Coming Soon

Hello Cinephiles! Just a few quick thoughts about this film which I think has many brilliant sides and some mistakes or imperfections. I saw it at the French Institute of Prague who showed the premiere of the English version of the film a few weeks ago. I waited until today to write because I wasn't absolutely sure what to think about it. The Institute described the film as the most original Czech film of the year and I think it's one of the most original films of the year from anywhere. We had a long discussion after the film and so many ideas were running through my mind. But it is a shocking perverse film which made me think uncomfortable things about myself and the society we live in. Any thing that makes me think so much today is a masterpiece for me. Today it is so rare!

But the film has some mistakes in sound and some confused ideas which make it imperfect for me. But it is still a great film and I agree with many of the opinions already here.

I never saw Svankmajer's films but I know Pasolini and I think he would like it even if the film has a VERY different style. But it is full of ideas, poetry and perversion. Nice job. But be careful ;-)

I hope I don't turn people away from this film by calling it philosophical masterpiece, since I also consider MATRIX (at least the first one!) a philosophical masterpiece. There are many philosophical films, but the ones I consider masterpieces are the ones which AREN'T boring! I was invited to a private screening of this film in Pargue a few days after it won an award from a Jury of Students from the University of Pilsen. The producers wanted to show the film to the people who were involved in the film and I was invited by one of the graphic artists. He didn't tell me anything about the film, just that it was a surprise. I go to as many festivals as possible looking for surprises and I rarely find them, so I wasn't very optimistic about this one. But I didn't want to offend my friend so I went.

I wasn't surprised. I was simply shocked! Pleasantly shocked! When the film ended I was angry like when someone wakes me from a beautiful dream. They said they will shorten the final version and I think this is a mistake. The version I saw was two hours and I would have welcomed another hour. Without any special effects or fancy gimmicks, they created a very trippy alternative reality that is like a world by itself. To this day, which is more than 3 months after I saw the film, I think about it and can't stop talking about it (you can ask my wife!).

All I can say to Sir Tijn Po and all the other people who worked on the film is Bravo! I can't wait to seeing it again when you release it in theaters here. I hope other film-makers here learn a lesson from this film that you can make movie magic without big money!

I must say that I'm quite surprised that everyone here on IMDb and even in the Czech media is praising this film. I thought I would have to come here to defend it! But all the comments are compliments?!

When I heard of this film and what it is about I thought it was making fun of minorities and was a little afraid to watch it. I am a member of Lesbian community here and people tolerate us but you never see Lesbian or Gay heroes in Czech films. When I heard that "Coming Soon" is about zoophilia-rights organization I thought it was making fun of our struggle here because we just had a new big victory with the law. But this film is amazing. Shocking but amazing! When they showed it my town they had a guest from the film and after there was a discussion with the audience and he asked how many people are now ready to give rights to zoophiles. HALF the people raised their hands!!! I am sure that before the film started not even one person would raise their hand. This film in a very smart and sensitive and even funny way shows how silly it is to bother other people about what they like to do sexually. I cried when all those people raised their hands because of what it means for me and people like me and ALL people who like unusual things.

I don't know if I'm explaining this very clear but I think it's one of the most important films in a long time and I want to thank all the people who made it. I agree with the jury in Plzen who gave them the Special Award for originality helping minorities and I hope it will win many more! This is a film many people will use when they have to explain some unusual desires... Great, great film!!! :-) :-) :-)

"Coming Soon" is my favorite film this year! A bit sloppy at times but a great overall achievement!

In the catalogue for the Plzen festival where the film premiered, they quote Sir Tijn Po as saying that he just wants to emulate his two greatest film-making heroes, Jan Svakmajer and Pier Paolo Pasolini. I never heard this comparison before and I find it a little strange. I also love both Svankmajer and Pasolini but their styles are so different - Svankmajer's films never let up for a second while many of Pasolini's scenes seem to last forever. I do agree, however, that both of these directors seem to approach cinema with similar intentions and try using it as a tool to express what is usually expressed via poetry, theater, classical music and the like. But their individual styles are almost opposites.

"Coming Soon" reminded me more of Munch's classic painting "The Scream". You can feel the actors and director just bursting with frustration and screaming at the top of their lungs, screaming to all clergy, politicians, and censors "F...off! Let us think and breathe and live the way WE see fit!!!" For me it was an expressionistic work of art that lingers long after the individual scenes fade away. It's a collective revolt which I identify with very much.

One of the main newspapers here, Hospodarske Noviny, wrote about the film: "…conveyed with an extraordinary amount of humor and exaggeration which like the director's hero (Svankmajer) tries to shatter barriers." The style of this film is far from Svankmajer's world (no animation or rusty spoons) but I agree that it shares his sense of provocation and exploration.

Talking of Pasolini, this film actually did remind me a bit of "Salo: 120 Days of Sodom" at least as far as shock-value is concerned. But unlike "Salo" which is full of violence and Sadism, "Coming Soon" is full of love and humor (except for the one scene with the bull and skins…). While watching the film I wasn't uncomfortable at all, my own shock came days after I saw the film. It's like a little bug that enters your brain and slowly nibbles away at your previous opinions.

I'm curious to see how far this film will go but I'm betting it will find a nice cult following. I, for one, am in!

Aside from reiterating the praise from the other comments I want to express my opinion that this film in NOT a film about zoophilia. Or, to put it better, this film is as much about zoophilia as Orwell's ANIMAL FARM is about animals. It uses zoophilia (and the question of zoophile-rights) as vehicle to explore far more general and profound questions about humanity, tradition, media, morality, etc.

Regardless of whether or not this film is a real documentary (and there are many conflicting claims floating around the internet - including the films's official website!) it is highly successful in seducing the viewer into new philosophical territory - all while making you laugh and cry.

This type of film is certainly economical suicide since I can't imagine any distributors even touching it, but if the internet proves to be a viable distribution platform I'm convinced this film will become a modern-day classic on par with Pasolini's SALO, Plato's SOCRATIC DIALOGUES, etc. It shares SALO's intelligent shock-value and easily matches the effectiveness of Plato's DIALOGUES in gently guiding the reader/viewer to unexpected conclusions.

If anyone out there is aware of other films that can justifiably be called philosophical works (not just films ABOUT philosophy) please let me know. Aside from WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW I haven't yet encountered anything remotely similar.

Congratulations to Sir Po & Co. and I'll be anxiously looking forward to your future efforts!