Maria Bakalova, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and has gone on to have roles in The Bubble and Bodies Bodies Bodies (and deliver vocal performances in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), has signed on to star in the horror film God’s Country, which is being produced by The Batman director Matt Reeves.
Bakalova takes over a role that had previously been assigned to Melissa Barrera of the recent Scream sequels. Barrera had to drop out of the project over scheduling issues.
The film will mark the English-language debut of director Egor Abramenko, who made his feature directorial debut with the Russian horror film Sputnik. God’s Country was written by Will Soodik (Westworld). According to Deadline, Bakalova will be playing a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension,...
Bakalova takes over a role that had previously been assigned to Melissa Barrera of the recent Scream sequels. Barrera had to drop out of the project over scheduling issues.
The film will mark the English-language debut of director Egor Abramenko, who made his feature directorial debut with the Russian horror film Sputnik. God’s Country was written by Will Soodik (Westworld). According to Deadline, Bakalova will be playing a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Director Egor Abramenko gave a new twist to the creature feature in 2020’s Sputnik. He’s now set to take on biblical terror in God’s Country, marking his American directorial debut. Deadline reports that Bodies Bodies Bodies star Maria Bakalova will lead the Matt Reeves-produced genre pic.
God’s Country will follow “a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.”
Will Soodik (“Westworld”) wrote the script.
Bakalova takes over for Melissa Barrera, who reportedly exited the role due scheduling conflicts. God’s Country is set to go into production in Romania under a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement in March. Barrera was announced to lead the project in February earlier this year, where her character was described as a Salvadoran woman.
What’s most fascinating about this is that Reeves told Deadline at the time,...
God’s Country will follow “a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.”
Will Soodik (“Westworld”) wrote the script.
Bakalova takes over for Melissa Barrera, who reportedly exited the role due scheduling conflicts. God’s Country is set to go into production in Romania under a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement in March. Barrera was announced to lead the project in February earlier this year, where her character was described as a Salvadoran woman.
What’s most fascinating about this is that Reeves told Deadline at the time,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Oscar nom Maria Bakalova has signed on to star in the genre pic God’s Country, marking the American directorial debut of Egor Abramenko (Sputnik), which will go into production in Romania under a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement in March.
The actress steps in for Melissa Barrera, who exited due to scheduling conflicts, according to a source close to the project. She plays the role of a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.
Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Also now aboard the project from Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho and Zq Entertainment are Maraboyina Capital and Castel Films, who have joined as financiers. Maraboyina’s Suraj Maraboyina and Castel’s Cristi Bostanescu will produce alongside the previously announced Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) for 6th & Idaho,...
The actress steps in for Melissa Barrera, who exited due to scheduling conflicts, according to a source close to the project. She plays the role of a young woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé, subsequently uncovering something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.
Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Also now aboard the project from Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho and Zq Entertainment are Maraboyina Capital and Castel Films, who have joined as financiers. Maraboyina’s Suraj Maraboyina and Castel’s Cristi Bostanescu will produce alongside the previously announced Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) for 6th & Idaho,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
BAFTA-winning “Sex Education” star Aimee Lou Wood and Oscar-nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) have been tapped to star as Anna and Fyodor Dostoyevsky in “The Gambler Wife,” a dark comedy about one of world literature’s most towering figures, by two-time Berlinale prize winner Małgorzata Szumowska.
“The Gambler Wife” follows the Russian novelist and his much younger, pregnant wife, Anna, as they travel to Switzerland for their honeymoon. Anna tolerates her husband’s gambling addiction, which will serve as inspiration for his burgeoning literary career. However, Fyodor’s compulsive roulette playing continues to cause problems for the couple until they are forced to return to a Russia that is not quite as they remember.
“This dark comedy explores the patriarchal, nationalistic Russian identity which keeps on waging war between the West and the East, which is as relevant today as it was two hundred years ago,” said Szumowska.
Pic is produced...
“The Gambler Wife” follows the Russian novelist and his much younger, pregnant wife, Anna, as they travel to Switzerland for their honeymoon. Anna tolerates her husband’s gambling addiction, which will serve as inspiration for his burgeoning literary career. However, Fyodor’s compulsive roulette playing continues to cause problems for the couple until they are forced to return to a Russia that is not quite as they remember.
