Frosty

C'mon people,

this is a freaking f a i r y t a l e! what do you expect from a fairy tale for small children? in Russia, it is considered a movie for 3-5 year olds. i was really disappointed with some hostile comments i've read here - like "a movie for commies" and so on. Why should the movie be the reason to express hate and cheap stupid irony towards the Russian people and Russian children? What does this movie have to do with Communism (by the way, how many of 'smart reviewers' know what the term means? Do not be so hypocritical, ladies and gentlemen. Just admit you want to say crap about Russia or russians because you are ignorant and brainwashed by your media. You don't need a movie for 5 year olds to do that - just go ahead and talk crap for the sake of it. Merry Christmas, everyone.

OK. I guess some explanation from native Russian, who enjoyed this movie as a kid (among millions) and still enjoys it, a required... :)))) First of all, some facts: - This movie is a really considered to be CLASSICS, believe it or not. And it has a lot of awards. That's why it was re-released on tape in USA. - There was NO computer effects available back in 1964. Comparing to fairy movies made worldwide at the same era, the FX is OK. - The plot may seem pretty strange, but hey, look at Alice In Wonderland for example: White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Caterpillar on a mushroom smoking something like pot, Mock-Turtle, a kingdom of playing cards, constant size changes, etc - all in one single tale. :))))))

Now back to the movie. There's two main lines in the plot. The first one is about a smart, handsome guy (Ivan), who was too egocentric so Mushroom Pixie just punished (cursed) him, turning him in half-bear. After the guy did repent he turned into a human again. The second one is a Cinderella-type story which I guess appears in all ethnic tales worldwide. So the plot is pretty clear - both heroes has to overcome the negative obstacles and then they get the reward, and get married.

Now about the `weird' stuff. It's all common to Russian fairy tales. Jack Frost usually plays to roles in a fairy tale - as an analog of Santa and also as an impersonation of a Winter itself. A kind of a pagan lesser god. (Pagan heritage is very strong in a Russian folk tales). The Witch - Baba Yaga also has some dualism in fairy tale. Sometimes she's just typical evil witch, sometimes just an unpredictable witch who can help the hero for some reasons.Oh, and a House On The Birds' Legs is her certain attribute.

Another important note - the entire movie has a grotesque aesthetics. First of all, it's in a Russian folk tradition, than it's a movie for kids, so all the villains just must be ugly and funny at the same time. Sorry, but politically correct tale will be just boring.

So for an average Russian kid it's just a very impressive funny movie with a lot of action. Where the Evil is punished and all the Good get a reward.

I think I can solve this. I saw this first on MST3K, loved the way they

heaped abuse on it, one of the funniest shows ever.

This got me so into the movie that I bought the DVD, a really

beautiful package with the history of the movie and interveiw with the

star. Also, when you see the beautiful photography you can see how this

became an enchanting classic for many around the world. It's really

quite stunning. It really makes me want to see some of the other

Russian epics abused by MST3k, like "The Day The Earth Froze." Anyway,

if you have any taste for the unusual, this DVD is highly reccomended.

Nothing terrible will not see. For the Russians it is a very good tale, many were brought up on it. And no, that everything went crazy. Remember Pushkin's fairy tales: "There on unknown paths of the Traces unseen animals; the hut there on chicken legs It is worth without Windows, without doors". Every child knows, walking the houses,the trees, talking mushrooms, flying on a broomstick the witch Baba-Yaga is a fairy tale! What the wizard is a mushroom turned hero to bear, in a fairy tale wanted to show that rude and boasters it is bad. And let's not forget that this is all the 1964 year. What in those years, the special effects?

I saw this film when I was probably seven years old, a few years after it was released with English dubbed into it. I saw it in the theatre with my sister's Brownie troop, and I recall it as being fantastical in nature, but, as a child, I loved that sort of thing. I loved the living house with feet, the mushroom man (who reminded me of a character from Fantasia,) and the beautiful Nastenka. This is a Romeo and Juliet story with all of the details borrowed from the Brothers Grimm and Russian fairy tales. I am sure, if I saw this as an adult, it might seem rather disjointed, but as a kid, I loved it. I saw it again a few years after the theatre release, as a Sunday afternoon television movie, and enjoyed it just as much, as an older child. Perhaps kids today would be too sophisticated to enjoy it - but I enjoyed it enough to look it up on IMDb.