Well ladies and gentlemen, I am embarking on my own private marathon of Czech cinema. I'm not sure to what extent this shall go, whether it be 5 films, 10 films, or 20. The point is I shall attempt to find and watch every film from Czechoslovakia I can get my hands on. Now there are a few reasons to attribute for this.

1. My own ignorance of Czech films. Sure I've seen a few, but nothing to be anything close to an authority.

2. Madhuban - Well I'm inspired a little here, and I certainly can't have you running around being the expert on something without at least trying to contest it now can I?

3. I live in Chicago - With Facets only a few blocks down the street and several well stocked libraries I shall be rather well provided for in my quest. Facets is internationally known as being the foremost proprietors of Czech and Eastern European cinema in general, and with a headquarters here, I'm in good shape. Leaving the Harold Washington Library I grabbed 5 Czech films (the most I could check out considering I also grabbed Visconti's Ludwig), and I didn't even scratch the surface. 

4. A girl - There's always a girl involved in these stories and well why not? One of the waitresses I work with happens to be from Czechoslovakia. Sure she's pretty and all that jazz, but when her face lighted up when I was able to name several films I'd already seen I got greedy. Likewise I may very well find myself having a partner in this minor film festival, and with any luck some type of contextual interpreter.

5. Boredom - I'm done with school for at least the next 6 weeks, I have one job that I only work 2-3 days a week, and I've been drinking far too much. So with some constructive film watching I shall positively direct my abundant energy, and I actually feel like focusing on a topic rather than my usual extremely random movie watching. Don't misunderstand I plan on getting a few outside films in the mix, perhaps a trip to the cinema, and I have the above mentioned Ludwig as well as Pasolini's Teorema to get watched and returned within the next week.

Now as far as the rules for this thread. Interjection and comments are more than welcome. If I mention a film you have seen, by all means offer your opinion, or even a full review if you feel like it. If you care to submit your own reviews into the mix, I'm not opposed either. If any of you have recomendations as to where I should go with this, feel free to voice them. My comments will most likely range from the sparse plot synopsis (so as I can at least remember what the film was loosely about) to a full interpretive analysis as I become inspired. I promise to at least chronicle each and every film that I watch in this, if for nothing else a record. So Madhuban, if you care to keep your title, you might want to start renting some films yourself. 

Festival Program (as of today)
Wolf Trap 
Daisies
Murder Czech Style
Dita Saxova
Larks on a String
Diamonds of the Night
Capricious Summer
Adelheid
Tereza
A Prayer for Katarina Horovitzova
Mandragora 
Lemonade Joe
Black Peter

...much more to come