PRODUCT DESCRIPTION


Often described as the Czech Méliès , visionary filmmaker Karel Zeman has been a profound influence on whole generations of film artists from Jan vankmajer to Tim Burton, the Quay Brothers to Terry Gilliam, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Wes Anderson. His ground-breaking innovations in the use of live-action and animation mark him as one of the great masters of 20th Century fantasy cinema, ranking alongside his more celebrated Western counterparts Willis O Brien and Ray Harryhausen. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (Baron Prá il) is perhaps Zeman s most beloved achievement.

Still regarded as the finest film adaptation of Gottfried August Bürger s outlandish tales of Baron Munchausen (made famous in his 1786 book), Zeman s wildly inventive and outrageously fun take on the incredible adventures of the bragging Baron come to life in a film celebrating the courage and imagination of dreamers and poets. With its mind-bending melding of live-action, animation and extraordinary matte work, Zeman has crafted a timeless work that continues to astonish.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

* The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961) presented from a new 4K restoration from original materials by the Karel Zeman Museum and the Czech National Film Archive
* Film Adventurer Karel Zeman (2015, 97 mins): feature length documentary on the life, work and influence of Karel Zeman with contributions from Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Koji Yamamura and others
* New and exclusive filmed appreciation by writer, editor and film historian Michael Brooke.
* Karel Zeman and the World featurette
* The Birth of a Film Legend featurette
* Why Zeman Made the Film featurette
* The Cast
* Zeman's Special Effects Techniques
* Karel Zeman: The Legend Continues featurette
* Booklet featuring a new essay on the film by journalist and critic Graham Williamson
* New and improved English subtitle translation.
* Original Czech soundtrack in Dual Mono 24-bit LPCM audio
* …AND MORE



REVIEW
Karel Zeman and Ray Harryhausen were the two big inspirations for me. what Zeman did was amazing --Tim Burton

He did what I'm still trying to do, which is to try and combine live action with animation. His Doré-esque backgrounds were wonderful. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen captured the real spirit of the character --Terry Gilliam

Zeman's films are unique glimpses into forgotten worlds of myth, invention and exploration. One almost needs a telescope to view them --Peter Strickland