poldiman This is one of the best films ever made, and even the "Zabil jsem Einsteina, panove" (I killed Einstein, Gentlemen) isn't as good as this piece. Since I have read through comments, I feel need to write down the correct plot. It's being screened in Czech Republic once a year or like. I have a recorded VHS tape from the TV version in Czech, so I had gone through it two times now to be sure not to screw up the storyline.Beginning. The group of old Nazi's in Argentine, who are rich and take pills to slow down aging, stoles the last atomic weapon in the world from museum. They intend to use the service of a time-travel company called Universum which is located in Prague. They hire Karel Bures, a lazy, nasty pilot who flies the time-machine rockets. His twin-brother Jan is an engineer and constructed those rockets (that's why he could easily switch places). Klaus Abard, a former SS-man (played by Josef Sovak) and Ing. Bauer (played by Vlastimil Brodsky), accompanied by a younger pro-Nazi gangster Kraus (Vladimir Mensik), travel to Prague.Now, the good and little simple-hearted Jan (who is BTW in secret love with stewardess Helena), makes a tea and is in kitchen when his brother Karel, breakfast in bed, suffocates himself with a bake-roll. Jan hurries to doctor but he's late. When calling to his brother's girlfriend he for some unknown reason states he's Karel, not Jan. Jan Receives call from Abard, who asks if the clothes and seats (means reservation and uniforms) are done. Jan, looking onto couch and in the closet informs him all is OK :)He dresses up as a pilot and goes to visit the girlfriend's family. He refuses however to marry Karel's (or now his) girlfriend and is thus expelled. Goes to work, where he meets Helena, but is rejected as Helena has bad experience with Karel. Complications begin, when Jan gives his suitcase to a technician and it's put into the rocket luggage area. Another error comes up with an old American couple having bought two seats for the trip, appear and demands to accompany the three Nazis. Jan allows to do so cause he doesn't know about the Karel's deal with Nazis. Mrs. White suitcase is put into luggage too.As the rocket starts, Abard requires to see the captain. However he's refused by the stewardess and by Jan, thus having to break into cabin and letting Ing. Bauer take over control. The rocket with Jan, stewardess Helena, three Nazis, and the American couple, travels through time and lands near Hitler's command.As Abard, Bauer and Kraus wearing Nazi uniforms travel to Hitler's command, the rocket with locked rest of crew and passengers is discovered by a guard. Meanwhile, Abard finally enter's Hitler room, where he states he's "Coming in the darkest hour to save the Reich", and as proof he states than in few minutes Hitler will receive call from the Eastern front, that Russians have crossed the Oder River. However, the problems appear more. Ing. Bauer mistyped the entry data and the rocket landed in December '41. Germans stand at gates of Moscow and Japan has attacked Pearl Harbor. Rest of the rocket crew and the couple is brought in. They recognize now nervous Nazi, and the final blow is when Abard presents the suitcase to Hitler, only to discover he switched the H-bomb case for Mrs. White's personal luggage. As lingerie is presented, order is given to take out all suspects and shoot them. In last desperate effort, Abard presents a player with few scenes from the "now future" course of war. (for those interested, music accompanying the short film is Tango Notturno from same name movie, perhaps sung by Pola Negri).Hitler expels all personnel and watches the video, driving himself crazy. By means I will not bother to write down, Jan, Bauer and Kraus manages to escape, while old Abard and rest of the people is shot by war Abard. They get to time-rocket and go back to the present time.Now, in present time, Jan explains how he switched place of his brother Karel and why he landed a day earlier. Kraus takes care of him and Bauer hurries to save original Karel,but is injured and unsuccessful. Kraus continues to the hotel room, where he shoots the previous version of Ing. Bauer (doesn't know that "his" Bauer is dead as well). As Kraus explains to Abard, they agree on the necessity to repeat the action, now correctly.On the city garbage dump, Jan-Karel regains clear mind and stops a truck to city. Runs as well to save original Karel but is unsuccessful again. In some misunderstanding, original Jan doesn't believe that Jan-Karel is Jan, but always refers to him as Karel. They cause real mess and get killed original Jan and the girlfriend family. For now, the scene is ready for another escalation.

Phil Davison I understand it was Saturday 16th January 1982 when I first saw this film. Dallas was on BBC 1 and Match of the Day wouldn't start for another half hour or so. So my brother and I decided to watch the beginning of this film on BBC 2 and then turn over for the football. Except we watched the whole thing. It really was that good.Fast forward to 2006 and I finally got a copy of the DVD in my grubby mitts. I had to get it from the Czech Republic but it's PAL and the same region as the UK. I watched it and couldn't believe just how much I remembered from over twenty years previously.Petr Koska is brilliant in his three roles: Jan Bures, Karel Bures and Jan pretending to be Karel. In this third role he improves his performance to the other characters as the film goes on because he has figured out how the plot should take shape after nearly mucking things up somewhat the first time round.For me, getting the DVD has been a delightful piece of nostalgia!

andy-782 This is a film I saw just once on BBC2 on a Saturday night. In order not to watch Dallas I thought I'd watch the first half hour of the film and then turn over for Match of the Day. MotD never got a look in. The film had me laughing from the word go and made such an impression on my mind that I could still vividly remember scenes from it over a quarter of a century later. Today I received the DVD from a shop in the Czech Repbulic and am astounded at how well I remember the film. The plot centres around the plan by a group of former Nazis to travel back in time and give Hitler a hydrogen bomb and the attempt of the pilot to stop them. He is actually the twin brother of the pilot who should have been taking them but who had died choking on a bread roll. The immobilising spray and the washing up liquid were just as I remembered them. The American tourists were hammed up for all they were worth (it was made under communist rule after all). This is a very funny film and well worth the effort of ordering it from a website in a language I don't read.

tedg Here's a film that is improved by knowing its context. Czech films just aren't very good. It isn't that Czechs aren't clever or intelligent. And they do have a rich stage culture. But some cultures map cinematically and some don't. And those that do, map in different ways. Fascinating. However, this film has a very clever story. And it is more clever than it seems, because of the way we are spoonfed the answers. A man goes back in time to create a double, changing events. Its a bit elaborate, involving Hitler and latter-day Nazis, but that's beside the point.The complexity is really about the doubles and working out the intercessions. Loves and affairs. Some clever humor here, similar to the Shakespearian bits about disguises.It all ends well, and there is no puzzle, unlike, say "Primer." But wait! Actually there is. There's a hint that the fact that our hero has a twin is a result of the doubling, and that the events will repeat over and over again later.I searched this odd film out in my quest for the quintessential Czech movie. This may be it. (The production values are poor.)Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.