International Karel Zeman DVDs (1 Viewer)

The new Karel Zeman Museum in Prague (www.muzeumkarlazemana.cz) is currently selling restored PAL DVD versions of Journey To The Beginning Of Time, The Fabulous World Of Jules Verne and Braron Prasil (The Fabulous Baron Munchausen). All three subtitled DVDs include bonus features with interviews and brief vignettes on how some of the special effects were achieved.

I've watched all three titles and it was a revelation. I was only familiar with Journey To The Beginning Of Time from the VHS English dubbed version and from seeing segments serialized on TV when I was a child. Anyone who has been writing reviews and critiques on this title based on the English-dubbed and American edited version needs to re-write them. The prehistoric creature design was clearly based on the artwork of Zdenek Burian, not Charles R. Knight on whom Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen based their designs.

I had seen The Fabulous World Of Jules Verne in the movies back in 1961 when I was 9 years old. When Wade Williams/Englewood Entertainment released this title on VHS I purchased it and eventually transferred it to DVD-R. But seeing it in pristine condition brought back that sense of wonder I experienced as a child. The effects work in this movie is stunning and charming. It has a very high re-watchable quotient. The Fabulous World Of Jules Verne is considered the greatest steampunk movie ever made. This DVD shows why.

I had the laserdisc release of Baron Prasil but I was never able to fully appreciate the intricate detailed artwork and production design until watching the DVD. It is a delightful film that is both a homage to Georges Melies and to silent comedy.

All 3 DVDs are professionally produced with paper covers over slim cases with full color artwork. The price including shipping to California for all 3 DVDs was under $30.00.

If you can play PAL DVDs and have even the slightest interest in fantasy, science fiction or special effects this collection is a must buy.

$30?

I may partake myself.

You will not be disappointed.

I saw FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE as a kid in a double feature with a German circus film. I have a gray market dvd of this, but it is not of great quality. I was lucky enough about 20 years ago to see restored 35mm prints of Zeman's films at the AFI in DC. I have an all region dvd player, so I should be able to play this. Thanks for the news.

You saw it on the double bill with Bimbo The Great.

Thanks Andrew. I must have been around six or seven. My mom took us to see it in a Petersburg, Va. theatre. The Jules Verne movie showed up on local tv for a few years. I saw it at the Naro theatre (a rep house) in the late seventies and an animator friend had copies of both this and the Baron Munchausen film. This is a definite purchase.

Not that I want to cut profit from the museum, actually would probably help. I wonder if they would accept a "mass buy" to one of us to shave the int. shipping then we just ship to each other. I know $30 isn't much to begin with, but their shipping many to one of "us" would probably cut their cost.

Oh, man, I saw these several times as a kid in the 1970-1980s - first in our local library, which every once in a while showed 16mm films for kids, and later on Danish TV. I have been wanting own these myself for a long, long time.

Thanks for the heads-up!

Thanks for rhe info - I will be ordering these (real DVD's I hope). These films in both English and the original language versions would make a nice Criterion release.

I asked them to send me an invoice for two of these titles, and in the payment request in my PayPal account The Karel Zeman Museum posted a request for $566. Yes, that's right. $106.00 per copy of the DVD's, plus over $400.00 shipping? What the hell is that? Cancelled, of course. Has anyone a more reliable way for me to purchase these from another source.

I contacted them and was told they were sending information but if this is the true cost, I would certainly have to pass. Surely Criterion would find a good audience for this on blu ray... let's hope for an eventual boxed set done by them.

Huh? That's 566 CZK, about $35 US. I ordered them myself with no problem once they invoiced me. The initial email they sent, pre-invoice (it took a couple of days to invoice me), indicated the US amount. Order with confidence.

I will try them again. I contacted them a while back when this first posted and was told they were would send the pre-invoice, but I never received anything. Does the 35.00 US include postage? Thanks.

Description Unit price Qty Amount DVD Journey to the Beginning of Time / Cesta do pravěku 106.61 1 106.61 DVD The Fabulous World of Jules Verne / Vynález zkázy 106.61 1 106.61 DVD The Fabulous Baron Munchausen / Baron Prášil 106.61 1 106.61 Subtotal 319.83 Shipping and handling 331.07 Total 650.90 CZK From amount $34.66 USD To amount 650.90 CZK
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 18.7841 CZK

Bob Cashill said:

Description Unit price Qty Amount DVD Journey to the Beginning of Time / Cesta do pravěku 106.61 1 106.61 DVD The Fabulous World of Jules Verne / Vynález zkázy 106.61 1 106.61 DVD The Fabulous Baron Munchausen / Baron Prášil 106.61 1 106.61 Subtotal 319.83 Shipping and handling 331.07 Total 650.90 CZK From amount $34.66 USD To amount 650.90 CZK
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 18.7841 CZK

Click to expand...

He probably would have had a stroke if these were coming from India...

So---just to check. I have an Oppo multi region player and have purchased one PAL disc before... THE DEVILS... which played fine. Should I be ok ordering these discs?

Should be yes. I have a 970 and it hasn't rejected anything put in it.

Bob Cashill said:

Huh? That's 566 CZK, about $35 US. I ordered them myself with no problem once they invoiced me. The initial email they sent, pre-invoice (it took a couple of days to invoice me), indicated the US amount. Order with confidence.

Click to expand...

Except that PayPal request was for U.S. dollars, not CZK. I will try again, I guess.

I have the Oppo 980 and it did pretty well by THE DEVILS. Guess it is time I tried this one again.

Are any of the OPPO Bluray players region free?