“This dark comedy explores the patriarchal, nationalistic Russian identity which keeps on waging war between the West and the East, which is as relevant today as it was two hundred years ago,” said Szumowska.
Pic is produced...
- 5/18/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Following the success of the recent Scream films, Melissa Barrera is looking to reteam with some familiar faces as sources tell Deadline Barrera is set to join Radio Silence’s Untitled Monster Thriller at Universal.
Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, who directed the recent Scream pics she starred in, will helm the project with Scream producer Chad Villella serving as producer alongside William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt at Project X Entertainment. The script was written by Stephen Shields, with revisions by Guy Busick.
Tripp Vinson will produce as well with Radio Silence and Project X, who are recently coming off the huge success of Scream VI that Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett directed, Project X produced and Radio Silence’s Villella executive produced. Co-written by Project X’s Vanderbilt, the film set a franchise record opening at the global box office and grossed $67.1 million globally. The teams also...
Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, who directed the recent Scream pics she starred in, will helm the project with Scream producer Chad Villella serving as producer alongside William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt at Project X Entertainment. The script was written by Stephen Shields, with revisions by Guy Busick.
Tripp Vinson will produce as well with Radio Silence and Project X, who are recently coming off the huge success of Scream VI that Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett directed, Project X produced and Radio Silence’s Villella executive produced. Co-written by Project X’s Vanderbilt, the film set a franchise record opening at the global box office and grossed $67.1 million globally. The teams also...
- 4/13/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
First-time writer-director Malika Musaeva is set to make history at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, where her female-centered coming-of-age drama “The Cage is Looking for a Bird” is the first Chechen-language film ever selected by the venerable German fest.
Musaeva’s debut, which world premieres Feb. 22 in the festival’s competitive Encounters section, focuses on a group of Chechen women living in a remote rural village, where they must defend their freedom and the right to live their own lives.
At the film’s heart is a friendship between two teenage girls, played by first-time actors Khadizha Bataeva and Madina Akkieva. On the precipice of adulthood, the duo seeks refuge in each other as they navigate difficult decisions about their futures.
“The Cage is Looking for a Bird” is produced by Hype Studios, the recently launched outfit of producer Ilya Stewart, whose upcoming slate includes new features from...
Musaeva’s debut, which world premieres Feb. 22 in the festival’s competitive Encounters section, focuses on a group of Chechen women living in a remote rural village, where they must defend their freedom and the right to live their own lives.
At the film’s heart is a friendship between two teenage girls, played by first-time actors Khadizha Bataeva and Madina Akkieva. On the precipice of adulthood, the duo seeks refuge in each other as they navigate difficult decisions about their futures.
“The Cage is Looking for a Bird” is produced by Hype Studios, the recently launched outfit of producer Ilya Stewart, whose upcoming slate includes new features from...
- 2/21/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho is teaming with Zq Entertainment to produce God’s Country — a new genre film starring Scream VI’s Melissa Barrera, which will mark the American directorial debut of Egor Abramenko (Sputnik).
The film going into production this summer will have Barrera playing a young Salvadoran woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé. What she uncovers is something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.
Related Story ‘The Backrooms’ Horror Film Based On Viral Shorts By 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons In Works At A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin & 21 Laps Related Story Lionsgate Acquiring Blumhouse Thriller 'Imaginary' To Be Directed By Jeff Wadlow – EFM Related Story Evan Rachel Wood, Josh Gad & Anthony Carrigan Set For Murder Mystery 'The Adults' From Filmmaker Alex Winter – EFM
Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) will produce for 6th & Idaho,...
The film going into production this summer will have Barrera playing a young Salvadoran woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé. What she uncovers is something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.
Related Story ‘The Backrooms’ Horror Film Based On Viral Shorts By 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons In Works At A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin & 21 Laps Related Story Lionsgate Acquiring Blumhouse Thriller 'Imaginary' To Be Directed By Jeff Wadlow – EFM Related Story Evan Rachel Wood, Josh Gad & Anthony Carrigan Set For Murder Mystery 'The Adults' From Filmmaker Alex Winter – EFM
Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) will produce for 6th & Idaho,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Paris-based international sales and production company Totem Films have boarded debutant Malika Musaeva’s “The Cage is Looking for a Bird,” which will receive its world premiere in the Encounters strand of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival.
