Primal - GORE HEAD

A pair of teases for Genndy Tartakovsky's latest wheeze - a television series for Adult Swim entitled Primal. The plot synopsis floating around makes the show sound like a Devil Dinosaur-ish tale, focusing on the friendship between a primitive brute and a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

SAVAGE LAND

GOTTA GET BACK

After somehow ending up as a cog in the deathless Adam Sandler machine, it's fantastic to see Genndy Tartakovsky back doing what he does best. Posedowns. Lots and lots of posedowns. Tartakovsky's greatest creation, Samurai Jack, seething and still. A bubbling wraith framed against a series of environments, each one more exciting than the last.

AWAKEN

Star Wars hasn't looked this visually dynamic since Genndy Tartakovsky was quietly shown the door. Stylistically our first look at Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens is the complete opposite of the static wides used to tease Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Instead we've got John Boyega stumbling towards us gasping and the camera pushing-in on Daisy Ridley dressed like a Ralph McQuarrie doodle. A trio of tight close-ups reintroduce us to the Empire's bully boys, the clipped, insert inflected energy of the shots stressing something almost hand-held. Everything's moving, from the Falcon's graceful loop de loop to the hammering, lopsided stride of the newest Sith lord.

Hunter? Prey?

Teaser trailer for Sandy Collora's upcoming feature debut Hunter Prey. Collora was the brains behind the monster mash-up Batman: Dead End short that did the Internet rounds a few years back. This new piece has the same genre fragment pile-up vibe. There's a strong 70s sci-fantasy vibe hanging over this shill, the CG matte skyline is straight out of a painted spaceships artbook, and the wandering action figure characters recall an expanded George Lucas universe. Perhaps something to pad out those Mandolorians? It's a lo-fi impression though, much more pre-tinker New Hope than CG heave Prequel - that alchemy of combining complimentary practical and special effects to create lived-in worlds. It's a knack Lucas quickly lost.

Watching the trailer I began to wonder why no-one had ever really attempted to brazenly cannibalise Star Wars' visual signifiers for their own nefarious ends, before realising that everyone tried, and very little of it made any lasting impression. Hunter Prey, in this truncated form, has the mood of a quicky Euro-comic rushed out while the artists head is still ringing with visions of Tatooine. It's Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars shorts writ real. Most of all though, it feels like an out-of-time low budget cash-in for an audience clamouring for Star Wars II. I hear that Boba Fett guy from the Holiday Special has a bigger part in this one!

Man of Iron

You may have missed this one: Jon Favreau revealing on Ain't It Cool News that he is collaborating with Genndy Tartakovsky, and his team, on Iron Man 2. Sounds like Tartakovsky et al will be boarding the action sequences, whilst Favreau mixes with the actors. An exciting turn of events I'm sure you'll agree. Imagine! A Tartakovsky originated live action battle sequence that stacks shell-head and War Machine on one side, with Fu Manchu wizard nemesis The Mandarin, and his snaking dragon bodyguard Fing Fang Foom on the other. Delightful.

To get you in the mood, here's Tartakovsky's entrance for General Grievous in the 2003 Cartoon Network series Star Wars: Clone Wars. This pre-Episode III animated debut for Grievous made a promise that George Lucas' live action depiction couldn't hope to deliver on, even with those extra arms. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Korgoth of Barbaria

For your consideration: I submit to you a lonely forgotten pilot that didn't quite attracted a series; Aaron Springer's Korgoth of Barbaria. Springer - a veteran of modern animation luminaries Spongebob Squarepants, and Dexter's Laboratory - brings all his face tic skill-set to the table, served up with a meaty eye for supremely inventive gore vignettes. Hosanna! This pilot tease was co-directed with Genndy Tartakovsky; the duo perhaps hoping to do for Robert E Howard sorcery noodling what they breezed with chanbara blow-out masterpiece Samurai Jack. Clearly a labour of love for all involved, Korgoth drips time-sink think quality.

Korgoth neatly straddles both ugly brute men genre mainstays: pre-civilisation barbarity and post-apocalyptia law breakdown barbarity. This here motion yarner contains a whole lot of barbarity. Rend and tear baby, rend and tear.



Expect Frank Frazetta muscle mountains caricatured and distorted in breeze block knuckle dragging Thruds, lusty chuckles, peering eyes and busty maidens.

Behold!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Unfortunately, Adult Swim decided not to bother picking this slice of nice up, instead heaping tens of dollars onto interminable flash shows. What a gang of fucking dicks.

If you're a sucker for lost causes, why not sign this petition and register your distaste?

Star Wars: Episode 2 And Change

There's a new Star Wars film out at the end of summer. Ahem. Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Why the distinct lack of hype? It's a feature length spin-off from a forthcoming CG animated TV series.



Reading around the film it sounds like Lucas is operating on whimsy; deciding to release a feature upon seeing rough edits of the TV series projected on a big screen. Despite retaining the character models (or 3D approximations thereof), this series bears scant relation to Genndy Tartakovsky's magnificent Cartoon Network series Star Wars: Clone Wars.

See for yourself, here's the first 4 odd minutes.

All that sweeping camera movement! Reeks of tech-demo eh?

Compare that drab anti-punch to this little wonder.

What's Mr Tartakovsky up to now? He was last seen in the director's chair for fantasy muppet epic Dark Crystal follow-up: Power of the Dark Crystal. When's that out? Maybe never. Apparently the project is long canned, with Lisa Henson looking for an opportune time to break everyone's hearts. Rumour source? Some sneaky chap what smells. Hope he's fibbin'.