Pioneering Czech animator Jan Švankmajer has inspired devoted fans of his work around the world. And if your response to that statement is: "who?" it just shows that you haven't been introduced to any of his films yet.
Now is a splendid time to get acquainted with Faust (1994), his timeless adaptation of a classic tale. It will open in Virtual Cinemas in the U.S. tomorrow (Friday, September 18, 2020). What is the movie all about? Per the official synopsis:
"Jan Svankmajer's Faust is a rendering of the infamous Dr. Faustus fable of temptation and damnation. Borrowing freely from both Marlowe and Goethe and ancient folktales and timeless myths, the story follows a lonely Czech businessman who sells his soul to the devil in return for 24 years of self-indulgence.
"A visually fantastic combination of live-action, claymation, puppet theatre, stop-motion animation, and other special effects, Svankmajer creates an unsettling universe presided over by diabolic life-size marionettes and haunted by sinister human messengers from hell."
Watch the trailer below to get a better picture of what's in store. Faust will open tomorrow at the following Virtual Cinemas, all fine cinemas that deserve whatever support you can muster in these perilous times:
Film Forum NY, Laemmle Theatre LA, Roxie Theatre SF, Row House Cinema PA, Lightbox Film Center PA, Webster Film Series MO, Epsilon Spires VT, Gold Town Nickelodeon AK, Portland Museum of Art ME, Cleveland Cinematheque OH, Brattle Theatre MA, The Loft Cinema AZ.
Read more about the film at the official site from distributor KimStim.