Rating: 
Summary: one of the very best shorts ever
Review: -This review pertains solely to the first short-
Richard E. Grant, the heavily under-appreciated quintessential master of subtle outlandishness, is cast as Kafka in this 1995 Capaldi film. As Kafka, Reg struggles to figure out as to what exactly Gregor Samsa should awake. As he suffers to visualize the ideal creature, his creative process is continually interrupted by various offbeat characters populating his apartment. While visualizing bananas in bedsheets, Kafka must endure bunny-hop dances and door-to-door costume salesmen. At his wits end, he breaks down before being led to realize what exactly is important, and what exactly is the essence of his story.
This short adheres very closely to the absurdist tendencies of Kafka, properly visualizing characters as the character does. With artful colors, strong tones, deep shadows, and beautiful wall projections, Simon Maggs crafts a beautifully lit environment for Capaldi's molding of two master stories. Film stock choices are also rather interesting to the film, and provide it with an extra uniqueness not often seen in shorts. Design on other fronts is effective and artistic, while all actors fulfill their tasks marvelously.
Franz Kafka's Its a Wonderful Life is a wildly entertaining short, a crafty melding of two stories with arty ingenuity, and an utterly incendiary tale of absurd proportions. An essential viewing for fans of Reg, Kafka, or Capra, this is the sort of short that doesn't come around often; a truly unique and enjoyable tale, told in a mere twenty-three perfectly executed minutes.
Rating: 
Summary: Kafka - the way you've never seen him before!
Review: As most people will surmise, the very title of this DVD is a sardonic inside-joke. The term "wonderful life" goes along with Kafka about as well as tropical vacations in Antartica. When I first saw the title I knew I would not be able to resist buying this DVD - even if only out of curiousity.The DVD is four short-stories set to film; only the 1st one relates to Kafka. In the title story there is an attempt to comically discern the nature of Kafka's inspiration for his famous short story, THE METAMORPHOSIS. It's kind of like what they did with Shakespeare in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, only this time it's in a twisted Kafkaesque sort of way. Of the rest of the production, stories 2 and 4 are so-so. Story 3, however, called THE DEAL, is absolutely hilarious. It pokes fun at 2 pompous CEOs who get together and make asinine decisions while untold thousands of jobs hang in the balance. Anyone who has followed the scandals of ENRON, WORLDCOM, etc. will find this a refreshing satire. I would recommend this DVD for all fans of Franz Kafka as well as people who like "different" sorts of short-stories. Be forewarned, however, it's not altogether done in good taste. If that does not bother you, then by all means put this one on your wish-list!
Rating:
Summary: Kafka - the way you've never seen him before!
Review: As most people will surmise, the very title of this DVD is a sardonic inside-joke. The term "wonderful life" goes along with Kafka about as well as tropical vacations in Antartica. When I first saw the title I knew I would not be able to resist buying this DVD - even if only out of curiousity. The DVD is four short-stories set to film; only the 1st one relates to Kafka. In the title story there is an attempt to comically discern the nature of Kafka's inspiration for his famous short story, THE METAMORPHOSIS. It's kind of like what they did with Shakespeare in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, only this time it's in a twisted Kafkaesque sort of way. Of the rest of the production, stories 2 and 4 are so-so. Story 3, however, called THE DEAL, is absolutely hilarious. It pokes fun at 2 pompous CEOs who get together and make asinine decisions while untold thousands of jobs hang in the balance. Anyone who has followed the scandals of ENRON, WORLDCOM, etc. will find this a refreshing satire. I would recommend this DVD for all fans of Franz Kafka as well as people who like "different" sorts of short-stories. Be forewarned, however, it's not altogether done in good taste. If that does not bother you, then by all means put this one on your wish-list!
Rating:
Summary: Kafka - the way you've never seen him before!
