Central European Challenge (Official, January 2023)

[sol]

Hey, everyone. Since we are more than halfway through the month and we are already onto the third page of this thread, I thought that I would quickly go through and tally up where everyone seems to be. Apologies if I missed anyone or got anybody's numbers wrong; I did do this fairly quickly.

sol - 24
nimimerkillinen - 23
jdidaco - 22
airdolll - 21
peeptoad - 12
DudeLanez - 5
maxwelldeux - 4
VincentPrice - 4
blocho - 3
ororama - 3
zzzorf - 2
Lakigigar - 2
gunnar - 1
Lonewolf2003 - 1
Mario Gaborović - 1
mightysparks - 1

For the record, I'm not try to win this challenge, and I don't think nimi is either (just has many doubles from the 1000<400 challenge) so I'm predicting an interesting airdolll vs jd showdown.

[maxwelldeux]

1000 < 400 Czechs

1. Carriage to Vienna (1966, Czechoslovakia)
2. The Double Life of Véronique (1991, Poland)
"3. Shorts (83m)
The Flat (1968, Czechoslovakia, 13m)
Down to the Cellar (1983, Czechoslovakia, 15m)
Joseph Killian (1963, Czechoslovakia, 38m)
Food (1992, Czechia, 17m)"
4. The Illumination (1973, Poland)

5. The Red and the White (1967, Hungary)

I don't know enough about Russian history to really appreciate the politics in this one, but as a commentary on the senselessness of war, it really worked for me. Add to that some really beautiful shot construction and I quite enjoyed this movie.

[Fergenaprido]

OP updated for the halfway point up to max's post.

Participants
4 - VincentPrice
1 - Mario Gaborović
7 - DudeLanez
24 - sol
12 - peeptoad
5 - maxwelldeux
2 - Lakigigar
21 - airdolll
3 - ororama
1 - mightysparks
22 - jdidaco
3 - blocho
2 - zzzorf
23 - nimimerkillinen
1 - Lonewolf2003
1 - gunnar

Bonus Challenge Participants

Participant	1930s	1940s	1950s	1960s	1970s	1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s	2020s	Total
DudeLanez			CSK	CSK POL	CSK POL	HUN				POL	7
sol				CSK HUN POL	CSK HUN POL	HUN POL	POL	CZE	CZE POL	POL HUN SVK	15
peeptoad	CSK		CSK POL	CSK	HUN POL	CSK	CZE SVK				9
maxwelldeux				CSK HUN	POL		POL				4
Lakigigar				CSK		CSK					2
airdolll				CSK HUN POL	HUN	POL	POL	POL	HUN		8
ororama						HUN	POL		POL		3
mightysparks				CSK							1
jdidaco				CSK HUN	CSK POL	CSK POL	CZE HUN	CZE SVK	HUN	HUN	12
blocho				POL					CZE POL		3
zzzorf								SVK		POL	2
Lonewolf2003				POL							1
gunnar					CSK						1

Recommendations
zzzorf - https://www.icheckmovies.com/movies/sara/ (1997 Poland) - seen by sol

Let me know if I've missed anything or there are any errors.

[airdolll]

Thanks for the update!

Two fairy-tales from Czechoslovakia:

22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia



23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia

Watched films

1. Dekalog V (1989) Poland (57 min) + Dekalog VI (1989) Poland (58 min)
2. Dekalog VII (1989) Poland (55 min)
3. Baron Prásil | The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Czechoslovakia
4. Liza, a rókatündér | Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Hungary
5. Boxer a smrt | The Boxer and Death (1963) Czechoslovakia
6. Swiadectwo urodzenia | Birth Certificate (1961) Poland
7. ...a pátý jezdec je Strach | ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1962) Czechoslovakia
8. Eltávozott nap | The Girl (1968) Hungary
9. Apa | Father (1966) Hungary
10. Drak sa vracia | Dragon's Return (1968) Czechoslovakia
11. Niewinni czarodzieje | Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Poland
12. Wrony | Crows (1994) Poland
13. Pora umierac | Time to die (2007) Poland
14. Tízezer nap | Ten Thousand Days (1967) Hungary
15. János vitéz | Johnny Corncob (1973) Hungary
16. Szegénylegények | The Round-Up (1966) Hungary
17. Avalon (2001) Poland
18. Dekalog VIII (1989) Poland (56 min) + Dekalog IX (1989) Poland (60 min)
19. Dekalog X (1989) Poland (59 min)
20. Miejsce urodzenia | Birthplace (1992) Poland (47 min) + Postava k podpírání | Joseph Kilian (1963) Czechoslovakia (38 min)
21. O necem jiném | Something Different (1963) Czechoslovakia
22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia

Bonus Challenge Progress

1930s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1940s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1950s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1960s
Czechoslovakia - 6
Hungary - 4
Poland - 2

1970s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0

1980s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 0
Poland - 6

1990s
Czechia - 0
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2000s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2010s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

2020s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

[AB537]

Finally getting on the board, hoping to get in a few more - at least from overlap with 1000 < 400

1. Blizna - The Scar (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1976) 6.5/10 ... Poland ... definitely a lesser work for Kieslowski but a weaker film from him is still worth seeing

[ororama]

4. On Body and Soul/Teströl és lélekröl (2017) * 116 min. Hungary
A man and woman struggle through their personal limitations to begin a romantic relationship with the assistance of a fantastic connection. I think that the reservations that prevented me from being more enthusiastic about director Ildikó Enyedi's first film, My 20th Century, were mostly based on the fact that its characters were symbols rather than people, a problem not present here.

Spoiler

1. Birthplace/Miejsce urodzenia (1992) * 47 min.  Poland
2. Cold War/Zimna wojna (2018) * 89 min.  Poland
3. My Twentieth Century/Az én XX. századom (1989) * 103 min.  Hungary

*First  time viewing

[peeptoad]

13. Golem (1980, Poland) 6

widziany!

