Now not a lot of people know this, as Michael Caine might say, but you should Czech out these film stars in Karlovy Vary.
The Karlovy Vary Film Festival honoured Caine, the Grand Old Man of British cinema, at a fully-live renewal of the moviethon.
Karlovy Vary, in the east of the Czech Republic, has welcomed Hollywood’s finest for more than 70 years.
Since it announced itself and its country’s recently nationalised film industry after the Second World War.
Thank you Vary much
The good people of Karlovy Vary opened up their cinema, and their hearts, to us when we visited the Czech Republic for the first time a few years ago.
And we got an insight into how this jewel of a Central European country shines bright in the movie world.
More on what’s happening in KV anon but first join me for a lager in Loket with Richard Gere.
The American Gigolo spent a day in this 12th-century castle town on the River Ohre.
Good Gere
Where Richard inscribed a note for the walk in Czech at the Cisar Ferdinand Restaurant and Florian Family Brewery.
And no doubt dug into the signature suckling pig which cooks on coals for at least six hours.
Richard is right about the brew and the Amber beer made its way back with us.
Einstein I go, go
There’s no record of the film director Ron Howard imbibing when he shot his drama Einstein with Geoffrey Rush here.
All of which I missed when I was there although the town was dressed up for Albie’s era.
All of which you’ll enjoy on a day out to Loket frim KV.
As well as checking out the world’s oldest comet at the castle.
The Czech Cannes
KV takes on the feel of a Cannes at this time in August.
But as well as movie star watching the film fan is drawn to the Grandhotel Pupp.
Which doubled for the casino where James Bond played the tables in Casino Royale.
If you bump into Daniel Craig don’t expect him to buy you an Amber beer from his winnings…
The tight git only recently revealed that he wouldn’t leave his millions to his kids when he died.
Festival time
The KV Film Festival runs through Saturday.
The site will tell you better than your not-so-humble blogger can about what’s going on and who’s coming.
But Zatopek, the biopic of the Czech long distance runner who won the 5,000, 10,000 and Marathon all at the same Olympics caught the eye.
What was Emil’s secret? Czech beer, I bet.
So Czech out these film stars and their films at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival..
Or follow them online.
