have now seen DINOTASIA! So, I am sure you are all now wondering what my thoughts are on it, and the DVD itself with the bonus features. Here it goes, and if you don't want to really know what this version is like until you see it, consider it SPOILERS from here on out:

DINOTASIA FILM REVIEW:

For this new and condensed version of Dinosaur Revolution, the result is fairly positive. In 83 minutes they really did capture most of the best bits from the original program, and allowed them to speak for themselves with virtually no narration, except in-between segments. The film starts off very much the same way the original series did in the Permian with the extinction underway. It then cuts to a montage of environment clips with Herzog voice-over (and for some reason cuts the very last moment of the Permian scene where the fire/lava washes over the creature... don't know why they did that). It then is followed by the scene recently revealed in another review: a museum with a dinosaur skeleton that grows muscle/skin and then runs amok, eventually going outside and killing another dinosaur. This is definitely something new (unless used from some other program?), and it was done fairly well for it's purpose. We then delve right into the Allosaur story, titled "Rivals". It was great to see this segment with no narration... but I was a bit disappointed that they actually did cut out most of this story! No joke. They end this story right after the Allosaur breaks off the tail of the sauropod, after the moment when he is eating it and it gives him one final whip.

From there, it cuts to a 4 minute or so montage of various other bits with some voice-over, featuring the Glacialisaurus, the Utahraptors VS the sauropods (including the shot with the raptor being eaten by the giant crocodile), the Guanglongs, and the Mosasaur (yes... indeed... though not for very long, just the right amount, so fear not!). So while their full stories are not shown, this montage does at least give them a bit of a cameo appearance.

After the montage, we continue on with the Rahonavis/Beelzebufo story in it's entirety. In fact, from this point on, it should be noted that all of the stories appear to be the complete stories, with even a few additional shots I believe not on the Dinosaur Revolution version. Some could have tiny bits cut from all I know, but from what I saw they seemed to be in their entirety. After that it's the Protoceratops story, followed by Shunosaurus, and then Anhanguera. The final one of course is the T-Rex/Troodon story, in what seems to be most of in it's entirety. One bit I know is cut is part of the Troodon nest where you see the big group of them together. But it isn't much cut. The final shot still appears to be the same of the birds flying off the building, with a final bit of narration and the shot of an asteroid going past Earth. I criticized this shot previously of the birds, but it didn't seem to look as bad this time, perhaps because the camera didn't appear to be zooming out as fast, and no "ghost paleontologists" were shown over it.

It should be worth noting now that although none of the graphics were improved for this version, the music score seems to have been enhanced, presumably still by the same composer. Some parts have been re-scored or have had additional new layers of music put on them. There is of course brand new music for the new scenes as well, like the montage, which sound pretty good. Herzog's narration is entertaining and fun to listen to, but as said in other reviews, it is really just meant to "put on the show" rather than really educate. But for that purpose it gets the job well done, and unlike "Dinosaur Revolution", it never intrudes. The only time the narration talks over the actual dinosaur footage is of the dinosaur/skeleton come to life at the beginning, the montage, and a VERY brief moment in the Allosaur story right before it shows the transition shot of him growing up right after his broken jaw incident. This brief moment does not harm the story at all, in my opinion, and it is so brief that it did not annoy me at all.

The end credits sequence is kind of fun and shows the familiar scenes from "Dinosaur Revolution" of the laboratory/excavation room with the "ghost dinosaurs", which come after yet another cameo appearance of the Eoraptor and it's baby! These "ghost dinosaur" scenes play back and forth between the actual end credits until the movie is over.

So, in the end is this version better than the former "Dinosaur Revolution"? Well, yes and no, which in a way depends on your point of view. The new bits added to this version may not add anything really new to program, the presentation here is much easier to watch, and more immersed and fun. While it may have cute a little too much from the original program, what we have is definitely the best version of the original intent, with the former televised version to be seen more as a "making of" program that happens to feature some additional excised sequences.

PROS:
We FINALLY get to watch some of the best segments from the show without narration over them. The narration that is in this version, while still not informative really, is much less intrusive and more fun (I'm a big Herzog fan, heh). This version also has more music that is also enhanced in places. Even with it's edits and cut stories, for a "best of", this is a pretty darn good representation of the show the way it was meant to be seen.