1. Le golem (1936, Czechoslovakia) 6
2. Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha (1970, Poland) 7
3. Cien (1956, Poland) 8
4. Cesta do praveku/Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia) 7
5. Vynález zkázy/Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia) 8
6. Baron Prásil/The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, Czechoslovakia) 8
7. Cerný Petr/Black Peter (1964, Czechoslovakia) 7+
8. Mandragora (1997, Czech Republic) 7-
9. Vysoká zed /The High Wall (1964, Czechoslovakia) 9
10. Prokletí domu Hajnù /Uncle Cyril (1989, Czechoslovakia) 7
11. Záhrada/The Garden (1995, Slovakia) 7
12. Anyaság (1974, Hungary) 6+

[jdidaco]

(Screenshot from 'Sublokator'),

23. Sublokator (The Lodger, Janusz Majewski, 1966) 8.5/10 (Poland)
24. Rewizja osobista (Personal Search, Witold Leszczynski & Andrzej Kostenko, 1973) 8.5/10 (Poland)
25. Stan posiadania (Inventory, Krzysztof Zanussi, 1989) 8/10 (Poland)
26. Video Blues (Árpád Sopsits, 1992) 8/10 (Hungary)
27. Princezna ze mlejna (The Watermill Princess, Zdenek Troska, 1994) 7/10 (Czechia)
28. Lotrando a Zubejda (Ruffiano and Sweeteeth, Karel Smyczek, 1997) 8.5/10 (Czechia)
29. Skrítek (Elf, Tomás Vorel, 2005) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
30. Evolution (Kornél Mundruczó, 2021) 8/10 (Hungary)

Spoiler

1. Majster kat (Master Executioner, Palo Bielik, 1966) 8/10 (Czechoslovakia (Slovakia))
2. Krotká (A Gentle Spirit, Stanislav Barabas, 1969) 9/10 (Czechoslovakia (Slovakia))
3. Az ember tragédiája (The Tragedy of Man, Miklós Szinetár, 1969) 8.5/10 (Hungary)
4. Radúz a Mahulena (Raduz and Mahulena, Petr Weigl, 1970) 9.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
5. Zlatovláska (Princess Goldilocks, Vlasta Janecková, 1973) 7.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
6. Palac (The Palace, Tadeusz Junak, 1980) 8.5/10 (Poland)
7. Alicja/Alice (Jerzy Gruza & Jacek Bromski, 1982) 7/10 (Poland)
8. Tretí princ (The Third Prince, Antonín Moskalyk, 1983) 8.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
9. Pierscien i róza (The Ring and the Rose, Jerzy Gruza, 1987) 9/10 (Poland)
10. Forradalom után (After the Revolution, András Szirtes, 1990) 8/10 (Hungary)
11. Klíc k urcování trpaslíku podle deníku Pavla Jurácka (The Key for Determining Dwarfs or The Last Travel of Lemuel Gulliver, Martin Sulík, 2002) 9/10 (Czechia)
12. Mindörökké (Perpetuity, György Pálfi, 2021) 7.5/10 (Hungary)
13. Rusalka (The Water Nymph, Václav Kaslík, 1963) 8.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
14. Gyerekbetegségek (Children's Sicknesses, Ferenc Kardos & János Rózsa, 1965) 8/10 (Hungary)
15. Dotek motýla (A Touch of a Butterfly, Juraj Herz, 1973) 8/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
16. Szpital Przemienienia (Hospital of the Transfiguration, Edward Zebrowski, 1979) 10/10 (Poland)
17. Fort 13 (Grzegorz Królikiewicz, 1984) 9.5/10 (Poland)
18. Cudowne dziecko (The Young Magician, Waldemar Dziki, 1987) 7.5/10 (Poland)
19. Svatba upíru (The Vampire Wedding, Jaroslav Soukup, 1993) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
20. Jezerní královna (Queen of the Lake, Václav Vorlícek, 1998) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
21. Sokoliar Tomás/Král sokolu (Tomás and the Falcon King, Václav Vorlícek, 2000) 8/10 (Slovakia/Czechia/Hungary/Poland)
22. Liliom ösvény (Lily Lane, Benedek Fliegauf, 2016) 7/10 (Hungary)

[Tngy]

1. Édes Anna Sweet Anna (1958) 7/10 Hungary

[maxwelldeux]

1000 < 400 Czechs

1. Carriage to Vienna (1966, Czechoslovakia)
2. The Double Life of Véronique (1991, Poland)
"3. Shorts (83m)
The Flat (1968, Czechoslovakia, 13m)
Down to the Cellar (1983, Czechoslovakia, 15m)
Joseph Killian (1963, Czechoslovakia, 38m)
Food (1992, Czechia, 17m)"
4. The Illumination (1973, Poland)
5. The Red and the White (1967, Hungary)

6. Mephisto (1981, Hungary)

This had a really interesting premise - just how far will an actor devoted to his craft go in nazi Germany to continue acting? How many compromises must he make? And to that end, I liked the story and the arc of the central character. But I didn't care for the pacing - it was too slow to draw me in to a film like this. Pacing aside, quite nice.

[blocho]

4. Innocent Sorcerers (1960, Poland)
Comments in the 1000<400 challenge.

5. Son of Saul (2015, Hungary)
Mixed feelings about this one.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland

25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland



The tale of a Polish thief who set a world record for the number of times he managed to escape custody, this action comedy has an interesting story to tell. The film is curiously stylised like an Ocean's movie too, full of fancy split-screen editing, funky electronic music and unusual saturated colours, most notably cyan skies against orange lighting at night. Try as Dawid Ogrodnik might though, he lacks the charisma of George Clooney or Brad Pitt, and while some of his escapes are exciting (leaping over car bonnets; jumping through windows), most of them come off as rash rather than clever or well planned.

