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death of Stalin movie

172.56.7.75
Posted on March 29, 2018 at 13:38:42
beach cruiser
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Posts: 7061
Location: so cal
Joined: September 24, 2003
 A funny movie, in both uses of the word. Funny in the conventional way, but the humor is played across a grim reality that any random decision from a higher up will put a bullet in your head., a new list is made daily.

It is a wild one, with a nice cast. Perhaps my enjoyment was influenced by some long ago trips to the USSR , I saw those days from a workers perspective, and had a brush with the secret police.

 

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death of Stalin movie, posted on April 1, 2018 at 12:21:27
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
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 ...read a positive review of this today but it said you need to read up on your history of Stalin's Russia if you want to understand what is going on.

 

I stay away from such movies, posted on April 1, 2018 at 14:23:24
Victor Khomenko
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Posts: 55319
Joined: April 5, 2000
 So far I have not seen one Western film on that subject that was anything but a pathetic, superficial piece. One most definitely should not use them for "history education". They tend to do more harm than good.

This is unfortunate, as that part of history is incredibly important, especially now, when we are re-living it.


 

typical egghead critical response, posted on April 1, 2018 at 14:28:44
beach cruiser
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Location: so cal
Joined: September 24, 2003
 Sounds like a very thoughtful review from a professional critic. Not true in my case, and I doubht the audience I was with was real boned up on Russian history in the wake of stalin, but everyone had some laughs.

I knew who Nikta Khrushthov was, but that was it, him and Stalin. Knowing who he was isn't important to my enjoyment of the movie, they are all in the same boat after great leader dies. Steve buscemi plays himself , nobody tries to act as if they are the charactors they are cast as , they are not acting as russians, just story tellers. They were all just equal guys trying to stay in power.

All one really has to bring in from the outside of this movie is the knowledge that bullets in the head were real and used by the government like any other modern convenience in the USSR, to help make life easier for those in power.

 

Obviously, I don't , posted on April 1, 2018 at 14:46:47
beach cruiser
Audiophile

Posts: 7061
Location: so cal
Joined: September 24, 2003
 Your chosen path works for you. I would no more seek history lessons from a movie than I would expect popcorn to be a good dinner.

If one seeks more than entertainment when you buy the ticket, you are riding for a fall. I learned early on when a movie says based on true facts, that means the cycles of night and day were kept in the movie, maybe. This movie makes no such claims, by the way.

One of the first things I learned was that movies are a device to make money. They might stumble into better things but one should be clear as to function , just like stepping into an elevator, it has a clear function . In this case, product for an industry, just like a box of pencils or a can of corn.

 

I see it differently, posted on April 1, 2018 at 15:22:22
Victor Khomenko
Manufacturer

Posts: 55319
Joined: April 5, 2000
 I don't want, or even expect every movie to be educational in any sense, but what I DO expect is for the movies, that deal with extremely poignant subjects, to be serious about it, I expect its makers to have at least some degree of knowledge about the pictured events and be respectful of those, who suffered.

So I don't have any issues with the Fast Times, or even Dumb and Dumber, but it truly rubs me wrong way when someone, claiming to be serious movie maker, is too lazy to even get the costumes right.

Perhaps we all would be far better off if we let the native people make movies about their important historic events. "Learning" about events in China, Russia, Germany, or France through the eyes of Hollywood is the last thing I would like my child do.


 

Actually..., posted on April 1, 2018 at 15:29:41
mkuller
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Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...the comment was from former SF mayor, Willie Brown, in his Sunday SF Chronicle column.

"Movie time: "The Death of Stalin." Before I bought my ticket, John Burton advised me to hit the history books to understand this story about the former Soviet strongman and all the characters in his orbit.

I suggest you do the same. Otherwise, you'll be lost."

 

if you watch veep you know what to expect, posted on April 1, 2018 at 17:12:09
tunenut
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Joined: July 18, 2000
 Veep on hbo is viciously satirical and all politicians are driven by base instincts of sex power fame and money. It is also rapid fire one liners, fast comic timing, and imho one of the best ever tv comedies. You don't need to understand politics. So the same guy is the one who made this death of Stalin movie.

Death of Stalin is very much built from the same dna. I understand it has some basis in true events, but it's pretty broad farce and you don't need to know much history to get that.

It's pretty good although I think veep at its best is a bit sharper and funnier.

 

RE: I see it differently, posted on April 4, 2018 at 18:11:25
beach cruiser
Audiophile

Posts: 7061
Location: so cal
Joined: September 24, 2003
 no problem here, I know it takes all kinds of people to make a world.

There used to be an old TV show called " hogans heros" , stay away from any showings, you will like it even less.

 

Saw it streaming last night..., posted on July 2, 2018 at 15:56:20
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 38130
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
 ...a very black comedy.

Amusing but probably not very accurate historically.

Almost reminded me of a Marx Brothers film but not nearly as funny.

And Buschemi wasn't a very convincing Kruschev.

 

Saw it yesterday :), posted on October 7, 2018 at 17:00:56
Jay Buridan
Audiophile

Posts: 10294
Location: Michigan
Joined: January 21, 2004
 What a hoot!

"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields

 

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