Like many people here, I first saw this film when the BBC showed it back in the eighties. It also turned up at an SF convention in England in the early nineties when one of their guests was Josef Nesvadba who wrote the original story. Then last year I found out it was available on DVD in the Czech Republic and found someone who knew someone that was going there for Christmas. I saw it again last night, and it is still fun.The special effects might not be very special, but it handles the time paradoxes very well, in a way that appeals to me as a fan primarily of written SF. The scenes in the corridors of the time travel company where the tour guides are all done up in historical costumes are hilarious. The best time travel farce I've ever seen.Incidentally, Josef Nesvadba died in 2005. Isn't about time his date of death was added to his page?

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.

One morning, Jan Bures (or is it Karel Bures? I forgot which is which :) discovers that his twin brother Karel (Jan?) has choked to death on a bread roll. However, Jan knows what to do - Karel was a pilot for Universum, a time travel agency. So he dresses up as his brother and goes to his brother's job. He soon discovers that his brother was part of a Nazi ploy to hijack a time travel rocket, go to 1944 (when Germany is in trouble) and give Adolf Hitler an A-bomb. Although he can do little to prevent this, the ploy fails - firstly, the hijackers are double-booked with two American tourists, and secondly, they land in 1941 - when German soldiers are threatening to conquer Moscow. When they return, they return before they actually took off (this is Jan's attempt to save his brother by preventing him from suffocating). And things go downhill from there...Firstly, this is a very original take on the topic of time travel. Secondly, Petr Kostka does a great job in this double-role (which is in fact more of a single role after all). The effects and styling appear naive now, but they're good for their time and place. (The Universum scenes were mostly filmed in the then-new Prague subway.) Finally, the writers and director must be commended for not getting lost in the screenplay and for not letting us get lost or bored - there's always something going on and if you're willing to believe that time travel was possible in the 1970s as demonstrated in the film, there are few (if any) plot holes or inconsistencies. Music doesn't play much of a role here.The near-obligatory compromises to Communism (this was the 1970s, y'know) are present, but in a way that just makes it even more entertaining - the aforementioned American tourists react to the sight of Hitler in the flesh by demanding to take photographs with him, much to the Führer's frustration (the guy who played him was great too). Can't really think of any other examples right now.If you like this film, an obvious recommendation would be Zabil jsem Einsteina, pánové (I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen), but I found Zítra vstanu a oparím se cajem more entertaining.

Amazing How can you be a pilot of a very special flight, go back in time to Nazi Germany, scald yourself with tea and still win the girl??? I saw this film in 1978 on British TV .... I recorded then lost it.... its a great film...what is is with Czech directors? Even as we speak I am watching Conspirators Of Pleasure...just as funny 9 out of 10