The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy

Country

Czechoslovakia, Former Yugoslavia, 1945–1991

Copyright

1981

Production year

1980—1981

Premiere

2 July 1982

Runtime

84 min

Category

film

Genre

sci-fi

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Monstrum z galaxie Arkana

Czech title

Monstrum z galaxie Arkana

English title

The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy

Parallel title

Gosti iz galaksije

Working title

Dům mezi hvězdami

Summary

Screenwriter Miloš Macourek specialised in outlandish comedies, such as the Czechoslovak-Yugoslav coproduction Monstrum z galaxie Arkana (The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy, 1981), a madcap sci-fi adventure directed by Dušan Vukotić. The main character is Robert, a young beach hotel receptionist who shows less interest in his guests or his girlfriend Biba than in the story he is writing about a family of aliens – so involved in its creation is he that through sheer power of mind he manages to materialise his heroes into this world. Robert and Biba set off to the island where the aliens have landed and find that life in the quiet beach resort has been turned on its head. Soon competition arises between Biba and the visitors from the planet Tugador which has some unpleasant consequences for the young earthling couple... The main characters in this rather unbalanced motion picture are played by Žarko Potočnjak and Lucie Žulová. Perhaps the film’s most memorable feature is the extraterrestrial monster designed in the workshop of Czech artist Jan Švankmajer.

Synopsis

Robert, working as a receptionist in a seaside hotel, spends his free time writing a science-fiction novel about extraterrestrials Andra and her children Ulu and Targo from the Arcana galaxy. Robert's girlfriend Biba blames him for neglecting her. One day, Robert overhears Andra's voice. He thinks he is hallucinating and decides he should better see a shrink. The psychiatrist, however, opines that Robert has the power to materialize his thoughts. When Andra "calls" again, Robert decides to visit an island where the extraterrestrials have landed. He indeed meets the threesome and Targo's toy - the little monster Moomoo which grows bigger upon the child's order. Robert runs away in fear. During his second visit to the island, Robert is accompanied by his girlfriend Biba. There is an immediate antipathy between her and Andra, and Targo transforms Biba into a small cube. A guide talks to tourists and other people about some weird creatures, and several armed men thus set off for the island. But Targo destroys one ship after another with his laser beam. Andra and her children get transported to Robert's flat in a bluish ball. Here, she is found by Biba who returned to her original form and tries to turn Robert away from Andra. Targo covertly puts the little fiend Moomoo into Biba's bag before the three leave. Biba comes home and gets dressed for a neighbours' wedding. But Moomoo suddenly enlarges, starts killing the wedding guests one by one and turns the place into ruins. Andra rectifies the situation by returning time to a moment before the wedding. Biba comes to Robert's place but does not find him in. A bluish ball whizzes through the room and disappears. Robert's voice is suddenly heard from a dictaphone informing her that he is with Andra, Ulu, Targo and Moomoo on their way to the planet Tugador in the Arcana galaxy - and he finishes his novel in the ball.