[airdolll]

24. Emberek a havason | People on the Alps (1942) Hungary
25. Valahol Európában | It Happened in Europe (1947) Hungary
26. Körhinta | Merry-Go-Round (1956) Hungary
27. Édes Anna | Sweet Anna (1958) Hungary

Watched films

1. Dekalog V (1989) Poland (57 min) + Dekalog VI (1989) Poland (58 min)
2. Dekalog VII (1989) Poland (55 min)
3. Baron Prásil | The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Czechoslovakia
4. Liza, a rókatündér | Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Hungary
5. Boxer a smrt | The Boxer and Death (1963) Czechoslovakia
6. Swiadectwo urodzenia | Birth Certificate (1961) Poland
7. ...a pátý jezdec je Strach | ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1962) Czechoslovakia
8. Eltávozott nap | The Girl (1968) Hungary
9. Apa | Father (1966) Hungary
10. Drak sa vracia | Dragon's Return (1968) Czechoslovakia
11. Niewinni czarodzieje | Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Poland
12. Wrony | Crows (1994) Poland
13. Pora umierac | Time to die (2007) Poland
14. Tízezer nap | Ten Thousand Days (1967) Hungary
15. János vitéz | Johnny Corncob (1973) Hungary
16. Szegénylegények | The Round-Up (1966) Hungary
17. Avalon (2001) Poland
18. Dekalog VIII (1989) Poland (56 min) + Dekalog IX (1989) Poland (60 min)
19. Dekalog X (1989) Poland (59 min)
20. Miejsce urodzenia | Birthplace (1992) Poland (47 min) + Postava k podpírání | Joseph Kilian (1963) Czechoslovakia (38 min)
21. O necem jiném | Something Different (1963) Czechoslovakia
22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia
24. Emberek a havason | People on the Alps (1942) Hungary
25. Valahol Európában | It Happened in Europe (1947) Hungary
26. Körhinta | Merry-Go-Round (1956) Hungary
27. Édes Anna | Sweet Anna (1958) Hungary

Bonus Challenge Progress

1930s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1940s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1950s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1960s
Czechoslovakia - 6
Hungary - 4
Poland - 2

1970s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0

1980s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 0
Poland - 6

1990s
Czechia - 0
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2000s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2010s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

2020s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

[peeptoad]

14. Krakatit (1948, Czechoslovakia) 7

widziany!

1. Le golem (1936, Czechoslovakia) 6
2. Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha (1970, Poland) 7
3. Cien (1956, Poland) 8
4. Cesta do praveku/Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia) 7
5. Vynález zkázy/Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia) 8
6. Baron Prásil/The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, Czechoslovakia) 8
7. Cerný Petr/Black Peter (1964, Czechoslovakia) 7+
8. Mandragora (1997, Czech Republic) 7-
9. Vysoká zed /The High Wall (1964, Czechoslovakia) 9
10. Prokletí domu Hajnù /Uncle Cyril (1989, Czechoslovakia) 7
11. Záhrada/The Garden (1995, Slovakia) 7
12. Anyaság (1974, Hungary) 6+
13. Golem (1980, Poland) 6

[blocho]

6. The Boys of Paul Street (1968, Hungary)
It’s a boys’ world. One girl appears in this movie and barely any grown-ups. There are only three adults with speaking roles. What we get instead are two gangs of teen boys in fin-de-siecle Budapest. Their lives at home and school are glimpsed briefly. Mostly, they hang out in the streets and play war with a fervor that makes this an unsettlingly martial movie. The ideology is clear: Loyalty to the tribe above all else. I wish there was some satire in this militarism, but there isn’t. It’s all sincere. I found myself imagining these characters marching off to the World War battlefront a decade later for a pointless rendezvous with mass death.

[AB537]

2. Zert - The Joke (Jaromil Jires, 1969) 6/10 ... Czechoslovakia

[blocho]

7. Servants (2020, Slovakia)
I’m not an expert on the history of Catholicism, but I know that, during the Cold War, the Vatican hated communism and the feeling was mutual. In this movie, tensions between Catholicism and the Czechoslovak regime invade a Bratislava seminary that falls under the suspicion of state security in the 1980s. The tremendous dramatic potential of this scenario is obvious and involves themes of faith, conscience, and personal and institutional loyalty. Unfortunately, I found myself wanting to like this movie more than I actually did. A mysterious beginning and gorgeous cinematography drew me into the story, but I felt the movie never surpassed those highlights.

The narrative is full of ellipses and glimpsed at acute angles. Dialogue is spare. More typical are silent shots of seminarians going about their day: working and eating and studying at times, but mostly waiting. Many of them are curiously still. They seem caught in a trap or like dead animals posed in a diorama. Some shots are almost surrealistic. The image below, for example.



I can’t imagine dance lessons are part of the program at a Catholic seminary. Stranger still, these people aren’t really dancing. The shot lasts about ten seconds, and during that time they don’t move but just stand motionless. It’s at moments like this that the movie becomes too abstract for me. While I admire the filmmakers for their ability to bring their stylistic vision to fruition on the screen, I would prefer a movie that addresses the themes inherent in its narrative a bit more concretely. This is mainly a matter of taste, of course. I love the way this movie looks, but I wish it had done more to make me feel.

All that being said, knowing the tastes of this forum, I’m convinced that many members here would enjoy Servants a lot. It would be a good ICMFF pick.

Some more screenshots are in the spoiler below. Almost every shot in the movie is masterfully composed and full of portent. It feels at times like a horror movie.

