Russian Movies /DVD

I've started a russian movie collection lately, but there are not many russian movies to purchase on DVD around here.
I'll give you some short reviews here, you may like some indeed Wink

For the ratings - max points: 5
Feel free to add some reviews yourself - maybe we'll have a little collection in here soon Cheesy

So, let's start....

COUNTDOWN (Личный Hомер)

Actors: Alexej Makarov, Louise Lombard, Maria Golubkina, Viktor Verzhbitsky, Vyacheslav Razbegayev
Director: Yevgeni Lavrentyev
Plot:
Arab terrorist organisation "Ansahr Allah" is planning a massive attack on Rome. Together with Chechen rebels they take hostages in the Moscow circus in order to distract officials from their real plan. The only one to stop them is FSB-Agent Smolin, who is accused of blowing up buildings in Moscow for the majors (to start military operations in Chechnya).
Trailer: no trailer found Sad

Best scenes: Alfa storming the circus fastroping from the roof Afro

and a BTR crushing DPS-cars Afro

+ Hinds hunting down Chechens fleeing by car
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Amazon link here

SHADOW BOXING (Бой с Tенью)

Actors: Denis Nikiforov, Elena Panova, Andrej Panin
Director: Alexej Sidorov
Plot:
Boxer Artem Kolchin is on the height of his career. He wins the next fight - he's World Champion. But happy endings are a rare thing by nature - he's knocked out and becomes blind. Artem has to have a surgery performed in order to restore his vision, but his manager lets him down. When his girlfriend meets one of her old friends to lend the money Artem needs, she becomes eyewitness of the mafia killing this guy. Artem then robbs one of the banks of his former boss to get the money needed. From then on - the two are tailed by both the police and the mafia.
Trailer: Russian
Best scenes: Fight for the title right in the beginning
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Amazon link here
News: Sequel to come - Trailer for Бой с тенью 2

LIBERATION (Освобождение)

Actors: Mikhail Ulyanov (Shukov), Vassilij Shushikin (Konew), Buchuti Sakariadse (Stalin), Larissa Golubkina (Soya), Fritz Dietz (Hitler), and many others
Director: Yuri Oserov
Plot:
A 5-part-movie-series compareable to Band of Brothers, but from the soviet point of view. These movies were shot from 1966-1971 and beginning at the battle for Kursk - ending of course in Berlin/Reichskanzlei in a total time of 487min. Remarkable: All "soldier-scenes" are colored, all "politicians-scenes" are black/white. You will also be able to recognise who is who - the actors look very like the historical persons. The Red Army used this movies for training - you will see masses of tanks and hundreds of soldiers advancing and fighting - very impressive.
The only bad thing about this movies is the sound... :gross:
Trailer: sorry, couldn't find a trailer, but the first 10 minutes of the 1st part (German/Russian)
Best scenes: The fight for the Reichskanzlei
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(old SFX)
Amazon link here (German version)
Unfortunately I couldn't find the english version of this movie on Amazon, but the russian

VELVET REVOLUTION (Мужской Cезон)

Actors: Alexsei Kravchenko, Aleksandr Karpov, Mikhail Gorevoy
Director: Oleg Stepchenko
Plot:
Police Major Vershinin's wife is drug addicted, his daughter slipping into a gang and his office is his apartment. Worse enough - but when a razzia goes terribly wrong his boss wants to replace him with Mr. Perfect - Major "not yet a General" Suvorovzev. Together Vershinin and Suvorovzev try to blow the drug dealers who mess up the streets of Moscow.
Though there are some "bugs" in the plot this is my favorite russian movie.
Trailer: no trailer found Sad

Best scenes: OMON vs Russian American Football National Team Afro

, car chase on the motorway
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Amazon link here (German)
Sorry - couldn't find the english version Sad

NIGHTWATCH (Hочной Дозор)

Actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Valeri Zolotukhin, Mariya Poroshina
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Plot:
First part of the "Dozor"-Trilogy based on the Novels of Sergej Lukyanenko.
The "Others" - blessed with supernatural powers - are living among us. Some try to protect us from evil, some try to make us evil.
They are fighting their etarnal struggle right in Moscow.
I guess, everyone here has seen this movie, right?
Strange plot if you haven't read the book or see it the first time...
Trailer: English
Best scenes: Too many
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Amazon link here

DAYWATCH (Дневной Дозор)

Actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Menshov, Valeri Zolotukhin, Mariya Poroshina
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Plot:
The dizzying supernatural Russian epic started in Night Watch continues with Day Watch, in which once again the battle between the forces of Light (the Night Watch) and Dark (the Day Watch) threatens to crack open the world as we know it. The plot centers around Anton (Russian superstar Konstantin Khabensky), an Other (one of many beings with varied supernatural powers) whose son, Yegor, has joined the Day Watch, who are grooming him to be their superpowerful savior. Anton's protoge, Svetlana, also has high-capacity power, and if Yegor and Svetlana come into conflict, the resulting devastation could shatter everything. The key to success seems to lie with the Chalk of Fate, a simple piece of chalk that can rewrite reality.
Trailer: English
Best scenes: Zhanna Friske driving her MX-8 on the fassade of hotel Moskva (?)
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Amazon link here

