Viy (1967) and Sveto Mesto (1990)

 

Russian author Nikolai Gogol (1809 - 1852) wrote some cracking tales of the macabre, and his work has been adapted for the screen more times than many may realise. The most recent is eight part Russian TV series GOGOL (2017 - 2019) which you can find on Amazon Prime. Before that came Oleg Stepchenko's adaptation of the short story Viy titled FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (2014) starring Jason Flemyng, a film so successful VIY 3 is now filming with the same director and star.

Before all of these, Gogol's most adapted short story was the subject of both the first horror film made in Soviet Russian - VIY (1967) and a Yugoslavian adaptation in 1990, SVETO MESTO aka A HOLY PLACE. Both of these films are getting a Blu-ray release courtesy of Eureka films in a limited edition two disc set.

The basic plot is this: in 19th century Russia, a young student priest is summoned to a remote village to say prayers over the body of a wealthy man's recently deceased daughter. The ritual requires him to stay in the church for three night. The girl rises from her coffin to seduce him, each night bringing more and weirder horrors with her to torment him.

Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov's 1967 version of this tale looks gorgeous and is filled with clever visual effects and some pleasingly weird creations in its final act. Eureka's 1080p transfer is gorgeous and extras include a new commentary from Michael Brooke, a new video essay on Nikolai Gogol, an archival documentary on the film and three Russian silent film fragments.

Djordje Kadijevic's 1990 A HOLY PLACE is included as a bonus on a separate disc. The print is very scratchy to begin with but stick with it because it quickly improves. The film itself feels quite different from VIY (1967), and feels more like a 1970s EuroHorror, and that's very much a compliment. In fact I'd go so far as to say I preferred this version that is low on special effects but high in perverse eroticism and understated weirdness.

The set also boasts new artwork by Peter Savieri and a booklet featuring new writing from Tim Lucas (writing about Alexander Ptushko) and Serbian critic Dejan Ognjanovic who describes SVETO MESTO as "an unparalleled excess of perversity and terror." 

VIY is out from Eureka in a special two disc Blu-ray set on Monday 15th March 2021

Why Don't You Just Die? (2019)

"Black Comedy Spaghetti Western Set in Someone's Front Room"

That about sums this one up, actually. Oh, plus Shakespeare, whose work is both referenced in the film and emulated by a climax that involves...well, I'll let you find that out for yourselves. Suffice to say the trailer that went out with this one suggesting it's a Three Stooges knockabout comedy doesn't do this very funny, very creative and immensely resourceful film justice. 

A big favourite on last year's UK festival circuit, where it seemed to be scheduled as frequently as Ant Timpson's COME TO DADDY, Kirill Sokolov's WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE is getting a Blu-ray release from Arrow. If you didn't get a chance to see it on the big screen then now's your chance to catch up.

Matvei (Aleksandr Kuznetsov) visits Andrei (Vitaliy Khaev), the father of his girlfriend with the intention of killing the man after she has begged him to. However, Andrei is a high-ranking officer in the police and a bit of a bruiser to boot, and he isn't going to go down easily. A shotgun blast to the sofa reveals a stash of hidden cash and slowly, piece by piece, we get to learn how it ended up there.

If Sergio Leone had directed something in the 1980s written by and starring Ade Edmondson & Rik Mayall then the result might well have been something like WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE. Apparently it was Kirill Sokolov's intention to make a spaghetti western that takes place almost entirely in someone's front room, and it's hard to think of how such a concept could be done any better. Witty use of music and cutaways both add immensely to the hilarious and beautifully choreographed mayhem, making this an impressive feature debut.

Arrow's Blu-ray also includes a piece by Kim Newman about 'single location cinema', as well as four short films by Kirill Sokolov: Could Be Worse, The Outcome, The Flame and Sisyphus Is Happy. You also get his storyboards for the film as BD-ROM content. The first pressing also comes with new writing on the film by Neil Mitchell. 

Kirill Sokolov's WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE is out on 

Blu-ray from Arrow Films on Monday 20th April 2020