BTC: “Kuky se vrací” a.k.a. “Kooky’s Return”
Um. Other than Zobot’s hubbatron Ales, does anybody around here understand Czech? No? Me neither. You know what? Don’t worry about it. Doesn’t matter. Just watch this, WATCH IT RIGHT NOW:
My old chum Gooby shows me the bestest things. Thanks, Goo.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
“KOOKY´S RETURN (Kuky se vrací) is a combined puppet and live action feature based on a child’s fantasy. A seven year old boy whose teddy bear Kooky has been thrown away wonders what his toy is up to in the big world out there, imagining [that] Kooky [is trying] to find his way back home. ”
It’s written and directed by Oscar-winning Czech director Jan Svěrák. If the film’s style/feel seems oddly familiar, it’s because Jakub Dvorský of Amanita Design (creators of Samorost, Machinarium) is the production designer. The film’s been scheduled for a May 20, 2010 release in Czech cinemas. If there is any goodness left in this cruel world, subtitled/dubbed versions in other languages will soon become available to the rest of us. But even without a translated version, nothing’s gonna stop us from seeing this, right? I mean, just look at this widdle guy:
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
March 21st, 2010 at 9:58 pm
Umm I understood the part where they said “Good night” to each other. That, and I understood that this is awesome. Awesome is the universal language.
March 21st, 2010 at 10:01 pm
BTC at 11 PM on a Sunday? Damn, Mer! Now I’ll never be able to get up on time for our call tomorrow! Thanks a LOT.
March 21st, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I gotta post and pass out RITE NAO to make sure I don’t sleep through the meeting, either! Hey, actually, can you call me right before, just to make sure I’m not dreaming of little pink kooky monsters? :) Thankeeeee.
March 21st, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I was sold at the first few frames, but the Mad Max car chase in the snow utterly sealed the deal.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:11 am
It’s like Jim Henson’s earlier works with a dash of the polish animation tradition. Though not quite Jan Svankmajer’s dancing skeletons and cow tongues.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:03 am
I can only understand the nouns in common with Croatian, but the teddy bear was thrown away and has to find his way back to his boy and he meets all these friends (reminds me of pooh meets neverending story)
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:25 am
Awesome, yes.
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:13 am
This does have a high cute factor but not enough to be annoying. Hell of a creative use of natural environments and scale. Hope this gets a US distributor soon, it’d be a nice alternative to the summer blockbusters that seem to start sooner and sooner each year.
So many great little details and animation work. I wonder if there is an art book of the production design available?
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:27 am
Eeeeee! Adoraburrr.
Sorry I missed your email yesterday about the translashunz, Mer – I was strapped to a salon chair for five hours while pink-haired vixens did terrible things to my head.
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:58 am
Ooooh I love czech movies and this look great! I speak czech :P
March 24th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
oh pleez dear gawd this movie needs to come to the US!!! I love the turnip people and the little acorn guy – I don’t know what he was saying, but it sure sounded feisty!
April 2nd, 2010 at 2:09 am
Jan Sverak is the BOMB! I love his movies and too bad for you guyes that you dont speak czech :-DDD oh my head
June 26th, 2010 at 8:59 am
Oh, I’m a lucky person for living in the Czech Republic :D. I’ve just came from the cinema, where I’ve seen Kuky se vrací, and it was awesome. The best Czech movie of this century (so far).
August 13th, 2010 at 4:06 am
AFAIK english dubbed version should be ready in September. I’m not sure if they have US distributor already but I think they won’t have any problem to find one. It’s really really good flick.