A Russian &amp; Soviet Movie Podcast with Ally Pitts

- Get a 30-day free trial of MUBI

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 7, 2021

Beanpole (Kantemir Balagov; 2019)

Feb 7, 2021

1hr 20 min

Lyn Seren, host of Gentlemen Don't Get Caught: An R.E.M. Podcast, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this appropriately dark exploration of a relationship between two traumatised young women living in Leningrad in the aftermath of World War II.

SPOILERS from about 20 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: the film discussed contains many upsetting scenes, including some containing sexual violence.

At the time of writing, Beanpole is available to watch on MUBI.

- Ally's MUBI recommendations

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Listeners in the UK can help the show by picking up a book from our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store.

There's also www.rusandsov.com, where you can get t-shirts, wall posters, coffee mugs, and more with a Russian and or Soviet theme. If you use the promo code RUSSOPHILESUNITE at check out, you'll get 10% off, and they ship locally in the US, the EU, and Australia.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 25, 2021

Interview with Kino Klassika season manager Olga Doletskaya

Jan 25, 2021

42 min

Kino Klassika is a UK non-profit organisation that highlights films from Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Shortly before the launch of Klassiki, Kino Klassika's new streaming service, Ally Pitts spoke to season manager Olga Doletskaya.

Find out more about Kino Klassika: https://www.kinoklassikafoundation.org/

Find out more about Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

If you'd like to get in touch, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 3, 2021

War and Peace (Sergei Bondarchuk; 1966)

Jan 3, 2021

1hr 15 min

Lyn Seren, host of Gentlemen Don't Get Caught: An R.E.M. Podcast joins Ally Pitts to discuss this suitably epic adaptation of Lev Tolstoy's famous masterpiece.

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Listeners in the UK can buy War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Bondarchuk's War and Peace': Literary Classic to Soviet Cinematic Epic by Professor Denise J. Youngblood via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate links. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here to see the rest of our Russia-themed book selection. As you might expect, there is a section on Classics of Russian Literature.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Dec 27, 2020

Morozko [AKA Frosty AKA Father Frost AKA Jack Frost...] (Alexander Rou; 1964)

Dec 27, 2020

44 min

Carrie Pitts, Russian language & literature graduate, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this festive fairy tale adventure featuring winter wizard Ded Moroz and notorious witch Baba Yaga.

Listeners in the UK can buy Why the Bear Has No Tail: And other Russian Folk Tales, translated by Netta Peacock and The Story of Synko-Filipko and other Russian Folk Tales, (both Fontanka Press), translated by Dr Louise Hardiman via our affiliate links here and here. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here to see the rest of our Russia-themed book selection.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Morozko is available for free and with English subtitles at russianfilmhub.com.

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Dec 6, 2020

Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (Blake Harris; 2020)

Dec 6, 2020

1hr 6 min

Samantha Berkhead, Moscow Times editor and bad movie enthusiast, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this extremely ill-judged pre-teen fish-out-of-water/time-travel comedy which features the doomed Romanov princess as its main character.

Listeners in the UK can support the show by picking up a book via our online affiliate bookshop. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Nov 22, 2020

Leto (Kirill Serebrennikov; 2018)

Nov 22, 2020

1hr 38 min

Caroline Ridler, academic and musician, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this musical/drama/biopic which follows the growth of the Leningrad rock scene in the early 1980s, with a particular focus on one of its most famous members, Kino frontman Viktor Tsoi.

Listeners in the UK can buy Everything Was Forever, Until It Was No More by Alexei Yurchak from Princeton University Press via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from about 32 minutes in until the end.

Leto stars Teo Yoo, Roman Bilyk, and Irina Starshenbaum.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Check out Caroline's bass covers of Kino songs over at her YouTube channel.

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Nov 2, 2020

Brief Encounters (Kira Muratova; 1967)

Nov 2, 2020

1hr 25 min

Bianca Garner, film critic and editor and founder of In Their Own League, a website focusing on female filmmakers, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this 1960s romantic drama co-starring legendary Soviet bard Vladimir Vysotsky.

