SCFZ poll: Karel Zeman

[flip]

Polling the films of Karel Zeman

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Zeman films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Friday, in seven days, whatever day that is

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

[flip]

and let's use extended rules:

• if you've seen an odd number, you can round up instead of down when deciding the length of your ballot
• if you've seen more than 10, you can vote for more than 5

[flip]

i've seen none but have wanted to see some for ages, so maybe i'll take this as an opportunity

[wba]

seen two, which were both outstanding!

01. Inspiration (1948)

Zeman seen: 2

[brian d]

seen 3, really not a fan, but...

invention for destruction

[niminy-piminy]

A JESTER'S TALE
THE OUTRAGEOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN
ON A COMET
THE STOLEN AIRSHIP
THE DEADLY INVENTION
JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME
INSPIRATION
THE TALE OF JOHN AND MARY
TREASURE OF BIRD ISLAND
MR. PROKOUK: HORSESHOE FOR LUCK
TEMPTATION OF MR. PROKOUK
MR. PROKOUK THE BUREAUCRAT
A CHRISTMAS DREAM

1/ the only part of his oeuvre that i DON'T like is A CHRISTMAS DREAM and all the PROKOUK shorts.
it is already obvious (in these early films) he is a skillful animator and inventive narrator but the (various) preachy messages of all these flicks are annoying. however, i will probably watch a few more PROKOUK sermons to be able to vote for all the other films that i DO like.

3/ THE TALE OF JOHN AND MARY and TREASURE OF BIRD ISLAND i do like but the peak of his oeuvre i consider his live-action films.

i believe akin to TREASURE OF BIRD ISLAND (1953) might be THE VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1971) mini-series (but i didn't watch it — at least i don't remember — tho in my early childhood (that is already forgotten) i might have seen it). A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (1974) is a compilation film (made of THE VOYAGE OF SINBAD mini-series).

THE TALE OF JOHN AND MARY i watched a few years ago and (while watching it) i made the following notes (tho i have no clue anymore why i made them and what they are supposed to mean)...

first marches white (idealist) optimism (very pessimistic about world’s prospects and advocating for a criminal or an innocent without discrimination), followed by black (pragmatist) skepticism (painting world’s perspectives in bright colors), and last in the row walks gray (jolly, mute, mostly passive, helping love to happen) irony

fem. beauty = jackpot of masc. games
fem. kiss = tool of masc. humanization

4/ INSPIRATION is an exception from the aforementioned "rule" that his live-action films rule. it is not a live-action but it is still exceptional!

(intro only says it is an homage to the local glassblowers — otherwise, it's without dialogue)
https://youtu.be/dwxYz_4D6aE

5/ if this poll would be made while me being about 5-7 yrs old, my top is (without doubts) JOURNEY TO THE BEGINNING OF TIME.
i watched this film certainly in the cinema (i am sure it must have been one of my earliest cinematic (aka seen in cinema) experiences) and also watched it certainly several times on TV. when i was an infant, all the local kids were getting to know about the prenatal (prehistoric) past from this film (i.e. this is the "jurassic park" of my infancy).

6/ all his Jules Verne adaptations (i.e. ON A COMET, THE STOLEN AIRSHIP, THE DEADLY INVENTION) i consider great and the only reason ON A COMET is higher on my ballot than the other two is i re-watched it a few years ago and thus it is more vivid in my memory than the others (that i have seen last time very long ago). when i started to read Verne (already after watching all these films) in my youth i was rather disappointed (my reading experience was overshadowed by my cinematic experience — the impact of Zeman was too strong).

7/ i place THE OUTRAGEOUS BARON MUNCHAUSEN a bit higher than the previous 3 films only because i slightly favor pathological lying over sci-fi.

https://youtu.be/dxQpRAtz3LU

8/ i watched (a few years ago) A JESTER'S TALE after watching HONOR AND GLORY by Hynek Bočan (both films are from the era of the Thirty Years War, 1618-1648) and i loved this double bill so much that i place A JESTER'S TALE on top — however, any of my top five can be on top.

9/ (additional side note 1) btw. i noticed A CHRISTMAS DREAM is sometimes said to be made by "Zeman Bros" but Karel Zeman and Bořivoj Zeman were not blood-related (identical surname is just a coincidence).

