The mysterious castle in the carpathiansThe mysterious castle in the carpathians

A unique and almost indescribable mix of Gothic fiction, steampunk gadgetry (designed by Czech animation wizard Jan ⁽vankmajer), slapstick comedy, and romantic opera, director Oldrich Lipský's wonderfully bonkers delight has elements of THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS, Terry Gilliam, Mel Brooks and 'The Benny Hill Show.' Based on an 1892 Jules Verne novel The Carpathian Castle (which partially inspired Bram Stoker to write Dracula), the film follows Count Teleke of Tl̲k̲ ̲(Michal Docolomanský) on the trail of the count's lost lover, opera singer Salsa Verde (Evelyna Steimarov)̀ only to discover she's been abducted by fiendish Baron Gorc of Gorceny (Milo Kopecký), whose castle home is filled with the bizarre inventions of mad scientist Orfanik (Rudolf Hrun̕ský). Littered with puns, sight gags, and non-sequiturs 'Later, in Werewolfston', an invented dialect, a detached golden ear for eavesdropping, a staff topped by an enormous TV eyeball MYSTERIOUS CASTLE was the third fantastical film from the team of director Lipský and writer Jir ̕Brdecka after their much-loved musical western spoof LEMONADE JOE (1966) and their detective/horror satire ADELA HAS NOT HAD SUPPER YET (1977), both major Czech cult hits.