Listeners in the UK can buy Kira Muratova by Jane Taubman from Bloomsbury Books via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from 41 minutes in until the end.

Brief Encounters also stars Kira Muratova and Nina Ruslanova.

Read Bianca's article on Kira Muratova here: intheirownleague.com/2020/06/15/in-their-own-league-hall-of-fame-kira-muratova/

You can watch the film with English subtitles at Russian Film Hub: https://russianfilmhub.com/movies/brief-encounters-1967/

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Nov 1, 2020

Mongol: The Rise to Power of Genghis Khan (Sergei Bodrov Sr; 2007)

Nov 1, 2020

2hr 55 min

Dr Sarah Ifft Decker, professional historian and host of Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast, joins Ally Pitts to discuss an epic drama/war movie based on the early career of one of the most (in)famous military leaders in history.

CONTENT WARNING: a character in the film is raped off-screen, there is also several violent battle scenes. This episode also contains some discussion of historical atrocities.

Expect SPOILERS from about 48 minutes in until the end.

Mongol stars Tanobu Asano, Sun Honglei, and Khulan Chuluun.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

You can listen to the episode of Media-eval: A Medieval Pop Culture Podcast that Ally guested on here: www.podchaser.com/podcasts/media-eval-a-medieval-pop-cult-754405/episodes/vikings-season-1-47983231

If you like talking about medieval stuff, you may want to pay a visit to the Media-eval Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/1117991018383250

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Apr 2, 2020

Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov; 2002)

Apr 2, 2020

1hr 29 min

Jonny Tickle, Moscow resident and YouTuber, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this meandering, mysterious walk through Russian history and Saint Petersberg's Hermitage Museum, filmed in a single continuous take.

Listeners in the UK can buy Alexander Sokurov: Russian Ark by Birgit Beumers via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops. Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from about 38 minutes in until the end.

Russian Ark stars Sergei Dreiden.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find Jonny Tickle on Twitter at: @jonnytickle

Visit Jonny's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKvzrcnSazCp5gYNbEaFHyg

Aleksandr Sokurov, Russian Ark by Birgit Beumers: hwww.intellectbooks.com/aleksandr-sokurov

Publish with Intellect Books: www.intellectbooks.com/why-publish-with-us

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 13, 2020

My Boyfriend is an Angel (Vera Storozheva; 2011)

Feb 13, 2020

1hr 9 min

Carrie joins Ally once again, this time to discuss a fantastical rom-com in which Sasha (Anna Starshenbaum), a student, meets Serafim (Artur Smolyaninov), a celestial visitor in Moscow on New Year's Eve.

CONTENT WARNING: As we discuss in this episode, this film contains extreme racial insensitivity and also outright racism.

Expect SPOILERS from about 17 minutes until the end.

My Boyfriend is an Angel also stars Olga Popova, Nikita Efremov, Sergey Puskepalis, Ivan Makarevich,

The show's intro music is by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 9, 2020

Office Romance (Eldar Ryazanov; 1977)

Jan 9, 2020

1hr 32 min

Michele Berdy, Moscow Times columnist, translator, and The Word's Worth podcast host, joins Ally to discuss this Brezhnev-era rom-com starring Alisa Freyndlikh and Andrei Myagkov.

Listeners in the UK can buy The Russian Word's Worth by Michele Berdy via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the running costs of the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops. Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from about 42 minutes in until the end.

Office Romance also stars Oleg Basilashvili, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, and Liya Akhedzhakova.

Listen to Michele Berdy's The Word's Worth at: http://wordsworth.themoscowtimes.com/

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Dec 5, 2019

Chapaev (Sergey & Georgy Vasilyev; 1934)

Dec 5, 2019

1hr 35 min

Martin Kessler, filmmaker and Flixwise: Canada host, returns to discuss this Russian Civil War set proto-action film. It has the dubious distinction of being one of Joseph Stalin's favourite movies, and it stars Boris Babochkin as the eponymous Red Army commander.

