“Its worthlessness makes it essential”: Released the same year as Jurassic Park, this dinosaur movie cost 75 times less!

It’s impossible to deny Jurassic Park’s box office — and pop culture — takeover when it hit theaters in 1993. It goes without saying that Steven Spielberg’s film was a huge success, surpassing the $140 million annual box office of its closest competitor. And the recent 3D re-release allowed it to cross the legendary billion dollar mark worldwide.

And more than 31 years later, the franchise is still alive and kicking, with a new Jurassic World movie in production.

But the first success Jurassic Park Overshadowed by another dinosaur movie that also came out in 1993, exactly one month earlier: Carnosaur from its original title. as Jurassic Park, Carnosaurus Follows a scientist – here a scientist – who decides to bring the dinosaurs back to life and as Jurassic ParkThe story is loosely based on the science fiction novel of the same name (which was actually published much earlier!). And there again, it was also entitled to two sequels.

But the main differences between the first two parts: their budget and success. first CarnosaurusSigned by Adam Simon and Darren Moloney, it costs 75 times less Jurassic Parkand Carnosaurus It wasn’t impressed—though the film grossed $1.7 million on an $850,000 budget, earning it two sequels in 1995 and 1996.

Another difference: tone. indeed Carnosaurus Focuses on horror (and will also be banned for under 18s) where Jurassic Park Combines moments of wonder and horror.

Who arrived first?

If the novel Carnosaurus expected Jurassic Park For six years, its origin is doubtful.

“In 1983, fellow film journalist Alan Jones returned from a visit to Hollywood with news that the next big trend in Hollywood would be dinosaur movies. He told me that there was a whole series of dinosaur pictures on the drawing boards.Written by author John Brosnan, who published it Carnosaurus By Harry Adam Knight (via Weeks). “So I immediately thought of a cunning plan. I quickly hatched a plan to create genetically modified dinosaurs in a private zoo owned by a deranged aristocrat in deep Cambridgeshire.“

A friend of Brosnan’s turned out to be wrong about exactly when the dinosaur craze would hit Hollywood. but when Jurassic Park He was released after eight years. Carnosaurus It was interesting then. The rights were bought by Roger Corman, who produced the film, as a direct hit Jurassic ParkThe Week reports.

and Carnosaurus He did not hesitate, while promoting himself, to throw clubs at the competitor: “Seventy-five million years ago they ruled the earth. They’re back and it’s not an amusement park!– says one of the film’s slogans. His riskiest bet: leaving early Jurassic Parktook advantage of a competitor’s advertising campaign. “We deliberately wanted to be there a week earlier,” Corman admitted in a 1999 interview with The AV Club. Carnosaurus And he confided in Diane Ladd, the star’s mother Jurassic ParkLaura Dern, one of the main roles…

What exactly is this about?

As for the film itself: imagine a Jurassic Park Cheap, stupid, bloody and crazy, one character is great and others are not at all. Diane Lady Also steals the show as Dr. Tiptree, a mad scientist who owns a lab on a chicken farm and wants to revive the dinosaurs and allow them to take back control of the planet. His method is surprisingly effective: a virus that allows women to become pregnant with dinosaurs. When a hungry, genetically engineered dinosaur wreaks havoc on the latter, a cynical night watchman and a charming idealistic environmentalist must overcome their differences to prevent the extinction of the human race…

However, according to fans, Carnosaurus Plays with its somewhat kitschy plot and becomes one of those films that doesn’t take itself too seriously and ends up entertaining us – a ‘must see’ for some.

“In many ways the first opus of a special trilogy, this film’s void makes it essential. Everything about this movie is funny and funny… the actors are incredibly bad, the special effects worthy of a 16th century movie and the script is hilarious. Special mention to the intro scene with a green background that is unique in its own way!“, we can read in the comments posted on our site, the AlloCiné audience rated this movie 1.4 out of 5…

If you want to make up your own mind, you’ll have to look at the potential DVD releases of this precious carnosaur… Jurassic Park (1993) is on the other hand available on Prime Video.