Spoiler

[nimimerkillinen]

Spoiler

1. Carriage to Vienna (1966) fave
2. Iluminacja (1973) light fave
3. Poklosie (2012) meh-
4. Wrony (1994) favourite-
5. Drak sa vracia - Dragon's Return (1968) (Bluray) - like--
6. Menzel: Rozmarné léto - Capricious Summer (1968) (HDTV) - meh+
7. Fábri: Az ötödik pecsét - The Fifth Seal (1976) (Bluray Web) watchable-
8. Miejsce urodzenia - Birthplace (1992) (Youtube) watchable++
9. Zeman: Carodejuv ucen - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) (DVD) meh++
10. Munk: Czlowiek na torze - Man on the Tracks (1957) (Bluray) watchable-
11. Rozewicz: Swiadectwo urodzenia - Birth Certificate (1961) Bluray - fave-
12. Solan: Boxer a smrt - The Boxer and Death (1963) Bluray - fave--
13. Vávra: Krakatit (1948) Bluray - like++
14. Zanussi: Camouflage - Barwy ochronne (1977) (Bluray) - watchable--
15. Forman: Cerný Petr - Black Peter (1964) (Bluray) watchable-
16 Has: Petla (1958) Bluray - like++
17. Wajda: Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Bluray - light fave-
18: Brynych: ...a pátý jezdec je Strach - ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) - watchable--
19: Menzel: Skrivánci na niti - Larks on a String (1969) Bluray - meh++
20. Zanussi: Struktura krysztalu (1969) Bluray - watchable
21. Bacsó: A tanú (1969) HDTV - meh-
22. Polák: Ikarie XB 1 (1963) Bluray - dated but not too bad
23. Vlácil: Dáblova past - The Devil's Trap (1962) Bluray - light fave--

24. Munk: Zezowate szczescie - Bad Luck (1960) Bluray - meh-
25. von Horn: Sweat (2020) like+
26. Kachyna: Malá morská víla - The Little Mermaid (1976) meh
27. Passer: Intimní osvetlení - Intimate Lighting (1965) meh
28. Jasný: Az prijde kocour - When the Cat Comes (1963) 1080p Web - watchable-
29. Vorlicek: Kdo chce zabít Jessii? - Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966) DVD
30. Jancovics: János vitéz - Johnny Corncob (1973) Bluray 4K remaster
31. Chytilova: Ovoce stromu rajských jíme - Fruit of Paradise (1970) - dissapointing+
32. Marczewski: Escape from the 'Liberty' Cinema (1990) Bluray meh-
33. Nemec: Diamonds of the Night (1964) Bluray - fave-
34. Krstic: Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018) Bluray - didnt like++
35. Szots: People on the Alps (1942) 1080p Web - watchable++/like--
36. Uher: The Sun in a Net (1963) Bluray - watchanle++
37. Meszaros: Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Bluray - meh

[AB537]

3. Szegénylegények - The Round Up (Miklos Jancso, 1965) 7.5/10 ... Hungary

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland
25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland

26. Krakatit (1948) Czechoslovakia



While the opening few scenes are great, especially as the main guy stumbles through dark streets in a daze, this becomes very dialogue-heavy and non-urgently paced as he is taken in by a doctor and his daughter with whom he has a lifeless romance. The second half of the film gets increasingly interesting though as he begins to recover more and more of his memories. The final twenty minutes in particular play out gloriously like a living, breathing nightmare.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland
25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland
26. Krakatit (1948) Czechoslovakia

27. The Noose (1958) Poland



Hoping to embark on a first full day of sobriety, a recovering alcoholic finds the task unexpectedly challenging when his girlfriend leaves him alone here. Unable to take his mind off drinking, he wanders the streets where things get worse as everybody ironically comments on how drunk he already looks so early in the morning. The movie benefits from being a shot in a fashion that really captures his mental space. Frequently his gaze will wander, which we see through point-of-view pans. That said, for a film that keeps constantly getting compared to The Lost Weekend, this is nowhere near as nightmarish.

[airdolll]

28. Csillagosok, katonák | The Red and the White (1967) Hungary
29. Csend és kiáltás | Silence and Cry (1968) Hungary
30. Így jöttem | My Way Home (1965) Hungary

Really loved these as expected. My favorite at the moment would be The Red and the White followed closely by Silence and Cry, but I'll see if that changes when I get to his films from the 70s...




31. Barwy ochronne | Camouflage (1977) Poland

Watched films

1. Dekalog V (1989) Poland (57 min) + Dekalog VI (1989) Poland (58 min)
2. Dekalog VII (1989) Poland (55 min)
3. Baron Prásil | The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Czechoslovakia
4. Liza, a rókatündér | Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Hungary
5. Boxer a smrt | The Boxer and Death (1963) Czechoslovakia
6. Swiadectwo urodzenia | Birth Certificate (1961) Poland
7. ...a pátý jezdec je Strach | ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1962) Czechoslovakia
8. Eltávozott nap | The Girl (1968) Hungary
9. Apa | Father (1966) Hungary
10. Drak sa vracia | Dragon's Return (1968) Czechoslovakia
11. Niewinni czarodzieje | Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Poland
12. Wrony | Crows (1994) Poland
13. Pora umierac | Time to die (2007) Poland
14. Tízezer nap | Ten Thousand Days (1967) Hungary
15. János vitéz | Johnny Corncob (1973) Hungary
16. Szegénylegények | The Round-Up (1966) Hungary
17. Avalon (2001) Poland
18. Dekalog VIII (1989) Poland (56 min) + Dekalog IX (1989) Poland (60 min)
19. Dekalog X (1989) Poland (59 min)
20. Miejsce urodzenia | Birthplace (1992) Poland (47 min) + Postava k podpírání | Joseph Kilian (1963) Czechoslovakia (38 min)
21. O necem jiném | Something Different (1963) Czechoslovakia
22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia
24. Emberek a havason | People on the Alps (1942) Hungary
25. Valahol Európában | It Happened in Europe (1947) Hungary
26. Körhinta | Merry-Go-Round (1956) Hungary
27. Édes Anna | Sweet Anna (1958) Hungary
28. Csillagosok, katonák | The Red and the White (1967) Hungary
29. Csend és kiáltás | Silence and Cry (1968) Hungary
30. Így jöttem | My Way Home (1965) Hungary
31. Barwy ochronne | Camouflage (1977) Poland

Bonus Challenge Progress

1930s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1940s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1950s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1960s
Czechoslovakia - 6
Hungary - 7
Poland - 2

1970s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 1
Poland - 1

1980s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 0
Poland - 6

1990s
Czechia - 0
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2000s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2010s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

2020s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

[peeptoad]

15. Poklosie/Aftermath (2012, Poland) 6

widziany!

