Mini-Reviewing random palaeomedia I found

Raptor Red (1995)

Yes, I did indeed purchase Bob Bakker's legendary book and finished it after the 14th. For those not in the know, Raptor Red is a fiction novel by the paaeontologist and godfather of the Dinosaur renaissance about a female Utahraptor forced on the move.

It should come as no suprise the book has aged like milk, like the utahraptors being scaley, or it and Deinonychus, Astrodon, and Acrocanthosaurus living in the same time and place (reasonable when it was thought Utah lived 125 mya, not 140). Also, the episodic plot of the story results in a feew interesting things being forgotten.

All that said, the writing is generally excellent weaving in and around all sorts of of prehistoric denizens in poetic prose that elevates them, anthromorphising them without being over the top or obnoxious. All without ever making the dinosaurs talk. Likewise, I love how Bakker draws all sorts of attention to other creatures and how they fit into Red's story, like symbiosis between her and a bird species and a pterosaur. Really makes the setting feel lived in, a complete ecosystem as oposed to an empty set. One that note, the species lineup is an eclectic mix that could only have been made in a less understood time: I learnt of Sinornis from it.

I really recommend Raptor Red.

• Accuracy - 7/10
• Aging - 6/10
• Behaviour - 7/10
• Presentation 9/10
• Storytelling - 8/10
• Rereadability - 8/10

Invasion of the Robot Dinosaurs (1988)

I learnt it from a friend who compiles palaeodocs, and I just had to see what a palaeodocymentary with that title was like and written by the guy behind Surf Nazis Must Die. The answer? NOT GOOD.

This documentary is basically just a montage of kids on a field trip to a museum (what would one day become the Perot in Dallas) and seeing Dinamation animatronics. Pretty dull all considered; the admittedly decent narration only covers basic facts and is clearly meant only for kids.

Honestly, the most interesting thing is that between the dinosaurs, we see some story of a love triangle between three kids. And the music is enjoyable cheese, I suppose.

• Accuracy - 6/10
• Aging - 6/10
• Presentation - 5/10
• Music - 7/10
• Narration - 7/10
• Presentation - 5/10
• Rewatchability - 4/10
• Overall - 5/10

Overall, Invasion of the Robot Dinosaurs is not very good nor memorable. It's an example of what one might call VHSlop that dominated thr airwaves and rental stores.

Equinox: When Pigs Ruled the Earth (1997)

Part of the now defunct Channel 4 documentary series, the equivelent of BBC's Horizon, this ep covers the Permian Extinction and why Lystrosaurus survived.

I honestly don't hae much to say about it other then being competant but the highlight of the doc are the reconstruction sequences. They got noted FX artist Neill Gorton for them, and they're excellent, if a bit janky. I'd vrecommend it just to see them.

• Accuracy - 7/10
• Aging - 7/10
• Visuals - 9/10
• Talking Heads - 8/10
• Rewatchability - 8/10