The film focuses on a group of Chechen women living in a remote rural village and their struggles to defend their right for freedom and the choice to live their own lives. At the centre is a friendship between two teenage girls, on the verge of adulthood, who seek refuge in each other as they navigate decisions around their future.
Musaeva was born in Grozny, Chechnya, in 1992. During the Second Chechen War in 1999 her family fled and lived in Ingushetia and Ukraine, before settling in Germany. In 2003 her family returned to Russia and lived in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria. In 2010, she enrolled in the Kabardino-Balkarian State University and studied under the acclaimed film director Aleksandr Sokurov.
The film focuses on a group of Chechen women living in a remote rural village and their struggles to defend their right for freedom and the choice to live their own lives. At the centre is a friendship between two teenage girls, on the verge of adulthood, who seek refuge in each other as they navigate decisions around their future.
Musaeva was born in Grozny, Chechnya, in 1992. During the Second Chechen War in 1999 her family fled and lived in Ingushetia and Ukraine, before settling in Germany. In 2003 her family returned to Russia and lived in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria. In 2010, she enrolled in the Kabardino-Balkarian State University and studied under the acclaimed film director Aleksandr Sokurov.
- 1/30/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
As scary movies continue to rule the fall box office, production/management firm Anonymous Content has partnered with Eat the Cat, the banner run by Nick Antosca, the prolific creator and series showrunner behind The Act and A Friend of the Family, and partner Alex Hedlund, on a new joint venture to make horror and genre films.
With a plan to leverage creative and production resources from both Anonymous and Eat the Cat, the partnership, which is being titled Anonymous Cat, will focus on developing and producing what it calls premium filmmaker-driven fare in the spook space.
Robert Walak and Alisa Tager, presidents of AC Studios, the independent film and TV production studio that resides inside Anonymous, will oversee the joint venture with Garrett Kemble, Ryan Schwartz and Anonymous CEO Dawn Olmstead, alongside Cat’s Antosca and Hedlund.
The venture is hitting the...
As scary movies continue to rule the fall box office, production/management firm Anonymous Content has partnered with Eat the Cat, the banner run by Nick Antosca, the prolific creator and series showrunner behind The Act and A Friend of the Family, and partner Alex Hedlund, on a new joint venture to make horror and genre films.
With a plan to leverage creative and production resources from both Anonymous and Eat the Cat, the partnership, which is being titled Anonymous Cat, will focus on developing and producing what it calls premium filmmaker-driven fare in the spook space.
Robert Walak and Alisa Tager, presidents of AC Studios, the independent film and TV production studio that resides inside Anonymous, will oversee the joint venture with Garrett Kemble, Ryan Schwartz and Anonymous CEO Dawn Olmstead, alongside Cat’s Antosca and Hedlund.
The venture is hitting the...
- 10/20/2022
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producer Ilya Stewart has launched an independent studio based in Europe that will operate on a global scale, working with international talent and focusing on English-language feature films and television series, Variety can exclusively reveal.
Hype Studios is the new venture from Stewart, the formerly Moscow-based producer who in recent years has been a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival, where his collaborations with Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov, including “Petrov’s Flu” and “Tchaikovsky’s Wife,” have premiered in competition.
Among the co-productions with American and European partners currently on Hype Studios’ slate is Zach Wigon’s “Sanctuary,” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, which premieres as a Special Presentation next month at the Toronto International Film Festival and was produced with Rumble Films and Mosaic Films, along with Charades. Also on the slate is Pietro Marcello’s French-language “Scarlet,” produced in partnership with CG Cinéma’s Charles Gillibert, which opened this...
Hype Studios is the new venture from Stewart, the formerly Moscow-based producer who in recent years has been a fixture at the Cannes Film Festival, where his collaborations with Russian auteur Kirill Serebrennikov, including “Petrov’s Flu” and “Tchaikovsky’s Wife,” have premiered in competition.
Among the co-productions with American and European partners currently on Hype Studios’ slate is Zach Wigon’s “Sanctuary,” starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott, which premieres as a Special Presentation next month at the Toronto International Film Festival and was produced with Rumble Films and Mosaic Films, along with Charades. Also on the slate is Pietro Marcello’s French-language “Scarlet,” produced in partnership with CG Cinéma’s Charles Gillibert, which opened this...
- 8/25/2022
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Younger filmmakers including Egor Abramenko and Philiip Yurev are speaking out.
Young Russian filmmakers are coming together in significant numbers to protest against the invasion of Ukraine.