1. Le golem (1936, Czechoslovakia) 6
2. Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha (1970, Poland) 7
3. Cien (1956, Poland) 8
4. Cesta do praveku/Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia) 7
5. Vynález zkázy/Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia) 8
6. Baron Prásil/The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, Czechoslovakia) 8
7. Cerný Petr/Black Peter (1964, Czechoslovakia) 7+
8. Mandragora (1997, Czech Republic) 7-
9. Vysoká zed /The High Wall (1964, Czechoslovakia) 9
10. Prokletí domu Hajnù /Uncle Cyril (1989, Czechoslovakia) 7
11. Záhrada/The Garden (1995, Slovakia) 7
12. Anyaság (1974, Hungary) 6+
13. Golem (1980, Poland) 6
14. Krakatit (1948, Czechoslovakia) 7

[peeptoad]

(Polish short films)
16a. Gdy spadaja anioly/When Angles Fall (1969) 21min
16b. Dwaj ludzie z szafa/Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958) 15min
16c. Lampa/The Lamp (1959) 8min
16d. Stolarz (1976) 13min
16e. Wsród ludzi/Among Men (1960) 14min
16f. Przygoda czlowieka poczciwego (1937) 8min
16g. sztandar młodych/Banner of Youth (1957) 2min

widziany!

1. Le golem (1936, Czechoslovakia) 6
2. Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha (1970, Poland) 7
3. Cien (1956, Poland) 8
4. Cesta do praveku/Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia) 7
5. Vynález zkázy/Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia) 8
6. Baron Prásil/The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, Czechoslovakia) 8
7. Cerný Petr/Black Peter (1964, Czechoslovakia) 7+
8. Mandragora (1997, Czech Republic) 7-
9. Vysoká zed /The High Wall (1964, Czechoslovakia) 9
10. Prokletí domu Hajnù /Uncle Cyril (1989, Czechoslovakia) 7
11. Záhrada/The Garden (1995, Slovakia) 7
12. Anyaság (1974, Hungary) 6+
13. Golem (1980, Poland) 6
14. Krakatit (1948, Czechoslovakia) 7
15. Poklosie/Aftermath (2012, Poland) 6

[gunnar]

2 - When the Cat Comes (1963) - 7/10 - #Czechoslovakia - I thought this started out pretty well. A storyteller relates the story of the cat who wore glasses to the school children and then the cat makes an appearance and people become different colors depending on their mood and what they are like. After that, the story is kind of iffy, but the music and some of the antics are still fun plus the special effects.

3 - Krakatit (1948) - 7.5/10 - #Czechoslovakia - A doctor and nurse treat a man with delirium caused by meningitis. The man also has injuries to his hands. Much of the rest of the film details the man's memories as they slowly return to him. He is a chemist who invented a very powerful and dangerous explosive. In his delirium, he told a colleague about it and that could have repercussions. I got a bit tired of it toward the end, but overall a pretty good film.

[peeptoad]

17. Tobruk (2008, Czech Republic) 6

widziany!

1. Le golem (1936, Czechoslovakia) 6
2. Lokis. Rękopis profesora Wittembacha (1970, Poland) 7
3. Cien (1956, Poland) 8
4. Cesta do praveku/Journey to the Beginning of Time (1955, Czechoslovakia) 7
5. Vynález zkázy/Invention for Destruction (1958, Czechoslovakia) 8
6. Baron Prásil/The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962, Czechoslovakia) 8
7. Cerný Petr/Black Peter (1964, Czechoslovakia) 7+
8. Mandragora (1997, Czech Republic) 7-
9. Vysoká zed /The High Wall (1964, Czechoslovakia) 9
10. Prokletí domu Hajnù /Uncle Cyril (1989, Czechoslovakia) 7
11. Záhrada/The Garden (1995, Slovakia) 7
12. Anyaság (1974, Hungary) 6+
13. Golem (1980, Poland) 6
14. Krakatit (1948, Czechoslovakia) 7
15. Poklosie/Aftermath (2012, Poland) 6
(Polish short films)
16a. Gdy spadaja anioly/When Angles Fall (1969) 21min
16b. Dwaj ludzie z szafa/Two Men and a Wardrobe (1958) 15min
16c. Lampa/The Lamp (1959) 8min
16d. Stolarz (1976) 13min
16e. Wsród ludzi/Among Men (1960) 14min
16f. Przygoda czlowieka poczciwego (1937) 8min
16g. sztandar młodych/Banner of Youth (1957) 2min

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland
25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland
26. Krakatit (1948) Czechoslovakia
27. The Noose (1958) Poland

28. Camouflage (1977) Poland



Released less than ten years after his impressive The Structure of Crystal, this is Krzysztof Zanussi film disappoints given that it similarly revolves around conversations between two diverse men. What made the earlier film so great was having equal time dedicated to conversations and dialogue-free scenes, whereas this effort is talk, talk, and more talk. The earlier film's gorgeous black and white imagery is missed too. Comparisons and contrasts aside though, this story is second-rate and the female characters lack dimension. That said, I'd never seen a summer camp for university students before watching this.

