Viy

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SIMON T Surprisingly interesting Russian ghost story. Featuring limpid cinematography, very good performances and a fine original score, this is well worth seeking out. The tone too is unusual, straddling religious symbolism, folk tales and dry comedy. Recommended. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. Although this was a little cheesy with the special effects and costumes, this movie is a cult classic. It is a truly special thing to have a creepy communist horror film be made, but to make it have a quality and entertaining story to boot make it all the better. This movie transcends the silliness that come with it. It takes a few jabs at Russian Orthodox, perhaps this could be seen as subtle jabs at faith. But, I guess it doesn't really matter considering that the church must be real if there is a ghoul called Viy and his hellions. I also loved the Russian culture that it exposed me too. I didn't know that Monks could drink?! Maybe this too was a jab at the faith. It was on Tubi. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review martin f The story is maybe too simple for its own good, you are just waiting to see the conclusion as there are no subplots or any twists but what a conclusion! The movie impresses with gothic visual splendors. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review William L The lovechild of Eastern European folklore and campy horror, Viy is an odd duck even within its own genre. Far from a spine-tingler, its nevertheless plenty entertaining as it attempts to punctuate its screenplay with philosophical musings while also delivering practical effects that are a far cry from today's standards, but that have plenty of charm in their dated style. Despite a sub-75 minute runtime, the setup is surprisingly slowly paced, taking its time in following an inebriated and unfocused Russian Orthodox priest from his rectory to a distant village, leaving most of the meat for the last half hour. While the humor may have been intended to impart on the audience a sense of madness linked with despair, after all this time it just ends up blatantly funny. The visual style and setting is almost a parody of more sincere dramas from this part of the world - a barren waste steeped in tradition, where life is balanced against matters of faith - but as to how much of that is intention is tough to say for certain. Regardless, a distinctive film that's perfect for an unorthodox Halloween movie night pick. I can see revisiting this one. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/10/21 Full Review Audience Member I loved the imagery in this. It is also interesting to see Slavic tales :) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Eitan D A very interesting Soviet movie. Unlike many other movies from that era this one still manages to hold (even though the visual effects are obviously too simple) well with the time. I liked the story and the surroundings itself of a pre industrial Ukraine- the manner people talked, behaved, spent time, ate, lived etc. The best scenes though are in the church where the main character has to spend the 3 nights. The masterful cinematography manages to captivate even with the limited visual effects. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/17/21 Full Review Read all reviews

Viy

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