The number of films started and never finished or released can be staggering. What’s even more frustrating are the ones we know the history of, but they never see the light of day for whatever reason. The most recent example I can think of was when Warner Bros. canceled the release of Batgirl in 2022. Maybe there was a solid reason, and maybe there wasn’t, but tossing the movie away doesn’t do anyone any favors. Especially when the cast and crew put so much time and effort into the product, they never get to share (for better or worse) the fruits of their labor.
Take effects artist David Allen, whose work has appeared in films such as The Howling (1981), Willow (1988), Dolls (1986), and Puppet Master (1989). His love of practical effects and stop-motion animation is legendary. His passion for the art form would lead him on a journey that would see his passion project fall into obscurity after his passing in 1999.
In the late ’60s, Allen began piecing together a story that would have been Raiders of the Stone Ring, an adventure tale that utilized his talents as a stop-motion animator. It didn’t happen, but the project would morph into an idea Charles Band would be interested in helping develop, called The Primevals. This would be around 1978, but as it goes in Hollywood, it didn’t work out.
When Band had Empire Pictures in the ’80s, the duo would try again, but sadly, it didn’t manifest then either. Allen wasn’t going to give up, so they attempted again in the ’90s when Band was riding high with Full Moon. This time, they completed principal photography and began work on the effects. However, the project’s future was uncertain when Full Moon lost its distribution deal with Paramount. The real tragedy struck when Allen was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Even though his health was deteriorating, he worked on the film until the day he died, August 16, 1999.
Twenty years after Allen’s passing, the friends who helped him on the project, Chris Endicott and Charles Band, would launch a crowd-funding campaign to raise funds and complete the project in his memory. In 2023, four years after the campaign, The Primevals would premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival. The film is now available on streaming and in various physical media editions. So, what was the result of this long-awaited release?
Deep in the Himalayas, a Yeti corpse is discovered and sent to the U.S., where they will do some research. Anthropologist Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills), along with writer Matt Connor (Richard Joseph Paul), ex-hunter Rondo Montana (Leon Russom), and guides Kathleen Reidel (Walker Brandt) and Siku (Tai Thai), set off on an expedition to uncover its mystery.
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An avalanche traps them in ice caverns, but they find their way into what seems like another world with prehistoric creatures and metal domes. They discover a cave with an abandoned spaceship but get captured by reptilian mutants. The team must escape the creatures’ deadly plans or, at the very least, die trying.
It would be remiss of me to think the finished film could live up to the story behind it. It suffers from a weak script and probably not Allen’s final vision for the movie, but it’s as close as we’ll get. That being said, if you appreciate the art of special effects, especially stop-motion, you’ll want to see this as soon as possible. The final thirty minutes are a special effect showcase and beautifully done. With the overabundance of CGI in modern cinema, seeing these practical effects lovingly created is a real treat.
This box set, released by Full Moon, is the most completed version of the film you’ll ever find. It’s also a wonderful tribute to Allen and his passion for the art.
The first disc contains the main feature along with the theatrical trailer. The second disc is interesting because it has The Primevals: The David Allen Version, which is the completed film that includes a couple of missing scenes, storyboard animations, and the like that were never fully finished but help to give a better look at Allen’s overall vision.
The third disc goes all in on the project’s history with the documentary Lost to Time: Unearthing The Primevals from director Daniel Griffith. It also includes features like the Raiders of the Stone Ring promo reel, Primevals: A False Start, The Primevals: 1984 promo reel, Charles Band and David Allen on The Primevals, time-lapse animation looks, The Primevals: 1997 promo reel, and more.
While not a perfect film, The Primevals is a beautiful representation of dedication, a lost art form, and a man who truly believed in a singular vision, working on it until his dying day. It’s a sci-fi adventure that’s suitable for the entire family, and hopefully, audiences will appreciate the film and its history.
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