Cultpix Radio Ep.64 - Czech Out These Cult Classics

This week it's all about Czech Cult Classics!

Cultpix is proud to present seven digitally restored Czech cult classics with English subtitles in cooperation with the Czech Film Archive. An eighth film will be uploaded in June, with new English subtitles.

Czechoslovakia (as It was back then) was home to some of the most innovative filmmaking in the 1960s, led by the likes of Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel. But there were many other great films in different genres that seem fresh and fun even today.

Joining us to discuss these we had Martin Kristenson, author, researcher, pop cultural expert, with a fascination for Czech culture; film, literature and music!

"Ikarie XB 1" (1963) - The sci-fi classic that inspired Kubrick's "2001" is a great film in its own right.  The year is 2163. The giant spaceship Ikarie XB1 carries colonists to a new planet. The journey is filled with unexpected dangers, like a strange abandoned ship. Too good for MS3K to make fun of.

"Love Harvests in Summer" (1964) - Impressive counter-culture musical, which deeply affected the kids in Czechoslovakia. It is the story of forbidden love and lots of great music - call it "Hop Side Story".

"Lemonade Joe" (1964) - A.k.a. "Lemonade Joe and the Horse Opera". Crazy western parody with blackface (bad) and Olga Schoberová (good), who was on the cover of Playboy the same year as Olinka Berova. She also has an un-credited role in "Ikarie XB 1" and a role in "Adela Did Not Have Supper Yet," before appearing in Hammer Horror films.

"Wedding Under Supervision" (1967) - An absurd comedy that takes places over 24 hours, when two bumbling policemen investigate an alleged rape in a small Czech town.

"Valerie and Her Week of Wonders" (1970) - A fantasy cult classic that has a fanatic following. Surreal tale in which love, fear, sex and religion merge into one fantastic world, based on a classical Czech novel of the same title.

"Adela Did Not Have Supper Yet" (1978) - A giant flesh-eating plant! Sounds familiar? The famous detective Nick Carter visits Prague in this thriller/spoof. He gets involved in strange case of a missing dog and a carnivorous plant. Also a celebration of Czech beer, pilsner.

"The Vampire of Ferat" (1982) - Is there such a thing as a vampire racing car? Doctor Marek is shocked when his beloved nurse Mima signs with a foreign car manufacturer to work as a rally-driver. The car is supposed to run on human blood. Oscar-winning Czech director Jirí Menzel in the lead role here.

There’s a Spotify playlist with 67 tunes, including complete soundtracks for "Ikarie XP1", "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders" and "Adela Did Not Have Supper Yet."