9th COMPANY (9 Рота)

Actors: Fedor Bondarchuk, Aleksei Chadov, Mikhail Evlanov, Ivan Kokorin, Alexsei Kravchenko, ...
Director: Fedor Bondarchuk
Plot:
As "everybody" here has seen the movie (or at least heard of it) - just the minimum of the plot: you're gonna watch a bunch of soviet soldiers going through bootcamp and finally to war in Afghanistan.
Trailer:
didn't find a good one, so here' a music-video that gives you an idea what the movie is about Wink

Tokio - Kto ya bez tebya
Best scenes: lol

133min of action Afro

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Amazon link:
2 Disc Special Edition w/ English Subtitles

Afghan Breakdown (Афганский Излом)

Actors: Oleg Borisov, Michele Placido, Tatyana Dogileva, Mikhail Zhigalov, Filipp Yankovsky
Director: Vladimir Bortko
Plot:
The 9th year of the Afghanistan campaign. Several days before demob Major Bandura receives new orders.
He shall take care of the newly arrived son of a high rank party member.
This movie is a Soviet-Italo Coproduction shot in the late 80s or early 90s. Despite it's age this movie can mess with 9 POTA.
Trailer:
no Trailer found, but the entire movie on Youtube
Best scenes: Mujahedeen ambush on Soviet convoy, ~20 Hinds in formation - impressive Afro

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Amazon link: here (sorry no English version found)

WAR FIGHTER (Грозовые Ворота)

Actors: Mikhail Porechenkov, Vyacheslav Razbegayev, Anatoli Pashinin
Director: Andrej Malyukov
Plot:
I guess most of you know Grozovye Vorota - if not, here's the short plot.
2nd Lieutenant Doronin, a young officer of the Motorized Infantry is taken on a mission at the Gates of Thunder. He and a handful of Spetsnaz have to defend the area against Chechen Rebels.
what they don't know is that they're just a tiny bit of a big plan to eradicate the entire enemy forces hiding in the area...
Unfortunately I can only present the German version here; don't know if there's also an English one - at least I couldn't find one on amazon.
I was pretty disappionted by the movie. The entire serial was cut down to 2h!! Shocked

Due to this many scenes have been cut and it's pretty difficult to understand the plot.
Trailer:
Russian trailer
Best scenes: massive attack & fights for the Gates of Thunder
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Amazon link: here (sorry no English version found)

WAR FIGHTER 2 (Поломка)

Actors: Igor Lifanow, Anatolij Kotenew, Alexander Peskow
Director: Witalij Lukin
Plot:
War Fighter 2 is pretty much like War Fighter - minus the preperations for the battle.
It's an 80 minute picture about a VDV unit defending some hill against superior Chechen Rebels with only 6 Russian soldiers surviving.
Though the movie is based on a real event it's not a must see; the actors are pretty bad, and the plot is very minimalistic.
The only plus is that the cut is better than in the first movie.
Too bad - another lousy sequel icon_frown

Trailer: no trailer found
Best scenes: The last scene where 6 Desantniki put on their blue berets, fixing their baynoets and go in for close combat.
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Amazon link:here (Amazon.de) German version!

STALKER

Actors: Aleksandr Kajdanovsky, Alisa Frejndlikh, Anatoli Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko, Natasha Abramova
Director:Andrei Tarkovsky
Plot:
A meteor crashes somewhere in Russia, a Safetyzone is being established and the military units deployed there suddenly disappear.
The Zone is shut down, but so called Stalkers manage to slip in and out - seeking the mysterious meteor which is said to fulfill your greatest wishes.
Sounds familiar?
This movie was inspired by the book Roadside Picknick by the brothers Strugatsky and obviously became inspiration to GSC Gameworld many years later.
Action fans be warned - this movie is not about guns, mutants and Chernobyl - but a very calm and impressionistic masterpiece with very good characters.
Trailer:Russian Teaser
Best scenes: Landscapes
Plot:

Actors:

Action: no action
Amazon link:here

ADMIRAL (Aдмирaлъ)

Actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Viktor Verzhbitsky,Fyodor Bondarchuk
Director: Andrei Kravchuk
Plot:
This movie tells the story of Kapitan Kolchak making his way up to Admiral of the Imperial Army through WWI and finally Head of the White Movement during the Civil War. This movie is not only about war and glory, but also tells about the quite difficult relationship between Kolchak and Lady Anna Vassilievna.
Funny thing - Fyodor Bondarchuk plays a Filmmaker in the 1960's.
I've seen the trailer when I was in Russia in July this year and it simply blew me away. Well - I'm not a fan od Dramas, but this one is interesting even to me.
If you're interested as well - give it a try; you won't regret it.
Trailer: with English subtitles
Best scenes: The battle with the German Cruiser in the Minefield off Riga + several battles at land later in the movie.
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Amazon link not found yet.

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