{"product_id":"czech-silent-genre-rarities-from-director-jan-s-kolar-the-arrival-from-the-darkness-st-wenceslas-limited-edition","title":"Czech Silent Genre Rarities from Director Jan S. Kolar - The Arrival from the Darkness + St. Wenceslas (Limited Edition)","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOne of the great pioneers of the early Czech film industry, director and writer \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJan S. Kolár\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (1896-1973) worked in a number of genres:  supernatural fantasy, medieval epics, romantic melodrama, sci-fi and more.  Deaf Crocodile is thrilled to collaborate with the Národní filmový archív, Prague and Comeback Company on this first-ever Blu-ray release of two of Kolár’s finest Silent features and a number of rare shorts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTHE ARRIVAL FROM THE DARKNESS (PŘÍCHOZÍ Z TEMNOT)  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e–  1921, NFA, 62 min., dir. Jan S. Kolár.  Much wilder-than-you-think-it-will-\u003cwbr\u003ebe occult story about a book collector (\u003c\/wbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTheodor Pištěk\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) who uses an ancient manuscript to revive his long-dormant 16\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e century ancestor (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKarel Lamač\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) – who then tries to steal the collector’s wife (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnny Ondra\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), thinking she’s his long-lost love Alena.  Mad esoteric shenanigans involving ruined castles, alchemists, time travel, the Elixir of Life, the Black Plague and Black Magic rituals make this one of the most surprising genre treats of the Silent era.  With an experimental musical score by the Silent film trio \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNeuvěřitelno\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eST. WENCESLAS\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSVATÝ VÁCLAV\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) – 1929, NFA, 103 min., Kolár’s sweeping medieval epic set in 10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e century Bohemia about the struggle between paganism and Christianity, centered around the prince (and later saint) Wenceslas (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eZdeněk Štěpánek\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e), who became the model for \"the righteous king.\"  Lavish and highly entertaining mixture of ALEXANDER NEVSKY and ILYA MUROMETS, filled with knights in armor, murders, betrayals between brothers, between mothers and sons, between daughters and mothers-in-law -- betrayals everywhere you look.  The most expensive Czech film made up to that point, filmed during the Silent era but only released after the transition to sound.  With a new score for this release by Silent film composer \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBen Model\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll films feature Czech intertitles with English subtitles.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpecial Features\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Polykarp’s Winter Adventure” (Polykarpovo Zimní Dobrodružství )\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 1917, 11 min.  Kolár’s first film is this charming comedy shot outdoors in the snowy winter in Prague.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The Oriental Languages’ Teacher” (Učitel Orientálních Jazyků)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e - 1918, 35 min.  Co-directed by Kolár and Olga Rautenkranzová, the first Czech female filmmaker.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The Lady With The Small Foot” (Dáma S Malou Nožkou)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e - 1919, 31 min., dir. Jan S. Kolár.  An ambitious mix of Louis Feuillade-style detective thriller \/ fantasy and comedy.  With Anny Ondra from ARRIVAL ...\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The Torn Photograph” (Roztržené Foto)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e - 1921, 27 min., dir. Jan S. Kolár.  A surreal romantic comedy about four confirmed bachelors who swear they’ll never marry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“How We Used To Make Movies” (Jak Se U Nás Kdysi Filmovalo) - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1954, 23 min.  Fascinating compilation by Bohumil Veselý of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ebehind-the-scenes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e footage from Czech Silent films shot between 1918-1929 (including several by Kolár) and assembled in the 1950s.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“The Wedding Shirt” (Svatební Košile) -- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1925, co-dir. Josef Kokeisl.  The only surviving 4 min. fragment from this haunting Silent Horror film, co-directed by Theodor Pištěk who starred in ARRIVAL …\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll of the above shorts feature new music composed for this release by Ben Model.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e48-page booklet featuring new essays by film historian Jan-Christopher Horak and film critic Walter Chaw.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew audio commentary by film historian Peter Hames and Czech film expert Irena Kovarova of Comeback Company.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew visual essay “Face of Centuries: Jan S. Kolár and the Afterlives of History” (2026, 18 min.) by experimental filmmaker and film scholar Stephen Broomer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNew artwork by Beth Morris.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlu-ray authoring by Vital Passenger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"deaf crocodile","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45682875039788,"sku":"850066568804","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0359\/2201\/8348\/files\/CSF_Mockups_OCardFront.png?v=1781884572","url":"https:\/\/www.orbitdvd.com\/products\/czech-silent-genre-rarities-from-director-jan-s-kolar-the-arrival-from-the-darkness-st-wenceslas-limited-edition","provider":"Orbit DVD","version":"1.0","type":"link"}