by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent
You’ve heard of the Broadway smash “Hamilton” from showbiz reframer Lin-Manuel Miranda? Did you know the original cast once included the extremely talented Daveed Diggs as the titular character? #AFIMOVIECLUB just drafted this Broadway-star-turned-feature-phenom to pull back the curtain on the Spielberg box-office crusher JURASSIC PARK.
This is the film that ran under Variety headlines back in the day as “Lizard’s Eat Arnold’s Lunch.” These were the heady times of VFX’s infancy, when the David Koepp-penned screenplay based on the unassuming novel by Michael Crichton exploded on screen. Critics watched agape as this CGI critter flick trod heavily upon the opening of Schwarzenegger’s LAST ACTION HERO.
And the battle between CGI and conventional movie storytelling with (hum-drum) actual people not in front of green screen was officially ON. You see, 1993 was the Line in the Sand – in this case Silicon – that was crossed by said Wizards of Special Effects. They broke through the Uncanny Valley and stormed the gilded gates of unanimated Tinsel Town as it was then, changed it Forever in Chroma Key. But this is a digression…
Please enjoy Daveed Diggs, who is often auto-corrected to David (ugh) in these homebound times of laptop/tablet/handheld device lockdown. SNOWPIERCER is the movie that brings the COVID19 Conspiracy Folks to the Internet backstreets in deep conversation about this train-as-planet themed theory. The series comes out from TNT May 17, and Diggs on JURASSIC PARK follows below, but since this series is so frighteningly timely, watch on Homebounders!
WHAT: Daveed Diggs announces today’s AFI Movie Club selection: JURASSIC PARK. The movie appears on AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 THRILLS list as one of the most thrilling American films! Two AFI Life Achievement Award recipients helped bring JURASSIC PARK to life – director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams.
DID YOU KNOW? A 20-foot live-action robotic Tyrannosaurus rex was created for the movie. It was built from fiberglass and 3,000 pounds of clay, and it took 12 different operators to get it to replicate the right movements! In this exclusive AFI Archive clip, watch Spielberg talk about his love for filmmaking.
Yes, He is from Oakland, Incredibly Talented, Take that 5-0
WHERE: AFI.com/MovieClub
Welcome To #AFIMOVIECLUB
AFI Movie Club is a newly launched free program to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together – even while we are apart. AFI will shine a spotlight on an iconic movie each day, with special guests announcing select AFI Movies of the Day in short videos posted on AFI.com and social media platforms. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to find out how to watch the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming service credentials. The daily film selections will be supported by fun facts, family discussion points and exclusive material from the AFI Archive to enrich the viewing experience. Audiences can continue the conversation online using the hashtag #AFIMovieClub. Learn more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, YouTube.com/AFI, Twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.
And Beware… Your Worst Fears About Dinosaurs Confirmed! NYC Invasion?
# # #