The cult classic Czechoslovak film Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet (Adéla ještě nevečeřela) is set to make its way to U.S. audiences through a new Blu-ray release, courtesy of distributor Deaf Crocodile. This wildly inventive blend of detective parody, slapstick humor, and surrealist flair will be available for U.S. purchase in a standard edition from Feb. 11, 2025; a deluxe version is currently available from the distributor.
The Deaf Crocodile blu-ray title continues a tradition of inconsistent English-language titles for the movie, which was originally released in U.S. cinemas as Nick Carter in Prague and is also known as Dinner for Adele and Adele Hasn’t Had Her Dinner Yet.
A unique parody of detective fiction
Directed by Oldřich Lipský and co-written by Jiří Brdečka, Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet transports viewers to a quirky version of late 19th-century Prague. The film follows America’s “greatest detective,” Nick Carter (played by Michal Dočolomanský), who travels to Prague to investigate a seemingly simple case of a missing dog. However, he soon finds himself pitted against his old nemesis, The Gardener (Miloš Kopecký), and a giant carnivorous plant named Adela that threatens to swallow him whole.
Inspired by the dime novels of John R. Coryell, Lipský’s film film takes the tropes of the genre and turns them on their head. Carter arrives in Prague armed with an array of gadgets reminiscent of a Victorian-era James Bond, only to face absurd challenges and a villain straight out of Little Shop of Horrors.
The detective’s sophisticated methods clash hilariously with the eccentricities of Prague’s underworld, embodied by his Czech counterpart, Commissar Ledvina (Rudolf Hrušínský), a beer-loving, sausage-eating police officer who embodies the wit and charm of the Czech nation.
The film’s humor draws heavily from slapstick, visual gags, and clever cultural references. Carter’s encounter with Adela—the giant carnivorous plant that responds to Mozart’s lullabies—remains one of the most memorable moments in Czech cinema. Jan Švankmajer, the legendary Czech surrealist artist and animator, designed the plant, adding a touch of surrealism that complements the film’s dreamlike qualities.
“Combining elements of inventive gadget-based comedy, pulp detective mystery, and even a little light horror and sci-fi, Adéla ještě nevečeřela is a film quite unlike any other,” writes The Prague Reporter in its review of the film. “It’s especially fun for anyone more familiar with classic Czech and Bohemian tropes, who will get all the little in-jokes surrounding the presence of a famous American detective in Prague.”
A classic Czech collaboration
Director Lipský and writer Brdečka collaborated in some of the best-remembered Czech films of the era, including 1964’s Lemonade Joe and 1983’s The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians. Like those classics, Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet is filled with affectionate nods to classic cinema, comic book culture, and pulp fiction. The film’s humorous tone is underscored by a distinct sense of irony and satire, poking fun at both Czech and American pop culture.
In addition to Dočolomanský and Kopecký, the film stars other renowned Czech actors, including Olga Schoberová as the seductive cabaret performer Irma the Cat and Hrušínský as the endearing Commissar Ledvina. Perhaps best known for his terrifying portrayal of a Nazi collaborator in The Cremator, Hrušínský’s portrayal of the laid-back, beer-loving officer who becomes Carter’s unlikely ally brings much of Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet‘s charm and humor.
Restored visuals and bonus content
The new Blu-ray release by Deaf Crocodile features the new restoration of Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet that was overseen by the Czech National Film Archive and premiered locally in 2015. “To say that Adéla has never looked this good would be an understatement; the new print is revelatory,” The Prague Reporter wrote at the time.
Alongside the restored film, the Blu-ray includes several special features, including audio commentary by Czech film expert Irena Kovarova and film critic and screenwriter Tereza Brdečková, daughter of the film’s writer, Jiří Brdečka.
Also included are four rare animated shorts by Jiří Brdečka, offering viewers a glimpse into the broader body of work by the celebrated screenwriter: Badly Drawn Hen, Forester’s Song, What Did I Not Tell The Prince, and The Miner’s Rose.
The deluxe edition of the new Deaf Crocodile Adela Has Not Had Supper Yet Blu-ray can now be purchased at the distributor’s website, while the standard edition can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com. In the Czech Republic, a blu-ray of the film’s new restoration with English subtitles is currently available directly from the National Film Archive.
