A Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast with Ally Pitts

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: https://thehighlyskilledmigrants.bandcamp.com/ 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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite Instagram: www.instagram.com/russophiles_unite/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ 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

15 Mars 20181h 18min

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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: 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-107ZzmUqmI

1 Mars 201854min

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: 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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite Instagram: www.instagram.com/russophiles_unite/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ 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

15 Feb 201841min

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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/russophilesunite/

14 Feb 201842min

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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/russophilesunite/

1 Feb 20181h 4min

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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ Find Ally's other podcast appearances at: www.podchaser.com/creators/alistair-pitts-107ZzmUqmI

18 Jan 201830min

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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/russophilesunite/ Outro music: Grubiy Zakat by Zvuki Mu (fronted by Pyotr Mamonov).

4 Jan 20181h 6min

The film this time around is perennial Russian festive favourite The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Bath! from 1975. It was directed by Eldar Ryazanov and stars Andrey Myagkov, Barbara Brylska, and Yury Yakovlev (NOT Yakolev, like I kept saying on the episode). To discuss the film, Ally is joined by Russian language and literature grad and former Moscow resident Carrie Pitts. This episode is mildly SPOILER-y from 20 minutes in until the end. 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/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 Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/russophilesunite Instagram: www.instagram.com/russophiles_unite/ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ 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

21 Dec 201746min