[jdidaco]

31. Poszukiwany, poszukiwana (Man - Woman Wanted, Stanislaw Bareja, 1973) 7.5/10 (Poland)
32. Macbeth (Béla Tarr, 1983) 8.5/10 (Hungary)
33. A dokumentátor (The Documentator, István Dárday & Györgyi Szalai, 1988) 8.5/10 (Hungary)
34. Tri bratri (Three Brothers, Jan Sverák, 2014) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
35. Sedmero krkavcu (The Seven Ravens, Alice Nellis, 2015) 8/10 (Slovakia/Czechia)
36. EO (Jerzy Skolimowski, 2022) 8/10 (Poland)

Spoiler

1. Majster kat (Master Executioner, Palo Bielik, 1966) 8/10 (Czechoslovakia (Slovakia))
2. Krotká (A Gentle Spirit, Stanislav Barabas, 1969) 9/10 (Czechoslovakia (Slovakia))
3. Az ember tragédiája (The Tragedy of Man, Miklós Szinetár, 1969) 8.5/10 (Hungary)
4. Radúz a Mahulena (Raduz and Mahulena, Petr Weigl, 1970) 9.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
5. Zlatovláska (Princess Goldilocks, Vlasta Janecková, 1973) 7.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
6. Palac (The Palace, Tadeusz Junak, 1980) 8.5/10 (Poland)
7. Alicja/Alice (Jerzy Gruza & Jacek Bromski, 1982) 7/10 (Poland)
8. Tretí princ (The Third Prince, Antonín Moskalyk, 1983) 8.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
9. Pierscien i róza (The Ring and the Rose, Jerzy Gruza, 1987) 9/10 (Poland)
10. Forradalom után (After the Revolution, András Szirtes, 1990) 8/10 (Hungary)
11. Klíc k urcování trpaslíku podle deníku Pavla Jurácka (The Key for Determining Dwarfs or The Last Travel of Lemuel Gulliver, Martin Sulík, 2002) 9/10 (Czechia)
12. Mindörökké (Perpetuity, György Pálfi, 2021) 7.5/10 (Hungary)
13. Rusalka (The Water Nymph, Václav Kaslík, 1963) 8.5/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
14. Gyerekbetegségek (Children's Sicknesses, Ferenc Kardos & János Rózsa, 1965) 8/10 (Hungary)
15. Dotek motýla (A Touch of a Butterfly, Juraj Herz, 1973) 8/10 (Czechoslovakia (Czechia))
16. Szpital Przemienienia (Hospital of the Transfiguration, Edward Zebrowski, 1979) 10/10 (Poland)
17. Fort 13 (Grzegorz Królikiewicz, 1984) 9.5/10 (Poland)
18. Cudowne dziecko (The Young Magician, Waldemar Dziki, 1987) 7.5/10 (Poland)
19. Svatba upíru (The Vampire Wedding, Jaroslav Soukup, 1993) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
20. Jezerní královna (Queen of the Lake, Václav Vorlícek, 1998) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
21. Sokoliar Tomás/Král sokolu (Tomás and the Falcon King, Václav Vorlícek, 2000) 8/10 (Slovakia/Czechia/Hungary/Poland)
22. Liliom ösvény (Lily Lane, Benedek Fliegauf, 2016) 7/10 (Hungary)
23. Sublokator (The Lodger, Janusz Majewski, 1966) 8.5/10 (Poland)
24. Rewizja osobista (Personal Search, Witold Leszczynski & Andrzej Kostenko, 1973) 8.5/10 (Poland)
25. Stan posiadania (Inventory, Krzysztof Zanussi, 1989) 8/10 (Poland)
26. Video Blues (Árpád Sopsits, 1992) 8/10 (Hungary)
27. Princezna ze mlejna (The Watermill Princess, Zdenek Troska, 1994) 7/10 (Czechia)
28. Lotrando a Zubejda (Ruffiano and Sweeteeth, Karel Smyczek, 1997) 8.5/10 (Czechia)
29. Skrítek (Elf, Tomás Vorel, 2005) 7.5/10 (Czechia)
30. Evolution (Kornél Mundruczó, 2021) 8/10 (Hungary)

[Tngy]

2. Az Prijde Kocour When the Cat Comes (1963) 6/10 Czechoslovakia
3. W Jak Morderstwo In for a Murder (2021) 5/10 Poland

Spoiler

1. Édes Anna Sweet Anna (1958) 7/10 Hungary
2. Az Prijde Kocour When the Cat Comes (1963) 6/10 Czechoslovakia
3. W Jak Morderstwo In for a Murder (2021) 5/10 Poland

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland
25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland
26. Krakatit (1948) Czechoslovakia
27. The Noose (1958) Poland
28. Camouflage (1977) Poland

29. The Dybbuk (1937) Poland



If nowhere near as fun and engaging as the prologue to A Serious Man, this much earlier movie about dybbukim (possessed bodies) is not uninteresting, though it certainly feels very lengthy and dragged out at over two hours long. Tension and atmosphere are in short supply with several dialogue-heavy scenes and elongated prayer sessions, but there are also several striking moments that really stand out. Most notable is an eerie part where a young man spies on a neighbour through a window who (at least according to the subtitles) is summoning Satan (see above). The dissolve-out effects work well too.

