Carnosaur (USA, 1993) 83 min color DIR-SCR: Adam Simon, based on the novel by John Brosnan. PROD: Roger Corman, Mike Elliott. MUSIC: Nigel Holton. DOP: Keith Holland. CAST: Diane Ladd, Raphael Sbarge, Jennifer Runyon, Harrison Page, Ned Bellamy, Clint Howard. (New Horizon Picture Corporation)
“I have been called everything from the King of the B’s to the Pope of Pop Cinema,” Roger Corman once said. That may be true, but there’s another nickname that’s only become more and more common since the foundation of Concorde-New Horizons, and that’s the King of the Rip-Offs. Carnosaur is the perfect example. When Corman heard about Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, he realized that dinosaur fever would be sweeping the nation. Eager to profit off the hype surrounding Spielberg’s movie, Corman quickly commissioned his own dinosaur thriller, loosely based on John Brosnan’s novel of the same name. Corman even cast Jurassic Park star Laura Dern’s mother, Oscar-nominee Diane Ladd, in the leading role. (Clint Howard also appears, confirming his status as the Jonathan Haze of the Concorde era).
The movie itself is, of course, terrible. Diane Ladd phones in her performance as Dr. Jane Tiptree, a mad scientist who wants to destroy the human race and replace it with dinosaurs through genetically modified chicken eggs and a strand of flu that causes women to give birth to dinosaurs. Yucky! There’s also the mandatory love/hate romance, acted by Raphael Sbarge and Jennifer Runyon as if they couldn’t wait to get their paycheques. This gory little movie is more unpleasant than amusing, but there are some unintentionally funny scenes. The dinosaurs, created with a combination of models and men-in-suits are laughably unconvincing; in one scene, the puppeteer’s hand is actually visible. The low point, though, is the scene where Ladd herself gives birth to a dino, which can only be seen to be believed. Largely panned by critics (except Gene Siskel, who gave it a thumbs up, apparently out of amusement), Carnosaur still managed to make a healthy $1,753,979 during its limited theatrical run a few weeks before Jurassic Park, easily making back its $850,000 budget. An encouraged Corman went on to rip himself off, pumping out two sequels, both with ample stock footage.
Originally published in The Roger Corman Scrapbook.
Will Sloan
Will Sloan first encountered ESR at Word on the Street circa 2004 (age: 15) and started contributing not long after. He is now a fully-grown writer and raconteur, and hosts two film-related podcasts: The Important Cinema Club and Michael & Us. You can follow him @WillSloanEsq on Twitter and at willsloanesq.wordpress.com.