Signatories to an open letter which began circulating yesterday (March 1) include Egor Abramenko, director of 2020 sci-fi horror film, Sputnik, and Philip Yuriev, director of The Whaler Boy, which was a world premiere in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2020.
They are calling for an immediate halt to the war and describe “the reckless and barbaric actions of Russian authorities.”
“Russia has always taught us: there is nothing more valuable than a peaceful sky above our heads.
Young Russian filmmakers are coming together in significant numbers to protest against the invasion of Ukraine.
Signatories to an open letter which began circulating yesterday (March 1) include Egor Abramenko, director of 2020 sci-fi horror film, Sputnik, and Philip Yuriev, director of The Whaler Boy, which was a world premiere in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2020.
They are calling for an immediate halt to the war and describe “the reckless and barbaric actions of Russian authorities.”
“Russia has always taught us: there is nothing more valuable than a peaceful sky above our heads.
- 3/2/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
A selection of Russian films will screen in-person during the Beijing International Film Festival (Bjiff) through a collaboration with the new Russian Film Festival, part of an effort by both governments to promote Russian cinema in China and cultural exchange.
The Chinese festival is set to run from Sept. 17 to Sept. 30 as an in-person event after being pushed back from its typical April release date due to the pandemic. Given its close ties to Chinese film authorities, it is often a platform to showcase works from countries with which China hopes to strengthen political ties.
The Russian Film Festival is a program targeting international audiences via a series of online screenings organized by state-run Roskino and backed by Russia’s ministry of culture, in response to the global shutdown of cinemas amid the pandemic. Last year, the festival was held online in Australia, Mexico, Spain and Brazil. This year, it has gone up in Argentina,...
The Chinese festival is set to run from Sept. 17 to Sept. 30 as an in-person event after being pushed back from its typical April release date due to the pandemic. Given its close ties to Chinese film authorities, it is often a platform to showcase works from countries with which China hopes to strengthen political ties.
The Russian Film Festival is a program targeting international audiences via a series of online screenings organized by state-run Roskino and backed by Russia’s ministry of culture, in response to the global shutdown of cinemas amid the pandemic. Last year, the festival was held online in Australia, Mexico, Spain and Brazil. This year, it has gone up in Argentina,...
- 9/15/2021
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Matrix and Joker co-producer Village Roadshow Pictures is teaming with Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho (The Batman) and XYZ Films (Mandy) for the English-language remake of recently-released Russian sci-fi-thriller Sputnik.
Set in the Soviet Union in the 1980s during the Cold War, the film follows a young female doctor who is recruited by the military to assess a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and returned to Earth with a dangerous organism living inside him. The English-language remake is currently in development.
Producers for the remake include Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan and Rafi Crohn for 6th & Idaho, Mikhail Vrubel and Alexander Andryushenko for Vodorod Pictures, Fedor Bondarchuk for Art Pictures and Ilya Stewart for Hype Film.
Egor Abramenko, Murad Osmann, Pavel Burya, Alina Tyazhlova and Mila Rozanova are executive producers. XYZ Films also serves as executive producers. Jillian Apfelbaum (Late Night) will oversee for Village Roadshow Pictures.
The...
Set in the Soviet Union in the 1980s during the Cold War, the film follows a young female doctor who is recruited by the military to assess a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and returned to Earth with a dangerous organism living inside him. The English-language remake is currently in development.
Producers for the remake include Matt Reeves, Adam Kassan and Rafi Crohn for 6th & Idaho, Mikhail Vrubel and Alexander Andryushenko for Vodorod Pictures, Fedor Bondarchuk for Art Pictures and Ilya Stewart for Hype Film.
Egor Abramenko, Murad Osmann, Pavel Burya, Alina Tyazhlova and Mila Rozanova are executive producers. XYZ Films also serves as executive producers. Jillian Apfelbaum (Late Night) will oversee for Village Roadshow Pictures.
The...
- 3/29/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Hello, dear readers! We have a brand new collection of home media releases to look forward to this week, including one of the best horror comedies of 2020 - Christopher Landon’s Freaky. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, the disaster-centric thriller Greenland also arrives on both Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday, and for those of you who enjoy your sci-fi with a bit of a horror twist to it, be sure to check out Sputnik from Russian filmmaker Egor Abramenko.