Listeners in the UK can buy Chapaev by Julian Graffy from Bloomsbury Books, via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

CONTENT WARNING:

The film briefly depicts a sexual assault (it is not framed as such, but certainly reads that way to modern audiences). Ally and Martin didn't actually discuss this scene in the episode, however.

Expect SPOILERS from about 39 minutes in until the end.

Hear more of Martin on Flixwise: Canada: http://flixwise.com/category/episodes/flixwise-canada/

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Nov 7, 2019

Anna (Luc Besson; 2019)

Nov 7, 2019

1hr 20 min

Lyn Seren, veteran of the podcast and possible 6th Element, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this slightly Cold War-flavoured espionage/action film

Expect SPOILERS from about 19 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: the film includes depictions of an abusive relationship, self-harm, and suicidal behaviour.

Anna stars Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Cillian Murphy, Luke Evans, and Lera Abova.

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Oct 3, 2019

Sunflower (Vittorio De Sica; 1970)

Oct 3, 2019

55 min

Carrie Pitts, Russian language and literature graduate, joins Ally again as World War II casts its long shadow over the podcast once more.

Expect SPOILERS from about 12 minutes in until the end.

Sunflower stars Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, and Ludmila Savelyeva.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Sep 5, 2019

How I Ended This Summer (Aleksei Popogrebsky; 2010)

Sep 5, 2019

1hr 16 min

Lyn Seren, occasional watcher of Russian films, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this tense thriller set in the Russian arctic.

Expect SPOILERS from about 18 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: the film discussed in this episode contains an off-screen suicide , extremely brief nudity, and violence. This content is mentioned during the show.

How I Ended This Summer stars Grigory Dobrygin and Sergey Puskepalis.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Check out Caroline's bass covers of Kino songs over at her YouTube channel.

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Aug 1, 2019

Little Vera (Vasily Pichul; 1988)

Aug 1, 2019

1hr 35 min

Alissa Timoshkina, chef, KinoVino supper club founder, and author of Salt and Time: Recipes from a Russian Kitchen joins Ally Pitts to discuss this somewhat notorious drama from the late 1980s glastnost period a few years before the Soviet Union collapsed.

Listeners in the UK can buy Salt and Time via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering cost of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops. Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from about 55 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: During the film it is revealed that one of the characters had a sexual relationship with an adult when they were 15 or 16 years old. There is also a fairly explicit sex scene.

Little Vera stars Natalya Negoda, Andrey Sokolov, Yuri Nazarov, Lyudmila Zaytseva, and Alexandra Tabakova.

Check out Alissa's amazing culinary creations at: www.instagram.com/borsch_and_no_tears/

Listen to her podcast MotherFood: www.podchaser.com/podcasts/motherfood-1073298

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jul 4, 2019

Come and See (Elem Klimov; 1985)

Jul 4, 2019

1hr 44 min

Sasha Ilyukevich, London-based Belarusian singer-songwriter and poet, joins Ally Pitts for this harrowing journey into Nazi-occupied Belarus in 1943, which stars Aleksey Kravchenko and Olga Mironova.

CONTENT WARNING: Come and See contains sustained depictions of atrocities, including rape and mass murder. It's a very, very tough watch. SPOILERS from about 49 minutes in until the end.

You can watch the film at Russian Hub.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jun 6, 2019

Onegin (Martha Fiennes; 1999)

Jun 6, 2019

1hr 24 min

Jenny Shelton, writer and period drama drama connoisseur, and Carrie Pitts. Russian language & literature graduate join Ally Pitts to discuss this adaptation of Alexander Pushkin's famous verse novel.

SPOILERS from about 28 minutes onwards.

CONTENT WARNING: the film contains very brief but fairly graphic violence.