[airdolll]

32. Sluzobníci | Servants (2020) Slovakia



33. Intimní osvetlení | Intimate Lighting (1965) Czechoslovakia



34. Konopielka (1982) Poland



35. Pokój saren | The Roe's Room (1997) Poland

Watched films

1. Dekalog V (1989) Poland (57 min) + Dekalog VI (1989) Poland (58 min)
2. Dekalog VII (1989) Poland (55 min)
3. Baron Prásil | The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Czechoslovakia
4. Liza, a rókatündér | Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Hungary
5. Boxer a smrt | The Boxer and Death (1963) Czechoslovakia
6. Swiadectwo urodzenia | Birth Certificate (1961) Poland
7. ...a pátý jezdec je Strach | ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1962) Czechoslovakia
8. Eltávozott nap | The Girl (1968) Hungary
9. Apa | Father (1966) Hungary
10. Drak sa vracia | Dragon's Return (1968) Czechoslovakia
11. Niewinni czarodzieje | Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Poland
12. Wrony | Crows (1994) Poland
13. Pora umierac | Time to die (2007) Poland
14. Tízezer nap | Ten Thousand Days (1967) Hungary
15. János vitéz | Johnny Corncob (1973) Hungary
16. Szegénylegények | The Round-Up (1966) Hungary
17. Avalon (2001) Poland
18. Dekalog VIII (1989) Poland (56 min) + Dekalog IX (1989) Poland (60 min)
19. Dekalog X (1989) Poland (59 min)
20. Miejsce urodzenia | Birthplace (1992) Poland (47 min) + Postava k podpírání | Joseph Kilian (1963) Czechoslovakia (38 min)
21. O necem jiném | Something Different (1963) Czechoslovakia
22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia
24. Emberek a havason | People on the Alps (1942) Hungary
25. Valahol Európában | It Happened in Europe (1947) Hungary
26. Körhinta | Merry-Go-Round (1956) Hungary
27. Édes Anna | Sweet Anna (1958) Hungary
28. Csillagosok, katonák | The Red and the White (1967) Hungary
29. Csend és kiáltás | Silence and Cry (1968) Hungary
30. Így jöttem | My Way Home (1965) Hungary
31. Barwy ochronne | Camouflage (1977) Poland
32. Sluzobníci | Servants (2020) Slovakia
33. Intimní osvetlení | Intimate Lighting (1965) Czechoslovakia
34. Konopielka (1982) Poland
35. Pokój saren | The Roe's Room (1997) Poland

Bonus Challenge Progress

1930s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1940s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1950s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1960s
Czechoslovakia - 7
Hungary - 7
Poland - 2

1970s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 1
Poland - 1

1980s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 0
Poland - 7

1990s
Czechia - 0
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 3
Slovakia - 0

2000s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2010s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 1
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 0

2020s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 1

[gunnar]

4 - Birds, Orphans and Fools (1969) - 5/10 - Czechoslovakia - Three adults (two men and a woman live together in a city affected by war. They act like fools or children much of the time. There were some interesting bits here and there, but I didn't really enjoy their antics or the film itself.

5 - Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea (1977) - 8.5/10 - Czechoslovakia - Jan is a fairly boring, but successful rocket designer who lives in an apartment with his twin brother Karel, a womanizer who pilots rocket ships which carry tourists on sightseeing tours to the past. When Karel died while eating breakfast, Jan impersonates him and gets caught up in a Nazi time travel conspiracy. The film is pretty funny at times and I thought it was also very entertaining.

6 - Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966) - 6.5/10 - Czechoslovakia - A new invention is able to project dreams onto a tv screen. However, it accidentally brings some of those characters to life. I thought it was funny how they spoke using word balloons, but that got a bit old after a while. I liked the last 15-20 minutes or so the best.

[blocho]

8. The Devil (1972, Poland)
Comments in the 1000<400 challenge.

9. Hear My Cry (1991, Poland)
Kudos to Max for recommending this one. It's a short doc that makes a big impact. The less you know going in the better, so I'll only mention what's revealed in the opening minutes, that it's about the unusual death of a Polish man that was purposefully hidden from the public for decades, until the release of this movie.

[maxwelldeux]

1000 < 400 Czechs

1. Carriage to Vienna (1966, Czechoslovakia)
2. The Double Life of Véronique (1991, Poland)
"3. Shorts (83m)
The Flat (1968, Czechoslovakia, 13m)
Down to the Cellar (1983, Czechoslovakia, 15m)
Joseph Killian (1963, Czechoslovakia, 38m)
Food (1992, Czechia, 17m)"
4. The Illumination (1973, Poland)
5. The Red and the White (1967, Hungary)
6. Mephisto (1981, Hungary)

7. Hear My Cry (1991, Poland)

I finally got around to recording my watch of this here only to see blocho beat me to it, so yay? Yeah - I really enjoyed this. Powerfully moving in an unexpected way. With some incredible footage.

[sol]

Spoiler

1. Case for a Rookie Hangman (1970) Czechoslovakia
2. When the Cat Comes (1963) Czechoslovakia
3. The Witness (1969) Hungary
4. ...And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) Czechoslovakia
5. The Fifth Seal (1976) Hungary
6. Sexmission (1984) Poland
7. All My Friends Are Dead (2020) Poland
8. The Third Part of the Night (1971) Poland
9. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1978) Czechoslovakia
10. The Oddsockeaters (2016) Czech Republic
11. My 20th Century (1989) Hungary
12. Aftermath (2012) Poland
13. The Lure (2015) Poland
14. Werewolf (2018) Poland
15. Romeo, Juliet and Darkness (1960) Czechoslovakia
16. The Structure of the Crystal (1969) Poland
17. 107 Mothers (2021) Slovakia
18. Sara (1997) Poland #zzzorf
19. Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2020) Hungary
20. I Served the King of England (2006) Czech Republic
21. The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
22. The Balcony Movie (2021) Poland
23. The Devil's Trap (1962) Czechoslovakia
24. The Hater (2020) Poland
25. The Getaway King (2021) Poland
26. Krakatit (1948) Czechoslovakia
27. The Noose (1958) Poland
28. Camouflage (1977) Poland
29. The Dybbuk (1937) Poland

30. Hear My Cry (1991) Poland



With eyewitness testimonials and accounts from those who knew him, this documentary looks at a man who [redacted] at a crowded public stadium as a political protest. It is fascinating case, all the more so because it is not better known, and it is harrowing simply listening to the descriptions of what it was like to watch the [redacted]. That said, this is mostly just a talking-heads documentary at the end of the day. There is some archive footage of him [redacted], but it is saved for the end with weirdly elongated and stretched out separate archive footage inserted (seemingly) randomly along the way.

