Going from private e-mail, last week’s Kieślowski DVD survey seemed to have gone down pretty well – so here’s a similar overview of Jiří Menzel’s output. Unlike the situation with Kieślowski, if you aren’t familiar with the Czech DVD market you could be forgiven for thinking that there’s next to nothing available besides the inevitable Closely Observed/Watched Trains, but in fact most of his major films are out in English-subtitled editions that are at least watchable – even if some leave a bit to be desired on the transfer and presentation front.
So, without further ado:
1965 – The Death of Mr Baltasar (Smrt pana Baltazara, IMDB)
- Included in Facets’ Pearls of the Deep, Region 0 NTSC
- Included in Bontonfilm’s Perličky na dně, Region 0 PAL
(The Facets DVD is an artefact-ridden disaster with poorly-synchronised and non-removable subtitles. Sadly, though superior in all other respects, the Bontonfilm edition only has Czech hard-of-hearing subtitles. DVD Freak compares the two.)
1966 – Closely Observed/Watched Trains (Ostře sledované vlaky, 89 mins, IMDB)
- Criterion, Region 0 NTSC (Reviews: Digitally Obsessed, DVD Movie Central, DVD Savant, DVD Talk
- Arrow, Region 0 PAL (Review: DVD Times)
- Shock, Region 4 PAL (Review: Michael D’s
1968 – Capricious Summer (Rozmarné léto, 74 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
- Facets, Region 0 NTSC (review: DVD Savant)
1968 – Crime in the Music Hall (Zločin v šantánu, 83 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (Czech HOH subtitles only)
1969 – Larks on a String (Skřivánci na niti, 91 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
1976 – Seclusion Near A Forest (Na samotě u lesa, 95 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
1978 – Those Wonderful Movie Cranks (Báječní muži s klikou, 85 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (Czech HOH subtitles only)
1980 – Cutting It Short (Postřižiny, 93 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
1983 – Snowdrop Festival (Slavnosti sněženek, 83 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
1985 – My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková, 100 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (English subtitles)
1989 – The Last of the Good Old Days (Konec starých časů, 93 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (Czech HOH subtitles only)
2002 – One Moment (IMDB)
- Included in Ten Minutes Older: The Cello, Blue Dolphin, Region 0 PAL (review: DVD Times
2006 – I Served the King of England (Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále, 120 mins, IMDB)
- Centrum českého videa, Region 0 PAL (Czech HOH subtitles only)
As ever, additions and corrections are most appreciated.
Hi, Michael, have you seen Menzel’s I Served the King of England yet? I think it may be due out on DVD in the CZR fairly soon…it has its problems and it is fantastically sexist but somehow charming (probably closer to Postriziny than anything else).
I haven’t yet, but I’m keeping an eye out for it as I love the book. I suspect it’ll be in the London Film Festival at the very least, but it may well be out on Czech DVD before then.
[…] Jiří Menzel on DVD In seinem Kinoblog zum osteuropäischen Film läßt Michel Brookie nach seiner Übersicht zu Filmen von Kieslowski auf DVD nun eine ähnliche Zusammenstellung für Jiri Menzel folgen. Jiří Menzel on DVD weist 12 Filme auf den verschiedenen DVD-Märkten nach, die meisten in Tschechien selbst (Mailorder siehe hier): “Going from private e-mail, last week’s Kieślowski DVD survey seemed to have gone down pretty well – so here’s a similar overview of Jiří Menzel’s output. Unlike the situation with Kieślowski, if you aren’t familiar with the Czech DVD market you could be forgiven for thinking that there’s next to nothing available besides the inevitable Closely Observed/Watched Trains, but in fact most of his major films are out in English-subtitled editions that are at least watchable – even if some leave a bit to be desired on the transfer and presentation front.” (Michel Brookie) […]
can you tell me if there is Jiri Wenzels “I served the King of England” available with English or German subtitles?
regards
Rudolf
The only release I’m aware of is the Czech one, which only seems to offer Czech hard-of-hearing subtitles.
Thanks for the extremely useful list. I’m still looking for Jiri Menzels “The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin” (Zivot a neobycejna dobrodruzstvi vojaka Ivana Conkina). Ever come across it on dvd with or without English subtitles?
Best wishes
Martin