gudaulin

I don't know the book, or the original adaptation from the 1960s, so I can't compare them. The series has a very slow pace and typically Eastern Slavic lyricism. Where an American series would add five jokes, Russians skillfully deliver one joke, although not a bad one. The second thing is the screenplay, which slides into caricature, and the third downside is the atmosphere of Soviet Russia in the 1920s. Viewers unfamiliar with the local realities may not understand or notice many references at all. The series is characterized by a subtler, unobtrusive humor, but it has one significant advantage, and that is one of the most talented Russian actors of today. Oleg Menshikov was even criticized for wasting his talent on a mere television project. Taking everything into account, three stars are just right. Overall impression: 60%. The series will most likely be enjoyed by fans of Russian classics, such as Bulgakov.

I avoided Zombieland at the time of its release in movie theaters, as I didn't expect any miracles and after watching it, that feeling was confirmed down to the last detail. It is good to compare this film to the British film Shaun of the Dead. After all, they are both in the same genre and thematically about the same thing. From this comparison, it's clear why American cinema so successfully crushes its competitors. It has perfectly mastered marketing and can sell even average products as exclusive matters. Although Shaun of the Dead is a much more mature and clever spectacle, both films have the same rating scores and Zombieland easily leads in terms of viewers. All in all, it is an average affair and one of the numerous cases where the functional content is contained in the trailer and a substantial part of the film is filled with mere filler. The first ten minutes are fine, setting a decent pace and outlining the rules by which the main hero operates in his desire to survive the rampage of zombies. Then the film falls into routine, occasionally interrupted by a good gag, such as the destruction of a bloodthirsty zombie with a piano or Bill Murray's role with his undignified end. The film also shows an obvious effort to sell it to a teenage audience as the target group, so besides the horror parody, it also uses elements of a teenage comedy. Fleischer's film has tremendous untapped potential, as the subject matter allowed for countless gags and comedic situations. Overall impression: 50%.

The series depicts the fates of a group of exiles who were ground down by the millstone of Stalinist terror in the early 1930s and expelled to the remote and inhospitable parts of Siberia. There, if they were lucky enough to survive the harsh beginnings without supplies or support, they would establish a new settlement and lay the foundations for the wood processing industry. The series is far from flawless. At times it is overly melodramatic, disjointed, and rushes forward wildly (the period of the patriotic war is covered in just a few minutes of narration), while at other times it slows down melancholically and indulges in contemplative images of the taiga. Many interesting characters do not get enough space, and the settled village looks too neat, like something from a recruitment brochure for new settlers. What is well done is the casting, with Chulpan Khamatova easily carrying her main role, as well as Morozov in the role of the camp's characterful leader. The bull's-eye is the disgusting portrayal of the Stalinist opportunist played by Roman Maďanov - in him, the pathology of the Soviet 1930s seems to be concentrated. I won't give it four stars, but it is still a decent piece of work and an attempt to come to terms with one of the sore spots of Soviet, or rather Russian, history. Overall impression: 65%.

Zulu feels like a trip to the countryside to an old house of deceased grandparents, which has been abandoned for years in solitude and is waiting for someone to visit it. Open the door and you will discover preserved furnishings that smell musty and look somewhat quaintly old-fashioned. You wouldn't want to live in it, but it can be enchanting to lovers of antiques. Open the wardrobe and you see clothes long out of fashion. Zulu could once have seemed like an epic blockbuster, but today it can only evoke an indulgent smile. In a sense, it reminds me of old westerns or movies about Native Americans, where settlers traveling westward on the prairie fend off attacks from wild Comanches. The film pays homage to the peak of the colonial era in Victorian Britain when white men took their share of colonial conquests as a civilizing mission of European culture into the wilderness. It features not so much living characters as human types, and the behavior of the officers reminded me of one of Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns episodes, which satirized the stiff British army. The film can be criticized from today's perspective for many things, from choreography to pathos. However, those who appreciate beautifully colorful uniforms and a world that was simple and had a black-and-white dimension can still enjoy Zulu today. Overall impression: 40%.

Suchý as the author of song texts gets a good grade, but as the author of the screenplay, not so much. This filler between songs was not good even in the 60s and now sounds hopelessly naive, clumsy, and outdated. It's good as a reminder of actress Zuzana Stivínová and, of course, the faces that appeared at Semafor in the 60s. Overall impression: 45%. Considering the high rating on FilmBooster, I lean toward a lower score without hesitation.

Gorodok is a sympathetic trip for humor to other cultural and social realms. Like many other series of this kind, it suffers from unevenness. Some scenes are brilliant, others only average, and some simply don't work, but overall it is an above-average production, at least in the case of the first episodes of the cycle. Overall impression: 70%.