Karel Zeman

  • Karel Zeman – Bláznova kronika AKA The Jester’s Tale (1964)

    1961-1970ComedyCzech RepublicFantasyKarel Zeman

    Synopsis:
    The Thirty Years’ War is seen from the point of view in this satirical slapstick comedy that combines engravings, old cartoons, montages, special effects, and film. The positions of both sides of the religious war are fair game for biting satirical jabs. Petr (Kostka) plays a peasant who is pressed to join one side before being captured by the enemy and mistaken for a Duke. Matej (Miloslav Holub) can change sides quickly with his reversible cloak. Lenka (Emilia Vasaryova) disguises herself as a jester to avoid the conflict and gives her comments about the pompous futility on both sides of the conflict.Read More »

  • Karel Zeman – Pohádky tisíce a jedné noci AKA A Thousand and One Nights (1974)

    1971-1980AnimationCzech RepublicFantasyKarel Zeman
    Pohádky tisíce a jedné noci (1974)
    Pohádky tisíce a jedné noci (1974)

    AMG: In this animated feature-length movie, five different exploits of Sinbad the sailor (originally five separate “shorts” created between 1971-1974) get him mixed up with the pretty daughters of exotic potentates, with powerful monsters that threaten his existence, and with all sorts of teeming jungle life. As Sinbad triumphs over adversity, parents should be warned that some scenes of unexpected cruelty and questionable ethics (the Old Man of the Sea has his head crushed while he is too drunk to know what he is doing), may not be the best fare for smaller totsRead More »

  • Karel Zeman – Pohádka o Honzíkovi a Marence AKA The Tale of John and Mary (1980)

    1971-1980AdventureAnimationCzech RepublicKarel Zeman

    From nytimes
    The Fairy Tale of Honzik and Marenka employs an ingenious animation technique using cut-out figures that is typical of the creative genius of Karel Zeman, the writer and director of this 66-minute film. The sophistication of the technique, and a sprinkling of puns and twists in the story line that bring out a moral parable on the meaning of liberty, justice, and other social issues, make the fairy tale enjoyable for adults as well as children.Read More »

  • Karel Zeman – Poklad Ptacího ostrova AKA The Treasure of Bird Island (1952)

    1951-1960AnimationCzech RepublicFantasyKarel Zeman

    THE TREASURE OF BIRD ISLAND (POKLAD PTACIHO OSTROVA) – 1952, 77 min. Dir. Karel Zeman. Inspired by a Persian fairy-tale, and told in the ornate style of illustrated Persian manuscripts, Zeman’s first feature is set on a remote island, where the inhabitants discover a legendary treasure that brings them both joy and grief. For the first time in BIRD ISLAND, Zeman combined stop-motion puppetry and traditional animation to create a timeless, glittering world of wonders.Read More »

  • Karel Zeman – Na komete AKA On The Comet (1970)

    1961-1970AnimationCzech RepublicKarel ZemanSci-Fi

    SYNOPSIS:
    When a comet passes the earth very closely, it pulls a small part of North Africa with it. Carried along is a bunch of people. Among them Angelika, who just escaped from a ruthless weapon dealer’s ship, and her two brothers, who are searching her. Then there’s a group of natives, who plan a rebellion against the French colonists. All these conflicts become secondary when the people finally realize that they are doomed to live together on an alien planet. However this time of peace and world-happiness won’t last for long…
    (Tom Zoerner, imdb)Read More »

  • Tomas Hodan – Filmovy dobrodruh Karel Zeman AKA Film Adventurer Karel Zeman (2015)

    2011-2020Czech RepublicDocumentaryKarel ZemanTomas Hodan

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    A biographical film looking back at the life, work and significance of the genius of world cinema. It reveals the inspiration sources of his work and looks into the kitchen of the film tricks pioneer. As an absolute solitaire in his field, he created his own world based purely on his imagination. He was a complete autodidact and is therefore not easily classifiable into any film wave or direction. This extremely hardworking, resourceful man and a perfectionist, yet always preserving the ability to see the world from a child’s perspective is without any doubt one of the most successful and celebrated Czech filmmakers in the world. Thanks to their inner poetry and sincerity, his films do not age.Read More »

  • Karel Zeman – Baron Prasil (1962) (HD)

    1961-1970AdventureComedyCzech RepublicKarel Zeman

    29f7c043f76a2bde437fd0d52a185152

    The outrageous Baron Munchausen tells of his many adventures, from meeting the Man in the Moon to defeating a Turkish army all by himself.Read More »

  • Karel Zeman – Vynález zkázy AKA A Deadly Invention (1958)

    1951-1960AnimationCzech RepublicKarel Zeman

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    Plot / Synopsis
    The gloriously larger-than-life Czech fantasy Vynalez Zkaky (Weapons of Destruction) was based on a novel by Jules Verne. Set during the 19th century Industrial Revolution, the film concerns the efforts of the villainous Count Artigas (Miloslav Holub) to conquer the world with the aid of futuristic inventions created by kidnapped scientist Professor Thomas (Arnost Navratil). Having fallen in love with the professor’s virtuous, resourceful daughter Jeanne (Jana Zatloukalova), stalwart hero Simon (Lubor Tokos) does his best to sabotage Artigas’ schemes. Props essential to the action include a fished-shaped submarine, bicycle-style undersea shuttlecraft, and an impossibly huge cannon, secreted on a volcanic island. Curiously, when Vynalez Zkaky was unveiled to the world at the 1958 Brussels Film Festival, reviewers downplayed its most striking visual aspect: throughout the film, the art direction and special effects are brilliantly rendered in the style of 19th century engravings and woodcuts. In 1961, an English-dubbed version of Vynalez Zkaky, with character names changed and a few minutes’ footage excised, was released in the US as The Fabulous World of Jules Verne. ~ Hal Erickson, AllRoviRead More »

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