SAURIANS (1994)
Visual Vengeance Collector's Edition Blu-ray
Label: Visual Vengeance
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 77 Minutes 35 Seconds
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080i HD Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Director: Mark Polonia
Cast: Mark Polonia, Todd Carpenter, Maria Davis, Todd Michael Smith
Saurians (1994) is directed by Mark Polonia, he is one half of the SOV superstars the Polonia Brothers (Splatter Farm). This has the distinction of being the only film Mark ever directed on his own without his late brother John. A super 8mm shot and edited on tape dino-flick shot in the wilds of Pennsylvania. In it three college kids, Alan (Mark Polonia), Lynette (Maria Davis) and Charlie (Matthew Saterly), are on an amateur paleontological expedition, they're having a great time, until quarry worker (Todd Michael Smith) sets off an explosive charge, and the ensuing destruction awakens a pair of dinosaurs that have apparently laid dormant in the local cave system for millions of years. Now the newly awakened dinosaurs are hungry and running amok in the local woods! Soon after Hunter (Todd Carpenter) arrives on the scene waving his gun around and acting macho, looking to bag the ultimate big game trophy, and much no-budget dino fantasy adventure ensues.
Shot by Mark Polonia with a group of friends in their backyards and nearby woods this homespun super 8 mini-epic is rough and raw to say the least, a feisty DIY Jurassic Park riff made on a shoestring budget with some fun stop-motion dino-actions, cheaply puppeted toys dinosaurs, cheesy acting, and a metric fuck-ton of can-do chutzpah. Admittedly, this has been my least favorite of the Polonia brothers flicks I've seen thus far, but that is not to say there are not some low-budget DIY dino-action thrills to be had, there are indeed. I watched this with a my kiddos, which is probably the best way to take it in, and we laughed and guffawed the whole time, perhaps not always for the reasons Mark Polonia intended, but I tell you what, this man and his pals made a movie 32-years ago with limited resources, but that did not stop him, he had a vision and he poured his passion into it, and we're are still watching it 32 year later, on an extras packed Blu-ray no less, that's a success any which way you look at it.
Audio/Video: Saurians (1994) was largely shot on 8mm and transferred to 3/4" tape, this new Visual Vengeance Blu-ray is sourced from a new director-approved SD master from original tape elements. I personally think 8mm transferred to tape looks superior to shot-on-video, and what we get here certainly looks like a VHS with limited texture and detail, fluctuating colors, weak contrast, milky blacks, and the whole 'it looks like crap' nine-yards. That said, it's fun to have this Jurassic Park riff on Blu-ray and preserved for future cinema junkers to enjoy Audio comes by way of lossy English Dolby Digital with optional English subtitles. This was all post-dubbed as it was shot on super 8mm, so we get the disconnected quality with comically flat or tonally odd line readings, there's some background hiss and what not, but nothing too egregious, about what you would expect from a shot-on-video/VHS regional oddity.
This is not a film I had much appreciation for to be honest, but I love these Visual Vengeance releases, they are stacked with extras, and this one is extra-loaded. We get Audio Commentary with director Mark Polonia, moderated by the Visual Vengeance Crew that gets into all facets of the film, including why he shot on 8mm, the various different versions of the film, the video effects, the stop-motions, and so much more. He's pretty candid and quite harsh on himself, even as someone who didn't love it I still think it's a fun homegrown flick. There's also a 7-min The Making of Saurians with director Mark Polonia and his wife Maria David-Polonia. Mark shows up again in the 5-min Saurians Locations Visit, a then and now with some commentary from Polonia about each of the locations. Nex is the 4-min
Actor Todd Carpenter Interview, he offers insights into how he ended up cast in the film and his memories of making it.
The 8-min Kevin Lindenmuth Indie Producer/Director Interview sees him talking about his early films, working with the Polonia brothers, and how he suggested that Mark spice up this flick with some stock footage he had available to use. There are also 4-min of Saurians Stop Motion Outtakes and another 4-min of Saurians Super 8 Raw Footage, which is catnip for fans of no-budget regional filmmaking, I love seeing this stuff.
A cool add-on is the 56-min Alternate, never released Rae Don Home Video version of Saurians with optional
- Audio Commentary track for Rae Don version with director Mark Polonia, and the Visual Vengeance crew. I sort of love that it is shorter, but it's also missing some dino-footage, so that's not great. We also get another Bonus Feature Film: The Dinosaur Chronicles (2004, 1:08:26) that slo gets an optional Audio Commentary track for The Dinosaur Chronicles with director Mark Polonia and the Visual Vengeance crew. The flick was co-directed by Mark and John Polonia, and the story revolves around a group of guys who go on a tropical cruise and get shipwrecked on an island chock full of dinosaurs. Extras include a 4-min The Making of The Dinosaur Chronicles with Mark Polonia. Disc extras are put to rest with Visual Vengeance Trailers for Saurians, The Dinosaur Chronicles, Saurians 2, Dinosaur Valley Girls, Splatter Farm, Feeders.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a Reversible Sleeve featuring original Saurians VHS art and a dynamite new illustration by Stemo that loopks like it cost more than this film ever made home video sales, ever! We also get a Folded Mini-Poster with alternate vintage promotional art, plus the first-pressing includes the ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set, Limited Edition O-Card, and perhaps coolest of all, a Limited Edition rare, original piece of Super-8 film from the actual movie, fuck yes, you now actually own a piece of this trashy, homespun dyno-flick!
Special Features:
- New director-approved SD master from original tape elements
- Audio Commentary with director Mark Polonia, moderated by the Visual Vengeance Crew
- The Making of Saurians (7:18)
- Saurians Locations Visit (4:46)
- Actor Todd Carpenter Interview (4:11)
- Kevin Lindenmuth Indie Producer/Director Interview (7:30)
- Saurians Stop Motion Outtakes (3:51)
- Saurians Super 8 Raw Footage (8:18)
- Alternate, never released Rae Don Home Video version of Saurians (55:53)
- Audio Commentary track for Rae Don version with director Mark Polonia, and the Visual Vengeance crew
- Bonus Feature Film: The Dinosaur Chronicles (2004, 1:08:26)
- Audio Commentary track for The Dinosaur Chronicles with director Mark Polonia and the Visual Vengeance crew
- The Making of The Dinosaur Chronicles (3:31)
- Saurians Visual Vengeance Trailer (1:17)
- The Dinosaur Chronicles Visual Vengeance Trailer (0:57)
- Saurians 2 0fficial Trailer (1:10)
- Visual Vengeance Trailers: Dinosaur Valley Girls (1:08), Splatter Farm (0:54), Feeders (0:58),
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Reversible sleeve featuring original Saurians VHS art
- Folded mini-poster with alternate vintage promotional art
- Optional English subtitles
- Limited Edition O-Card - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited Edition rare, original piece of Super-8 film from the movie - FIRST PRESSING ONLY
Sales Points
For fans of: Splatter Farm, Feeders, Goblin, Carnosaur, Planet of the Dinosaurs, The Last Dinosaur, The Land That Time Forgot
Highly requested early Polonia title.
From SOV royalty Mark Polonia (Splatter Farm, Feeders)
First time on Blu-ray or DVD vintage Super-8 feature film.
Press Quotes
Saurians is so unbelievable that we can't help but feel impressed. And happy.
—Bleeding Skull
However, it is roughly at the same silly level as the absurd French DIY equivalent, Dinosaur from the Deep, so it might appeal to those who love trash cinema.
—Rivets on the Poster
Screenshots from the Visual Vengeance Blu-ray:
Buy it!
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