* I decided to redact some of my comments after blocho's reckoning that the film is better entered into blind. Unfortunately, I glanced at the Letterboxd summary before watching it, which is maybe why I didn't quite love it as much as blocho and max. It was a good film though; thanks for the rec, max, and unless I'm mistaken, the documentary deliberately avoids revealing how some of them know the man until the end. I was taken aback by their connection.

[VincentPrice]

5. Dom Sary-1984: 7/10

Spoiler

1. Defekt-1977: 8/10
2. 1-2009: 7/10
3. I Like Bats-1986: 7/10
4. Hrabe Drakula-1971: 8/10

[Fergenaprido]

OP updated.

Current top 5
37 - nimimerkillinen
36 - jdidaco
35 - airdolll
30 - sol
17 - peeptoad

It's a tight race as we head into the final weekend.

Sol's the first one to hit every decade, with peeptoad and airdolll each 1 away and jdidaco 3 away.

Tuesday is the 31st, so I'll probably do a final update on Thursday afternoon to give everyone enough time to add their final viewings.

[sol]

It's a tight race as we head into the final weekend.

Sol's the first one to hit every decade, with peeptoad and airdolll each 1 away and jdidaco 3 away.

Tuesday is the 31st, so I'll probably do a final update on Thursday afternoon to give everyone enough time to add their final viewings.

Not that it matters too much in the scheme of things, but my bonus challenge points actually add up to 18. Also, the 30s film that I saw was Polish, not Czech. Really cool though to see that I was the first to hit every decade. Makes me feel like I have achieved something with this challenge.

[blocho]

10. Larks on a String (1969, Czechoslovakia)
Comments in the 1000<400 challenge.

11. Charlatan (2020, Czechia)
Within the first ten minutes, the meaning of the title is clear. We see an elderly Czech man named Mikolasek in the 1950s who adopts the manner though not the title of a doctor. A line of patients stretches far beyond his front door. He stares at their urine samples, not under a microscope but with the naked eye, and then makes a diagnosis: Respiratory infection, take some herbs and apply goose fat poultices. That’s a charlatan in my book. Fuck that guy. This movie is far more sympathetic than I am to the protagonist, whose story proves stranger than I expected at the outset. Mikolasek was a real person (though major aspects of what we see on screen are fictionalized), and Charlatan makes it clear that he did not deserve the title, something that robs the movie of ambiguity. In the end, though the narrative is fascinating, I’m not quite sure what the overall point was.

[airdolll]

36. Mlyn i krzyz | The Mill and The Cross (2011) Poland

My expectations were really high after The Roe's Room but I didn't like this one near as much. I still think it's impressive but not the hypnotic experience I was hoping for.



37. Bariera | Barrier (1966) Poland

Watched films

1. Dekalog V (1989) Poland (57 min) + Dekalog VI (1989) Poland (58 min)
2. Dekalog VII (1989) Poland (55 min)
3. Baron Prásil | The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962) Czechoslovakia
4. Liza, a rókatündér | Liza the Fox-Fairy (2015) Hungary
5. Boxer a smrt | The Boxer and Death (1963) Czechoslovakia
6. Swiadectwo urodzenia | Birth Certificate (1961) Poland
7. ...a pátý jezdec je Strach | ...and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1962) Czechoslovakia
8. Eltávozott nap | The Girl (1968) Hungary
9. Apa | Father (1966) Hungary
10. Drak sa vracia | Dragon's Return (1968) Czechoslovakia
11. Niewinni czarodzieje | Innocent Sorcerers (1960) Poland
12. Wrony | Crows (1994) Poland
13. Pora umierac | Time to die (2007) Poland
14. Tízezer nap | Ten Thousand Days (1967) Hungary
15. János vitéz | Johnny Corncob (1973) Hungary
16. Szegénylegények | The Round-Up (1966) Hungary
17. Avalon (2001) Poland
18. Dekalog VIII (1989) Poland (56 min) + Dekalog IX (1989) Poland (60 min)
19. Dekalog X (1989) Poland (59 min)
20. Miejsce urodzenia | Birthplace (1992) Poland (47 min) + Postava k podpírání | Joseph Kilian (1963) Czechoslovakia (38 min)
21. O necem jiném | Something Different (1963) Czechoslovakia
22. Malá morská víla | The Little Mermaid (1976) Czechoslovakia
23. Perinbaba | The Feather Fairy (1985) Czechoslovakia
24. Emberek a havason | People on the Alps (1942) Hungary
25. Valahol Európában | It Happened in Europe (1947) Hungary
26. Körhinta | Merry-Go-Round (1956) Hungary
27. Édes Anna | Sweet Anna (1958) Hungary
28. Csillagosok, katonák | The Red and the White (1967) Hungary
29. Csend és kiáltás | Silence and Cry (1968) Hungary
30. Így jöttem | My Way Home (1965) Hungary
31. Barwy ochronne | Camouflage (1977) Poland
32. Sluzobníci | Servants (2020) Slovakia
33. Intimní osvetlení | Intimate Lighting (1965) Czechoslovakia
34. Konopielka (1982) Poland
35. Pokój saren | The Roe's Room (1997) Poland
36. Mlyn i krzyz | The Mill and The Cross (2011) Poland
37. Bariera | Barrier (1966) Poland

Bonus Challenge Progress

1930s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0

1940s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1950s
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 2
Poland - 0

1960s
Czechoslovakia - 7
Hungary - 7
Poland - 3

1970s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 1
Poland - 1

1980s
Czechoslovakia - 1
Hungary - 0
Poland - 7

1990s
Czechia - 0
Czechoslovakia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 3
Slovakia - 0

2000s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 2
Slovakia - 0

2010s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 1
Poland - 1
Slovakia - 0

2020s
Czechia - 0
Hungary - 0
Poland - 0
Slovakia - 1