Onegin stars Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Toby Stephens, and Lena Headey.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Apr 18, 2019

Attraction (Fyodor Bondarchuk; 2017)

Apr 18, 2019

1hr 17 min

Teegan Johnson, industrial psychology researcher and sci-fi fan, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this alien invasion movie/romance set in contemporary Moscow.

Expect SPOILERS from about 13 minutes in onwards.

CONTENT WARNING: The film depicts misogynistic violence and consent issues.

Attraction stars Irina Starshenbaum, Alexander Petrov, Rinal Mukhametov, Evgeny Mikheev and Oleg Menshikov.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Apr 4, 2019

Letter Never Sent (Mikhail Kalatozov; 1960)

Apr 4, 2019

51 min

Lyn Seren, film fan and R.E.M. appreciator, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this journey into the depths of Siberia.

Expect SPOILERS from about 20 minutes in onwards.

Letter Never Sent stars Tatyana Samoylova, Evgeny Urbansky, Vasily Livanov, and Innokenty Smoktunovsky.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Mar 21, 2019

Welcome, Or No Trespassing (Elem Klimov, 1964)

Mar 21, 2019

59 min

Tanya Lukyanova, TV producer, and stand-up comedian, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this joyous and energetic satire, which was the debut of the director of the notorious war film Come and See.

This episode SPOILERS from about 18 mins in until the end.

Welcome, or No Trespassing stars Viktor Kosykh, Evgeny Evstignyev, Aleksei Smirnov, Lidiya Smirnova, and Arina Aleynikova.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

You can follow Tanya on Instagram: www.instagram.com/tanya_lucky/

And check out her YouTube series Russian Something: www.youtube.com/channel/UCaq-2DyBRU6OM7ot4G6cM0A

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Mar 7, 2019

The Cranes are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov; 1957)

Mar 7, 2019

45 min

Carrie Pitts, Russian language & literature grad, foodie, and reluctant veteran of the podcast, joins Ally to discuss possibly the most famous Soviet film of the Khrushchev Thaw.

Listeners in the UK can buy The Cranes are Flying by Josephine Woll from Bloomsbury Books, via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

SPOILERS from about 18 mins in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: a rape is strongly implied to have taken place off screen.

The Cranes are Flying stars Tatyana Samoylova, Alexei Batalov, Aleksandr Shvorin, Vasiliy Merkurev, and Svetlana Kharitonova.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 21, 2019

The Diamond Arm (Leonid Gaidai; 1969)

Feb 21, 2019

1hr 41 min

Olivia Capozzalo & Smith Freeman, hosts of the She's in Russia podcast, join Ally Pitts to discuss this late 1960s crime caper.

Expect SPOILERS from about 39 minutes in until the end.

The Diamond Arm stars Yuri Nikulin, Andrei Mironov, Nonna Mordyukova, Anatoly Papanov, Nina Grebeshkova, and Svetlana Svetlichnaya.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 7, 2019

War and Peace (King Vidor; 1956)

Feb 7, 2019

1hr 16 min

Adam Roche of The Secret History of Hollywood, Attaboy, Clarence!, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this Hollywood adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic, which stars Audrey Hepburn.

Expect SPOILERS from about 22 minutes in until the end.

War and Peace also stars Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman, Anita Ekberg, Oskar Homolka, Helmut Dantine, and Jeremy Brett.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find out more about Adam's podcasts at: www.attaboyclarence.com

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 24, 2019

Prisoner of the Caucasus AKA Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (Leonid Gaidai; 1966)

Jan 24, 2019

53 min

Nadia Bee, writer and filmmaker, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this beloved 1960s Soviet comedy.

Expect SPOILERS from 15 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: bride-kidnapping is central to the plot.

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style stars Alexander Demyanenko, Natalya Varley, Vladimir Etush, Frunzik Mkrtchyan, Yuri Nikulin, Yevgeny Morgunov, and Georgy Vitsin.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

You can read reviews and interviews by Nadia at: https://kinefile.com/about/, https://www.scenesjournal.com/interviews/, and https://www.myfilmclub.co.uk/.

