"'Every hipster is a potential criminal,' warns a student communist in Valery Todorovsky's musical period piece Hipsters," writes Karina Longworth in the La Weekly. "These 'hipsters' are, in style and substance, the polar opposite of today's artfully disheveled gentrifiers: In a postwar Moscow where consuming Western products is considered a form of treason, their insouciant fetishization — and charming lost-in-translation misinterpretation — of American jazz culture are legitimate forms of political rebellion."
"Although Hipsters has its share of deliciously absurd break-into-dance numbers, candy-colored outfits, and outrageous hairdos, all perfect contrasts to claustrophobic Soviet pastels, it's a prohibited love story that stitches the film together," writes Diego Costa in Slant. "Mels (Anton Shagin), whose name is an acronym for Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, is a shy 20-year-old 'square' originally part of the fashion police who falls for one of the hipster girls and promptly switches sides. Here identity is a drag,...
"Although Hipsters has its share of deliciously absurd break-into-dance numbers, candy-colored outfits, and outrageous hairdos, all perfect contrasts to claustrophobic Soviet pastels, it's a prohibited love story that stitches the film together," writes Diego Costa in Slant. "Mels (Anton Shagin), whose name is an acronym for Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, is a shy 20-year-old 'square' originally part of the fashion police who falls for one of the hipster girls and promptly switches sides. Here identity is a drag,...
- 10/28/2011
- MUBI
Despite what you might expect, Hipsters is not a snide mumblecore comedy set in Brooklyn featuring a cast of skinny jeans-wearing ironically bespectacled twenty-somethings with feigned aloofness and a chic political awareness. No, Hipsters is in fact something far more joyful and unexpected. Set in 1955 Moscow, this vibrant musical-romance centers on a group of young people who willfully reject the (communist) party line in favor of dazzling glad rags and American jazz music. But in the midst of Cold War era Russia, favoring American pop culture isn’t just subversive; it’s treason. And in a grim world painted by poverty and cloaked in gray, these decadent deviants proudly stand out in plaid suits, poodle skirts and pompadours so bright they are practically radioactive! They laugh loudly and flaunt their differences, drawing fascination and ire from the Communist Union of Youth, who regularly raid their underground parties, tackling hipsters to...
- 10/25/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Hey Los Angeles… grab your popcorn, because Landmark Theatres has announced it’s Fall-Winter film calender for the Nuart Theatre. It highlights limited-run films to avid cinephiles in Los Angeles, offering an essential guide for audiences to discover exciting films that may never enjoy the publicity of nationwide exposure. Included in the mix of programming are documentaries, reissues, features from a variety of foreign countries and other edgy, alternative cinema.
Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles
Showtimes and information: (310)281-8223
http://www.LandmarkTheatres.com
Features Friday, October 14 . Thursday, October 20
The Man Nobody Knew: In Search Of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby
A son’s riveting look at a father whose life seemed straight out of a spy thriller, The Man Nobody Knew uncovers the secret world of legendary CIA spymaster William Colby, who rose through the ranks of “The Company” and soon was involved in covert operations in...
Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles
Showtimes and information: (310)281-8223
http://www.LandmarkTheatres.com
Features Friday, October 14 . Thursday, October 20
The Man Nobody Knew: In Search Of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby
A son’s riveting look at a father whose life seemed straight out of a spy thriller, The Man Nobody Knew uncovers the secret world of legendary CIA spymaster William Colby, who rose through the ranks of “The Company” and soon was involved in covert operations in...
- 9/28/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
V Subbotu (Innocent Saturday) is a hyperactive and claustrophobic drama about the plight of an individual following the Chernobyl disaster in April of 1986. Valerij (played by the brilliantly named Anton Shagin) is a loyal Communist party member and worker at the ill-fated nuclear power station who happens to be present on the night things take a turn for the very bad indeed. When he learns that the neighbouring town of Pripyat will soon be exposed to deadly levels of radiation, he is sworn to secrecy by government officials who are keen to avoid a mass panic by concealing the horrific truth – a decision that would come to cost thousands of lives over the following decades.
