A giant tyrannosaur terrorizes a band of California marijuana growers.A giant tyrannosaur terrorizes a band of California marijuana growers.A giant tyrannosaur terrorizes a band of California marijuana growers.
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Storyline
Did you know
- SoundtracksGanjasaurus Rex Theme
Performed by David Penalosa, Rob Sadler, and Andy Barnett
Featured review
Dreck that could only have been made in the '80's
Ahhh...the 1980's. I remember them well. Family-owned video rental stores, renting out VHS tapes to the unsuspecting public, were on every other street corner in America. With the proliferation of these stores came the need for product to fill their shelves, and not just in the "Adults Only" section behind the curtain in the back of the store. It seemed like anybody with a video camera and a lot of free time on their hands could call themselves a "filmmaker" and get a distribution deal with fly-by-night companies that have all gone the way of the video stores themselves.
Which explains the existence of Ganjasaurus Rex. a spoof of the giant radioactive monster movies of the '50's that's about 20 years too late and now, 30 years out of date.. It's a film that proves there is no downward limit to the definition of "amateur" or "low budget" movies. A bunch of stoners, who collectively possess less unfried brain matter than a squirrel, start growing a new strain of pot called "Cannabis sequoia", a type of marijuana plant that grows as tall as a redwood tree. It attracts the attention of the worst Not-zilla ever seen on film, played by a plastic toy that can actually be seen carried around by one of the cast members in one scene. With its completely immobile plastic face sniffing around the pot crop and eating it, Ganjasaurus becomes a problem for the stoners and the government team that's on-site to crack down on local pot growers - when he decides to actually show up, which isn't often.
No point in talking about the cast, because you haven't heard of any of these people unless you lived in the area where the movie made. Calling them "actors" may be overly generous. The cinematography is lackluster, with characters' faces disappearing from view every time they step into the shade of a tree to recite some dialogue and the camera lighting reflecting off the inside of Ganjasaurus' nostrils in close-ups. The cops and G-men are indistinguishable from the slow-talking, stiff-necked louts from a Cheech and Chong routine. The film takes a decidedly pro-marijuana stance, at a time when such viewpoints were still considered scandalous, even while telling a cautionary tale about the dangers of pot attracting giant lizards, or something. There is also a "professor" of something-or-other who is an "expert" on Ganjasaurus, despite it not being seen by human eyes since World War II. At one point in the film, he gives a lecture on the history of Ganjasaurus while holding a 12-inch Godzilla toy, a sad reminder to viewers of how much better a giant monster movie could be.
The filmmakers attempt some compositing shots while Ganjasaurus rampages through a town, and some overly-ambitious attempts at stop-motion animation, but the perspective and positioning are always wrong, with Ganjasaurus continually shot with its legs concealed to cover up the sad reality that they lack the flexibility to simulate walking. Microphones are never positioned properly and sound editing is non-existent, making all the dialogue sound like it was recorded in an echo-filled high school auditorium (which it may have been).
It's been said that the best way to truly appreciate "2001: A Space Odyssey" is to watch it when you are stoned out of your mind. That may also be the only way you can watch Ganjasaurus Rex and not think it a complete waste of time. It's certainly the only way you'd find the "comedy" funny.
Which explains the existence of Ganjasaurus Rex. a spoof of the giant radioactive monster movies of the '50's that's about 20 years too late and now, 30 years out of date.. It's a film that proves there is no downward limit to the definition of "amateur" or "low budget" movies. A bunch of stoners, who collectively possess less unfried brain matter than a squirrel, start growing a new strain of pot called "Cannabis sequoia", a type of marijuana plant that grows as tall as a redwood tree. It attracts the attention of the worst Not-zilla ever seen on film, played by a plastic toy that can actually be seen carried around by one of the cast members in one scene. With its completely immobile plastic face sniffing around the pot crop and eating it, Ganjasaurus becomes a problem for the stoners and the government team that's on-site to crack down on local pot growers - when he decides to actually show up, which isn't often.
No point in talking about the cast, because you haven't heard of any of these people unless you lived in the area where the movie made. Calling them "actors" may be overly generous. The cinematography is lackluster, with characters' faces disappearing from view every time they step into the shade of a tree to recite some dialogue and the camera lighting reflecting off the inside of Ganjasaurus' nostrils in close-ups. The cops and G-men are indistinguishable from the slow-talking, stiff-necked louts from a Cheech and Chong routine. The film takes a decidedly pro-marijuana stance, at a time when such viewpoints were still considered scandalous, even while telling a cautionary tale about the dangers of pot attracting giant lizards, or something. There is also a "professor" of something-or-other who is an "expert" on Ganjasaurus, despite it not being seen by human eyes since World War II. At one point in the film, he gives a lecture on the history of Ganjasaurus while holding a 12-inch Godzilla toy, a sad reminder to viewers of how much better a giant monster movie could be.
The filmmakers attempt some compositing shots while Ganjasaurus rampages through a town, and some overly-ambitious attempts at stop-motion animation, but the perspective and positioning are always wrong, with Ganjasaurus continually shot with its legs concealed to cover up the sad reality that they lack the flexibility to simulate walking. Microphones are never positioned properly and sound editing is non-existent, making all the dialogue sound like it was recorded in an echo-filled high school auditorium (which it may have been).
It's been said that the best way to truly appreciate "2001: A Space Odyssey" is to watch it when you are stoned out of your mind. That may also be the only way you can watch Ganjasaurus Rex and not think it a complete waste of time. It's certainly the only way you'd find the "comedy" funny.
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- theshadow1963
- Dec 2, 2020
Details
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
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