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
No comments:
Post a Comment