IT CAME FROM THE BOTTOM SHELF!

Second Run, a boutique video label in the UK devoted to art films and classics, has announced a Region Free Blu-ray release of the groundbreaking science fiction film Ikarie XB1.  You may remember that I raved about Second Run’s releases of the Czech fantasy films of Karel Zeman, Invention For Destruction a.k.a. The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (1958) and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961), both of which made my “Picks of the Year” lists in the years of their releases.   Consequently, I’m very much looking forward to this upcoming release of the highly-regarded Czech science fiction film.

Here are the details on the upcoming release:

Ikarie XB 1
A film by Jindřich Polák
Czechoslovakia, 1963

On Blu-ray 25 March 2019

RRP: £19.99 BBFC cert: PG

Feature: 88 minutes; Special features: tbc minutes

Language: Czech; Subtitles: English

“Remains one of the most original and exciting science fiction films ever made… packed with sublime moments unlike those of any film preceding it. A game-changing film that profoundly influenced the genre and showed that science-fiction movies weren’t only about special effects; they were also high art.” Alex Cox, The Guardian

Presented from the new 4K restoration of the film which premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Second Run are delighted to present a new Blu-ray Special Edition of Jindřich Polák’s seminal work of fantasy cinema IKARIE XB 1.

Polák’s pioneering and much-imitated feature IKARIE XB 1 is one of the cornerstones of contemporary sci-fi cinema. It predates Star Trek and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and was clearly a pronounced influence on both – and on countless other science-fiction films and TV shows that followed.

Adapted from Stanisław Lem’s novel The Magellanic Cloud, the film is set in 2163 and follows a mission deep into space in search of alien life. During their perilous journey the crew confront the effects of a malignant dark star, the destructive legacy of the 20th century and, ultimately, the limits of their own sanity. With outstanding design and cinematography, IKARIE XB 1 is imbued with a seriousness, intelligence and attention to detail rarely seen in science-fiction cinema of the period.

“Polák’s groundbreaking celestial saga is every bit as impressive today as it was in 1963. Don’t tell me Kubrick missed this one…” Joe Dante

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Presented from a new 4K restoration of the film from original materials by
  the Czech National Film Archive.
• An appreciation by author and critic Kim Newman.
• The Most Ordinary of Occupations (Nejvšednější povolání, 1963) – a short film about science and mathematics by Josef Kořán.
• US version Voyage to the End of the Universe alternative opening credits and end scene.
• Booklet featuring a substantial essay by writer and film historian Michael Brooke.
• Trailer.
• Voyage to the End of the Universe trailer.
• Photo gallery
• Region Free Blu-ray (A/B/C)