A classic Bud Dry commercial from the 80's rhetorically asks "Why are foreign movies so... foreign?" while it throws as many tropes as possible on screen: poorly dubbed Italian, grainy black and white film, odd angles, melodramatic acting, and, of course... clowns. And while that particular reference is clearly Fellini, its point- and the point … Continue reading Dáblova Past (The Devil’s Trap)
Tag: czech cinema
Až Přijde Kocour (The Cassandra Cat AKA When the Cat Comes AKA The Cat Who Wore Sunglasses)
Once upon a time, this really happened. That's how Až Přijde Kocour, directed by the Czech filmmaker Vojtech Jasný (who was later banned from filmmaking due to his anti-Communist messages) begins: a man in a clock named Oliva spies on the goings-on of his fellow townmates for a while, until Charlie, the school's headmaster, shoots … Continue reading Až Přijde Kocour (The Cassandra Cat AKA When the Cat Comes AKA The Cat Who Wore Sunglasses)
Who Wants To Kill Jessie?
For all the billions of dollars poured into it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't have much to show other than a bunch of bloated CGI effects and really dumb plots and twists stuffed into a 2 hour movie. Which is why it's so refreshing to go back in time to 1966, the year Adam West … Continue reading Who Wants To Kill Jessie?
Na Kometě (On the Comet)
Looking for a sci-fi epic with insane special effects? Then look no further, friend- step right this way to a little known Czech film from 1970, Na Kometě, which blows anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe out of the water. It's hard to know where to start with this masterpiece by the great Karel Zeman. … Continue reading Na Kometě (On the Comet)
Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Wishes for Cinderella)
Americans have A Christmas Story to enjoy every Holiday season- a bland and milquetoast Hallmark-quality movie if there ever was one- but for Europeans (at least Eastern Europeans) that tradition falls squarely on the shoulders of Tři oříšky pro Popelku, a 1973 Czech classic that's mostly not about Christmas, actually- but Cinderella. But this is … Continue reading Tři oříšky pro Popelku (Three Wishes for Cinderella)
Ikarie XB-1
If the above image makes you think "2001", you're right- except that it's from a movie released five years earlier. Ikarie XB-1 is a fascinating and little-known cinematic artifact, from a time when sci-fi movies were doomed to be silly, quickly-dated flicks. This one holds up; while the effects obviously aren't going to wow anyone … Continue reading Ikarie XB-1