History Creator / JanSvankmajer

* IAteWhat?: In his short ''Food'', characters eat various things that in reality are unedible.

* ''Film/Insects'' (2018)

Švankmajer works within national Czech(oslovakian) traditions such as fairy tales, puppet theatres and the surreal stories of Creator/FranzKafka and Creator/KarelCapek. His films are often strange, dark and disturbing, but also have a DarkComedy side to them. Still, they are highly original and the creativity is impressive. Because Švankmajer worked under the Communist regime his films remained unknown in the West until the 1980's. Even worse, the government banned him in 1972 from making films, and many of his later films were suppressed.

* EatingShoes: Two customers in a restaurant in ''Food'' start eating everything in their vicinity, including their own shoes, because their waiter refuses to take their order.

* {{Faust}}: He adapted the story for his film ''Faust''.

Since then, Švankmajer has been discovered and praised by film and animation fans alike. People like Creator/TerryGilliam, Creator/TimBurton and Creator/TheBrothersQuay have been influenced by his work. His best known film is probably ''Film/{{Alice}}'' (1988), which has become a cult classic and was reviewed by Oancitizen for ''WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh''.

* ''Film/{{Alice}}'' (1988)

* LeFilmArtistique

[[caption-width-right:184:Holding a chicken is the ''least'' bizarre thing he ever did! ]]

Jan Švankmajer (born September 4, 1934) is an internationally acclaimed and influential UsefulNotes/{{Czech|Republic}} animator and film director. His works are often surreal and make use of live-action, cut-outs, stop-motion, claymation and puppet animation. He has both made short films and full length films.

Švankmajer works within national Czech(oslovakian) traditions such as fairy tales, puppet theatres and the surreal stories of Creator/FranzKafka and Creator/KarelCapek. His films are often strange, dark and disturbing, but also have a DarkComedy side to them. Still, they are highly original and the creativity is impressive. Because Švankmajer worked under the Communist regime his films remained unknown in the West until the 1980s. Even worse, the government banned him in 1972 from making films, and many of his later films were suppressed.

Since then, Švankmajer has been discovered and praised by film and animation fans alike. People like Creator/TerryGilliam, Creator/TimBurton and TheBrothersQuay have been influenced by his work. His best known film is probably ''Film/{{Alice}}'' (1988), which has become a cult classic and was reviewed by Oancitizen for ''WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh''.

* ''Film/DimensionsOfDialogue'' (1982)

* AnthropomorphicFood: In the short "Meat Love" (1989), two pieces of meat romantically dance with each other, but are cooked anyway in the end.
* BigEater (and ExtremeOmnivore): The two customers in the "Lunch" segment of "Food" are so starved that they eat everything in their vicinity.

* BizarreTasteInFood: Creatures, animals and humans often devour strange inedible things, including each other.
** The central theme of the short "Food".

* TheCity[=/=]GhibliHills: Two of Švankmajer's most frequent exterior settings (although interior scenes are far more common).
* Claymation: One of the techniques he used.

* EatingShoes: Two customers in a restaurant in "Food" start eating everything in their vicinity, including their own shoes, because their waiter refuses to take their order.
* EatTheCamera: Švankmajer often use close-ups of human mouths, mostly when they are eating something or when they are narrating a story.
* ExtremeOmnivore: Everything will eat anything!

* IAteWhat?: In his short "Food", characters eat various things that in reality are unedible.

* ItKindOfLooksLikeAFace: Svankmajer likes constructing faces or otherwise human shapes with other objects, for instance stones and pebbles.

* MusicVideo: He animated the music video for Hugh Cornwell's "Another Kind Of Love".

* ScaryTeeth: Objects, animals and humans with big, japping jaws full of teeth are omnipresent in his animation.
* StealthPun: "Meat Love" is about two uncooked pieces of steak having sex before being grilled. [[spoiler:It's a display of raw emotion]].
* StopMotion: His profession.

Since then, Švankmajer has been discovered and praised by film and animation fans alike. People like Creator/TerryGilliam, TimBurton and TheBrothersQuay have been influenced by his work. His best known film is probably ''Film/{{Alice}}'' (1988), which has become a cult classic and was reviewed by Oancitizen for ''WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh''.

* BigEater (and ExtremeOmnivore): The two customers in the "Lunch" segment of "Food" are so starved that they eat everything in their vicinity. Also, Little Otik.
* BizarreTasteInFood: The central theme of the short "Food".

