Dinosaur 13

Last updated
Dinosaur 13
Dinosaur 13 poster.jpg
Sundance Film poster
Directed by Todd Douglas Miller
Produced byTodd Douglas Miller
CinematographyThomas Petersen
Edited byTodd Douglas Miller
Music byMatt Morton
Production
company
Statement Pictures
Distributed by CNN Films
Lionsgate
Release date
  • January 16, 2014 (2014-01-16)(Sundance)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dinosaur 13 is a 2014 American documentary film directed and produced by Todd Douglas Miller. [1] The film premiered in competition category of U.S. Documentary Competition program at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 16, 2014. [2] [3]

Contents

After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, CNN Films and Lionsgate acquired distribution rights of the film, leading to broadcast on CNN, theatrical release, and DVD packaging. [4] [5] In 2015 Dinosaur 13 won the Emmy for Outstanding Science and Technology Programming at the 36th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards. [6]

Plot

The film depicts events that began in 1990, when American paleontologist Sue Hendrickson working with Pete Larson and his Black Hills Institute of Geological Research team discovered the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found (nicknamed "Sue") while digging in the badlands near Faith, South Dakota. The skeleton was seized from the institute by the federal government, followed by a 10-year-long battle with the FBI, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Maurice Williams, the landowner on whose property the bones were discovered. Pete Larson also spent 18 months in prison, on unrelated charges of international money laundering and trading fossils on the black market. [7] [8]

Reception

The film received positive response from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 73% based on reviews from 49 critics, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critics consensus states: "It's undeniably slanted and doesn't cover as much of the story as it should, but Dinosaur 13 makes for gripping documentary viewing, flaws and all". [9] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of a 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10]

Dennis Harvey, in his review for Variety , called the documentary "engrossing". [11] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film positive review and said that it involves a "story of scientific discovery and petty politics". [12] Eric Kohn from Indiewire in his review said that "A subset of the recent scientific-documentary-as-thriller tradition epitomized by The Cove and Blackfish , Todd Douglas Miller's Dinosaur 13 is both awe-inspiring and tragic". [13]

Donald Clarke of The Irish Times had praised the ending of Dinosaur 13 calling it "bittersweet" and "genuinely unfair", adding plainly and simply "Do not miss [it]". [14]

Tom Huddleston of Time Out wrote "Using home-video footage and talking-head interviews, [the film] dramatically depicts the thrill of archaeological discovery". [15]

According to Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com Dinosaur 13 has the "elements of legal thriller, political drama, academic throwdown and scientific geek-out [all-in-one]. [16]

Kim Newman of the Empire also praised the film, saying that "[Similar to] The Cover and Man on Wire , this doc[umentary] comes clad in the garb of a thriller. And a heck of a good one at that". [17]

Even though the film was praised by critics, Rob Staeger of The Village Voice was of a different opinion. His verdict was that "Unfortunately, Dinosaur 13 never manages to display the story's many complex parts in a way that enables viewers to grasp the whole beast". [18]

After the film aired, The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, a society of professional paleontologists that depend largely on government grants for research, issued a statement of full support for legally protecting fossils on public land and criticized Dinosaur 13 for implying that government ownership of fossil specimens impedes paleontological science. [19]

Following its release on Blu-ray, the film was reviewed by Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com, who said that "If The Cove and Blackfish taught us anything, it's that documentaries don't necessarily require facts and figures to support a subject matter". [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> Genus of Late Cretaceous theropod

Tyrannosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species Tyrannosaurus rex, often called T. rex or colloquially T-Rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived throughout what is now western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. Tyrannosaurus had a much wider range than other tyrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of rock formations dating to the Maastrichtian age of the Upper Cretaceous period, 72.7 to 66 million years ago. It was the last known member of the tyrannosaurids and among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Horner (paleontologist)</span> American paleontologist

John Robert Horner is an American paleontologist most famous for describing Maiasaura, providing the first clear evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young. In addition to his paleontological discoveries, Horner served as the technical advisor for the first five Jurassic Park films, had a cameo appearance in Jurassic World, and served as a partial inspiration for one of the lead characters of the franchise, Dr. Alan Grant. Horner studied at the University of Montana, although he did not complete his degree due to undiagnosed dyslexia, and was awarded a Doctorate in Science honoris causa. He retired from Montana State University on July 1, 2016, although he claims to have been pushed out of the Museum of the Rockies after having married an undergraduate student and now teaches as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirby Dick</span> American film director, producer, and screenwriter

