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Bookmark this pageYear of the Devil (2002)
Director: Petr Zelenka
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Another eccentric comedy from the director of Buttoners. A Czech Spinal Tap, if you will, this mockumentary follows radical folk superstar Jaromir Nohavica (playing himself?) from his battle with alcoholism to an electric career reinvention inspired by his ex-partner, an elective mute. It takes a little while to find itself, but go with it: there are some delicious deadpan gags (the violinist employed to provide live elevator music in a Prague hotel, for instance), and it's very droll about the different substrata in pop cultures. Against the odds, it sort of adds up.Author: TCh
User reviews of this film
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- Colin Clarke said...
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Posted on Oct 07 2008 22:04
It's October 2008 and I've just finished watching Year of the Devil with my Slovak girlfriend... I'm English and watched this with subtitles. A great film and as Kris said above, very thought provoking. It's not at all a Czech Spinal Tap, the only similarity is that it contains music and is a pseudo-documentary. Thoroughly enjoyable and like most contemporary films, takes you all around the houses until you get to the end. Don't expect everything to 'come together' - but expect to laugh when one of the guys pants catch fire on stage!
One to watch, irrespective of taste, language or race. - Report as inappropriate
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- kris said...
- Posted on Jul 17 2007 09:39 Marvellous, but I would not call it comedy. It is rather sad and contemplative really, though with elements of humor. It is misleadingly simple but it mixes a few filmmaking styles and is a film within a film within a documentary. A lot of good music. It touches a few important issues like what is life of an artist, is there a God, the cost of living freely, etc. It has spiritual elements and an interesting turn from Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke. Very much worth watching.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Petr Zelenka
Producer: Pavel Strnad
Cast: Jaromir Nohavica, Karel Plihal, Jan Prent, Jaz Coleman, Cechomor full cast
Genre(s): Comedy
Duration: 88 mins
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