Czech DVDs

[MichaelB]

It's actually been out for ages, and I've been meaning to order it for almost as long, but haven't got round to it. But as the only other Herz film besides The Cremator that's available with English subtitles, I suspect it probably is worth a look.

[Skritek]

I don't think it has been posted yet. In September "Adelheid" and "Udoli Vcel" will be released in the Czech Republic, I don't know about subs though.

Also I want to recommend two Slovak films: "Obrazy stareho sveta" by Dusan Hanak and "Nocni Jazdci" by Martin Holly, both DVDs available with English subtitles (and menu).

[MichaelB]

Also I want to recommend two Slovak films: "Obrazy stareho sveta" by Dusan Hanak and "Nocni Jazdci" by Martin Holly, both DVDs available with English subtitles (and menu).

I absolutely second the recommendation for the Hanak, and the Slovak Film Institute's DVD is superb - but when I tried to order a follow-up copy for a friend, I was told it was out of print. Has it been reissued?

[Skritek]

I ordered it about two month ago and it went fine. I don't remember which website it was from though. It is a reissue from 2005, the first one being in 2002.

Another recommendation I forgot is "Návrat idiota" by Sasa Gedeon, one of the best films after the fall of communism. The DVD is international, just like all new films from CZ.

[jbeall]

I ordered it about two month ago and it went fine. I don't remember which website it was from though. It is a reissue from 2005, the first one being in 2002.

Another recommendation I forgot is "Návrat idiota" by Sasa Gedeon, one of the best films after the fall of communism. The DVD is international, just like all new films from CZ.

I saw Návrat idiota in Seattle in 1999 (the same festival where I saw the Hrebejk film) and agree that it's excellent.

What' the most reliable website for ordering Czech dvds? I tried to place an order (from bontonland, I think) and it didn't go through. MichaelB, perhaps you can provide some advice here?

[MichaelB]

I generally use DVDR.CZ - I like the way their search engine can be programmed to list Czech films in reverse order of release (so I can easily check up on new or recent releases), and I haven't had any problems with them yet in terms of ordering.

[jbeall]

I generally use DVDR.CZ - I like the way their search engine can be programmed to list Czech films in reverse order of release (so I can easily check up on new or recent releases), and I haven't had any problems with them yet in terms of ordering.

Dekuji mockrat!

I've been a little leery of ordering from retailers outside the U.S., but had such a good experience with SecondRun that I figured there's gotta be others who can ship overseas for a minimal price. There simply aren't enough dvd labels (except Facets--the horror! the horror!) interested in releasing films from a tiny Central European country with a population of around ten million. It's just time go go region-free and get the damn movies.

[Person]

That's a great Czech DVD site. I have used it many times and the service is amazing. I wish that all European countries had similar DVD etailers.

The also provide an A-Z of films by director: HERE.

[yoshimori]

DVDR.CZ .

Thanks, but the Hanak and Martin films don't seem to be listed there. Any idea where they can be had?

Another recommendation I forgot is "Návrat idiota" by Sasa Gedeon, one of the best films after the fall of communism. The DVD is international, just like all new films from CZ.

DVDR.CZ doesn't list English subs on this. Can you confirm subs? Thanks.

[MichaelB]

DVDR.CZ .

Thanks, but the Hanak and Martin films don't seem to be listed there. Any idea where they can be had?

I bought my copy of the Hanak from Panorama.sk, but they told me it was out of stock a few months ago. It's a Slovak disc, which is probably why Czech suppliers don't have it

DVDR.CZ doesn't list English subs on this. Can you confirm subs? Thanks.

Half the Czech online DVD retailers suggest that this has English and Czech subtitles, the other half don't mention subs at all. As virtually all Czech DVDs have at least Czech subtitles, I'm guessing that the half that don't mention them at all simply don't know and are playing safe.

But I haven't been able to find a scan of the back cover, which would clinch it - so while I'd guess that it probably does have subs, I can't be sure.

[Skritek]

It does have english and czech subs. Interestingly the czech ones are in a washed-out yellow and the english ones are white. Here is a scan.

I also ordered the Slovak discs from panorama.sk. You can also buy the Havetta boxset there, although I personally didn't get too much from his films. The reasons I bought "Nocni Jazdci" were because it was cheap (4 euros), I'd never seen anything by the director and I thought a Slovak (quasi)western would be nice. They are past of a series of Slovak films from the 80s. Everything went ok and I was really surprised at how fast they were, didn't even take them a week to deliver.

Another recommendation if you like puppets is Fimfarum. These are tales narrated (and written) by Jan Werich, whom you may know from "Az prijde kocour". They are well known among the Czechs since everybody listened to them as a kid. One scene I like in particular seems like something from Kusturica but with puppets.

[MichaelB]

Another recommendation if you like puppets is Fimfarum. These are tales narrated (and written) by Jan Werich, whom you may know from "Az prijde kocour". They are well known among the Czechs since everybody listened to them as a kid. One scene I like in particular seems like something from Kusturica but with puppets.