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 10, 2019

Ivan’s Childhood (Andrei Tarkovsky; 1962)

Jan 10, 2019

1hr 9 min

Spencer Seams, podcaster & writer, joins Ally Pitts to discuss Andrei Tarkovsky's full-length debut.

Expect SPOILERS from about 16 minutes in until the end.

Ivan's Childhood stars Nikolai Burlyayev, Valentin Zubkov, Nikolai Grinko, Yevgeny Zharikov, Irma Rausch, and Valentina Malyavina.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Spencer and fellow previous guest Joel Torres host We Cut Heads: A Spike Lee Podcast.

Russophiles Unite's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Dec 27, 2018

Yolki AKA Six Degrees of Celebration (Timur Bekmambetov et al.; 2010)

Dec 27, 2018

53 min

Carrie Pitts, former Moscow resident, expert heckler, and Georgian food advocate joins Ally to discuss this slice of seasonal schmaltz.

Expect SPOILERS from about 23 minutes in until the end.

Six Degrees of Celebration stars Ivan Urgant, Sergey Svetlakov, Elena Plaksina, Vera Brezhneva, Aleksandr Golovin, Kristina Asmus, Dato Bakhtadze, Sergey Garmash, and Mariya Poroshina.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Dec 13, 2018

Mermaid (Anna Melikyan; 2007)

Dec 13, 2018

1hr 11 min

Marilag Angway and Meghan Griffin podcasters and fairy tale super-fans, join Ally Pitts to discuss this loose modern-day adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid.

Expect SPOILERS from about 19 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: suicide is a recurring theme of the film and there's also some nudity.

Mermaid stars Mariya Shalayeva, Evgeniy Tsyganov, Mariya Sokova, Irina Skrinichenko, Albina Evtushevskaya, and Veronika Skugina.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Check out Marilag and Meghan's podcast Fableulous Retellings at https://fableulousretellingspodcast.wordpress.com!

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Oct 25, 2018

Ivan the Terrible: Part I (Sergei Eisenstein; 1944)

Oct 25, 2018

46 min

Esther Jolliffe, film Studies masters graduate, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this biopic of the first tsar of Muscovy, which was voted 102nd greatest film of all time in the 2012 Sight and Sound Critics' Poll.

Listeners in the UK can buy This Thing of Darkness: Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible in Stalin's Russia by Dr Joan Neuberger from Cornell University Press, via our uk.bookshop.org affiliate link. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

Expect SPOILERS from about 13 minutes in until the end. Ivan the Terrible: part I stars Nikolai Cherkasov, Lyudmila Tselikovskaya, Serafima Birman, and Mikhail Nazvanov.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

A list of podcast episodes in which Dr Joan Neuberger discusses This Thing of Darkness can be found here.

Find out more about #PodRevDay, a way to support your favourite podcasts: www.stephfuccio.com/podrevday

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Oct 11, 2018

Fiddler on the Roof (Norman Jewison; 1971)

Oct 11, 2018

52 min

Alex Taylor, writer and performer, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this big screen version of the beloved stage musical, itself an adaptation of a story by Russian-Jewish writer Sholem Aleichem.

Expect SPOILERS from about 15 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: the movie depicts anti-Semitic attacks and persecution.

Fiddler on the Roof stars Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon, Paul Mann, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Neva Small, Paul Michael Glaser, and Raymond Lovelock.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Sep 27, 2018

The White Sun of the Desert (Vladimir Motyl; 1970)

Sep 27, 2018

1hr 17 min

Edward Evans, English language teacher, lapsed chemist, occasional YouTuber and long-time Moscow resident, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this 'Red Western'/'Eastern'.

SPOILERS from about 19 minutes in until the end.

