The Primevals
In this chimera of pulp fiction, ’50s creature features, and ’70s Saturday matinee TV that was shot in 1994 by renowned stop-motion animator David Allen but remained unfinished until now, a team of researchers trek into the Himalayas and discover horrors beyond their imagination.
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Among the towering peaks of the Himalayas, a band of sherpas do battle with a giant ape-like creature. When the monster is slain, its remains are entrusted to Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills). She believes the creature to be the legendary Yeti and organizes an expedition to secure a live specimen. Joining her are two former students—Matt Connor and Kathleen Reidel—field guide Siku, and big-game hunter Rondo Montana. Together, the group scours the treacherous mountain terrain for their quarry only to discover a hidden tropical valley inhabited with wondrous creatures out of Earth’s ancient past and strange beings from beyond the stars. A passion project decades in the making, The Primevals was conceived in the 1970s, but it wasn’t until 1994 that live action principal photography commenced. Director David Allen, a legendary stop-motion animation pioneer, then set about bringing to life the creature sequences. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1999, leaving the film elements, storyboards, and stop motion puppets in the care of producer Chris Endicott, who oversaw the film’s completion following a recent crowdfunding campaign. The resulting film is a delightful throwback to the Saturday morning matinees of yore—a science-fantasy adventure in the same tradition as King Kong, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, and The Valley of Gwangi.
- Director: David Allen
- Principal Cast: Juliet Mills, Leon Russom, Richard Joseph Paul, Walker Brandt
- Country: USA
- Year: 2023
- Running Time: 90 min.
- Producer: Charles Band
- Screenplay: David Allen, Randall William Cook
- Cinematographers: Adolfo Bartoli
- Editors: Chris Endicott
- Music: Richard Band
- Website: Official Film Website
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: English
- US Distributor: Full Moon Features
- International Sales: AMP