Absolutely seconded - I saw this at the London Film Festival as an impulse buy because it was co-directed by Vlasta Pospíšilová, who animated two of Jan Å vankmajer's very best films (Jabberwocky and Dimensions of Dialogue) - and I didn't regret it for a moment. It's a collection of short stories with a decidedly black Roald Dahlesque edge, and welcome proof that the art of genuinely virtuoso stop motion animation isn't entirely dead.

Which reminds me - I must order Fimfárum 2 one of these days.

[Stagger Lee]

Can anyone recommend a single-volume history of central Europe (or a short must-read list) that would provide a good foundation for contextualizing the films of the region?

[MichaelB]

It's also worth noting that Peter Hames' The Czechoslovak New Wave contains a lot of historical, social and cultural contextualising.

It also covers a much wider range than the 60s-oriented title implies, and in any case is essential reading for anyone interested in Czech cinema - no other English-language survey comes close.

[Stagger Lee]

Excellent. Thank you both.

[rollotomassi]

Another rarity recently released to DVD in the CR is Gustav Machaty's predecessor to Extase, the 1929 silent Erotikon, this like many Czech releases, has English subtitles.

Another important Czech DVD with English subs is Alfred Radok's Holocaust drama Daleka Cesta (The Long Journey) from 1949, which comes as a double bill with his comedy The Grandfather of Cars.

[MichaelB]

Another rarity recently released to DVD in the CR is Gustav Machaty's predecessor to Extase, the 1929 silent Erotikon, this like many Czech releases, has English subtitles.

I reviewed this for Sight & Sound a couple of issues ago, and thoroughly recommended it at the time - the print is about as good as can realistically be expected (you're most unlikely to get anything better from anywhere else), the transfer is state of the art, and Jan Klusák's full orchestral score is most effective.

It's just a shame that the huge number of extras (including several hours of interviews spread over two discs) are in Czech only.

[Skritek]

Can anyone recommend a single-volume history of central Europe (or a short must-read list) that would provide a good foundation for contextualizing the films of the region?

I doubt there is a single volume cultural history of the region, since there are differences between all the countries and their relations to neighbors. But for the Czech Republic (and Slovakia) I can recommend:

The Coasts of Bohemia by Derek Sayer
It begins with the "Rebirth" of Czech identity in the 19 century and covers (among others) art and also the "thinking" of the Czech people. It doesn't cover film and ends in 1968 and since then many things have changed.
I found it to be very good.

The Geopolitics of Central-Europe by Oskar Krejci
This one covers mainly the history and politics of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but also of their neighbors. The different ways of thinking are explained (like pan-slavism and pan-germanism), the relations between the countries and people, etc. It's a great book and what surprised me was it's neutrality, since the author is Slovak, showing all sides and their opinions. I find it to be an important book that should be read in all countries from the region (especially Germany.....). Apparently the author is a professor of politics in Bratislava and it's compulsory reading for students of this field in Slovakia (maybe even Czech Rep.).

I found the latter one for free here.

I don't know how many people realize this, but Jan Klusak the composer for many New Wave films, played Rudolf in O slavnosti a hostech and the priest in Valerie a tyden divu.

It is a little sad that extras aren't subtitled. I found the extensive extras on the Az prijde kocour DVD rather good (not all of them), for example Werich (who knew Welles) planned filming a story about Falstaff, but didn't get funding soon enough and after knowing that Welles was doung the same thing he gave up the idea.

[MichaelB]

I don't know how many people realize this, but Jan Klusak the composer for many New Wave films, played Rudolf in O slavnosti a hostech and the priest in Valerie a tyden divu.

Indeed he did, though he was always primarily a composer. In fact, hardly anyone in The Party and the Guests (O slavnosti a hostech) was a professional actor.

It's also well worth noting that he wrote the music for Jan Å vankmajer's The Fall of the House of Usher and Dimensions of Dialogue. It doesn't seem to have been a very happy collaboration - Å vankmajer more or less gave up working with music altogether for a short period afterwards, and only worked with library scores thereafter - but it works extremely well on screen.

It is a little sad that extras aren't subtitled.

Sad but understandable - there's a strong probability that a subtitle translation already existed for the feature (even if it never had commercial distribution in an English-speaking country, there were probably festival screenings), so the cost of adding them would be relatively minimal, but translating and subtitling something like four hours of interviews is a different matter entirely! Especially as there really cannot be a particularly big English-speaking market for something like this.

But when I contacted Filmexport Home Video for a review copy of Erotikon, an exceptionally helpful woman sent me a précis of what was on the disc, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind me posting it here:

EROTICON – additional information what might be of your interest

As our company is officialy distributing the DVDs only within the territory of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and providing just few individuals abroad, all DVDs what we produce are only in Czech, except the movie itself which is always available with English subtitles, and with info on National Film Archive, which is also in English version.

