The Rockville Film Society

Jurassic Park, which premiered on this date in 1993, was a massive culture shifting event film unlike anything before it, or anything since.

Steven Spielberg unleashed decades of filmmaking, honed skill, and dinosaurs into a movie that spawned sequels, second franchises, amusement park rides, and merchandise galore. 

George Lucas would be proud of that last part. He always loved a good merchandise plug (see Ewoks).

Having been a mere two years old when the film premiered, I never would have experienced the sorcery of special effects in the theater. That would be terribly inappropriate even for 90’s parents.

My parents instead, in October of 1994, purchased the film. What happened next is what makes Spielberg movies so magical; so permanent in our lives.

I don’t remember being woken up (I’m four and one half years old at this point remember). What I do recall is walking into my living room after being told to wait around the corner. 

Almost like Christmas Eve, peaking to see what might be under the tree already. But now, plum fairies were replaced with Halloween pumpkins by the fireplace.

Something was going on.

The surprise and genuine wonder of what was happening was palpable. 

Was it a vacation? Were we moving?

My parents tell me to close my eyes and come into the room. I slammed my knee into the couch but it doesn’t matter. I keep going.

When I could finally open my eyes, similar to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, this is the moment that everything went Technicolor.

On our coffee table, next to a brand new King Size Hershey chocolate bar was a crisp, clean, and ever so perfect VHS copy of Jurassic Park. The black sleeve with the bold yellow and red T-Rex logo centered firmly in the middle.

This felt like something secret, something dangerous. In The Fablemans, Spielberg shared his own moment of terrified wonder the first time he went to the movies to see The Greatest Show on Earth. The train accident scared the young man, but in a safe way, and prompted him to recreate the scene in his bedroom with his father’s camera. The rest is film history.

I remember the thundering John Williams score opening into the Velociraptor attack, the amber, the trip to the park, and the first time we see a dinosaur in full. All of it. Then, as a four year old does at 9:37 PM, I fell asleep.

I can’t specifically recall when I finished the movie. Probably the next day. What matters most is the chemical mix in my brain changing. 

From there, I was changed forever. Spielberg in many ways became more important than my teachers, the Power Rangers, and maybe even Santa himself.

At least more important than the tooth fairy.

I tore through the sacred texts of E.T. and Indiana Jones. George Lucas and Star Wars were shortly thereafter. Jaws. Close Encounters. As the years passed, the passion grew to a fervor.

Spielberg movies began opening doors to new filmmakers.

Saving Private Ryan was history alive. Platoon, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket followed later on because I saw that movies could not just tell you what happened (like the history classes I lamented paying attention during) but show you in vivid detail.

Minority Report is a favorite of my grandfather’s. We watched it together for the first time in his home theater.

At this point, these movies were now establishing connections between generations for me, as they have done for millions in the past.

Two of my very closest friendships are centered are with people who appreciate these films, talk in strange character voices, or do strange “different things”.

In 2010, my friend Pat and I, after heavily discussing Jaws, bought freshwater sharks from the pet store. Yes, the theme song played several times on repeat during the entire process.

In 2018, I saw Ready Player One five times in theaters, and brought everyone that would go to see it with me. Sometimes twice.

As rooted in a virtual world as that movie is, Parzival and Artemis and the rest of the High Five close the Oasis for two days a week, so that people can interact with each other and connect.

These movies are filled with big ideas told through the eyes of people because Spielberg never takes us off of Earth. Think about it!

He fills our landscapes, our everyday lives, with elements and characters like aliens and giants.

These are movies about everyday people faced with the extraordinary, daring us to dream and push and create; to look for what might be there.

Tonight, on the 33rd anniversary of Jurassic Park, members of this group are going, together, to see his newest feature, Disclosure Day.

If The Rockville Film Society were to create a Mount Rushmore of directors, Spielberg would no doubt be the first. If any long time readers remember, our very first meeting featured the Amblin Entertainment Draft, using a collection of films directed, written, or produced by the filmmaker.

To me, the most impactful member of the audience will be my daughter. For her, this is her “Spielberg alien” movie. She lives for the emotional connection of E.T. and the nostalgic nods throughout Ready Player One.

Movies are stories, they are meant to be passed down to the next generation. For me, this is the opportunity to share this story with my child, just as my parents did with me.

Isn’t that the very magic of the movies?

So, please, choose your seat. A Spielberg movie is about to start,

Tyler