You might recognize this image from my Darkstrider website.... posted there as the thumbnail for Unknown Movie. I found it on a Kratke Film promo tape Ted Sydor (my Czech Connection) sent me a few years ago. It was just the clip as posted on my website.... no name or information associated with it. Well, at long last, someone has contacted me and ended the ignorance! Here's the email I got tonight from someone calling himself Off the Shelf Productions:
Ha, Ha I know what the Unknown film is... Dalibor's Tower it was Directed by Ivan Renc and Designed by Milada Kucerova. It is a picture based on the old Prague legend. It is a well-known story of a chieftain named Dalibor who defended his serfs and, as a result, was imprisoned in the Prague castle in a tower. He endeared himself in the hearts of the Prague citizens by playing violin there. After he was executed, Prague people started to call the tower Dalibor's Tower.
I'm assuming This is a Czech because, well, he knows Czech things, and he kinda talks funny. Anyway, whoever you are, thank you immensely!
Oh, and if you didn't already figure this out, click on the image to see the clip.
10 comments:
My cats do this every morning! I love this clip, the camera work is top drawer.
Great action, well done...I don't remember seeing this one on the site...cool that you've discovered its origins :)
Any idea how old this clip is? I'm curious about when this magnificent camera moves (while animation runs) first started...I haven't seen many old stopmo films, but I'm guessing it took a while before it was technically possible
Thanks for posting that Mike!
That is excellent camera work. I also wonder if they used a rig or something when the characters are jumping in the early shots. Wire removal or hidden rig? It would be interesting to know the year it was made.
I did a little research.... any time you want to research Czech puppetfilm you start with the Kratckefilm website - and turned this up:
Dalibor's Tower on Kratke
So it looks like 1978! I would have thought earlier for some reason... I guess I was associating it with the Trnka era. As with all Czech puppetfilm I'm aware of (at least until very recently, and probably even still) it was shot on 35mm film.
Shelley, you need to take the swords away from those little guys!
Dey ub der clauws an teefies ^..^ ^..^
Hey, get out the files and pliers......
; )
Kidding, kidding.... I know, the furry little demons wouldn't be as cute and cuddly without their armament. Or.... would they? Think about it.... defanging and declawing might cause a personality change like the Bumble.....
One of my cats is declawed (If I had known better 16 years ago, I wouldn't have done it to her.) So now when she swipes at the other cats with a soft paw without claws out for battle, to her absolute maddening frustration, they think she's only playing! We should re-name her, Sulk.
oy, Do I really talk funny?. Anyway thanks for the post why diddn't ou post the Pics from Kratky Film. If you diddn't get it its here...
http://www.kratkyfilm.com/catalogue/html/indexa.htm
Cheers
www.offtheshelf.piczo.com
Hah! I was just kidding about that talking funny thing! Actually at first I was thrown because you wrote part of that email and then inserted the blurb from the Kratkyfilm site.... which is a little strangely worded. Then when I went there and realized that you had pasted that into your email, I understodd. But by then I had already said that about you talking funny, so it kind of stuck.
I did post a link a little ways up (in this comments section) to the Kratkefilm entry for Dalibor's Tower. So, no pics directly, but for those who dig deep into the comments, they get the rewards and the good info!
Post a Comment