Invention for Destruction

Presented from new 4K restoration, Second Run are delighted to follow their hugely popular release of the great Czech animator and filmmaker Karel Zeman's The Fabulous Baron Munchausen, with his greatest and most famous work - Invention for Destruction.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, George Pal and Ray Harryhausen.Still the most commercially lucrative Czech film ever produced - released internationally to huge success in 1960 as 'The Fabulous World of Jules Verne' - Invention for Destruction is also Zeman's most beloved work.Wildly inventive, and breaking new ground in its combination of live action, animation and design, creating a 'steampunk' aesthetic decades ahead of its time. Zeman's film is both a heartfelt homage and love letter to Jules Verne's wonderful tales of science and adventure, and a valiant cry against man's predisposition to self-destruction.SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:Invention for Destruction (Vynález zkázy, 1958) presented from a brand new 4K restoration of the film from original materials.Alternate English-dubbed feature presentation as The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, with alternate credits and opening introduction sequence.A new appreciation by filmmaker John Stevenson, director of Kung-Fu Panda and Sherlock GnomesKarel Zeman s animated short films: Inspiration (Inspirace, 1949) and King Lavra (Král Lávra, 1950)Feauturettes: The Sea Through Zeman s Lens; Why Zeman Made the Film; Zeman's Special Effects Techniques; Restoring the World of Fantasy; About the RestorationTrailerBooklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and historian James OliverRegion free Blu-ray and DVDOriginal soundtrack in 2.0 Dual Mono 24-bit LPCM audio