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Jurassic Park is a 1993 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. The film centers on the fictional island of Isla Nublar, where scientists have created an amusement park of cloned dinosaurs. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) invites a group of scientists, played by Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, to visit the park. Sabotage sets the dinosaurs on the loose, and technicians and visitors attempt to escape the island. Spielberg acquired the rights to the novel before its publication in 1990, and Crichton was hired to adapt his novel. David Koepp wrote the final draft, which left out much of the novel's exposition and violence, and also made numerous changes to the characters. Spielberg hired Stan Winston Studios to create animatronics to portray the dinosaurs, shots of which were mixed with newly developed computer-generated imagery by Industrial Light and Magic. Jurassic Park is regarded as a landmark in the usage of CGI effects and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the effects (though reaction to other elements of the picture, such as character development, was mixed). Jurassic Park spawned a franchise of films and other media, and was followed by The Lost World: Jurassic Park in 1997 and by Jurassic Park III in 2001, with Jurassic Park IV currently in development. (more...)

In the news

• The government of Southern Sudan withdraws its mediation efforts at the Juba talks between Uganda and the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (leader Joseph Kony pictured).
• In tennis, Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanović win the singles titles in the 2008 French Open.
• The Diet of Japan recognizes the Ainu as an indigenous people for the first time.
• Israeli minister Shaul Mofaz threatens an attack on Iran's nuclear program.
• Turkey's Constitutional Court reinstates a ban on the hijab in universities, citing the constitution's secular principles.
• In ice hockey, the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the 2008 Finals.
• Zimbabwean police briefly detain foreign diplomats and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai before the second round of the presidential election.
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