Lee Eisenberg Nikolai Gogol was a Ukrainian-Russian author. His works included "The Government Inspector" (filmed as "The Inspector General" starring Danny Kaye). But one of his most famous works is "Viy", whose title refers to a demonic entity. A notable movie adaptation of this story was Mario Bava's "Black Sunday", starring Barbara Steele. This was a loose adaptation; while watching it I suspected that the main purpose was to show off Barbara Steele.But here we have a more faithful adaptation. And believe me, it has some intense scenes! Parts of the movie reminded me of Vincent Price movies, but once the main character has to face the body, things really get going. I guess that the point is that a well done horror flick is bound to be fun no matter which country it comes from. The Soviet Union's first horror movie isn't, say, "The Shining", but it delivers what it promises. I enjoyed it.

hte-trasme This seems often to get pegged a horror film, and the first Soviet example of one. It certainly takes the imagery of that genre in certain sequences, but is thoroughly too an adaptation of the Nikolai Gogol story of the same name. It's a somewhat eccentric adaptation, but in a sense it needed to be. The story is someone short, and not really especially visual. In the transition to feature film, this means that events get spread out quite a bit (even as events that happen to the other seminary students than our main hero are streamlined out), and therefore the film, especially in its first half, is rather slow moving. Though the visuals that are filled in end up including some very nice outdoor cinematography, and interesting scenes of the nineteenth-century Orthodox Church. Gogol's story was also characterized by a sort of ambiguity of tone that was part of his effectiveness as a writer, and that is not really completely maintained. Things become broader -- the old lady in the farmhouse at the start is obviously decrepit and witch like, for instance, and, yes, the ghostly scenes at the end are more horror-like. These sequences where the dead body in the church rises and summons demons are really very effective and thrilling (though sometimes showing budget limitations) and its no surprise they end up among the most memorable elements. Leonid Kuravlyov plays the lead as so hapless and dim that he's often not easy to believe in scenes that are not supposed to be funny -- except these ones. In all, an imperfect but worth-seeing adaptation of a Gogol story that would be very difficult to adapt in any circumstances -- and the better for the "horror film" influence that several appropriate scenes show.

kneiss1 Minimalistic story, minimalistic effects, amazing result. This what you' ll find watching the first Russian horror movie. A totally unusual movie, with an amazing atmosphere. I found it absolutely interesting to watch. I felt like exploring a new world. Of course the movie isn't perfect. Of course most effects look odd and cheap. Yet, it's an interesting visual experience. It has beautiful nature pictures in it, and a few seriously impressive effects and a great set.This movie is totally unusual and odd. It'll not be to the liking of most modern watchers. If you like watching the unusual (like me), this movie is for you.

rooprect I'm not particularly a fan of horror flicks. I watched this movie simply because I wanted to see something Russian. But as I found out, this is much more than a typical horror flick. It has a lyrical quality to it almost like a Greek play. True, it has ghosts & goblins & creepy things in it. But so do Greek plays.I consider this to be a fantasy or an allegory with some nice subtle insights about rustic life and the human condition in general. Some of the witty dialogue is absolutely priceless. I'm not familiar with the writings of Gogol who wrote the original story of "Viy", but if you're a fan of Tolstoy's short stories ("The Imp and the Crust") or Guy de Maupassant ("The Devil") or maybe the lighter side of Poe ("Never Bet the Devil Your Head"), then this'll be right up your alley.And of course it'll scare the socks off your arse.The camera illusions in this movie are absolutely 1st class. Don't be put off by the fact that it had a "low budget" by Hollywood standards. The minimalist approach really brought out the director's creativity in this case. Like an old 1940s Jean Cocteau film, the special effects are timeless in their simplicity, and they will hold up for the next 50 years, long after CGI has gone the way of the dodo (and not a moment too soon).