What follows Valerij’s discovery is one full day before the news becomes public in which he will try (and fail) to escape the city – running constantly with the camera almost always in extreme,...
V Subbotu (Innocent Saturday) is a hyperactive and claustrophobic drama about the plight of an individual following the Chernobyl disaster in April of 1986. Valerij (played by the brilliantly named Anton Shagin) is a loyal Communist party member and worker at the ill-fated nuclear power station who happens to be present on the night things take a turn for the very bad indeed. When he learns that the neighbouring town of Pripyat will soon be exposed to deadly levels of radiation, he is sworn to secrecy by government officials who are keen to avoid a mass panic by concealing the horrific truth – a decision that would come to cost thousands of lives over the following decades.
What follows Valerij’s discovery is one full day before the news becomes public in which he will try (and fail) to escape the city – running constantly with the camera almost always in extreme,...
- 2/15/2011
- by Robert Beames
- Obsessed with Film
Officials from the 61st Berlin Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled the Competition program for this year’s event. It includes 22 films, 16 of which will be competing for the awards.
In addition there will be two special screenings: In solidarity with the convicted Iranian director Jafar Panahi, his film “Offside” will be presented on Feb. 11, the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Also, the European premiere of Werner Herzog’s 3-D documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” will be shown as a special screening in the Berlinale Palast.
The winner of the Golden Bear will be announced at the festival awards ceremony on Feb. 19.
The following is the complete Berlinale Competition program.
“A Torinói Ló” (“The Turin Horse”) Hungary/France/Germany/Switzerland
Directed by Béla Tarr
With János Derzsi, Erika Bók, Mihály Kormos
World premiere
“Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland” (“Almanya”) Germany
By Yasemin Samdereli – debut film
With Vedat Erincin, Fahri Yardin, Aylin Tezel,...
In addition there will be two special screenings: In solidarity with the convicted Iranian director Jafar Panahi, his film “Offside” will be presented on Feb. 11, the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Also, the European premiere of Werner Herzog’s 3-D documentary “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” will be shown as a special screening in the Berlinale Palast.
The winner of the Golden Bear will be announced at the festival awards ceremony on Feb. 19.
The following is the complete Berlinale Competition program.
“A Torinói Ló” (“The Turin Horse”) Hungary/France/Germany/Switzerland
Directed by Béla Tarr
With János Derzsi, Erika Bók, Mihály Kormos
World premiere
“Almanya – Willkommen in Deutschland” (“Almanya”) Germany
By Yasemin Samdereli – debut film
With Vedat Erincin, Fahri Yardin, Aylin Tezel,...
- 1/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
"Les Zazous"; with Anton Shagin, Oksana Akinshina, Maksim Matveev, Evgeniya Khirivskaya, Igor Voynarovskiy and Ekaterina Vilkova; directed by Valéri Todorovski.
By Ali Naderzad - October 26, 2010
Colors, rock’n’roll, Chet Baker and electric-loud suits and skinny ties. Must be Arthur Laurents country. In fact it’s the Soviet Union circa halfway through the Cold War and it’s a Valéri Todorovski movie called “Les Zazous” which will hopefully come to a theatre near you, though likely under a different name (official release date in Russia was actually 2008 but the film had a single and unique screening in Paris recently at Forum des Images). Todorovski’s influences are many but ‘Zazous’ does not replicate—no dissonant cliches or annoying double-entendres. Just the story, folks, and it’s a rousing one. Mels is a Moscow student and a passive member of the Soviet Youths who go out on raids against the Zazous,...
By Ali Naderzad - October 26, 2010
Colors, rock’n’roll, Chet Baker and electric-loud suits and skinny ties. Must be Arthur Laurents country. In fact it’s the Soviet Union circa halfway through the Cold War and it’s a Valéri Todorovski movie called “Les Zazous” which will hopefully come to a theatre near you, though likely under a different name (official release date in Russia was actually 2008 but the film had a single and unique screening in Paris recently at Forum des Images). Todorovski’s influences are many but ‘Zazous’ does not replicate—no dissonant cliches or annoying double-entendres. Just the story, folks, and it’s a rousing one. Mels is a Moscow student and a passive member of the Soviet Youths who go out on raids against the Zazous,...
