By Darien Carroll
Running into one of BYU’s football players on campus may seem intimidating, but wait until you encounter attack bugs the size of a bus at Thanksgiving Point.
A Rainforest Adventure – Bugs! is the new featured film at the 6-story Mammoth Screen Theater, located at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.
Filmed on location in the Borneo rainforest, the film highlights the life cycles of a praying mantis and a butterfly, telling their story from birth to their inescapable encounter.
“You see the butterfly go through the complete metamorphism process, starting from the caterpillar to the emerging from the cocoon process,” said Ginger Buchanan, director of communications at Thanksgiving Point. “The story gets really fun when the two main characters are brought together in a dramatic meeting.”
As the predator vs. prey story pans out, the cast of insects uses survival tactics to endure the grenade-like raindrops and soaring blades of grass in their beautiful but dangerous universe. Besides the film”s stars, the supporting cast of bugs, magnified up to 250,000 times their normal size, is introduced in the amazing scenery of the Southeast Asia rainforests.
“The natural beauty of the area and the bugs” techniques of camouflage and hunting are very cool,” said Carrie Altamirano, human relations manager of the Arizona Science Center, another popular venue fro the film.
A Rainforest Adventure – Bugs! was filmed using an entirely new 3-D system, built for the purpose of capturing these small creatures and turning them into giants for audiences to examine on large screens.
“The film expertly switches back and forth between storylines, focusing on the ”trickle of life” evolution idea,” said Julie Winslett, who viewed the film at a venue in Arizona.
In addition to the new film, Thanksgiving Point offers a variety of entertaining events for both single and married BYU students, looking for weekend activities.
“Thanksgiving Point provides an exciting date option because it is something new and different, great for couples and large groups and you can learn something at the same time,” said Buchanan. “The young mothers love the petting zoo too.”
Restaurants, shops, concerts, the Mammoth Screen Theater in 3-D and the Museum of Ancient Life make the park a great area to spend an entire day. To accommodate student spending Thanksgiving Point offers combo pricing, including an all-day pass to the “world”s largest dinosaur museum” and a Mammoth Screen Theater film ticket.
For families, the petting zoo or Farm Country introduces an educational experience to boys and girls in the barnyard and hands-on participation. Pony rides and a horse-drawn wagon are certain to charm the kids.
Thanksgiving Point invites all students and families to visit their diverse park this school year. More pricing and event information is available at www.thanksgivingpoint.com.