Review: As most people will surmise, the very title of this DVD is a sardonic inside-joke. The term "wonderful life" goes along with Kafka about as well as tropical vacations in Antartica. When I first saw the title I knew I would not be able to resist buying this DVD - even if only out of curiousity. The DVD is four short-stories set to film; only the 1st one relates to Kafka. In the title story there is an attempt to comically discern the nature of Kafka's inspiration for his famous short story, THE METAMORPHOSIS. It's kind of like what they did with Shakespeare in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, only this time it's in a twisted Kafkaesque sort of way. Of the rest of the production, stories 2 and 4 are so-so. Story 3, however, called THE DEAL, is absolutely hilarious. It pokes fun at 2 pompous CEOs who get together and make asinine decisions while untold thousands of jobs hang in the balance. Anyone who has followed the scandals of ENRON, WORLDCOM, etc. will find this a refreshing satire. I would recommend this DVD for all fans of Franz Kafka as well as people who like "different" sorts of short-stories. Be forewarned, however, it's not altogether done in good taste. If that does not bother you, then by all means put this one on your wish-list!
Rating:
Summary: Twisted Masterpieces
Review: Beautifully filmed fantasy about the night Kafka wrote his masterpiece (not too far from the idea used so successfully in "Insignificance"), infused with hallmarks of the classic "It's A Wonderful Life." Charming, smart, and bizarre, starring Richard E. Grant, "FKIAWL" won the Oscar in 1993 for Best Live Action Short. Brilliant!
Rating:
Summary: in defense
Review: I have to speak in defense of "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life." Yes, the idea of mixing Kafka and Capre is entirely absurd, but isn't that what makes it so incredibly Kafka? Kafka always used absurdity to depict the modern world, and I think he would have appreciated the short immensely for that (though the end was a bit shakey, but I guess that's what we have to give to Capre.) I loved this short, as well as the others on the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: in defense
Review: I have to speak in defense of "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life." Yes, the idea of mixing Kafka and Capre is entirely absurd, but isn't that what makes it so incredibly Kafka? Kafka always used absurdity to depict the modern world, and I think he would have appreciated the short immensely for that (though the end was a bit shakey, but I guess that's what we have to give to Capre.) I loved this short, as well as the others on the DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Corny Spoof on Kafka!! Rest is the Best...
Review: I like Kafka's work and I feel that Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life is what flaws the rest of this dvd. It is all too silly and corny and the idea of mixing Capra and Kafka is ridiculous and royally disrespects Kafka's genius. The rest of the dvd is great! I would like this dvd so much more if there were more short films like the ones following the title film. They have to reel you in somehow, and they got me by the title, and I heard it won an award for best short in 93 when it's just an unoriginal spoof of a film, kafka and capra'a film it's a wonderful life may be popular, but its just a catch which I'm kind of glad I got pulled into because I might not have stumbled upon Seven Gates, The Deal, or Mr. McAllistor's Cigarette Holder, which are MUST SEE shorts. lindsay: you can't deny that this was a spoof short. The only person that could maybe get close to a real short of Metamorphasis would be David Lynch, if he got lucky. and Kafka rolled over twice already... BAD = putting Richard E. Grant's face on the cover and titling by the worst of the 4 shorts on this dvd and of course for the first short on the disc. GOOD = the 3 remaining shorts that make up for the first damage done.
Rating:
Summary: a note on absurdity
Review: Kafka is well known for the achievement of absurdity in his work. It must be remembered, however, that Kafka's absurdity was not absurdity for its own sake, and though often comical, was nightmarish and profound. The absurdity seen here, though clever and very funny, isn't what Kafka was about. That doesn't at all discredit this short film, but it is important to make a distinction.
Rating:
Summary: a note on absurdity
Review: Kafka is well known for the achievement of absurdity in his work. It must be remembered, however, that Kafka's absurdity was not absurdity for its own sake, and though often comical, was nightmarish and profound. The absurdity seen here, though clever and very funny, isn't what Kafka was about. That doesn't at all discredit this short film, but it is important to make a distinction.
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