Cordially from Earth

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1982

Production year

1982

Premiere

1 July 1983

Runtime

98 min

Category

film

Genre

comedy, sci-fi

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule

Czech title

Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule

English title

Cordially from Earth

Working title

Poslední pozdrav ze zeměkoule

Summary

Slovak double act Milan Lasica and Július Satinský star in this sci-fi comedy directed by Oldřich Lipský and released in 1982. These two proponents of sarcastic and absurd humour had previously recorded success in pictures such as children’s comedy Nekonečná – nevystupovat (No Terminal – Don’t Get Off!, 1978) directed by Radim Cvrček. In Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule (Cordially from Earth), with popular comedy maker Lipský in the director’s chair, Lasica and Satinský play extra-terrestrials visiting Earth with the demanding task of researching civilised life on the planet. They assume human exteriors and select a jumpy Dr Jánský (Jiří Menzel) as their earthly host as they consider him to be a typical specimen of an average earthling. Even though the shy scientist is an employee of the Institute for Liaising with Extra-terrestrial Civilisations, the inquisitive and childish antics of the two visitors very quickly begins to take its toll on his already dented inner peace. Jánský finds himself forced to pay for damage caused by the two at the local grocery, while he is soon at odds with his short-tempered neighbour Vaněrka (Luděk Sobota). The alien pair even endangers the scientist’s presentation at a symposium which they infiltrate in disguise. Following their bizarre experiences with ditch excavators and window cleaners, they even experience earthly sex with merry hitchhikers… This tragicomedy with an environmental message offers a classic comedic confrontation between inquisitive visitors and the customs and morals found on earth (topped off by sarcastic observations on life under real socialism). Given the usually expensive visual tricks associated with the genre of science fiction, director Lipský resorted to animations created by draftsman and visual artist Vladimír Jiránek. They were used in the film whenever the visitors from outer space reported back home. Such an arrangement expanded the space available for comic ideas beyond dialogue and live-action. These found their place in animated segments delivered in the spirit of Jiránek’s short films. The scientific congress is visited by a colleague of Satinský and Lasica – Zdeněk Svěrák – who arrives in the role of omnifarious scientist Jára Cimrman.

Synopsis

Two visitors from the outer space land on Earth. They can change the appearance of their vehicle, their own appearance as well as their clothes according to need in order to remain inconspicuous. So their flying saucer looks as a beer keg one moment and a waste container the next. Without ceremony, they move in with doctor Jánský, who was found by the supreme computer of the galaxy as a sample of an average human. The shy scholar Jánský works in the Institute of Contact with Extraterrestrial Civilisations. He tests the samples of artificial food on himself instead of animals out of compassion. The food makes him sick and moreover, his girlfriend Jiřinka gets angry with him. The extraterrestrials A and B begin researching the earthly civilisation in his flat. They break fragile things and switch on the TV and the stove. Jánský, returning home, rings the bell and causes a gas explosion. Slightly injured, he goes to bed. A and B dutifully imitate him but their snoring is unbearable. The two aliens are captivated by food vending machines. They ask people how they would react to the visit of extraterrestrials. They send pieces of information through the TV set. In a self-service shop where their involuntary host sends them for mineral water, they taste food, open bottles and knock over a pyramid of cans. Jánský must pay for the caused damage. The inquisitive visitors from outer space meanwhile dismantle the trabant car of the choleric neighbour Vaněrka. Although they reassemble the minicar, they put the wheels on perpendicular to their original position. The careworn Jánský asks for a vacation but the director refuses and instead asks for a paper for the approaching symposium. A and B explore the phenomenon of work as ditch diggers and window cleaners. The extraterrestrial B infuriates wedding guests when he changes his clothes to copy the bride's admired wedding gown. In a forest reserve where he searches for some peace, Jánský writes his speech on toilet paper. In the meantime, the extraterrestrials are mesmerized by the technical conveniences of artificial nature. A and B also get to know human love when they hitchhike and stop two frolicsome girls. They enjoy a picnic as well as making love in the open air. Jánský delivers his speech on the inappropriate paper shortly before the symposium opening. But his speech is halted by the world-famous experts - professors Nowak and Miller - who ask for Jánský's attention. But they are in fact the extraterrestrials who stole the name tags. Their peculiar hypotheses arouse astonishment among the scientific experts. The real scholars Nowak and Miller, however, appear in the midst of a discussion and the two aliens run away. They broadcast their latest report about science and a favourable prognosis for Earth. They say goodbye to their host but they are ordered to continue in their research shortly before the departure - the Earth is threatened by a catastrophe. A and B thus find another host - the irascible neighbour Vaněrka.