* Claymation
* DerangedAnimation

* EatTheCamera: Švankmajer often use close-ups of human mouths, mostly when they are eating something or when they are narrating a story.
* FairyTaleMotifs

* StopMotion
* SurrealHorror

Jan Švankmajer (born September 4, 1934) is an internationally acclaimed and influential UsefulNotes/{{Czech|Reblic}} animator and film director. His works are often surreal and make use of live-action, cut-outs, stop-motion, claymation and puppet animation. He has both made short films and full length films.

* BigEater (and ExtremeOmnivore):
** The two customers in the "Lunch" segment of "Food" are so starved that they eat everything in their vicinity.
** Little Otik in ''Little Otik''
* BigLippedAlligatorMoment

* DownTheRabbitHole: ''Alice'' is a most [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs deranged and incomprehensible]] adaptation of ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', with its stop-motion animation and mostly silent script.

* EverythingIsTryingToKillYou: Various things (puppets, stuffed animals, animal skeletons and even socks) are trying to catch Alice in ''Alice'' (1988).

* HairRaisingHare: The White Rabbit in ''Alice'' is a stuffed animal that literally comes alive! Near the end of the film it turns out he is the Queen's executioner!

* KidsAreCruel: The little girl in ''Little Otik'' allows a huge tree monster to eat a pedophilic old man who lives in her apartment and the adoptive human parents of Otik.

* MouthCam: The unlucky people eaten by Otik in ''Little Otik''.

* UncannyValley: The way he makes lifeless objects come alive is chillingly uncanny!
** This is enhanced by his choice in sound design - objects on-screen constantly move with piercing, organic noises with hardly any music, making it all the more unsettling.
---

Jan Švankmajer (born September 4, 1934) is an internationally acclaimed and influential Czech animator and film director. His works are often surreal and make use of live-action, cut-outs, stop-motion, claymation and puppet animation. He has both made short films and full length films.

Švankmajer works within national Czech(oslovakian) traditions such as fairy tales, puppet theatres and the surreal stories of Creator/FranzKafka and KarelCapek. His films are often strange, dark and disturbing, but also have a DarkComedy side to them. Still, they are highly original and the creativity is impressive. Because Švankmajer worked under the Communist regime his films remained unknown in the West until the 1980s. Even worse, the government banned him in 1972 from making films, and many of his later films were suppressed.

Since then, Švankmajer has been discovered and praised by film and animation fans alike. People like Creator/TerryGilliam, TimBurton and TheBrothersQuay have been influenced by his work. His best known film is probably "Alice" (1988), which has become a cult classic and was reviewed by Oancitizen for WebVideo/BrowsHeldHigh. Among his films are:
* "DimensionsOfDialogue" (1982)
* "[[Film/NecoZAlenky Alice]]" (1988)
* "Faust" (1994)
* "ConspiratorsOfPleasure" (1996)
* "LittleOtik" (2000)
* "Lunacy" (2005)
* "SurvivingLife" (2010)

!!This animator/director work includes examples of:

* Literature/AliceInWonderland: He adapted the story for his film "Alice" (1988)

** Little Otik in "LittleOtik"

* TheCity[=/=]GhibliHills: Two of Svankmajer's most frequent exterior settings (although interior scenes are far more common).

* DownTheRabbitHole: ''Alice'' is a most [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs deranged and incomprehensible]] adaptation with its stop-motion animation and mostly silent script.

* EverythingIsTryingToKillYou: Various things (puppets, stuffed animals, animal skeletons and even socks) are trying to catch Alice in "Alice" (1988).

* {{Faust}}: He adapted the story for his film "Faust".
* HairRaisingHare: The White Rabbit in "Alice" is a stuffed animal that literally comes alive! Near the end of the film it turns out he is the Queen's executioner!

* KidsAreCruel: The little girl in "LittleOtik" allows a huge tree monster to eat a pedophilic old man who lives in her apartment and the adoptive human parents of Otik.

* MouthCam: The unlucky people eaten by Otik in "LittleOtik".

* AnimalMotif: [[EverythingsBetterWithChickens Chickens]].

* TheCity[=/=]TheLostWoods: Two of Svankmajer's most frequent exterior settings (although interior scenes are far more common).

---

* "Alice" (1988)

Švankmajer works within national Czech(oslovakian) traditions such as fairy tales, puppet theatres and the surreal stories of FranzKafka and KarelCapek. His films are often strange, dark and disturbing, but also have a DarkComedy side to them. Still, they are highly original and the creativity is impressive. Because Švankmajer worked under the Communist regime his films remained unknown in the West until the 1980s. Even worse, the government banned him in 1972 from making films, and many of his later films were suppressed.