Ikarie XB-1 (Czech sci-fi masterpiece from 1963)

[alan nagsworth]

I was recommended this film recently as I was looking for stuff with a similar vibe to "Solaris". I'm not really that knowledgeable on slightly obscure cinema so I may not have easily discovered it on my own.

Okay so first off let me address the immediate hooks, the sound and vision. This film is stunning. The sets, wardrobe and props are brilliantly realised and all succeed at creating a convincing snapshot of futuristic intelligent life. The sound design and soundtrack are remarkable, and if the score is not layering a high sense of wonder or drama in the heavier scenes, it's playfully scattering sparse notes and bleeps and bloops in the background elsewhere. The creativity on display here is just excellent, a real feast for the senses at every turn.

As for the characters, their performances and dialogue, here we've got an extremely strong ensemble cast and a script which is chock full of intrigue. Again, as prescient science fiction goes, this film totally nails it. This could just as easily be released in modern times and you would scarcely bat an eyelid. Smart, witty, sharp, just bloody great.

The elephant in the room, which I held off from mentioning before I sung the praises of this thing, is that it very clearly influenced Kubrick's "2001". This is immediately evident in some of the set design, and also in the quiet, foreboding sense of dread amongst intelligent people voyaging into the unknown. Kubrick's vision was ultimately far more avant-garde but the similarities are still quite striking.

Anyway, I loved this. I was bug-eyed and hypnotised by it from start to finish. Despite its age it managed to perfectly create a sense of awe in me, that I was genuinely thrilled to see where their journey would take them and grimly moved by the dark perils they encountered. It doesn't overstate anything or talk down to its audience, it just exists as a wondrous tale of trepidation and exploration. A magnificent piece of art.

Any other fans of this? And as always I'm happy to take in similar recommendations as for some reason I think the best way for me to embrace isolation and depression is to watch Twin Peaks: The Return and a load of claustrophobic weirdo sci-fi!

[NoSleep]

I get the same elephant-in-the-roomness when viewing Aelita (1924), not only a groundbreaking sci-fi film featuring superb set and costume design but the first major film work from the USSR, when comparing it to Metropolis (1927), which is far better known for some reason.

[chveik]

claustrophobic weirdo sci-fi

tI reckon hese (all eastern european films) fit the bill: On the Silver Globe, Dead Man's Letters, O-Bi O-Ba: The End of Civilisation, Hard to Be A God

[alan nagsworth]

Nice one. I've had "Hard to Be a God" on my list for a while. I've also been recommended "World on a Wire" which looks great.

By the way here is the trailer for "Ikarie XB-1" if anyone's interested. It hooked me in instantly and I knew right away that I was gonna love this fucker.

Some stills if you're too goddamn cigs to click the link:

[chveik]

aye it looks great, just downloaded it

[Puce Moment]

Fuck, I've only ever had shitty versions of this. I see that the internet now offers up some lovely HD versions of this! Thanks!

Edit: going for a 6.55GB version that does not show up on pirates.

[prwc]

I've been aware of this film for years, ever since seeing some striking clips of it in a documentary. But I haven't gotten around to actually watching it yet so thanks for spurring me on to do so.

claustrophobic weirdo sci-fi!

Seconds and Face of Another (both are very similar thematically) might fit the bill there. The Twelve Months of Summer is a magnificent piece of unnerving made for TV Swedish science fiction which is well worth hunting down too. Feel free to PM me if you need help obtaining it.

[alan nagsworth]

I've been aware of this film for years, ever since seeing some striking clips of it in a documentary. But I haven't gotten around to actually watching it yet so thanks for spurring me on to do so.

Seconds and Face of Another (both are very similar thematically) might fit the bill there. The Twelve Months of Summer is a magnificent piece of unnerving made for TV Swedish science fiction which is well worth hunting down too. Feel free to PM me if you need help obtaining it.

Cheers, I'll have a rummage and let you know!

[privatefriend]

Anyone have an actually seeded download (720 or 1080p) for Ikarie XB-1?

[Lost Oliver]

Loved this. Thanks for the recommendation. SPOILER

Spoiler alert

And probably the first time in years that I've seen a film that's had a happy ending.

[close]

[Puce Moment]

Anyone have an actually seeded download (720 or 1080p) for Ikarie XB-1?

Aye jim-lad. I do.

[greenman]

Nice one. I've had "Hard to Be a God" on my list for a while.

Although I think Khrustalyov, My Car! might be a better intro into German's style, a lot of the same circus like craziness but a bit more in the way of plot/context to pickup on were as Hard To Be a God is his style full force for 3 hours.

[dissolute ocelot]

Although I think Khrustalyov, My Car! might be a better intro into German's style, a lot of the same circus like craziness but a bit more in the way of plot/context to pickup on were as Hard To Be a God is his style full force for 3 hours.

I found Hard To Be A God to be surprisingly watchable and not long-feeling (although it probably helps to have some idea of the setting/plot beforehand rather than go in totally ignorant). I've not seen Khrustalyov: it has a reputation of being impenetrable if you know nothing about Soviet history, although from what I've seen of German, even impenetrable would still be interesting.

[greenman]

I found Hard To Be A God to be surprisingly watchable and not long-feeling (although it probably helps to have some idea of the setting/plot beforehand rather than go in totally ignorant). I've not seen Khrustalyov: it has a reputation of being impenetrable if you know nothing about Soviet history, although from what I've seen of German, even impenetrable would still be interesting.

Arrow put it out on Bluray a few months ago and I think Amazon have it to stream as well, if anything I think it looks ever better than Hard To be a God and is IMHO very enjoyable even on that level if you have absolutely fuck all idea whats happening. That said I don't think its THAT hard to pickup on whats happening with say a quick read about the doctors plot on wiki, things like the lead character discovering theres a double ready to replace him or that a foreign character pretending he has some link to him is an attempt to set him up as some kind of spy. The whole thing feels like its sposed to be though the eyes of the generals son as a stand in for German himself and arguably the latter stages might just be a fantasy he imagined happened to his father after the separation.