Search

Release: January 21, 2019

$6.99

Description

Presented from the new 4K restoration of the film which premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, Second Run are delighted to present a new Blu-ray Special Edition of Jan N mec's masterful and harrowing Diamonds of the Night. N mec s debut feature is considered one of the most thrilling and startlingly original works of cinema. Told almost without dialogue, it chronicles the tense and desperate journey of two teenage boys who escape from a German train bound for a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. With its virtuoso cinematography, inspired editing and brilliantly utilised soundtrack, the film is a landmark of the Czechoslovak New Wave. Its themes of man s perpetual struggle to preserve human dignity in the face of unimaginable horrors remain fearsomely relevant today. BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS Diamonds of the Night (Démanty noci, 196) presented from a new 4K restoration from original materials by the Czech National Film Archive Jan N mec s debut short film A Loaf of Bread (Sousto, 1960) All-new audio commentary by film historian Michael Brooke. New filmed interview with Eva Lustigova, daughter of author Arno t Lustig. A filmed appreciation by Peter Hames Booklet featuring Michael Brooke's substantial essay on the film. Trailer (2018) New and improved English subtitle translation. World premiere on Blu-ray. Region Free Blu-ray (A/B/C) Original soundtrack in Dual Mono 24-bit LPCM audio.

Release: July 24, 2017

$7.99

Description

Often described as the Czech Méliès , visionary filmmaker Karel Zeman has been a profound influence on whole generations of film artists from Jan vankmajer to Tim Burton, the Quay Brothers to Terry Gilliam, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Wes Anderson. His ground-breaking innovations in the use of live-action and animation mark him as one of the great masters of 20th Century fantasy cinema, ranking alongside his more celebrated Western counterparts Willis O Brien and Ray Harryhausen. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (Baron Prá il) is perhaps Zeman s most beloved achievement. Still regarded as the finest film adaptation of Gottfried August Bürger s outlandish tales of Baron Munchausen (made famous in his 1786 book), Zeman s wildly inventive and outrageously fun take on the incredible adventures of the bragging Baron come to life in a film celebrating the courage and imagination of dreamers and poets. With its mind-bending melding of live-action, animation and extraordinary matte work, Zeman has crafted a timeless work that continues to astonish. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961) presented from a new 4K restoration from original materials by the Karel Zeman Museum and the Czech National Film Archive Film Adventurer Karel Zeman (2015, 97 mins): feature length documentary on the life, work and influence of Karel Zeman with contributions from Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Koji Yamamura and others New and exclusive filmed appreciation by writer, editor and film historian Michael Brooke. Karel Zeman and the World featurette The Birth of a Film Legend featurette Why Zeman Made the Film featurette The Cast Zeman's Special Effects Techniques Karel Zeman: The Legend Continues featurette Booklet featuring a new essay on the film by journalist and critic Graham Williamson New and improved English subtitle translation. Original Czech soundtrack in Dual Mono 24-bit LPCM audio …AND MORE

Release: November 19, 2018

$7.99

Description

Presented from new 4K restoration, Second Run are delighted to follow their hugely popular release of the great Czech animator and filmmaker Karel Zeman's The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, with his greatest and most famous work - Invention for Destruction. Often described as the Czech Méliès , visionary filmmaker Karel Zeman has been a profound influence on whole generations of film artists from Jan vankmajer to Tim Burton, the Quay Brothers to Terry Gilliam, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Wes Anderson. His ground-breaking innovations in the use of live-action and animation mark him as one of the great masters of 20th Century fantasy cinema, ranking alongside his more celebrated Western counterparts Willis O Brien, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen. Still the most commercially lucrative Czech film ever produced - released internationally to huge success in 1960 as 'The Fabulous World of Jules Verne' - Invention for Destruction is also Zeman's most beloved work. Wildly inventive, and breaking new ground in its combination of live action, animation and design, creating a 'steampunk' aesthetic decades ahead of its time. Zeman's film is both a heartfelt homage and love letter to Jules Verne's wonderful tales of science and adventure, and a valiant cry against man's predisposition to self-destruction. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS Invention for Destruction (Vynález zkázy, 1958) presented from a brand new 4K restoration of the film from original materials. Alternate English-dubbed feature presentation as The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, with alternate credits and opening introduction sequence. A new appreciation by filmmaker John Stevenson, director of Kung-Fu Panda and Sherlock Gnomes Karel Zeman s animated short films: Inspiration (Inspirace, 1949) and King Lavra (Král Lávra, 1950) Feauturettes: The Sea Through Zeman s Lens; Why Zeman Made the Film; Zeman's Special Effects Techniques; Restoring the World of Fantasy; About the Restoration Trailer Booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and historian James Oliver Region free Blu-ray and DVD Original soundtrack in 2.0 Dual Mono 24-bit LPCM audio