July 19, 2005

Because There Just Aren't Enough Paranoid, Drug Addicted Elephant Movies in the World ...

(Posted In Animation Comedy Continental Europe and Russia Film News )

freejimmy.jpg... I present to you Free Jimmy, an animated feature out of Norway about - you guessed it - a paranoid, drug addicted elephant. Jimmy is a circus elephant who makes a break for freedom, dodging hunters, his handlers and militant animal rights activists before befriending a moose. On the tundra. I can't imagine an elephant going through the DTs doing particularly well on the tundra.

The producers are prepping an english language version of this thing and whoever did the english voice casting deserves a good, firm pat on the bum and a hefty raise. Whatever they were paid, it wasn't enough. Check out the list of names: Woody Harrelson, Simon Pegg (which makes two films together for those two), Kyle MacLachlan, Samantha Morton, Jim Broadbent, David Tennant (AKA next season's Doctor Who) and the entire League of Gentlemen. Now THAT is a quality voice cast.

There's no trailer up yet, but the website is bloody fantastic. Early sketches, high res wallpapers, animatics, voice tests, early animation tests, character designs, movement tests, skin texture tests ... all the stuff animators normally tuck away for the eventual DVD release, it's all included on the official site. Read on for the official synopsis (courtesy of the Norweigian Film Institute) then head on over and browse around for a while ...

"The same day Odd reveals to Geir that he owes the unpredictable and violent Ivan 40.000 kroner, and that he has implicated Geir, their old buddy Roy Arnie comes to visit, along with their mutual friend Kælle.

Ever since he was a little boy, Roy Arnie has been fascinated by the circus. At the moment he is working as the tour manager for Cirkus Stromowskij. This circus has a long and proud tradition, but is a sad sight today. Their main attraction is Jimmy the Elephant, who has been a part of the circus for twenty years.

Throughout his entire "career" they have supplied him with drugs: uppers so that he would be at his best in the ring, downers to calm him down after the show. This has resulted in Jimmy becoming a drug addict.

And like all drug addicts he is extremely paranoid about the police. When Jimmy escapes from the circus, he gets a militant animal rights group on his tail that will stop at nothing to liberate animals and punish corpse-eaters. The Sami Mafia is also interested in Jimmy. Up on the tundra a gang of drunk, frustrated hunters, have for days been drinking and shooting at anything that moves, without hitting a single moose. But up there Jimmy finally finds his first real friend, Bull Moose, the magnificent king of mountain and plain."

» Posted by Todd at July 19, 2005 06:45 PM
Digg This / Add To del.icio.us

Reader Comments

I t sounds mint and it reminds me of my sister (I'm to drunk to remember if shes a elephant)

» Posted by Josie at July 22, 2005 05:06 PM

(sob) I can't understand the website I bearly speak english but still praise the film

» Posted by Josie at July 22, 2005 05:11 PM

i have just shat myself

» Posted by jake sanders at October 18, 2005 03:40 PM

Hey, all you folks out there who didn't understand the local slang. Surf by my website again, it's updated in a more familiar language by now. Have fun!

» Posted by Jimmy the elephant at November 11, 2005 06:50 AM

I've seen this film (I'm Norwegian) and it fucking rules big time folks! One of the best ever! Do NOT miss this!

Peace out!

K

» Posted by Kristian at May 26, 2006 03:50 PM

Post Your Comments

Remember Me?   

(You may use HTML tags for style.)

  

Buy DVDs At The Twitch Store

Our Latest Reviews

Archives

Our Latest Interviews

Archives

Our Latest Entries

Stuff We Like

Shop at our affiliated sites and support Twitch while feeding your pop-culture addiction.

Find your favorites


eThaiCD