‘Panic’ Time at Zeitgeist Films

It’s Panic time at Zeitgeist Films. No, they aren’t going under – instead they are going the cowboys and indians route. Not some revisionist western film from a foreign territory, but a zany, stop-motion Belgian film based on a television series, Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar’s A Town Called Panic – has been picked up by Zeitgeist – the question that remains is: will they find English voice talent to replace the embedded Franco work? The pic received a late night showcase in Cannes this past May and will show at TIFF. Expect a December release for the pic.

Animated plastic toys like Cowboy, Indian and Horse have problems, too. Cowboy and Indian’s plan to surprise Horse with a homemade birthday gift backfires when they destroy his house instead. Surreal adventures take over as the trio travel to the center of the earth, trek across frozen tundra and discover a parallel underwater universe where pointy-headed (and dishonest!) creatures live. Each speedy character is voiced—and animated—as if their very air contains both amphetamines and laughing gas. With panic a permanent feature of life in this papier mâché town, will Horse and his girlfriend ever be alone?