‘Saurians’ Blu-ray Review (Visual Vengeance)
In 1993, the sci-fi action genre was reshaped by Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. Its success sparked a wave of dinosaur movies, with filmmakers eager to capture a piece of that magic. Among them were low-budget auteurs The Polonia Brothers, who quickly jumped on the trend with Saurians, released just a year later in 1994.
Many films like this would typically fade into obscurity, never seeing the light of day on modern home video formats. But that’s where Visual Vengeance comes in. The label has built a reputation for rescuing these campy, low-budget oddities and giving them a new lease of life with super-deluxe Blu-ray releases… and Saurians is the latest to get that treatment.
When a routine construction blast shakes their sleepy town, a group of locals discover that the explosion has awakened two dinosaurs from a centuries-long slumber, who soon run amok in the local woods on a rampage of terror.
Director Mark Polonia (Splatter Farm, Feeders) brings his dinosaur feature to life here, and it delivers exactly what you’d expect from a campy ’90s sci-fi outing – shaky camerawork, rough puppetry, stop-motion effects, and some truly questionable acting. Reportedly shot without live audio and dubbed in later, the result is a particularly strange, almost surreal viewing experience.
Let’s be honest, no one’s going into Saurians expecting Jurassic Park. This is the kind of film you throw on with friends, armed with snacks and drinks, and just enjoy for what it is—laughing at the effects, the performances, and everything in between. It’s practically built for a Mystery Science Theatre 3000-style viewing party.
Visual Vengeance has produced a new director-approved SD master from original tape elements, transferring Saurians to Blu-ray in 1080p, presented in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Okay, there is no denying that the quality is not the best in the world. But if you look at this Blu-ray release in comparison to anything you’re going to find online, this is definitely an upgrade. Plus with this release, you get tons of bonus features, including:
Bonus Materials:
- Commentary with director Mark Polonia, moderated by the Visual Vengeance crew
- The Making of Saurians
- Saurians Locations Visit
- Actor Todd Carpenter Interview
- Kevin Lindenmuth Interview
- Saurians Stop Motion Outtakes
- Saurians Super 8 Raw Footage
- Alternate, never released Rae Don Home Video version of Saurians
- Commentary track for Rae Don version with director Mark Polonia, and the Visual Vengeance crew
- Bonus Feature Film: The Dinosaur Chronicles (2004)
- Commentary track for The Dinosaur Chronicles with director Mark Polonia and the Visual Vengeance crew
- The Making of The Dinosaur Chronicles
- Saurians Visual Vengeance Trailer
- The Dinosaur Chronicles Visual Vengeance Trailer
- Saurians 2 Trailer
- Visual Vengeance trailers
- ‘Stick Your Own’ VHS sticker set
- Reversible sleeve featuring original Saurians VHS art
- Folded mini-poster with alternate vintage promotional art
- Limited Edition O-Card – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
- Limited Edition rare, original piece of Super-8 film from the movie – FIRST PRESSING ONLY
As you can see, Visual Vengeance never disappoints when it comes to packing their releases with bonus material – commentaries, interviews, even a full bonus film. And then there’s the artwork, which, let’s be honest, is probably better than the film itself. But the real standout here has to be the inclusion of an actual piece of the Super 8 film. That’s such a unique, tactile extra… and genuinely one of the coolest bonus features you could ask for!
***½ 3.5/5
If you love campy sci-fi from the 1990s, complete with horrible effects and acting, well, you have to check out Saurians. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
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