CONS:
I would be lieing if I said I didn't miss some of the cut scenes that were from the televised version. Episode 1: Evolution's Winners definitely was hit the hardest in terms of cut stories, which is what we all expected. Granted, it was my least favorite episode of the series, so they made the right choice, but one sequence I really was surprised was cut came from here: the Cryolophosaurs story. It was a dark and dramatic story that felt very real in terms of something you believe actually happened back then. I thought the film needed another story like this, to be honest, in comparison to some of the stranger and sillier moments. They don't even get a cameo anywhere unlike most of the other cut stories. The other big omission (which is, in a way, redeemed when you read the DVD review portion below) that I thought was an even bigger mistake was the rest of the Allosaur story. Perhaps they thought it dragged on too long in this feature-length version of the series, but this was, to me, by far the best story they had. I really think that although the film would have been about 15-20 minutes longer for the full version of it, it would have made the film a lot more satisfying. In fact, I have a strong impression that it may have even made some of the reviewers less critical, because that particular story had a lot of fun with drama and great character moments.

REGION 2 DVD REVIEW (UK):

PICTURE: The picture doesn't look much better than anything we have ever seen of this show in terms of clarity or detail. However... I am not sure if it is just my screwy system setup with my Region-Free DVD player or what, but for some reason while the film does display in Widescreen... it's a much wider format. The televised version is more like 1.85.1 aspect ratio, but this version makes it more like 2.35.1. It's much wider, and in fact stretches the image! However, when I adjusted some settings on my TV, when I put it into a Fullscreen mode, it finally looked right, however, it had bars on all 4 sides of the image to make this happen. This makes me believe that despite what the box says, this DVD may be non-anamorphic Widescreen, meaning the bars don't adjust to the TV. I could be way wrong and my system is just wacky with this player, but I thought I would address this just in case. I just hope the U.S. BluRay coming out doesn't have these problems at all.

SOUND: They did good on the sound options for this, because not only can the film be viewed in 2.0 Surround Sound, you can also watch it in 5.1 Surround Sound! Awesome that they re-mixed it for Surround Sound systems at home, probably due to the fact they would have had to do this for it's theatrical showing since movie theaters use the same kind of setup. While I don't have this kind of setup myself to verify if is has good use of all the channels, it is nice to know the option is there, and the sound seemed clear and crisp.

MENUS: Pretty standard DVD menus with music from the show playing on each, including chapter menu.

EXTRAS: As mentioned elsewhere there are a couple worthwhile extras here. First is the extended cut of "Rivals", aka the Allosaur story! While I was fairly dismayed that this story got severely cut from the film, it is great that we have the entire version as an extra (around 30 minutes long). This story really does a fine job of standing on it's own, and it even gets a new introduction that recycles some footage from "Dinosaur Revolution" with that same Herzog voiceover we heard in the trailer at the beginning (which got cut from the film, too). The only thing that is disappointing with this extra is that it is presented only in 2.0 Surround Sound and didn't get a 5.1 mix to match the film. Still, this is by far the best extra on the DVD, and pretty much a peace-offering for it being cut in the film. The next extra, "Mating Rights", was a cut segment that had been featured in Episode 1 of the Gigantoraptor mating dance, presented in full with no narration. Also presented in 2.0 Surround Sound. While it is cool to have this scene here as well, I still would have much preferred having the Cryolophosaurus scene, personally. Next we have "Troodon Hand Drawn Demo", which is basically a video version of the flipbook we saw of this on the Discovery website, complete with music and sound effects and other effects. It is cool to see this early form of the segment and how similar it ended up. The last extra, "Forbidden Fruit Demo", is a brief and funny look at the creators of the showing acting out the motions of the dinosaurs for the Shunosaurus segments. It is pretty funny to watch, and you can see via split screens some early CGI as well.

OVERALL: This DVD may (or may not) have some picture issues, but other than that the sound is good and the Extras are worthwhile, even though I do wish there had been more (like more of the cut sequences or even other storyboard videos). However, as long as there are no strange picture anomalies on the BluRay, and as long as they retain the sound and the Extras as they are, this is a decent package for the best version of this series. However, I do still recommend hanging onto some form of the original televised version for some good sequences that got cut, behind the scenes info, and more of the actual science.

If any of you have any questions or comments, feel free!

[scallenger]

Question for Krentz:

Will the BluRay feature "Rivals-Extended" in HD like the main feature is? Thanks!