Anonymous Rex (film)
Dinosaurs in disguise investigate a murder.
Anonymous Rex is a 2004 science fiction film directed by Julian Jarrold and starring Sam Trammell and Daniel Baldwin. It was produced as a backdoor pilot for an unproduced television series of the same name, based on the novel Casual Rex by Eric Garcia. The film aired on the Sci Fi Channel.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Mystery / Science fiction
- Based On
- Casual Rex · Eric Garcia
- Writer
- Joe Menosky
- Director
- Julian Jarrold
- Starring
- Sam Trammell / Daniel Baldwin / Stephanie Lemelin / Tamara Gorski / Faye Dunaway / Isaac Hayes
- Theme Music Composer
- David Bergeaud
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Producer
- Eric Garcia / Daniel J. Heffner / Joe Menosky
- Editor
- Mark Conte / Kevin D. Ross
- Cinematography
- Albert J. Dunk / Kit Whitmore
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In an alternate timeline, dinosaurs survived the KT Extinction Event and evolved into humanoid forms, living among humans using hard light holographic disguises. Vincent Rubio, a Velociraptor private investigator, and his partner Ernie Watson, a Triceratops, investigate the death of Ernie's ex-girlfriend's brother, initially ruled a suicide. Vincent detects the scent of another dinosaur at the scene, suggesting murder. At the funeral, they encounter a cult called 'The Voice of Progress,' whose members believe prolonged disguise use has robbed dinosaurs of their identity and that humans have made them see themselves as monsters. Vincent is profoundly impacted by the cult's beliefs. The investigation reveals a plot to turn cult members into feral dinosaurs and release them on humans to force a confrontation. Vincent sympathizes with the cult's ideals but disagrees with violent revolution, leaving him uncertain which side to support.
Reader's Guide
Anonymous Rex is notable as a backdoor pilot for an unproduced television series, representing a unique attempt to blend noir detective fiction with dinosaur mythology. The film explores themes of identity, assimilation, and cultural erasure through its premise of dinosaurs hiding among humans. Its airing on the Sci Fi Channel and original production for Fox highlight the challenges of bringing unconventional genre concepts to mainstream television. The film's cast includes notable actors such as Faye Dunaway and Isaac Hayes. While the series was never produced, the film remains a curiosity for fans of dinosaur fiction and alternate history, and it is based on Eric Garcia's novel Casual Rex, which itself is part of a series.
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