Film online

Cast

Milan Lasica

mimozemšťan A

Július Satinský

mimozemšťan B

Jiří Menzel

dr. Martin Jánský

Naďa Konvalinková

Jiřinka, snoubenka Jánského

Miloš Kopecký

profesor Horowitz

Luděk Sobota

soused Josef Vaněrka

Jiří Lábus

zřízenec rezevace

Jana Břežková

řidička Osvobozené domácnosti

Jaroslava Kretschmerová

Áňa, závoznice Osvobozené domácnosti

Luděk Kopřiva

profesor Janatka

Karel Augusta

ředitel ústavu

Jiří Hálek

vedoucí samoobsluhy

Jan Schmid

psychiatr

Vladimír Hrabánek

mistr na stavbě

Jiří Kodet

profesor Elington

Vladimír Hrubý

představitel ekologické komise OSN

Jan Pohan

protestující vědec

Jiří Lír

profesor John Miller

Jaroslav Tomsa

profesor Hans Nowak

Luďa Marešová

zdravotní sestra

Jaromír Kučera

silný delegát

Miloslav Homola

obrýlený muž

Karel Bělohradský

strážmistr VB

Oldřich Velen

muž se sklenkou ve služebním autě

Jan Kuželka

muž s demižonem ve služebním autě

Jiří Patočka

vědec s hřívou

Václav Procházka

vědec

Jaroslav Vozáb

opatrný úředník

Karel Fořt

vrátný

Marie Šípová

hlasatelka

Alena Kahovcová

delegátka

Milan Klacek

plachý muž

Jiří Krb

kluk

Viktor Nejedlý

svatebčan

Iva Petříčková

žena s vozíkem

Ivana Kašparová

loutkoherečka

Jaroslav Vidlař

loutkoherec

Vlasta Weiselová

loutkoherečka

Radovan Versigan

frajer

František Kubíček

muž kupující rum v automatu

Lubor Cába

asistent kamery

Lubomír Havelka

asistent kamery

Vladimír Tříska

asistent kamery

Jan Valouch

asistent kamery

Karel Smrž

zahradník

Vladimír Jiránek

rozvážný muž

Jiřina Kotoučová

delegátka

Eva Lukešová

žena s dítětem

Zdeněk Srstka

hulvát po noční

Jaroslav Kočárník

kameraman

Vladimír Procházka

kameraman

Miroslav Tomek

kameraman

Václav Vokoun

kameraman

Ivan Petrák

střihač

Vladimír Svitáček

režisér přenosu

Petr Drozda

závozník

Evžen Podařil

oddávající

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Aleš Dospiva, Stanislava Hutková

Assistant Director

Jan Menšík

Shooting Script

Oldřich Lipský

Director of Photography

Jiří Macák, Zdena Hajdová, Eva Kergerová

Camera Operator

Lubomír Moravec, Jan Hanzal

Production Designer

Milan Nejedlý

Assistent Production Designer

Boris Moravec ml.

Art Director

Vladimír Jiránek

Set Designer

Josef Dvořák, Jaroslav Chytrý, Richard Staněk

Costume Designer

Irena Greifová

Film Editor

Miroslav Hájek

Assistant Film Editor

Magda Hájková

Sound Designer

Jiří Lenoch

Animation

Josef Hekrdla

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Jaromír Lukáš

Unit Production Manager

Jiří Synek, Jarmila Benešová (2)

Unit Production Manager

Dagmar Pitráková

Cooperation

Hana Suchá (klapka), Karel Ješátko (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Petr Skoumal

Selected Music

Emil Štolc (Pozdrav orchestru)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)

Songs

Krásný vzhled je na ten boží svět

Song Composer Mirko Hanák

Na koníčka si vyskočím

Singer Jiří Menzel

Production info

Original Title

Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule

Czech Title

Srdečný pozdrav ze zeměkoule

English Title

Cordially from Earth

Working Title

Poslední pozdrav ze zeměkoule

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

comedy, sci-fi

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1982

Production Year

1982

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1991

Premiere

premiere 1 July 1983 /suitable for youths/

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupina, Jiří Blažek (vedoucí 1. dramaturgicko-výrobní skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

98 min

Original length in metres

2 811 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: 21. festival českých a slovenských filmů Ostrava

1983
Ostrava / Czechoslovakia

Vítěz

Festival: 11. mezinárodní festival komediálních filmů La Coruña

1983
La Coruña / Spain

Vítěz

Festival: 34. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´83

1983
66 měst / Czechoslovakia
Oldřich Lipský

Vítěz

Festival: 34. filmový festival pracujících – léto ´83

1983
66 měst / Czechoslovakia