If GDT Made a Cartoon Movie

For some reason, I am obsessed by the Saturday morning cartoon shows that I used to watch when I was a kid. The best is when I re-discover a cartoon that I used to watch, but for some reason it has faded from my memory – really obscure stuff like “Turbo Teen” or “Gilligan’s Planet.” These were bad cartoons, but I love the nostalgia of these shows, more so than remembering old TV shows or movies.

We may see a boom of live action movies made from cartoons after the release of SPEED RACER from the Wachow…the Washozki…the guys who made the MATRIX. The film is crazy looking – like a live action anime film. It should get a lot of buzz this year, and will undoubtedly have Hollywood producers talking about the next live action cartoon that they can make.

So what if GDT was to remake an old Saturday morning cartoon into a movie? What would be the ideal candidates for his style and tastes? I have three nominees for you:

Thundarr the Barbarian (1980)

The year: 1994. From out of space comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the Moon, unleashing cosmic destruction! Man’s civilization is cast in ruin! Two thousand years later, Earth is reborn…A strange new world rises from the old: a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery. But one man bursts his bonds to fight for justice! With his companions Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel, he pits his strength, his courage, and his fabulous Sunsword against the forces of evil. He is Thundarr, the Barbarian!

C’mon, admit it! If you didn’t know it was a Saturday morning cartoon, you would think this would be a pretty kick ass movie! Imagine a property like this in the hands of GDT – monsters, sorcery, action! Desolate apocolyptic landscapes! What more could you want? Plus the legendary Jack Kirby created a lot of the characters in the original cartoon.

The Smurfs (1981)

The Smurfs? The happy little blue guys? Yes, but not in GDT’s movie. I imagine a plot where the Smurfs must come to terms with being created for a darker purpose. It would have all the fantasy and wonder of a PAN’S LABYRINTH, and have all of the twisted elements of a fairy tale. And if you’re still not convinced, I have two words for you: Clockwork Smurf. That has GDT’s name written all over it. Starring Jeffrey Tambor as Gargamel.

The Herculoids (1967)

Monsters galore!! Three humanoids and a super-team of alien monsters defend the planet Quasar from alien forces. The monsters included a flying dragon, a rock ape, a ten-legged rhino-triceratops, and two protoplasmic blobs. The humanoid leader of the Herculoids, Zandor, would of course be played by Ron Perlman. Man, you wouldn’t have to write a word of dialogue and this movie would still be cool.

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