The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy
Country
Czechoslovakia, Former Yugoslavia, 1945–1991Copyright
1981Production year
1980—1981Premiere
2 July 1982Runtime
84 minDirector
Dušan VukotićCategory
filmGenre
sci-fiTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Monstrum z galaxie ArkanaCzech title
Monstrum z galaxie ArkanaEnglish title
The Monster from the Arcana GalaxyCo-production title
Gosti iz galaksijeWorking title
Dům mezi hvězdami / Dívka z galaxie ArcanaSummary
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.
Photos
Cast
Žarko Potočnjak
Voice by Jiří Štěpnička
spisovatel a hotelový recepční Robert
Lucie Žulová
Voice by Jarmila Švehlová
Biba, Robertova dívka
Ksenija Prohaska /ž/
Voice by Simona Stašová
robotka Andra
Jasminka Alić /ž/
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 /ž/
Voice by Anna Wetlinská
Cecílie, starší sestra Biby
Markéta Fišerová
zdravotní sestra Stela Štefančićová
Karel Augusta
Pepa Štefančić, Stelin otec
Hermina Pipinić /ž/
Voice by Svatava Hubeňáková
Anežka Štefančićová, Stelina matka
Predrag Petrović
Voice by Pavel Zedníček
knihkupec, Stelin ženich a Robertův kamarád
Helena Růžičková
teta Švarcová
Petr Drozda
monstrum Mumu
Václav Štekl
profesor psychiatrie
Zdena Burdová
Adéla, žena profesora psychiatrie
Edo Peročević
Voice by Bohuslav Ličman
šéfredaktor, knihkupcův strýc
Dana Hlaváčová
Olga, šéfredaktorova žena
Věra Kalendová
Voice by Eva Klepáčová
Papová, matka Toniho
Václav Štercl
Voice by Bohuslav Kalva
vedoucí knihkupectví
Zvonko Lepetić
Voice by Otto Lackovič
hlídač Palo
Jitka Zelenohorská
svatebčanka Lela
Bohuslav Kupšovský
harmonikář, Stelin děda
Věra Šperová
Robertův otec-muž s ňadry
Hana Forejtová
svatebčanka
Magdaléna Holendrová
svatebčanka
Hana Charvátová
svatebčanka
Zdena Rulcová
svatebčanka
Karel Engel
svatebčan
Zdenka Hersak /ž/
turistka
Saša Dabetić /ž/
Voice by Sylvia Turbová
turistka
Zorica Kolić /ž/
turistka
Marija Rusman /ž/
turistka
Vlado Bačić
turista
Milan Vučinić
turista
Miladin Krišković
turista
Vojkan Pavlović
Voice by Karel Chromík
zrzavý turista
Branka Lončar /ž/
turistka s holčičkou
Vlado Jagarić
Voice by Zdeněk Jelínek
redaktor v redakci
Martin Bahmec
Voice by Václav Stýblo
hlavní hotelový recepční
Vinko Prizmić
Voice by Robert Vrchota
hotelový kuchař
Petar Buntić
Voice by Stanislav Bruder
potápěč v šedém
Miroslav Buhin
Voice by Ladislav Kazda
potápěč v černém
Šime Jagarinac
potápěč
Vlado Šimac
potápěč
Velimir Njirić
muž
Petar Lasta
muž
Djoni Flinthoj
muž
Ivo Mrčela
muž
Ivanka Čućilović /ž/
žena
Vesna Njirić /ž/
žena
Ivan Anthon
loutkoherec
Josef Podsedník
loutkoherec
Jana Prachařová
loutkoherečka
Jaroslav Vidlař
loutkoherec
Helena Veselá
loutkoherečka
Jaroslava Zelenková
loutkoherečka
Dubbing
Renáta Doleželová
hlas ženy zrzavého turisty
Jindřich Narenta
hlas turisty
Boris Rösner
hlas turisty
Jan Sedliský
hlas turisty/hlas vrchního číšníka
Jiří Zavřel
hlas turisty
Václav Stýblo
hlas turisty
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Marta Křesinová, Slavko Andres
Assistant Director
Milivoj Puhlovski
Continuity
Helena Matušková, Marija Djordjević /ž/
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Dramaturg
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Stanislav Kautský, Ivica Rajković
Camera Operator
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Václav Hlávka, Velimir Domitrović
Art Director
Jan Švankmajer (monstrum Mumu)
Set Designer
Karel Kočí, Vladimír Mácha, Pavel Svoboda, Vladimír Slepička, Drago Lendarić, Mile Petrović, Ivo Baltić, Ivo Stepan
Costume Designer
Jasna Novak /ž/, Svan Vujičić
Costumes
František Zapletal, Nita Romanečová, Tonka Duplančić /ž/, Aleksandar Marks
Make-Up Artist
Jiří Hurych, Ivo Strangmüller, Šárka Šimůnková, Aleksandar Marks
Film Editor
Assistant Film Editor
Sound Designer
Adam Kajzar, Mladen Prebil, Petrko Kantardžijev (záznam hudby)
Special Effects
Milan Nejedlý, Jiří Rumler, Boris Masník, Vladimír Novotný, Adolf Hejzlar, Dušan Vukotić, Trikový ateliér FSB
Special Effects
Petr Rychetský (pyrotechnik), Zdravko Smojver (pyrotechnik)
Stunts
Karel Engel, Hana Forejtová, Růžena Jedličková, Miroslav Jíra, Jaroslav Klenot, Miroslav Lahoda, Pavel Myslík, Jindřich Sejk, Jaroslav Tomsa, Stanislav Tůma
Executive Producer
Branka Šoten, Sulejman Kapić
Production
Sulejman Kapić
Production Manager
Rudolf Wolf, Ante Deronja
Unit Production Manager
Antonín Suchánek, Lev Veltrubský, Emir Čejvan, Ludmila Venclíková
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Moravčík, Ferid Terzić, Toni Čačković, Ksenija Madjer /ž/
Consultant
Jiří Kryštof, Jakub Berdych
Cooperation
Nataša Culíková (klapka), Pavel Čáslavský (vrchní osvětlovač), Ivo Bočina (vrchní osvětlovač), Jan Kuděla (fotograf), Tomo Paić, Maroje Tihole
Dialogues of Czech version
Direction of Czech version
Dubbing Studio
Music
Music Composed by
Tomislav Simović
Music Performed by
Orchestr záhřebské televize
Music Supervisor
Tea Brunšmid /ž/
Production info
Original Title
Monstrum z galaxie Arkana
Czech Title
Monstrum z galaxie Arkana
English Title
The Monster from the Arcana Galaxy
Co-production Title
Gosti iz galaksije
Working Title
Dům mezi hvězdami / Dívka z galaxie Arcana
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
withdrawal from distribution 26 January 1988
Premiere
premiere 2 July 1982 /suitable for youths/
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
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
