I Am (2009)

I Am (2009)
aka: Me, Ya
Director: Igor Voloshin
Writer: Igor Voloshin
Country: Russia Runtime: 88 min Soundtrack: Various
Cast: Artur Smolyaninov, Andrei Khabarov, Oksana Akinshina
The film tells the story of a young Russian in early 90s, trying to escape the army in a psychiatric clinic and after intensive compulsory treatment released years later. Then as a documentary film maker he gets involved in Chechen conflict. There he meets his apparent death and between life and death he recalls his life and realizes it as a life of a whole generation.

Russian director Igor Voloshin's semi autobiographic story about his life growing up in 90's Russia. 'I Am' follows young Geroi, whose youth was spent mostly hanging with his mates on the streets looking for his next way to get wasted. Now a young man having been beaten and abused by the authorities, hes put in a criminal mental institute. The film follows his struggle inside the institute, and the even darker internal struggle he faces. Instead of facing the grim reality of his situation, he does his best to keep himself drugged out of his mind in a dreamlike fantasy world, where his remembered past intertwine with his re-imagined present.


Imagine if the addicts in Trainspotting got taken to the mental asylum featured in 12 Monkeys. Highly enjoyable drugged out fantasy drama, featuring a fantastic range of colorful hyper stylized visuals. Most the film takes place in the hazy institutionalized mind of the central character Geroi played superbly by Artur Smolyaninov, kinda like hes Fight Clubs Tyler Durdon. The plot is padded out with various meetings with a female doctor named Nina (Oksana Akinshina) great looking eye candy. These meetings usually spark some back story of his wasted youth and regret, as he remembers his life growing up. These parts introduce his old friends like the popular junky dealer come guru Rom (featuring a movie stealing performance by actor Aleksey Gorbunov). The film does have a few minor weak areas, I could have lived without the obvious religious imagery like walking on water and being nailed to a cross. Also the labored style of the eventual resolve, its good the director mentions the friends he's lost and infairness its done with great style. It just felt some what unfitting like 'Iggy Pop' singing 'Lust for Life' then ending it with a 'But You Don't Wanna Live It' disclaimer. I HIGHly enjoyed it, not many Russian film makers become known outside of the eastern bloc, but from what I've seen so far from director/writer Igor Voloshin (this and his short film Atlantic) he could very well be in that few who do. I even hear hes working with the team behind the Russian hit Night Watch next.

Themes Included: Drug Addicts ● Meth Lab ● Electro Shock Therapy
Sexy Doctor ● Mental Institute ● Wayward Youths ● Horse Driven Car

Cultdb Totals
[Rated 8 out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount N/A]
[Gorequota 5/10]

Nirvana (2008)

Nirvana (2008)
Director: Igor Voloshin
Writer: Olga Larionova
Country: Russia Runtime: 90 min Soundtrack: Alexander Kopeikin
Cast: Marya Shalaeva, Artur Smolyaninov, Olga Sutulova
Essentially a conventional story about dug addiction and the redemptive power of female friendship, Bored and disappointed with life in Moscow, nurse Alisa moves to St. Petersburg, where she takes a room in a filthy but once-stately apartment. The dig's other residents are Valera, nicknamed "Dead Man", and his bartender g.f. Vel, whom the landlady describes as "drug addicts, but quiet."

Review Coming Soon...

Themes Included: ___ ● ___ ● ___
___ ● ___ ● ___ ● ___ ● ___

Cultdb Totals
[Rated _ out of 10 Good]
[Deathcount _]
[Gorequota _/10]
[Boobquota _/10]

The Secret Cinema (1968)

The Secret Cinema (1968)
Director: Paul Bartel
Writer: Paul Bartel
Cast: Amy Vane, Philip Carlson, Barry Dennen
A woman suspects that someone has clandestinely been filming her life and that her friends and acquaintences are seeing the movies in secret screenings.

Highly entertaining and inventive first B/W short from Paul Bartel. Story follows a woman who gets sexually harassed by her boss and dumped by her cinema obsessed boyfriend in the same day. Turns out they're working alongside each along with more of her friends and colleges, and they're making a secret film casting her as the lead.

Bartel made fantastic use of his shoestring budget and his cast, in-order to showcase his own talents in the hope of launching himself into fatures. The story is similar to the Jim Carrey comedy Truman Show but pre-dated it by 30 years. Can't praise it highly enough a true testament to self financed cinema.

(8½ out of 10)

Rubber (2010)

Rubber (2010)
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Writer: Quentin Dupieux
Cast: Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Wings Hauser
When Robert, an inanimate tire, discovers his destructive telepathic powers, he soon sets his sights on a desert town; in particular, a mysterious woman becomes his obsession.

Rubber is that rare beast... a film that's unique. Plot is surplus to the directors intentions of doing just what he wants. Deep down it's basically a lone killing spree movie, instead of it being a human/monster or animal its a rubber tire doing the succession of killings.

That doesn't really do the film credit though, as its more an examination on the 'what/why the fuck principle of films'. The film starts with a monologue from a desert sheriff giving a rant direct into the camera about the 'WHY THE FUCK' flaws in movies claiming every film has them, things like why do we never see characters wash or go to the toilet or eat sometimes. Rubber builds on this concept as it rolls along (pun intended) throwing loads of random nonsense in the mix, things like the tire taking a shower or the sheriff from earlier telling the rest of the cast to go home they're only actors. I don't think it's a film for everyone, but if you're in the mood for something very different and you're open to totally bizarre moments you should enjoy this as much as I did.

(7½ out of 10)

Sedmikrasky (1966)

Sedmikrasky (1966)
aka Daisies
Director: Vera Chytilová
Writers: Vera Chytilová, Ester Krumbachová, Pavel Jurácek
Two teenage girls, both named Marie, decide that since the world is spoiled they will be spoiled as well; accordingly they embark on a series of destructive pranks in which they consume and destroy the world about them. This freewheeling, madcap feminist farce was immediately banned by the government.

(Not Yet Rated)