I just came back from a trip there, location scouting for the feature. Both cool countries, though I prefer Bratislava and Slovakia in general to Prague (nothing personal, if there's any Czechs around). Cheap cheap cheap, too, when you earn British pounds. And actually trustworthy film studios set up there.
Anyway, I know nothing of their film history. Can anyone recommend any Slovak or Czech films, past or present? I suppose some present ones would be most beneficial in terms of figuring out the real competent people currently in the industry that I might want to contact.
Also, are there any websites I should check out?
Thanks in advance.
Oh, by the way, in case anyone was wondering, they have the best looking women in the world, no contest. From teens right up into solid middle age, the majority of women are FIT FIT FIT! Guys, you may want to consider putting it on your holiday agenda...
My favourite Czech film is Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (d. Václav Vorlícek, 1966), but some other good ones that I've seen include Pupendo (d. Jan Hrebejk, 2003) and The Pied Piper (d. Jirí Barta, 1985).
Although I've not seen them, I've also heard Divided We Fall (d. Jan Hrebejk, 2000) and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (d. Jaromil Jires, 1970) are very good and worth seeking out.
If you ever get a chance to see Steven Jay Schneider's "CZECH HORROR AND FANTASY ON FILM (http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/pfa_programs/czech_horror/content.html)" series [I was lucky enough to catch a couple of the films at the BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (http://www.biff.com.au/biff_2004/news_resources/essays_5.asp) this year], you definitely should. It's some really, really interesting [and completely bizarre] stuff.
Adelheid by Frantisek Vlacil
Adrift by Jan Kadar
Alice by Jan Svankmajer
Birds, Orphans, and Fools by Juraj Jakubisko
Black Peter by Milos Forman
Cremator, The by Juraj Herz
Daisies by Vera Chytilova
Damned House of Hajn by Jiøí Svoboda
Deserters and Nomads by Juraj Jakubisko
Diamonds of the Night by Jan Nemec
Dinner for Adele by Oldrich Lipsky
Dita Saxova by Antonin Moskalyk
End of August at the Hotel Ozone by Jan Schmidt
For We Too Do Not Forgie by Elmar Klos
Four Murders Are Enough, Honey by Oldrich Lipsky
Fruit of Paradise by Vera Chytilova
Fuckoffguysgoodbye by Vera Chytilova
Horror Story by Jaroslav Brabec
Joke, The by Jaromil Jires
Knoflikari by Petr Zelenka
Long Live Ghosts by Oldrich Lipsky
Love Between Raindrops by Karel Kachyna
Marketa Lazarova by Frantisek Vlacil
Seclusion Near a Forest by Jiri Menzel
Transport from Paradise by Zbynek Brynych
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders by Jaromil Jires
Waiting for Godot by Juraj Jakubisko
Wild Flowers by F.A. Brabec
Closely Watching Trains, it's on criterion.
Also, isn't Milos Forman's earlier stuff all czech.
this isn't a xixax thread
That's great, thanks fellas (especially 03 -- jeez!).
Now the task is to find them and get watchin'...
Quote from: SoNowThenBoth cool countries, though I prefer Bratislava and Slovakia in general to Prague (nothing personal, if there's any Czechs around).
Oh, by the way, in case anyone was wondering, they have the best looking women in the world, no contest. From teens right up into solid middle age, the majority of women are FIT FIT FIT! Guys, you may want to consider putting it on your holiday agenda...
I just went there last month and I absolutely agree with you. Prague looked a lot like Disneyland and it was so full of people everywhere I wanted to puke. Bratislava was nice, and it was very cool to see the contrast between the old city, the new city, and the communist city.
The women were unbelivable... all beautiful... I have many of them on film... we did a little documentary to see the opinion of Eastern Europeans about Americans... it was fun.
I went to see "Czech Dream" in the lisbon indie film festival yesterday, and it's very very good. The producer was there and she said that it was only released in the czech republic and that they are trying to get a deal going with a german company. If any of you get a chance to see it, do it.
I think it's going to ghet some awards over here, it's the audience's favourite so far.