- 10/26/2010
- by Screen Comment
- Screen Comment
Howdy y’all. Excuse the twang. I’m just back from Nashville (last night was their closing night) but now I have already plunged headfirst into freelance work for the Tribeca Film Festival. I miss my Film Experience baby but I’ll be back to regular posting duties on May 1st. I had hoped to write up several of the features I saw in Nashville to give you a better picture of this trip to the longest running film festival in the south but we’ll have to cover those films as they emerge on DVD or theatrical instead. For now a quick dashed off note about the festival’s main slate.
a poster for Applaus hangs over the moviegoing crowd
Narrative Competition
The winner was a blast of color and song, a Russian musical actually. The plot was weirdly reminiscent of John Waters Cry Baby only gender-flipped with a...
a poster for Applaus hangs over the moviegoing crowd
Narrative Competition
The winner was a blast of color and song, a Russian musical actually. The plot was weirdly reminiscent of John Waters Cry Baby only gender-flipped with a...
- 4/23/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The first-ever Festival de Cinéma européen des Arcs (aka the European cinema festival in Les Arcs, France) has come to an end and, after a successful inaugural run, it wound up on Friday night with a prestigious prize-giving ceremony.
The jury, which was led by its president Istvan Szabo, gave five awards out on the night and the winners are as follows...
The main award, better know as La Flèche de cristal (or The Crystal Arrow) went to London Nights and its director Alexis Dos Santos.
The Jury prize went to Honeymoons, the first Albanian-Serbian co-production from the director Goran Paskaljevic.
The Special Jury prize went to Piggies, a Polish movie from director Robert Glinski.
The Audience prize was awarded to Celda 211 and director Daniel Monzón.
Best Actress went to Nina Ivanisin in Slovenka and Best Actor was awarded to Anton Shagin in Stilyagi.
The winners were chosen from...
The jury, which was led by its president Istvan Szabo, gave five awards out on the night and the winners are as follows...
The main award, better know as La Flèche de cristal (or The Crystal Arrow) went to London Nights and its director Alexis Dos Santos.
The Jury prize went to Honeymoons, the first Albanian-Serbian co-production from the director Goran Paskaljevic.
The Special Jury prize went to Piggies, a Polish movie from director Robert Glinski.
The Audience prize was awarded to Celda 211 and director Daniel Monzón.
Best Actress went to Nina Ivanisin in Slovenka and Best Actor was awarded to Anton Shagin in Stilyagi.
The winners were chosen from...
- 12/14/2009
- Screenrush
Tina Mabry's "Mississippi Damned," an independent American production, won the Gold Hugo as the best film in the 2009 Chicago International Film Festival, and added Gold Plaques for best supporting actress (Jossie Thacker) and best screenplay (Mabry). It tells the harrowing story of three black children growing up in rural Mississippi in circumstances of violence and addiction. The film's trailer and an interview with Mabry are linked at the bottom.
Kylee Russell in "Mississippi Damned"
The win came over a crowed field of competitors from all over the world, many of them with much larger budgets. The other big winner at the Pump Room of the Ambassador East awards ceremony Saturday evening was by veteran master Marco Bellocchio of Italy, who won the Silver Hugo as best director for "Vincere," the story of Mussolini's younger brother. Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Filippo Timi won Silver Hugos as best actress and actor,...
Kylee Russell in "Mississippi Damned"
The win came over a crowed field of competitors from all over the world, many of them with much larger budgets. The other big winner at the Pump Room of the Ambassador East awards ceremony Saturday evening was by veteran master Marco Bellocchio of Italy, who won the Silver Hugo as best director for "Vincere," the story of Mussolini's younger brother. Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Filippo Timi won Silver Hugos as best actress and actor,...
- 10/23/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
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