Vynalez Zkazy (aka Invention For Destruction) (1958)

An inventor and scientist (Arnost Navratil) and his assistant (Lubor Tokos) are kidnapped by a Count (Miloslav Holub) who wants to use an invention by the scientist to harness energy in a nefarious plan for world domination. Loosely based on FACING THE FLAG by Jules Verne and directed by Karel Zeman. This distinctive fantasy is a triumph of imagination. Zeman uses live actors but creates a fantastic world through animation, painted backdrops and puppetry that dazzles the mind's eye. The result is a stunning recreation of the antique illustrations that seem to leap from the pages from Verne's novels. There's nothing remarkable about the plot (bits and pieces from Verne's bibliography) but Zeman's magic is remarkable! It's a case where the movie's style as it were defines the film's artistry. Released in the U.S. in a dubbed version called THE FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE, the Czech dialog (or its subtitles) subtly changes the film's tone from the English dub. With Jana Zatloukalova and Frantisek Slegr.