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of the Rockies</span> General History Museum in Montana, United States

Museum of the Rockies is a museum in Bozeman, Montana. Originally affiliated with Montana State University in Bozeman, and now also, the Smithsonian Institution. The museum is largely known for its Paleontological collections as well as having the largest collection of North American Dinosaur fossils in the United States. They also possess the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered, as well as the thigh bone of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that contains soft-tissue remains. The museum is part of the Montana Dinosaur Trail and is Montana's official repository for Paleontological specimens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Larson</span> American dinosaur dealer

Peter Lars Larson is an American fossil dealer who is head of the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, which specialises in the excavation and preparation of fossils. He led the team that excavated "Sue", one of the largest and most complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, which was the subject of a legal dispute resulting in its seizure and public auction. In 1996, Larson was convicted of customs violations related to failing to declare money he had brought from overseas as well as taking two fossils from federal land, and served 18 months in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen L. Brusatte</span> American paleontologist

Stephen Louis Brusatte is an American paleontologist and evolutionary biologist who specializes in the anatomy and evolution of dinosaurs. He was educated at the University of Chicago for his Bachelors degree, at the University of Bristol for his Master's of Science on a Marshall Scholarship, and finally at the Columbia University for Master's in Philosophy and Doctorate. He is currently a Reader in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Edinburgh.

<i>T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous</i> 1998 film by Brett Leonard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue (dinosaur)</span> Very complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil

Sue is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, which is one of the largest, most extensive, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found, at over 90 percent recovered by bulk. FMNH PR 2081 was discovered on August 12, 1990, by American explorer and fossil collector Sue Hendrickson, and was named after her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan (dinosaur)</span> Tyrannosaurus rex specimen

"Stan", also known by its inventory number BHI 3033, is a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, just outside of Buffalo in 1987, and excavated in 1992. It is the fifth most complete T. rex fossil discovered to date, at more than 70% bulk. In October 2020, the fossil was sold for $31.8 million at auction, making it the most expensive dinosaur specimen and fossil ever sold. In March 2022 Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism stated that they had acquired Stan and were planning on displaying the fossil at a new museum of natural history scheduled to open in 2025.

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References

  1. ↑ "2014 Sundance Docs in Focus: DINOSAUR 13". December 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (January 9, 2014). "Sundance Preview: 'Dinosaur 13' Poster Digs Up a T. rex (Exclusive Image)". Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Sundance 2014: U.S. Documentary Competition". IndieWire . January 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  4. ↑ Miller, Daniel (January 17, 2014). "Sundance 2014: 'Dinosaur 13' doc acquired by Lionsgate, CNN Films". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on April 25, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  5. ↑ Willmore, Alison (January 17, 2014). "CNN Films and Lionsgate Acquire T-Rex Documentary 'Dinosaur 13' Out of Sundance". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  6. ↑ "CNN Films and Dinosaur 13 Win News & Documentary Emmy Award". CNN. September 29, 2015. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  7. ↑ Browne, Malcolm W. (February 22, 1996). "Fossil Dealer, Target of Federal Prosecutors, Begins Jail Term". The New York Times . The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  8. ↑ Miller, Daniel (January 18, 2014). "Sundance 2014: The making of 'Dinosaur 13' [Video]". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dinosaur 13 (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Dinosaur 13 (2014)". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  11. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (January 17, 2014). "Sundance Film Review: 'Dinosaur 13'". Variety . Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Dinosaur 13: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter . January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  13. ↑ Kohn, Eric (January 17, 2014). "Sundance Review: 'Dinosaur 13' Salutes the World's Greatest T-Rex Skeleton and Mourns the Fate of Its Discoverers". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  14. ↑ Clarke, Donald (August 15, 2014). "Dinosaur 13 review: Kafka and a dinosaur named Sue". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  15. ↑ Huddleston, Tom (August 13, 2014). "Dinosaur 13". Time Out . Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  16. ↑ O'Hehir, Andrew (August 13, 2014). "'Dinosaur 13': Why Fox News would have had a field day with T.rex". Salon.com . Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  17. ↑ Newman, Kim (August 7, 2014). "Dinosaur 13 Review". Empire . Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Staeger, Rob (August 13, 2014). "Dinosaur 13 Digs Up the Controversy around 'Sue'". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Dinosaur 13 doesn't unearth whole truth about paleontology and fossil protection on US public lands". Phys.org . Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. December 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  20. ↑ Orndorf, Brian (August 14, 2014). "Dinosaur 13 Review". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.

Bibliography

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