Jan Svankmajer - Sílení AKA Lunacy [+Extras] (2005)

The classic stories of Edgar Allan Poe and the Marquis de Sade are filtered through the creative mind of noted surrealist Jan Svankmajer in a philosophical horror film that probes the darkest depths of the human mind.

Jindrich Polak - Ikarie XB 1 [+ Extras] (1963)

When the Czechoslovak writer and director Pavel Jurácek died, in 1989, he was 53 years old and hadn?t made a film in 20 years. The film industry is tough on its unique talents, and when a filmmaker labors under the restrictions of a repressive state, it?s even tougher. Czechoslovak Communism fell the year of Jurácek?s death. The playwright Václav Havel (who acted in one of Jurácek?s films) became his country?s first non-Communist president in 41 years, and Jurácek?s 1969 masterpiece Case for a Rookie Hangman, which had been suppressed by the Communists the year it was made, could finally be shown. It was too late for Jurácek. Havel was elected in December; Jurácek had died in August.

Milos Forman - Lásky jedné plavovlásky AKA Loves of a Blonde [+Extras] (1965)

By Dave Kehr

When Milos Forman’s Loves of a Blonde had its American premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1966, it was an immediate sensation. Nothing quite as fresh and apparently spontaneous had appeared on the scene since François Truffaut’s The 400 Blows seven years earlier. Bosley Crowther, the chronically stuffy chief critic of The New York Times, flew into uncharacteristic paroxysms of pleasure, describing it as “delightfully simple and sure. It is hopeful—but realistic. And full of delicious characters.”

Jirí Menzel - Ostre sledované vlaky AKA Closely Watched Trains (1966)

Review By: Jeff Ulmer

* Closely Watched Trains (Ostre sledovan? vlaky) holds up over the years as a fine example of comedy from the Czech New Wave, where political messages are subtly hidden under everyday situations and dry humor. Jir? Menzel's coming of age comedy is unlike most American comedies, derived from ridiculous contrived relationships and situations. Based on centuries of tradition, Czech humor gradually unfolds in off-hand manner.

Adolf Zika - Jan Saudek - V pekle svych vasni raj v nedohlednu aka Jan Saudek - Trapped By His Passions No Hope For Rescue [+Extras] (2007)

Jan Saudek, Czechoslovakia’s most famous living photographer, is the subject of this often-shocking kaleidoscopic biopic by friend and colleague Adolf Zika. With an unblinking eye, Zika chronicles the drama-filled life and work of a controversial artist who, though little-known in the United States, has enjoyed international acclaim throughout his fifty-year career.

Saudek’s hand-painted, sepia-toned portraits have a nineteenth-century veneer but a decidedly postmodern sensibility. Shooting his models both clothed and unclothed, he captures now moments of exhilarating grace, now bizarrely explicit—critics might say prurient—tableaux: A woman in a filmy white gown leads two naked girls into a grim industrial landscape.

Frantisek Vlácil - Stíny horkého léta aka Shadows of a Hot Summer (1978)

Once more, Vlacil's films are largely about subjects that are not seen on screen. With some spoilers, here we have a story set in 1947 when Ukrainian right-wing anti-Communist guerillas, looking like and feeling like Nazi's, are trying to fight their way through Czechoslovakia to Austria. They come out of the forest to occupy a family's countryside farm house, kidnapping a doctor to help heal one of their wounded, but this could just as easily be about the post-war occupying forces in Eastern Europe, or the occupying Soviet forces in the 60's, as there is an initial belief that there is nothing anyone can do, or to coin a STAR TREK phrase, `Resistance is futile.' The film has a very languid pace which establishes the mood and pace of this small village, much of it is wordless, with a Sergio Leone acid-western feel, easily the most outstanding feature is the original music by Zdenek Liska, which plays on the inner psychological turmoil, providing an unseen character in the film.

Frantisek Vlácil - Adelheid (1970)

The first colour film by Czech master director František Vlácil ADELHEID is an emotional tale of two lovers trapped in the march of history.

In the aftermath of WWII, a Czech airman returns home from his tour of duty with the British RAF, intending to claim a German factory located in the Sudetenland along the Czech-German border. There he meets the beautiful Adelheid, the former owner's daughter who once lived in the estate but is now reduced to servitude. The Czech airman falls in love with Adelheid, but lingering resentment and bitter political strife stand in the way of their happiness. (-Second Run)

Vera Chytilová - Sedmikrasky AKA Daisies (1966)

The form of the film was really derived from the conceptual basis of the film. Because the concept of the film was destruction, the form became destructive as well.

- Věra Chytilová (1)

I wanted to use colour concepts to disparage a lot of things. I had no intention whatsoever of arousing an aesthetic impression of beauty. But somewhere, early in the game, it turned out that the structure of things with respect to each other created aesthetics whose results I didn’t expect at all.

- Jaroslav Kučera (2)

Karel Kachyna - Kocár do Vídne aka Coach to Vienna (1966)

DIR Karel Kachyna
SCR Karel Kachyna, Jan Procházka
DP Josef Illík
CAST Iva Janzurová, Jaromír Hanzlík, Ludek Munzar, Vladimír Ptácek, Ivo Niederle
ED Miroslav Hajek
PROD DES Leo Karen
MUSIC Jan Novák
SOUND Jirí Lenoch
Coach to Vienna is one of the basic works of the Czech new wave, but due to the absency of any editions (well, there is vhs, but no subtitles) almost unknown in the world. The plot is quite simple and focuses on an artistic elaboration rather. Husband from a woman were killed by german soldiers and a widow shortly after that meets another (austrian) soldiers, on whom she wants to take revenge. They together are heading on her coach slowly to Vienna...

There was little problem with vhs at the end and for a few seconds it sounds quite scratchy and view is interspersed, it could be little bit unpleasant, however nothing important is missing in the scenes.


Download [password: cinefilz.com]
http://www.filesonic.com/file/153616401/Kocar_do_Vidne_(1966).XVID-KG.avi

ENG subtitle:

http://www.filesonic.com/file/153660321/Kocar_do_Vidne__1966_.XVID_KG.srt

Václav Vorlícek - Jak utopit doktora Mrácka aneb Konec vodniku v Cechách AKA How to drown Dr. Mracek (1974)

There are still water spirits among us. One group lives in Prague, led by Mr. Wassermann, who is using his wife's family as a servants. All they need is their old house near the river. But the house is to be demolished. They have to stop it. And the only way is to drown Dr. Mrácek, who is responsible for the demolition. But he falls in love with Wassermann's niece Jana. He changes to fish, is mistaked for water spirit from Germany, is drowned and revived again. The other problem is the flour with ears... and so on... =)

i realised that there are many fans of oldskool czech comedies from 70's like Limonadovy Joe, Adela jeste nevecerela, The Mysterious Castle In The Carpathians and other.... this one is the same cup of tea. Vaclav Vorlicek keep the style of Oldrich Lipsky and mixed great romantic-comedy-fantasy movie about hard life of czech water spirits... i hope you enjoy it. Whole name of this piece is: "How to drown Dr. Mracek aka the end of water spirits in Bohemia"

Download

http://www.filesonic.com/file/109291061/Jak_utopit_doktora_mracka.part1.rar
http://www.filesonic.com/file/109291121/Jak_utopit_doktora_mracka.part2.rar