The White Sun of the Desert stars Anatoly Kuznetsov, Spartak Mishulin, Pavel Luspekayev, Kakhi Kavsadze, and Lidiya Smirnova.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Sep 13, 2018

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession (Leonid Gaidai; 1973)

Sep 13, 2018

26 min

Lyn Seren, Russophiles Unite regular and Bill & Ted enthusiast, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this knockabout time-travel comedy caper.

Expect SPOILERS from about 7 minutes in until the end.

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession stars Yuri Yakovlev, Alexandr Demyanenko, Leonid Kuravlyov, and Natalya Seleznyova.

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Aug 30, 2018

Assa (Sergei Solovyov; 1987)

Aug 30, 2018

1hr 14 min

Carrie Pitts, former Moscow resident and self-described 'emergency back-up guest', joins Ally to discuss this late '80s Russian cult favourite.

We were fortunate enough to see it on the big screen as Kino Klassika put it on as part of their #YouthOnTheMarch season of Soviet New Wave films.

Expect SPOILERS from about 9 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: the movie features scenes domestic violence, and, as we discuss during this episode, an extremely insensitive casting decision.

Assa stars Tatyana Drubich, Stanislav Govorukhin, and Sergei 'Afrika' Bugaev. It also features a memorable cameo by Kino frontman Viktor Tsoi. Much of the soundtrack was written by another Russian rock star, Boris Grebenshchikov.

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Aug 16, 2018

Brother (Alexei Balabanov; 1997)

Aug 16, 2018

1hr 15 min

Mark Bullen, author, former police officer, and expert on Russian organised crime joins Ally Pitts to discuss iconic '90s neo-noir crime drama Brother.

It stars Sergei Bodrov Jr, Viktor Sukhorukov, Svetlana Pismichenko, Yury Kuznetsov, and Sergei Murzin.

CONTENT WARNING: In the film, it is implied that a male character rapes a female character off-screen.

SPOILERS from about 32 minutes in until the end.

Mark's book Thief in Law, which is a guide to the tattoos and culture of Russian-speaking organised criminal gangs is available from Schiffer Books in the United States: www.schifferbooks.com/thief-in-law-a-guide-to-russian-prison-tattoos-and-russian-speaking-organized-crime-6499.html

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Aug 2, 2018

Aelita, Queen of Mars (Yakov Protazanov; 1924)

Aug 2, 2018

1hr 11 min

Sarah Roberts, artist and podcaster,, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this early Soviet silent sci-fi adventure.

SPOILERS from about 11 minutes in until the end.

Aelita stars Nikolai Tsereteli, Valentina Kuindzhi, Yuliya Solntseva, Nikolai Batalov, and Pavel Pol.

Check out Sarah's artwork here: http://sarahkathleenroberts.com/

The outro music is by Gamers in Exile, from their alternative soundtrack to the film and is used with their kind permission. The full version can be found here: https://youtu.be/CBnlTge6S4o

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jul 17, 2018

Nicholas & Alexandra (Franklin J. Schaffner; 1971)

Jul 17, 2018

1hr 27 min

Ayna Niyazova, artist and illustrator, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this Oscar-winning epic period drama that depicts the series of calamities that led to the downfall of the Romanov dynasty.

SPOILERS from about 25 minutes in until the end.

Nicholas & Alexandra stars Michael Jayston, Janet Suzman, Laurence Olivier, John McEnery, Michael Bryant, and Tom Baker.

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYAD…

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Instagram: www.instagram.com/russophiles_unite/

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-…

Jul 5, 2018

My Friend Ivan Lapshin (Aleksei German Sr; 1985)

Jul 5, 2018

1hr 5 min

Martin Kessler, filmmaker and host of Flixwise: Canada joins Ally Pitts to discuss this 1930s-set film that is part memoir, part crime drama.

CONTENT WARNING: the film depicts a suicide attempt.

SPOILERS from about 23 minutes in until the end.