Cast

Žarko Potočnjak

Voice by Jiří Štěpnička
spisovatel a recepční Robert

Lucie Žulová

Voice by Jarmila Švehlová
Biba, Robertova dívka

Ksenija Prohaska

Voice by Simona Stašová
robotka Andra

Jasminka Alić

Voice by Kateřina Žalská
mimozemšťanka Ulu

Rene Bitorajac

Voice by Petr Novotný
mimozemšťan Targo

Ljubiša Samardžić

Voice by Alois Švehlík
fotograf Toni

Ivana Andrlová

Gabi, mladší sestra Biby

Cvijeta Mesić

Voice by Anna Wetlinská
Cecílie, starší sestra Biby

Markéta Fišerová

zdravotní sestra Stela

Karel Augusta

Pepa Štefančić, Stelin otec

Hermina Pipinić

Voice by Svatava Hubeňáková
Stelina matka

Helena Růžičková

teta Švarcová

Petr Drozda

monstrum Mumu

Václav Štekl

profesor psychiatrie

Magdaléna Holendrová

manželka profesora

Edo Peročević

Voice by Bohuslav Ličman
šéfredaktor

Dana Hlaváčová

Olga, manželka redaktora

Věra Kalendová

Voice by Eva Klepáčová
Papová, matka Toniho

Zvonko Lepetić

Voice by Otto Lackovič
hlídač

Věra Šperová

Robertův otec-muž s ňadry

Ivo Gregurević

Voice by Pavel Zedníček
Robertův kamarád

Zdena Rulcová

svatebčanka

Hana Charvátová

svatebčanka

Hana Forejtová

svatebčanka

Karel Engel

svatebčan

Zdenka Hersak

Ivan Anthon

loutkoherec

Josef Podsedník

loutkoherec

Jana Prachařová

loutkoherečka

Jaroslav Vidlař

loutkoherec

Helena Veselá

loutkoherečka

Jaroslava Zelenková

loutkoherečka

Dubbing

Sylvia Turbová

hlas turistky

Karel Chromík

hlas zrzavého turisty

Jindřich Narenta

hlas turisty

Boris Rösner

hlas turisty

Jan Sedliský

hlas turisty/hlas vrchního

Jiří Zavřel

hlas turisty

Robert Vrchota

hlas kuchaře v hotelu

Václav Stýblo

hlas ředitele hotelu/hlas turisty

Zdeněk Jelínek

hlas redaktora

Ladislav Kazda

hlas potápěče v černém

Stanislav Bruder

hlas potápěče v šedém

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Marta Křesinová, Slavko Andres

Assistant Director

Marija Djordjević

Shooting Script

Dušan Vukotić

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák

Second Unit Photography

Stanislav Kautský

Camera Operator

Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Jiří Hlupý

Assistent Production Designer

Václav Hlávka

Art Director

Jan Švankmajer

Costume Designer

Jasna Novak

Assistant Film Editor

Anna Mejtská, Eliška Willigová

Sound Designer

Adam Kajzar

Special Effects

Petr Rychetský (pyrotechnik)

Production

Sulejman Kapić

Production Manager

Rudolf Wolf, Ante Deronja

Unit Production Manager

Ludmila Venclíková, Lev Veltrubský, Emir Čejvan, Antonín Suchánek

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Moravčík

Consultant

Jakub Berdych, Jiří Kryštof

Cooperation

Nataša Culíková (klapka), Jan Kuděla (fotograf)

Dialogues of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Direction of Czech version

K. M. Walló

Music

Music Composed by

Tomislav Simović

Music Performed by

Orchestr záhřebské televize

Production info

Original Title

Monstrum z galaxie Arkana

Czech Title

Monstrum z galaxie Arkana

English Title

The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy

Parallel Title

Gosti iz galaksije

Working Title

Dům mezi hvězdami

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

sci-fi

Origin country

Czechoslovakia, Former Yugoslavia, 1945–1991

Copyright

1981

Production Year

1980—1981

Production specifications

literary Screenplay approved 17 June 1980
start of filming 21 July 1980
technical Screenplay approved 3 September 1980
end of filming 11 June 1981
projection approval 12 June 1981

Premiere

premiere 2 July 1982 /suitable for youths/

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Oty Hofmana, Ota Hofman (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny), Zakázková skupina, Václav Cajthaml (vedoucí Zakázkové skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

84 min

Original length in metres

2 411 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Festival: 4. mezinárodní festival fantastických filmů FANTASPORTO Porto

1984
Porto / Portugal

Vítěz

Festival: 3. mezinárodní festival fantastických filmů Madrid

1982
Madrid / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 3. mezinárodní festival fantastických filmů Madrid

1982
Madrid / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 3. mezinárodní festival fantastických filmů Madrid

1982
Madrid / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 3. mezinárodní festival fantastických filmů Madrid

1982
Madrid / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 19. mezinárodní festival vědeckofantastických filmů Terst

1981
Terst / Italy