Deaf Crocodile

Jan S. Kolar Czech Silents Standard Edition [Blu-ray]

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Jan S. Kolar Czech Silents Standard Edition Blu-ray showcases two landmark silent features and a collection of rare short films from one of the pioneers of Czech cinema. Presented by Deaf Crocodile in collaboration with the NÔrodní filmový archív in Prague and Comeback Company, this 2-disc collection brings together newly restored works spanning supernatural fantasy, historical epic and early cinematic innovation.

The Arrival from the Darkness (1921) follows a book collector who resurrects his sixteenth-century ancestor through an ancient manuscript, unleashing a bizarre tale of black magic, alchemy, time travel and obsession. St. Wenceslas (1929), one of the most ambitious productions of the Czech silent era, is a sweeping medieval epic chronicling the life of the prince who would become Bohemia's patron saint amid political intrigue, betrayal and religious conflict.

Featuring newly commissioned musical scores and a wealth of supplemental material, this collection is an essential archive of early Czech filmmaking.

Directed by: Jan S. KolƔr
Starring: Theodor PiÅ”těk, Karel Lamač, Anny Ondra, Zdeněk Å těpĆ”nek
1921 & 1929 / 165 min / Silent (Czech Intertitles with English Subtitles) / 2 Discs

Films In This Set

• The Arrival from the Darkness (1921)
• St. Wenceslas (1929)


Product Details

Format

  • Blu-ray

Blu-ray Region

Unconfirmed

Packaging

  • Box Set / Collection

Label

Deaf Crocodile

Special Features

  • Four ultra-rare early Jan S. KolĆ”r silent short films, including Polykarp's Winter Adventure (1917), The Oriental Languages Teacher (1918), and two additional shorts
  • How We Used To Make Movies (1953) – behind-the-scenes compilation of Czech silent filmmaking
  • The Wedding Shirt (1925) – surviving four-minute fragment from the lost Czech silent horror film
  • New musical scores for St. Wenceslas and all five bonus shorts by silent film composer Ben Model
  • 48-page booklet featuring new essays by Jan-Christopher Horak and Walter Chaw
  • New audio commentary by film historian Peter Hames and Czech film expert Irena Kovarova
  • Face of Centuries: Jan S. KolĆ”r and the Afterlives of History (2026) – new visual essay by Stephen Broomer

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