Comments on: Kin-dza-dza!

Kin-dza-dza!

pravit — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:43:01 -0800

Kin-Dza-Dza! is a Soviet sci-fi cult classic that has managed to go largely unnoticed outside of Russia. Bizarre, funny, and at times surprisingly deep. Truly one of the unknown sci-fi greats. Part One. Part Two. [Google Video, with embedded English subtitles]

This is one of those movies that you either absolutely love or hate, by the way.

By: PostIronyIsNotaMyth

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:02:20 -0800

Excellent post comrade. I'm a sucker for Soviet-era cultural artifacts. If anyone's interested Village Voice Film Critic J. Hoberman wrote a book called "The Red Atlantis," that goes in depth on Communist Culture. The best chapter uses films from the USA and the Warsaw Pact countries to map the history of the cold war.

By: whir

whir — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:45:46 -0800

Seems pretty interesting so far. Its IMDB page puts it as released in 1986, which would be during the very beginnings of perestrioka in the Gorbachev years. I have, er, heard that the film is also available on the usual communist grey networks.

By: louche mustachio

louche mustachio — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:13:57 -0800

Also from the IMDB page (the icky part) In comparison with Dune, one of my favourite films, I have to give this one a 0.05, it is as far of from entertainment as baked beans to a Wendys burger. Based on this review, I can extrapolate that it's pretty damn good.

By: honest knave

honest knave — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:46:36 -0800

So *** gizmo worked... calm down, calm down. We have a sun, sand , and gravity. We are on Earth. Or...or? We'll assume we're on Earth, in some desert. [list of deserts.] We'll assume it's Kyzyl Kum. That means Ashbadi is [points] there. Let's go. [camera moves up, pans down to show endless desert ahead] ...Do you remember the number he mentioned, the man who has my sock? No. This is great!

By: honest knave

honest knave — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 02:10:42 -0800

"and just because you say what you don't think and think what you don't think, you sit in cages?"

By: D.C.

D.C. — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:17:53 -0800

Wow, a real sci-fi story, not the plot-hole-filled horror/fantasy shit that Hollywood calls sci-fi. Koo!

By: languagehat

languagehat — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:19:48 -0800

Yeah, that movie is a whole lot of fun. I discovered it when I read a Russian reference to the pepelatz and wanted to know what it came from.

By: Duug

Duug — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:21:21 -0800

Superb!

By: gc

gc — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:19:40 -0800

Fantastic. What a bizarre and wonderful film.

By: StrikeTheViol

StrikeTheViol — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:51:39 -0800

Great film!

By: ZachsMind

ZachsMind — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:55:04 -0800

I saw Bad Taste for the first time last night. Will this movie get the bad taste out of my eye sockets?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:06:15 -0800

Thanks for posting this. Watched it last night and enjoyed it thoroughly. First time I saw it was years back, on a Japanese videotape release, with, yup, Japanese subtitles, which, of course, I couldn't read. So, even though I could tell it was a wonderful and agreeably eccentric film, I just couldn't stay with it. Now here it is with English subtitles! Yay! Once more, thanks for the post.

By: njohnson23

njohnson23 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:20:51 -0800

Wonderful! Amazing! Samuel Beckett meets Jodorowsky! To whom do we pray to to get a DVD with English subtitles?

By: pushing paper and bottoming chairs

pushing paper and bottoming chairs — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:55:33 -0800

Wow, and wow!! Criterion really needs to give this movie the treatment.