@Bleu Poster: It actually did! The premiere is scheduled to take place on May 21st, at the closing ceremony of Un Certain Regard program. http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/zvyagintsev-cannes-elena-drama/

http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=448128

New biography of Tarkovsky is out. (In Russian) Here's the author's website w/links to retailers. http://www.viktorfilimonov.com/

Yuri Ilyenko passed away yesterday (6/15/2010) at his dacha in Ukraine. More here:http://kinote.info/articles/2664-umer-rezhisser-yuriy-il%27enko

Shockingly well-made film. Some of the finest acting I've seen in a while, which is, probably , the best thing about this film. The fact that the acting is so understated, refined, and restrained underlines the surreal brutality of the story. The true tragedy lies in the destruction of humanity, loss of hope. Where you begin, is beyond that. There no hope, no humanity, it all has been destroyed before the film even started. It's a truly post-apocalyptic worldview that you present here. The real horror stays off the screen, leaving the viewer to free fall into the abyss of impenetrable despair. That's where the acting meters so much - it's the last glimmer of humanity.

So glad to see Born From Pain up and available to watch!And, yes, the hair is prefect. :)

30 years since the first public screening of "Stalker", in "Dom Kino" in Moscow. At the time, the film was shown in only three theaters in the city, the tickets were sold out weeks in advance.

Eldar Ryazanov, November 18, 1927 - the beloved classic of Russian comedy, directed about 40 films during his 60 years in film, screenwriter, poet, writer, producer, TV host. The creator and host of "Kinopanorama" (1979-1986) An icon of Soviet and Russian film, no less so than Tarkovsky or Eisenstein. All we've got here is one film? Russians do make comedies, you know, not only brooding masterpieces and war films.

After growing up with this "Vinni", I still can't watch the Disney one. :)

What do you mean, © <',))(? It's a classic! :)

Look at it as Balabanov's answer to the audience's reaction to "Brother".

Alice's metamorphoses are very elegantly done.

The DVD transfer is awful, indeed. I don't think there was a "point" in making it. To me, it's more like crying out in pain, it needed to be let out. 1984 was a pivotal year for Russia, time when the boil that was the Soviet State came to a head. What we see in “Cargo 200” in all the ugly, rotting guts of that monster.

Rolan Bykov (1929 - 1998) a prolific Russian character actor, director, writer and activist. Among his acting credits: the heartbreaking performance as the Jester in Tarkovsky's "Andrey Rublev". It should be added to the cast credits on The Auteurs, as should the film be added to his filmography, above.To this day, he is considered, by his fans in Russia, to be the best director of kids movies, notably "The Scarecrow" (1983), and "Aybolit-66" (1966), he also wrote and acted in both. In 1989 he created the All-Union Center of Film and TV for Children and Youth, now the International Fund for the Development of Film and TV for Children and Youth named in his honor. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0125909/

Aleksei Poluyan died on January 8, 2010. He was born on April 4th, 1965. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689894/

http://www.kinopressa.ru/news/586.html

Russian Film Critics and Press Guild announced this year's nominees for the "White Elephant". "Morphy" is nominated in the following categories: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Female Lead. The results will be announced on Dec 21. http://www.kinopressa.ru/news/586.html