Martin has also written a series of in-depth essays on Aleksei German Sr. and his films published by film site The Pink Smoke.

My Friend Ivan Lapshin stars Andrei Boltnev, Nina Ruslanova, and Andrey Mironov.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jun 21, 2018

The Sun (Alexander Sokurov; 2005)

Jun 21, 2018

1hr 12 min

Joel Torres, podcaster and film fan, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this unconventional biopic that focuses on Emperor Hirohito's response to Japan's defeat in World War II.

SPOILERS from about 23 minutes in until the end.

The Sun stars Issei Ogata and Robert Dawson.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jun 7, 2018

The Barber of Siberia (Nikita Mikhalkov; 1998)

Jun 7, 2018

1hr 2 min

Tracy Tanoff, podcaster, literature fan, and period drama connoisseur, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this sprawling late 1990s epic from the director of the 1994 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film winner Burnt by the Sun.

The Barber of Siberia stars Julia Ormond, Oleg Menshikov, Alexei Petrenko, and Richard Harris.

SPOILERS from about 12 minutes in until the end.

CONTENT WARNING: a rape, while not depicted on screen, is a plot element.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Please check out Tracy's blog here: http://pleasureinagoodnovel.blogspot.co.uk/

Russophiles Unite's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

May 24, 2018

Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky; 1966)

May 24, 2018

41 min

Lyn Seren, man who likes interesting films and appreciator of dogs, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this historical epic/unconventional biopic of the famous Russian icon painter.

Expect SPOILERS from about 7 minutes in until the end.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find out more about #PodRevDay, a way to support your favourite podcasts: www.stephfuccio.com/podrevday

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Apr 12, 2018

Window to Paris (Yuri Mamin; 1993)

Apr 12, 2018

38 min

For the last episode of this batch, it's Window to Paris from 1993.

It stars Sergey Dreyden, Agnes Soral, and Viktor Mikhaylov, and was directed by Yuri Mamin.

Joining Ally to discuss the film are Carrie, & Lyn, who you may remember from such episodes as Irony of Fate, Loveless, Stalker, and Lady Macbeth.

SPOILERS from about 6 minutes in until the end.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Mar 29, 2018

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Igor Maslennikov; 1981)

Mar 29, 2018

1hr 19 min

Malcolm Nygard, writer and podcaster, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this Soviet take on one of the most famous Sherlock Holmes stories.

SPOILERS from about 34 minutes in until the end.

The Hound of the Baskervilles stars Vasily Livanov, Viktor Solomin and Nikita Mikhalkov, and was directed by Igor Maslennikov.

SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS from about 34 minutes in until the end.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Check out Malcolm's film reviews over on Letterboxd.

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Mar 15, 2018

Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg; 2007)

Mar 15, 2018

1hr 18 min

Lydia Kapp, writer, actor, and artist, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this dark, violent London-set crime drama.

CONTENT WARNING: the movie discussed on this episode contains depictions of sexual violence; human trafficking, and graphic violence. For more information, please visit: https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/eastern-promises-2007

SPOILERS from about 24 minutes in until the end.

Eastern Promises stars Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassell, and Armin Mueller-Stahl.

Lydia wrote and starred in the short film Clarence, directed by Rob Thomson, which can be viewed here.

Find Lydia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TallKapp

Or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tallkapp/?hl=en

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Mar 1, 2018

Through the Thorns to the Stars AKA To the Stars by Hard Ways (Richard Viktorov; 1980)

Mar 1, 2018

54 min

Teegan Johnson, industrial psychologist and sci-fi fan, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this early 1980s curiosity.

Listeners in the UK can support the show by picking up a book via our online affiliate bookshop. 10% of the sale will go towards covering the costs of running the show and you'll also be helping out independent bookshops! Visit our uk.bookshop.org affiliate store here!

