The following is an interview with Jack De La Mare, founder of the Jurassic Park fan site and community known as Jurassic Outpost. In this interview, Fanbase Press President Bryant Dillon chats with De La Mare about the origins and function of Jurassic Outpost, his love for the Jurassic Park franchise, and more!
Bryant Dillon, Fanbase Press President: Can you tell us a little about yourselves and how life led you to your involvement with Jurassic Outpost and The InGeneral Podcast?
Jack De La Mare: I grew up watching both Jurassic Park and The Lost World on repeat… I loved those movies and they really helped define what I wanted to do in life. I was in awe of Steven Spielberg and the creative team behind them. The first Jurassic that I watched in cinemas was the third one and, naturally, after that, all I wanted was another. I wanted Jurassic Park 4! Who didn’t? It was during that time that I setup jurassicparkiv.org, a website that dedicated itself to news on the fourth movie which at the time, had entered development hell. I ran that website for a good number of years before other fans jumped on board to help report news. Over time, and when Colin Trevorrow was announced for Jurassic World, I purchased the domain name jurassicworld.org and opened a new version of the website along with Asees Sandhu [Jurassic Outpost Podcast Producer] and Chris Pugh [Jurassic Outpost site runner]. It grew during the movie’s production and after the Summer of 2015 the small team who had joined the madness helped me form Jurassic Outpost.
BD: For those who haven’t yet checked out Jurassic Outpost and the podcast, how would you describe the website and podcast, and what’s normal episode of the podcast like?
JD: The website is constantly updating with news, so the front page changes daily, but when designing the site with the wonderfully talented James McQuade, I wanted to keep that nostalgic feeling that is associated with now-closed Jurassic Park fan sites like JP Aftermath, InGenNet, Jurassic Island, etc. When I was growing up, I used to love those websites – with the polls on the site, movie quotes, a random image. I wanted to keep that aesthetic for the launch of Jurassic Outpost, so people were familiar with it.
A normal episode of the podcast? We can be a rowdy bunch, and I think what works for us is that we all share varied opinions on the franchise which allows for critical and detailed discussion on the movies. We try to have fun with it!
BD: What do you love about the Jurassic Park franchise, and how did it inspire the creation of Jurassic Outpost and The InGeneral Podcast?
JD: For me, funnily enough, it’s not the dinosaurs. It’s the story, the setting, the tone, the tension… The mystery of what’s hiding in the bushes. Jurassic Park is an objectively great movie and, as a filmmaker myself, I’m still learning from the way Spielberg put it together, how he filmed it, how he structured sequences. He’s a tease; he teases the audience before showing you anything. That’s so rare these days. I think just that pure love for the franchise is what made me want to create the site all those years ago. Wow, 10 years ago.
BD: What do you think our readers would be surprised to learn about Jurassic Outpost of The InGeneral Podcast?
JD: That some of the people writing for us hate Jurassic World? Haha! Or that we all work full-time jobs and do this in our free time?
BD: What can you tell us about the rest of team behind Jurassic Outpost and how they contribute to the website and podcast?
JD: We have a wonderful team of writers and contributors! Many of the talented fans we have writing will write detailed opinion pieces or will cover any and all news that comes in. Jurassic Outpost wouldn’t run without our team. We’re all positioned in different parts of the world which helps immensely with news coverage!
BD: What has been your favorite episode of the podcast so far and why?
JD: A personal favourite would have to be when we interviewed Colin Trevorrow, and near the end he brought on JA Bayona without warning. Chris and I were speechless, you can tell that we’re off-script at that point!
BD: Given your knowledge of the franchise and fanbase, what were you anticipating from the Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom feature film?
JD: Since I live in the UK, I was lucky enough to be able to see the movie much earlier than those located in the US. With Bayona directing, I was expecting a movie with a lot of tension building, and with his cinematographer Oscar Faura attached, I knew the movie would be beautiful. The collaboration between Colin and Bayona was always going to bring some sort of hybrid to the screen, and I think that’s what we got. There are some truly tender and emotional moments in the movie, and there are also some cheesy and very blockbuster inspired moments in there, too. It’s a unique movie, that’s for sure.
BD: Like many fandoms (Star Wars specifically comes to mind these days.), it seems like there’s a division between fans in the Jurassic Park fandom who love the new Jurassic World films and those who don’t. What can both sides learn from the other side’s opinion and what would be your advice (or hope) in regards to how fans approach supporting one another while also feeling free to express their individual opinions about the films, characters, etc.?
JD: Film is subjective. Not everybody is going to like everything, in the same way that not everybody is going to hate everything. It’s important to respect other people’s opinions. I’m not the biggest Jurassic World fan, but I love the fact that many fans LOVE it. It was always going to split audiences, especially those who waited 14 years for that sequel. You have all that time to think about what you want to see, and Jurassic World may or may not have delivered that.
I think it’s also important to remain honest online. If you didn’t like something, it’s okay to say it. We live in an era where filmmakers have the choice to interact with fans online and that’s something Colin Trevorrow really indulges. Remember, he doesn’t have to do it. But he does, and some minor aspects of the movie changed due to fans pointing out an inconsistency. You have to be respectful but if a filmmaker is willing to talk and discuss the movie or the franchise with fans – and you really didn’t like the way something was handled – it’s okay to point that out. It’s okay to ask why something was the way it was, or ask if something can be address in the next movie.
BD: What do you want to see next from the Jurassic Park franchise? What should they tackle next?
JD: I honestly don’t know at this point. The new trilogy has a lot to love, but it isn’t necessarily where I would have taken it. But who the hell am I? Dinosaurs are now not just isolated on an island. They have broken free. What’s going to happen? It can’t be a Planet of the Apes scenario, but a pack of Velociraptors hiding in the jungle in South America, picking off tourists and locals from the nearby village? Yes, please. I would very much like for Jurassic World 3 to drop the kissing that awkwardly happens between near-death experiences and tackle the realistic aspects of what this would do to humanity, to the world.
BD: At Fanbase Press, we’re always interested in what our fellow creators are fans of. It doesn’t have to be part of Geekdom or Jurassic Park necessarily. We just want to know what you’ve recently enjoyed that you’d want to share with our readers? So, what are you a fan of?
JD: Aside from Jurassic Park, I’m not a big franchise fan. I recently watched Hereditary and loved it. I’m a big fan of what a24 and Blumhouse are doing for horror. Anything Fincher touches is gold, and I’ve got a lot of love for Denis Villeneuve, specifically Enemy and Prisoners. I think people should check out movies like The Florida Project and Three Billboards, which both came out recently.
BD: Finally, where can our readers find our more about you and Jurassic Outpost/The InGeneral Podcast online?
JD: Head to JurassicOutpost.com for the website, and you’ll find our social links and podcast on there, too!