The same concerns also Eroticon what will not allow you to understand the bonuses for example. The DVD conteins 2 discs, the first one is made as all the other discs with standard menu and standard bonuses, among them mainly :

1. Word of Film Historian – Mrs. Urgosikova from NFA, who is one of two people who renovated film copy in early 90's, she is talking about her work and about success the movie met when again presented around the world

But while we were preparing the disc other interesting people appeared and then we have decided to make 2 disc version to provide all these involved with enough space to talk about Mr. Machaty from their point of view, about his work and life, and also about how he influenced both domestic and international cinematography.
Just to explain who these people are :

1. Josef Hanus – President of Association of Czech Cinematographers
2. Jiri Hornicek – film historian, National Film Archive
3. Pavel Jiras – historian of the Barrandov Film Studios
4. Jan Klusak – music composer, also of original score for silent movies
5. Helge Machaty – widow, the second wife of GM, living in Münich
6. Pavel Taussig – independent film historian and publicist
7. Marie Vondrejcova – cousin of GM, living in Prague
8. Milan Wolf – private collector of film copies, posters, photos, machines etc.

Especially interesting was to meet those two ladies who knew GM in person, his wife is absolutly charming woman and his cousin as well – for example when she was young girl she was visiting his cousin on the set of Extase and still remembering much from these times, both families were in very close contact while GM was still living in Czechoslovakia and also after when he was visiting his homeland when already living abroad, she also provided us with GM's private short films what he made within his stay in the States, these films are also available on the disc (with GM‘s first wife also appearing).

Quite interesting person is Mr. Wolf, who has found most complete copy of Eroticon years ago and has given it to NFA.

These few words were just to make you more familiar with DVD content.

[Skritek]

It sure is understandable and frankly I have no idea how much work it would take to subtitle the extras. Another important film on DVD is Vyssi princip/A Higher Principle by Jiri Krejcik on a double bill with Fric's Teticka/Auntie.

@MichaelB: When you contacted them have you also asked why some of their releases don't have subtitles. Or are the ones without subs only releases by Bonton/Centrum ceskeho videa?

Here are some film posters for Vlacil's films, which I found accidentally today. Actually I rather had in mind how long it takes to subtitle a 90 minute film with an average amount of talking. Apparently Bonton are a company who do not proofread ....

[MichaelB]

It sure is understandable and frankly I have no idea how much work it would take to subtitle the extras.

1. Transcribe the various interviews in full;
2. Commission a translation;
3. Break the translation down into segments short enough to fill a maximum of two lines;
4. Devise timecodes for the start and end of each subtitle;
5. Closely proofread end result for typos and synchronisation (some companies consider this stage optional).

The length of time taken depends on the quantity of subtitles, but as the Erotikon extras consist of about four hours of talking heads (i.e. several hundred subtitles minimum), that will obviously be towards the upper end of the cost scale.

@MichaelB: When you contacted them have you also asked why some of their releases don't have subtitles. Or are the ones without subs only releases by Bonton/Centrum ceskeho videa?

I think virtually every Filmexport Home Video release does have English subtitles on the main feature - there may be one or two exceptions, but we're talking a tiny percentage. They certainly seem to be the most consistently reliable Czech label regarding both transfer quality and subtitles.

It's much more of a lottery (on both scores) with Bonton/Centrum Ä

[MichaelB]

Actually I rather had in mind how long it takes to subtitle a 90 minute film with an average amount of talking.

The actual subtitling process is relatively straightforward and surprisingly rapid - I've always been pleasantly surprised by the turnaround by the company I usually work with. But the complicated and often time-consuming part is ensuring that the subtitlers have the right materials to work with.

In an ideal situation, they'd be supplied with a ready-made translation - and in the case of English subtitles, such things often exist already, as they're usually created for festival screenings as a matter of routine. And in most cases it should at least be possible to get hold of a text transcript of the film in the original language.

But if the transcription and translation have to be created from scratch, that massively slows things down.

[petoluk]

I don't think it has been posted yet. In September "Adelheid" and "Udoli Vcel" will be released in the Czech Republic, I don't know about subs though.

Udoli vcel has been released today, and (how original) I've got 2 messages for you - 1 good, and 1 bad. The good one - it sure looks better than the Facets version:

Facets


Bonton


And the bad one - there are no English subtitles...

Cheers!

Peto

[jbeall]

Thanks for posting that, peto. Too bad about the subtitles.

Facets is responsible for some truly wretched transfers, but that one's gotta be top-five. Disgraceful.

[Skritek]

The Slovak Film Institute will be releasing a series of films from the 70s in the near future. (They already have some from the 80s)

I think the site is only in slovak, but the DVDs should have English subs (the ones from the 80s series at least had them).

Many films are from great directors past their prime (Solan, Uher, Jakubisko...) I doubt all of them are worth buying (although they are cheap). I have to admit that I haven't seen any of them, but from what I've read it seems that Medena veza, Orlie pierko (both by Martin Holly), Ruzove Sny (by Dusan Hanak with a young Iva Bittova) and probably Cervene vino I and II (by Andrej Lettrich) and Pacho, hybsky zbojnik (by Martin Tapak) are worth buying. Lalie Polne (by Elo Havetta) is available in the Havetta Collection, which was already talked about on the board.

Now I'm hoping for releases of Slovak films from the 60s.

Also in the Czech Republic "Na komete" by Zeman is supposed to be released (not sure about subs though) and a double DVD with Sedmikrasky and Ovoce stromu rajskych jime by Chytilova (I'm pretty sure it's supposed to have subtitles).