JohnDoe
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John Doe Universally wrangling Killer sharks, dinosaurs and robots
The John Doe travelogues: Part 3
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“Say goodbye to Hollywood, say goodbye my baby” - It’s the last day in LA for John Doe and his entourage (Gingersnap, “B” and Nina - the wife to be) and instead of slowing down its time to fulfil another life long goal. The exciting anticipation is reaching a crescendo level that JD is finding hard to hold back, for today he is attacked by Jaws, quantum leaps back in time to Jurassic Park and witnesses the missing 3-D chapter of in the Terminator saga.
JD frames the shot
We are off to Universal Studios, the theme park studio that encourages the public to pay them a visit for a price. Where black and white lenses filmed the classic monster movies, later wide angle technology captured some exterior shots in Spartacus and the far less eerie Bates Motel still has Psycho Norman peaking through blinds at the passing trolley.
Norman spies with his little eye...mother!
Making a spectacle of ourselves at the arched front gates then the first stop was that famous guided trolley tour that parts the red sea and shows you the outside of a lot of live sets hidden inside matching warehouse buildings.
Backlot Universal, where classics were built
It’s a hot, clear skied California day and when Bruce pays us innocent doe eyed tourists a visit and splashes the vehicle with his tail fin, it refreshes and delights just like Johnny always hoped it would. (The shark looked a little worse for wear though)
Bruce frolicks with the crowd
Fortunately the cruisey journey comes with batteries included in the form of fire, exploding blanks and even a low level flood amongst other behind the scenes sneak peaks into the world of special FX.
Kong soaks up some rays
Disembarking, we proceed to scoff down a burger at a Mel’s Diner, soon John D and B are hastily on collision course with the Mummy Ride. As we hop in the carriage not expecting much we begin to roll through three chambers of dull treasure and mirth. Suddenly without warning we are jolted up to a high speed and in pitch black careen violently left and right up, up, up and down, down, down screeching to a stop just inches from what looks like a brick walls. As cockroaches crawl down the structure a wind machine around our ankles blows a piece of fishing line to simulate the creepy crawlies. Somebody screams, then you do the whole thing in reverse, short and sweet but nothing special.
Johnny doesn't like everything he sees
The Jurassic Park river ride again provided relief from the scorching solar rays, attested by half the people getting on in raincoats. As you knock and bump you way down a precisely calibrated tidal system that transports you through the downtown jungle of T-Rexville.
Jurassic Spielberg
Through the shrubs trees and numerous shades of man made green a Velociraptor leaps out of hiding to spit all over us then a giant herbivore munches away round the next corner. Ofcourse it all goes south shortly after and soon jeeps are plummeting from the sky and the mammoth teeth of the tyrannosaurus rex attempt to amputate limbs. Escape comes as we hurtle down a waterfall and physic guarantees one more genuine soaking to quench the dryness.
Its got cop tyres, cop suspension and cop brakes...JD and the Blues mobile
Traipsing over to the other side of the park it was time for JD and co to reunite for a screening of T2 3D: Battle across Time. Written and Directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold, Linda, Eddy and Mulders replacement. Within a warehouse we are greeted by a bubbly representative from the innovative cyberdine corporation. Privvy to a promotional video for the company designed to brainwash and sell there product, thankfully the signal is interrupted by Sarah and John Connor who warn us of imminent doom.
Rushed into the Miles Bennett Dyson Auditorium, armed with 3D glasses we sit down in our gadget laden seats. Mixing live on stage performances with integrated CG FX that have the viewer ducking and weaving, the smell of gunpowder and burnt rubber linger in the air as the Harley peels out and the Terminator fires shotgun blanks. This was the highlight of the day for this pack of sci fi nerds who were sweating so much they mirrored the liquid metal T-1000.
Here is the footage from the T2 3D experience, losing alot in translation and out of context.
Sure the park has been around forever and some of the attractions date back to the 70’s but for John Doe the images drawn in his mind as a child glossed over the experience for maximum satisfaction.
Magnum P.I's Ferrari and the back to the Future Delorean...shame the ride closed a week before arrival.
Soon JD is aboard a Vegas bound midnight plane the adventure takes a turn towards self destruction…
JD meets Bruce's Teeth
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
*laughs* ..the Blues mobile is priceless ..
Lilla ...
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All the autos were sweet but Jake and Elwoods ride held teh ultimate appeal too...keep smiling
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A keen student of the travelogue's.
Selfish reasoning though - as the MNG entourage is headed over in April.
Leave the stretch Hummer running from me
Cheers champion
MNG
Flashes of memories
Loved the Magnum and Back to The Future cars too - loved those when I was a kid.
Flick Wit
It's so lovely and sunny over there! I got hailed on the other day. Immensely jealous.
But you are back now, yes?
Michaelie
Hunt Famous
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Techbreak
problems with Erin Brokovitch? Ha hA ha!
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I was curious about the Florida location...rest assured the primary attraction in LA is still the rides and shows. The backlot may still be active but all the sets are closed to the public anyway. (Unless you are on the VIP tour)...still a great time seeing the sets where they filmed Spartacus, horse operas and monster flicks.
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They were the real ones, just sitting there corroding away in the weather...sad really.
Sadder still is that the only way I can comment on my own blog is to go into "my orble" and click through to where it gives you an option to post a comment, taking ages for each one. Any suggestions?
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Are you going to do the LA shuffle in April?
The stretch Hummer still has the keys in it and a full tank of gas, say John Doe sent you and a posse will crawl out of the cracks in the sidewalk.
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The T2 3D show was loud and action packed..the quality of the extra dimension was near faultless. The cars were an added treat, there were also ones from the Fast and the Furious and a few others but they did nothing for me.
You should check it out one day.
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I was overwhelmed from the moment I landed in La la land all teh way through to takig off for Vegas...A film geeks nirvana, all the classic sights seen so many times on screen suddenly realised....universal studios was no exception, the weather was perfect everyday.
Arrived back on the weekend and finally getting back into the semblance of a normal sleep pattern, though everything seems slow and boring after such a great trip.
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Erin Brokovitch the person is fine, but that horrible suction cup lipped ham destroys everything she appears in..thankfully mostly crap I wouldn't watch anyway. (She's is like a female tom cruise, over acting and waving her limbs around like she was on broadway) - I had to bite
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I love Universal Studios - yes, I think the LA one is better too...
<LOL> I thought that too! The one in Florida is the same as well...
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