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This week's MovieMail podcast discusses Jan Å vankmajer's shorts - and includes an interview with yours truly.

A few days ago I dug out an elaborate Jan Å vankmajer timeline that I originally drew up for the booklet for Jan Å vankmajer: The Complete Short Films.

After being advised that it would push the page count too far in terms of being able to squeeze the end result into the sleeve (which was already in production), I reluctantly axed it - but when it turned up the other day, I thought I might as well publish it elsewhere.

Note that this isn't necessarily what would have been published in the booklet - I suspect it would have had at least one more draft before I was completely happy with it. But I don't have time to give it another going-over right now, and there's enough good material to make it worth circulating.

Michael, elaborate maybe but thanks for posting, nice work.

It looks like Alice is getting a release in Holland. Maybe this will be a quality release, unfortunately there is no subtitle listing.

Has there been any news about his new project anywhere?

bunuelian wrote:Has there been any news about his new project anywhere?

Still raising funds, as far as I'm aware.

I'll send $50.

bunuelian wrote:I'll send $50. :(

I'll donate my tongue.

I won't go that far, but he can at least have my groceries.

Skritek wrote:It looks like Alice is getting a release in Holland. Maybe this will be a quality release, unfortunately there is no subtitle listing.

Postponed till September 23, because of - according to a source @ Moskwood Media - "working on an additional voice-over track." They did not want to go into details, but let's hope it'll be the Czech one...

Cheers!
Peto

First stills from SURVIVING LIFE [THEORY AND PRACTICE]

http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/03/firs ... actice.php

petoluk wrote:

Skritek wrote:It looks like Alice is getting a release in Holland. Maybe this will be a quality release, unfortunately there is no subtitle listing.

Postponed till September 23, because of - according to a source @ Moskwood Media - "working on an additional voice-over track." They did not want to go into details, but let's hope it'll be the Czech one...

Cheers!
Peto

Apologies for quoting such an old post, but can anyone comment on the quality of the Dutch release compared to the First Run?

Rumour has it that there's a vastly superior edition of Alice on the way, based on a brand new transfer - so it's probably worth waiting.

Michael, will this "vastly superior edition" be from the UK or the continent?

That's literally all the information I can supply right now. But I talk to the people involved pretty regularly, so as soon as they give me the green light, I'll let you know.

Okay, thanks. I hope it's a label from England doing this new edition.

Keith Griffiths (executive producer on Alice) revealed back in March on the Illuminations website - see the comments section - that it is being prepared by the BFI.

Oh well, the cat's out of the bag so I might as well confirm it - the BFI is indeed working on what we all hope will be the absolutely definitive Alice release.

It'll be a brand new transfer from original 35mm elements (the telecine was completed only the other day in Prague, and I believe producer Jaromír Kallista was in attendance), and the intention is to include both Czech and English soundtracks - though I'm not in a position to confirm actual specs as yet.

As Keith hints, the plan was to release this ages ago, but it took much longer than expected to track down 35mm materials good enough for a proper HD restoration - all that was on offer for ages was an analogue Beta SP video master.

Best news I've heard all year, glad to see the BFI is tackling this after their fantastic job on the shorts.

MichaelB wrote:Oh well, the cat's out of the bag so I might as well confirm it - the BFI is indeed working on what we all hope will be the absolutely definitive Alice release.

I love you.

Hell yes! I hoped that BFI would get it. It's been years since I've seen the film, but I can't wait to revisit it when it does come out. As I recall, it was my introduction to Svankmajer.

swo17 wrote:I love you.

("Said the white rabbit.")

By the way, who has the rights to release Lunacy in the UK?

colinr0380 wrote:

swo17 wrote:I love you.

"Said the white rabbit."

Or, hopefully, "řekl, že bílý králík", at least if everything goes according to plan.

By the way, who has the rights to release Lunacy in the UK?

I don't think anyone has - aside from the BFI Southbank screenings it never opened commercially.

This is terribly, terribly exciting news!

I'm assuming this will also be a Blu. What are the chances of getting some of the shorts that were transferred HD as supplements?