Nochnoi dozor film release in U.S.

[harlo@mindspring.com]

I saw "Nochnoi dozor" at the Khudozhestvennyi theater in Moscow last summer
not long after its Russian release and found it imitative of Hollywood
action/thriller/sci fi models in the extreme. It also has virtually no
thematic or character development and the story makes very little sense.
What was stressed repeatedly in the Russian media was how it was the first
Russian feature to return a big profit (with a TV tie-in), little was said
about the actual quality of the product.  So Russians can have bad taste
too, and be manipulated by relentless and heavily funded PR advertising
campaigns.  Join the klub.  I think American audiences will find it rather
passe.  Tarkovsky it's not.

Harlow Robinson
Northeastern University



> [Original Message]
> From: Chris Tessone <tessone at GMAIL.COM>
> To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
> Date: 6/9/2005 12:49:27 PM
> Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Nochnoi dozor film release in U.S.
>
> Just curious, for those who have seen the film--what did you think of
> it?  I finally watched it a few weeks ago and wasn't too impressed.
> The story is interesting enough, but it struck me as really derivative
> stylistically--like a mix of the Matrix, Fight Club, and Gladiator.
> I'm reading the novels now, but I wasn't too impressed with the movie
> and wonder how it will go over with US audiences.
>
> Chris
>
> On 6/8/05, Jeanette Owen <Jeanette.Owen at asu.edu> wrote:
> > The NY Times online has an ad the release of "Nochnoi dozor" in the U.S.
> > The trailer is up on the web at the following address:
> >
> > http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/night_watch/
> >
> > The official website has a small set of photos, some bios of the
> > director and actors, a forum, and so on.
> >
> > The site says the film will be showing in select cities in the U.S.
> > starting July 29th, though it does not specify which cities.
> >
> > Just to complain a bit, can anyone tell me why the film studio would use
> > a botched mix of Latin and Cyrillic characters to give the feel of an
> > authentic Russian title instead of simply using the real title in
> > Cyrillic? I can't see that what they have would make any more sense to
> > someone who doesn't read Russian than the real Russian.
> >
> >
> >
> > Jeanette Owen
> > Assistant Professor of Russian
> > Department of Languages and Literatures
> > Arizona State University
> >
> > (480) 965-4599
> >
> >
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>
>
> --
> Chris Tessone
> http://www.polyglut.net/
>
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