Summer is over, our summer break is over too, and the blog is back. And we return with a true treat: one of the most beloved Czech comedies of all time is out today, newly remastered on Blu-ray.
Ecce Homo Homolka (1969) was written and directed by Jaroslav Papoušek, a close collaborator of Miloš Forman and one of the sharpest observers of everyday Czech life. On the surface, almost nothing happens: one ordinary Sunday, one Prague family, one trip to the countryside. And yet Czech viewers rate it among the best comedies ever made here, because in the endless small quarrels of the Homolka household, everyone recognizes a piece of their own family. 
Grandpa, played by the wonderfully stubborn Josef Šebánek, rules the flat with loud certainty. Grandma, Marie Motlová, answers him with a care that takes no prisoners. František Husák plays their somewhat henpecked son Ludva, and Helena Růžičková, in one of her most beloved roles, is his wife Heduš. The performances feel so natural that you sometimes forget you are watching a film and not your own relatives at Sunday lunch. 
A lovely piece of trivia: the Homolka twins are played by Petr and Matěj Forman, the young sons of director Miloš Forman. Both of them grew up to become respected artists in their own right. 
The comedy is gentle and biting at the same time. You laugh at the Homolkas, and then you feel a little chill, because their bickering, their pettiness and their warmth are all of us. That is exactly what made Papoušek's trilogy immortal.
And now the news: as of September 2, Ecce Homo Homolka is available on newly remastered Blu-ray with English subtitles, so the Homolkas have never looked better. If you prefer discs for every player, the remastered DVD with English subtitles is available too.
🎬 Get Ecce Homo Homolka on the new remastered Blu-ray here
👉 Want the whole saga? The story continues with Hogo Fogo Homolka and Homolka and Pocketbook, or get all three films together in the Homolkovi 3x DVD Collection.
