The Dreams Messageboard
Home PageHome Page : Movie Miscellany : Jan Svankmajer: The Complete Short Films
  You are currently not logged in. You can view the forums, but cannot post messages. | Log In | Register | Search | Help |   Refresh Refresh
Post a Reply on This Topic Post a Reply on This Topic

Author Topic: Jan Svankmajer: The Complete Short Films
MichaelB Posted: 15-Apr-07 23:27
  Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
...is the confirmed title of the BFI's upcoming triple-DVD box set (region 2 PAL).

It contains all 26 shorts in the official filmography from THE LAST TRICK (1964) to FOOD (1992), plus a bonus short featuring Svankmajer's first screen credit (JOHANES DOKTOR FAUST). These are digitally restored native PAL transfers.

Other features:

- THE OSSUARY comes with both soundtracks;
- THE CABINET OF JAN SVANKMAJER, the original 54-minute documentary version of what is better known as a Quay Brothers short. Includes new introduction by the Quays;
- LES CHIMERES DES SVANKMAJER, a 58-minute French documentary about the creative partnership of Jan and Eva Svankmajer across multiple media. Includes extensive interviews with the Svankmajers and clips from Svankmajer's first four features;
- Czech TV interview with Svankmajer about his fine art (copiously illustrated);
- Compilation of special effects shots from NICK CARTER IN PRAGUE (1977), one of the films Svankmajer worked on when he was banned from making his own films in the 1970s;
- LUNACY trailer (so the package includes footage from all five features);
- Optional subtitles available in standard and hard-of-hearing versions;
- Comprehensive booklet with credits and detailed notes on each individual film.

I won't tempt fate by revealing the provisional release date, but it's scheduled for the first half of 2007. I'll post the exact date when it's absolutely certain.

Also, BFI Southbank in London is showing a Svankmajer retrospective in the first fortnight of June, based around the first British commercial run of LUNACY. A special screening on Tuesday May 29th at 18:30 includes a Q&A with Svankmajer himself.
 
Nichevo Posted: 17-Apr-07 00:34
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Sweet! I can finally replace my worn out VHS videos.

Now we just have to convince someone to release his remaining features on DVD (only "Little Otik" is currently available, I think, which I own).
 
MichaelB Posted: 17-Apr-07 13:18
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
I believe plans are afoot in that very direction, but I'm not directly involved so don't have any more details.

Certainly, 'Lunacy' will be out sooner rather than later, but I think the others are also being prepared for a long overdue UK release.
 
Mad Matt Posted: 17-Apr-07 15:05
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Great news!
 
Nichevo Posted: 20-Apr-07 21:43
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
That would be utterly splendid. I especially adore "Faust".
 
MichaelB Posted: 21-Apr-07 08:06
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
In which case you'll love 'Johanes Doktor Faust'.

It's the first film that Svankmajer ever worked on (he's credited as a puppet operator, but he did a lot more behind the scenes), and there are loads of parallels between it and his second feature - and despite not being directed by him, there are quite a few instances of what we now recognise as authentic 'Svankmajer' touches. It's a CinemaScope adaptation of one of the traditional Czech puppet versions of the Faust legend that Svankmajer drew on when making his second feature.

I think this is its first release anywhere in the world on any video format - certainly with English subtitles. It was a real struggle getting hold of a decent copy and I'm afraid the transfer is non-anamorphic (we asked about getting a new one done, but apparently the original negative was "too fragile" to attempt this without full restoration), but the film is so rare that just getting to see it in the first place should be enough reward. And I also personally made sure that the subtitles were 16:9-friendly so that widescreen TV owners can zoom into the picture without cutting them off.
 
brendon Posted: 22-Apr-07 01:24
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
What a pleasure to have Michael B releasing this info here. Cheers, Michael B.
 
MichaelB Posted: 23-Apr-07 13:30
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Not at all - and if there's anything else you'd like to know, please post any questions here.

Incidentally, I can now confirm that the release date will be 25th June - we had hoped to get it out in time for the BFI Southbank screenings earlier in the month, but it became increasingly clear that we'd have to cut corners, and I don't think anyone would have thanked us for that in the long run.

In fact, the BFI deserves a huge round of applause for letting us postpone the release on two earlier occasions to give us more time to try to make it a genuinely complete edition. Had we released it in November, as originally planned, it would have been missing five shorts, and the replacement February date would still have been one down.

I can also now confirm from first-hand viewing, after having spent a very happy (bordering on ecstatic) weekend rummaging through the first test pressings, that this is far and away the best that Svankmajer's films have ever looked on the small screen. Not only are the transfers native PAL (unlike the US releases) but we've also had the masters digitally restored to clean up as many blemishes as possible (unlike the French releases). Believe me, it shows!
 
Nichevo Posted: 23-Apr-07 18:59
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Kudos indeed to the BFI. I can't wait to get my grubby little mitts on this.
 
MichaelB Posted: 25-Apr-07 17:40
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Another update: I can now confirm that J.S.BACH - FANTASY IN G MINOR, Svankmajer's only widescreen short, will be anamorphically enhanced.

I'm particularly pleased about this as the film badly needs all the detail it can get, since it's primarily an abstract study of the texture of wood, metal and stone.

(All the other titles, aside from JOHANES DOKTOR FAUST mentioned above, will be in the original 4:3 Academy ratio).
 
MichaelB Posted: 28-May-07 23:54
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
DVD Times has just unveiled a selection of menu screens:

http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=64958
 
MichaelB Posted: 21-Jun-07 15:24
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
...and an exhaustive 5,000 word review of the final package:

http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=65137
 
Nichevo Posted: 21-Jun-07 21:11
Delete Delete    Edit Edit
 
Email the Author Mail   View Author's Profile Profile  
Hmm, pay day tomorrow. Guess what I'll be doing?
 

Post a Reply on This Topic Post a Reply on This Topic