Universal

jaws
Originally uploaded by revraikes.

I have been in the belly of the beast. Not this critter yer looking at, but the mega-collosal Universal Studios theme park. My good friends took me there as a going-away present.

As one can tell from previous posts, I've become fairly curmudgeonly & avuncular (in the way that an uncle tells Johnny what the monkeys are really doing in that cage (while chomping on a stinky cigar)). So, I usually write off attractions like these. I really can't stand Disney for ethical reasons (and some of the crap they've been churning out lately).

But, I have a soft-spot for monster movies (Universal's trademark) and I grew up on titles like Back to the Future, Blues Brothers, Animal House, Weird Science...the list goes on. The theme park was the right mixture of cheesy and well thought-out entertainment (minor plot-holes forgiven).

By the end of the day, I realized:

1. the Water World show was waaay better than the theatrical release &
2. I am as much of a juvenile reprobate as ever, as long as the subject matter relates to special f/x, monsters and things that go boom.

Note: if you ever make it there (where all the beautiful people are), make sure to check out the Backdraft "ride"; even if you think the movie blew chunks.

Disclaimer: this is not a promotion for Universal Studios. I just really dig film production and monster make-up (long live Rick Baker). It's also nice to realize that not all that glitters is tinged with evil.