Do you find most adaptations of Alice in Wonderland to be too colorful and cheery? Do you think Alice would be a better character if she were played by a stop-motion antique porcelain doll? Do you think that this normally whimsical story could use a little darkness, a little creepiness, a little existential angst? Do you think that Alice in Wonderland would have been better if it were made 30 years ago in Czechoslovakia? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then have I got great news for you!
Alice, or Neco z Alenky, is a 1988 Czechoslovakian adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic work, and if you think you’ve seen Alice in Wonderland, think again! This movie is chock full of so much surreal weirdness that Tim Burton would probably take one look at this movie and kick himself for not thinking of it sooner!
Yes, that is a living horse skull with doll feet, wearing a Santa hat, and attacking an Alice who is an animated porcelain doll, what’s so strange about that? Really, if you think that’s strange, then you haven’t seen anything yet! This movie is so jam-packed with surreal weirdness that you’ll be questioning yourself at every turn, “Did I just see that?”
Prepare yourself for a menagerie of animated taxidermy, most of which have been cobbled together out of so many random objects, that they barely resemble the creatures they once were! Quiver in fear as a living chunk of raw roast beef crawls around a pantry like a slug! Marvel in wonder at a room full of living socks who burrow through floors like worms! All this and so much more are waiting to enchant and horrify you, should you choose to watch: Alice!
For real though, you should watch this movie, because we’re going to be talking about it next week! I will say that this movie is pretty hard to find online, (through legitimate sources) but it can be found if you know where to look. I will link the easiest American site below, which unfortunately is not free, but as this is a Czech film, there are plenty of places to find it in the original language as well.
Watch Alice (Neco z Alenky)
Fandor.com
Have you heard of Alice (Neco z Alenky) or seen it?
Edited by: Kelly Conley
