02Jabberwocky (1971), dir. by Jan Svankmajer
I love the tangibility of my discomfort every time I watch something by Svankmajer. Of course, some things I’ll never be able to revisit because the discomfort’s too great (Little Otik, moments in Virile Games), but I definitely get a few of his films; this is one. The soundtrack makes me very happy.
Clip from The White Dove (1960), dir. by Frantisek Vlácil
Created by the power team of Vlácil and cinematographer Jan Curik, this dreamy film of high-contrast expressionism and sparse dialog is a definite must-see for anyone into Ingmar Bergman’s work (especially collaborations with Sven Nykvist). Vlácil’s work stands as an important precursor to the Czech New Wave, and it’s a shame his work never got the international acclaim that Jiri Menzel’s enjoyed.
Some more awesome stop-motion for you guys-
Kybernetická babička/The Cybernetic Grandma (1962), dir. by Jiří Trnka
(part one of three)
From idaadi.multiply.com: “[The Cybernetic Grandma is] a vision of the future in which machines and robots try to substitute themselves into the most beautiful human relationships. A cybernetic robot is supposed to substitute for the loving grandmother of a little girl. The wise grandmother, however, comes back and the girl finds the warmth of her grandmother’s loving arms again.”
Double-click on the video to go to the YouTube page and watch the rest of it!
Currently watching:
The German dubbed, English subbed version of Malá morská víla/The Little Mermaid (1976), dir. by Karel Kachyna
Seriously some of the most beautiful fantasy art direction I’ve ever seen in a film - it’s like a play, really. The costumes are so beautiful! And I love the use of slow motion and really floaty cloth to give the impression of being underwater.
EDIT: The subtitles disappear halfway through the 2nd chapter. Don’t even matter, though.
This isn’t a film - this isn’t even news, since it went live in 2003 - but I can’t believe I’ve never at least mentioned Samorost.
If I had my way with personal animations, this game would be a main reference point. Gorgeous, surreal, and a more than just a little eerie, Samorost is a complex puzzle game about a gnome trying to avoid the path of a spaceship headed for his tiny planet.
Since its release, designer Jakub Dvorský and his studio, Amanita Designs, have put out two more games - Samorost 2, which continues the story of the gnome, once again in-browser, and Machinarium, a puzzle adventure game for Windows, OSX and Linux.
The Samorost series has won several awards, including two Webbys, and Amanita Designs is currently waiting for approval by Sony for Machinarium to be featured on their PlayStation Network.
Learn more about Samorost here, visit Amanita Designs’ amazingly adorable website here, and don’t forget to click the link to play!
Daisies/Sedmikrásky (1966), directed by Vera Chytilová
I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet; one of the most influential films of the Czech New Wave. It’s beautiful, playful, and very DADA.