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate us on Podchaser: www.podchaser.com/russophilesunitemoviepodcast

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or on Spotify.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 15, 2018

The Death of Stalin (Armando Iannucci; 2017)

Feb 15, 2018

41 min

Matt Billingsley, editor and Iannucci aficionado, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this black comedy satire. It was effectively banned in Russia, but well-reviewed by Russian critics (if you don't read Russian, just count the thumbs-up).

CONTENT WARNING: the movie depicts multiple executions and implied sexual assault off-screen.

SPOILERS from about 10 minutes in until the end, although some things
should be fairly easy to anticipate...

The movie stars Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Rupert Friend and Jason Isaacs (hello to Jason Isaacs, obviously).

The show's intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at:

Or: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite

Support the show/fund Ally's caffeine habit at: https://ko-fi.com/russophilesunite

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: https://www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Feb 14, 2018

Loveless (Andrei Zvyagintsev; 2017)

Feb 14, 2018

42 min

As a special Valentine's Day treat, we're watching Andrei Zvyagintsev's latest film, Loveless from 2017.

The film stars Maryana Spivak, Aleksey Rozin, and Matvey Novikov. It has been nominated for a Bafta for Best Film Not in the English Language, and the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

To discuss the film, Ally is joined by former Moscow resident and self-described emergency back-up guest Carrie Pitts.

We've tried to avoid SPOILERS but be aware that they may occur from about 6 minutes in until the end.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, here are some options:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Feb 1, 2018

Stalingrad (Fyodor Bondarchuk; 2013)

Feb 1, 2018

1hr 4 min

This time around we're watching Stalingrad, from 2013 and directed by Fyodor Bondarchuk.

The film stars Mariya Smolyakina, Yanina Studilina, Pyotr Fyodorov, Thomas Kretschmann, Sergey Bondarchuk, Dmitri Lysenkov, Andrey Smolyakov, Aleksey Barabash, and Oleg Volku. It was Russia's entry for Best Film in the 87th Oscars, but it ultimately wasn't nominated.

To discuss the film, Ally is joined by former A-level film studies student and Chuckle Brother Award co-winner (2004) Patrick Say.

This episode contains SPOILERS from 20 minutes in until the end.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, here are some options:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Jan 18, 2018

Lady Macbeth (William Oldroyd; 2016)

Jan 18, 2018

30 min

Lyn Seren, film enthusiast, cat admirer, and car owner, joins Ally Pitts to discuss British film Lady Macbeth, which features a star-making performance by Florence Pugh.

The screenplay is an adaptation of Nikolai Leskov's 19th century novella Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District by Alice Birch.

Expect SIGNIFICANT SPOILERS from 4 minutes in until the end. CONTENT WARNING: If you're planning to watch the film, you should be aware that it contains scenes of domestic violence and sexual assault. As you'll hear in the episode, we recorded this when the film had its initial run in UK cinemas back in 2017, before R. Kelly's sexual abuse against minors was as widely known as it is now.

Our intro music is Cold by Sasha Ilyukevich and the Highly Skilled Migrants.

You can find more of their music at: thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ or: open.spotify.com/artist/1cXWmfhuDWyfKfsYADk96F

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, it would be great to hear from you! Here are some ways you can do that:

Twitter: @RussophilesU

Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

Jan 4, 2018

Tsar (Pavel Lungin; 2009)

Jan 4, 2018

1hr 6 min

Happy New Year, druzya! For our first film pick of 2018, we're watching historical drama Tsar from 2009, directed by Pavel Lungin and starring Pyotr Mamonov and Oleg Yankovskiy.

To discuss the film, Ally is joined by co-host of High & Low: A Kurosawa Podcast and Russian history super-fan Spencer Seams.

This episode contains moderate SPOILERs from 19 minutes in until the end.

It also includes (at least) one significant factual error about Russian history by Ally.

For. Shame. No actual prizes for spotting it(/them), but kudos if you do.

If you'd like to get in touch and tell us what you thought of the film and/or the podcast episode, here are some options:

Twitter: @RussophilesU