10/ (additional side note 2) btw. speaking about Bořivoj Zeman (who will (most probably) never have the poll here), he made a film (parody) called THE PHANTOM OF MORRISVILLE that i consider a gem! i subtitled that film and i highly recommend it!!

11/ (additional side note 3) btw. there is a "Karel Zeman Museum" in Prague.
exposition is mainly targeted to kids and tourists (as far as i know) so i didn't visit it yet (tho i might go there once in the indefinite future out of curiosity — or to accompany some curious cinephile tourist from abroad).

https://karelzemanmuseum.org/karel-zema ... xposition/

The Karel Zeman Museum presents the life’s work of the world-renowned filmmaker Karel Zeman and his cinematic special effects, which made Czech cinematography world famous in the 20th century. The museum maps the life and work of Karel Zeman from its beginnings – from his first animations and puppet films in the 1940s to work from his last creative period. A substantial part of the museum is dedicated to his most significant films – Journey to the Beginning of Time, The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen. The museum’s playful approach to the exhibition is unique. It allows visitors to participate directly – to try out with their own photo and video cameras selected special-effect techniques that Zeman used in his films.

The individual rooms of the museum are conceived as movie studios, and there are small stages with backdrops that visitors can step into and shoot their scenes. They can take a ride on a flying machine, or walk around the moon like Baron Munchausen, or take the controls of the famous submarine from The Fabulous World of Jules Verne. Also, part of the exhibition features previously unpublished photographs, original puppets, and other documentary materials from the life and work of this visionary filmmaker. The museum is an interactive and playful place focused on families with children from the Czech Republic and abroad. In the long term, the museum will become an institute preserving and promoting the legacy of the director and fine artist Karel Zeman, offering a wide range of activities for the general public and for specialists from the Czech Republic and abroad.

[Joks Trois]

Seen 10.

Invention for Destruction
Baron Prasil
A Thousand and One Nights
The Tale of John and Mary
Journey to the Beginning of Time

[St. Gloede]

Seen 9:

The Stolen Airship (1967)
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978)
A Treasure on Bird Island (1952)

[john ryan]

Seen 6

1. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
2. On the Comet
3. A Thousand and One Nights

[ofrene]

seen 5

The Fabulous Baron Munchausen
Inspiration

[rischka]

a jester's tale (1964)
invention for destruction (1958)
baron prasil (munchausen) (1962)
inspiration (1949)

[wba]

4/ INSPIRATION is an exception from the aforementioned "rule" that his live-action films rule. it is not a live-action but it is still exceptional!

(intro only says it is an homage to the local glassblowers — otherwise, it's without dialogue)
https://youtu.be/dwxYz_4D6aE

Thank you so much for providing the link to this one, Jiri!!
I just watched it, and it is certainly by far the best film I have seen in months!!!

The music alone is out of this world, let alone the (even better) filmmaking by Zeman.

PS: Do you by chance know, if this score can be purchased on some Zdenek Liska compilations?
Anyways, I should finally buy me some music from this genius, whatever it is.

[greennui]

4.

Inspiration

[mesnalty]

Seen 2:

1. Inspiration

[flip]

i've now seen one and it was very good

Inspiration

[niminy-piminy]

Do you by chance know, if this score can be purchased on some Zdenek Liska compilations?

unfortunately, i have no clue.

[flip]

not familiar enough with zeman to offer any commentary, but here are the poll results!

results
1. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) — 15 pts
2. Invention for Destruction (1958) — 10 pts
3. A Jester’s Tale (1964) — 9 pts
4. Inspiration (1949) — 6.3 pts
5. On the Comet (1970) — 5 pts
5. The Stolen Airship (1967) — 5 pts
7. A Thousand and One Nights (1974) — 4 pts
8. The Tale of John and Mary (1980) — 2 pts
8. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (1978) — 2 pts
10. Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955) — 1.5 pts
11. A Treasure of Bird Island (1952) — 1 pt

[flip]

up at letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-292/

[Joks Trois]

Nice.

Does anyone know where I can find A Treasure of Bird Island and The Stolen Airship?

[niminy-piminy]

where

both in Res.

[niminy-piminy]

https://twitter.com/psychotronica_/stat ... MPVGgsB2Rw