Czechoslovakia, 1963
Length / Ikarie XB 1: 88 minutes
Special features: 39 minutes
Sound: 2.0 Dual Mono LPCM (48khz/24-bit)
Black and white
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Language: Czech
Subtitles: English
Blu-Ray: BD50 / 1080 / 24fps
Region ABC (Region Free)
Blu-Ray RRP: £19.99
Release Date: 25 March 2019
Second Run BD020
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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 science fiction cinema. It predates Star Trek and Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey and was clearly a pronounced influence on both - and on countless other sci-fi 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, and a superb score by Zdeněk Liška, Ikarie XB 1 is imbued with a seriousness, intelligence and attention to detail rarely seen in science-fiction cinema of the period.
This region-free Blu-ray special edition includes Josef Kořán's 1963 short film The Most Ordinary of Occupations, a filmed appreciation by Kim Newman, the opening credits and end-sequence from the alternative, dubbed US version Voyage to the End of the Universe, and booklet with an essay on the film by historian Michael Brooke.
• Presented from a new 4K restoration of the film from original materials by
the Czech National Film Archive.
• A filmed 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.
• Voyage to the End of the Universe - opening credits and end-sequence from the alternative, dubbed US version.
• Booklet featuring a substantial essay by writer and film historian Michael Brooke.
• Ikarie XB 1 trailer.
• Voyage to the End of the Universe trailer.
• Image gallery.
• Region Free Blu-ray (A/B/C)
• Easter egg
Zdeněk Štěpánek - Captain Vladimír Abajev
Radovan Lukavský – MacDonald
Dana Medřická - Nina Kirová
Miroslav Macháček - Marcel Bernard
František Smolík - Dr Anthony Hopkins
Jiří Vršťala - Erik Svenson
Otto Lackovič - Michal
Svatava Hubeňáková - Rena
Irena Kačírková - Brigitte
Martin Ťapák - Petr Kubeš
Marcela Martínková - Štefa
Directed by Jindřich Polák
Story and screenplay - Jindřich Polák, Pavel Juráček
Based on the novel The Magellanic Cloud (Obłok Magellana)
by Stanisław Lem
Cinematography - Jan Kališ
Music - Zdeněk Liška
Production Design - Jan Zázvorka
Editor - Josef Dobřichovský
Costumes - Ester Krumbachová
Special Effects - Jan Kališ, Milan Nejedlý, Jiří Hlupý,
Pavel Nečesal, Karel Císařovský, František Žemlička
1963 Trieste International Science Fiction Film Festival,
Winner: Grand Prix, Best Film
"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. Of the hardest and most admirable kind" Alex Cox, The Guardian
"Finally available in its complete, original form, 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, filmmaker
"An absolute treat, offering all the kitsch pleasures of vintage SF while still bearing up remarkably well to modern scrutiny. Anyone brave enough to check it out will be very glad they did" Starburst
"Immaculately filmed in black-and-white Cinemascope, it is beautiful and austere. The effects are second to none: Kubrick and his visual effects genius Wally Veevers must have seen it and analysed its models and matte shots before making 2001" Alex Cox, The Guardian