Other releases for February 9th include the Steelbook edition for My Bloody Valentine (1981), Blue Monkey Aka Insect, Tourist Trap: Uncut, Devil’s Express, Devil Times Five, Happy Times, and Santo In The Treasure of Dracula: The Sexy Vampire Version 4K.
Blue Monkey Aka Insect
Take a fifties-style horror film in the tradition of 'Them' and 'The Fly' and the cross it with the spectacular...
Other releases for February 9th include the Steelbook edition for My Bloody Valentine (1981), Blue Monkey Aka Insect, Tourist Trap: Uncut, Devil’s Express, Devil Times Five, Happy Times, and Santo In The Treasure of Dracula: The Sexy Vampire Version 4K.
Blue Monkey Aka Insect
Take a fifties-style horror film in the tradition of 'Them' and 'The Fly' and the cross it with the spectacular...
- 2/9/2021
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
IFC Midnight has an excellent track record with their horror acquisitions, so you'll want to add A Banquet to the list of movies to keep on your radar. Due out in 2021, the movie is the feature debut from Ruth Paxton and stars Sienna Guillory. Here's the official press release from IFC:
"IFC Midnight announced today that it is acquiring North American rights to A Banquet, the feature debut from Ruth Paxton, whose award-winning short films have been exhibited and nominated in competition at numerous prominent film festivals worldwide. A Banquet is a visually arresting, slow-burning psychological horror that uses subtle supernatural elements to create tension within a family in the midst of a breakdown, exploiting the complicated bond between three generations of mothers and daughters.
The film stars Sienna Guillory, British rising stars Jessica Alexander (Get Even) and Ruby Stokes, and award-winning actress Lindsay Duncan Cbe. A Banquet will...
"IFC Midnight announced today that it is acquiring North American rights to A Banquet, the feature debut from Ruth Paxton, whose award-winning short films have been exhibited and nominated in competition at numerous prominent film festivals worldwide. A Banquet is a visually arresting, slow-burning psychological horror that uses subtle supernatural elements to create tension within a family in the midst of a breakdown, exploiting the complicated bond between three generations of mothers and daughters.
The film stars Sienna Guillory, British rising stars Jessica Alexander (Get Even) and Ruby Stokes, and award-winning actress Lindsay Duncan Cbe. A Banquet will...
- 12/3/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Held online due to Covid-19, the Trieste meeting with science-fiction and horror ends with the announcement of the winners, coming from Russia, Canada, Austria and Germany. The 20th edition of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival, held for the first time online, ends with the announcement of the winners. The Asteroid prize, which recognises the best science-fiction, horror or fantasy film and is limited to the first, second or third features of emerging directors which are brought together in the Neon section of the festival, went to Sputnik by Egor Abramenko (Russia). The prize was awarded by an international jury that included cartoonist and writer Bepi Vigna, screenwriter and writer Javier S. Donate and producer and screenwriter Brendan McCarthy. Special Mention of the Asteroid Prize Ts+FF2020 went to the Canadian film Come True by Anthony Scott Burns. The winner of the Silver Méliès prize, which is reserved for feature-length films in the.
With what was supposed to be the summer movie season now just another relic of this pandemic-blasted year, and the rest of 2020’s major film releases in a continuing state of flux, it’s important to note that there has still been a fairly steady stream of new films coming out, some in limited theatrical release but others largely available via video on demand and streaming services.
With that in mind, and with the customary “opening weekend” a rather fluid and ambiguous term as well, below is a rundown of films we’ve caught in the past month, along with information on where you can find and watch them. Some are good, some not so much, but your mileage may vary for each. The important thing to know is that movies are still coming out–just not always in the ways we expect.
She Dies Tomorrow
Although it was released back on Aug.
With that in mind, and with the customary “opening weekend” a rather fluid and ambiguous term as well, below is a rundown of films we’ve caught in the past month, along with information on where you can find and watch them. Some are good, some not so much, but your mileage may vary for each. The important thing to know is that movies are still coming out–just not always in the ways we expect.
She Dies Tomorrow
Although it was released back on Aug.
- 8/24/2020
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
"Sputnik" is the new science fiction horror feature, directed by Egor Abramenko, starring Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk and Pyotr Fyodorov:
"...at the height of the 'Cold War', a 'Soviet' spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor.
"After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander's mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...at the height of the 'Cold War', a 'Soviet' spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor.
"After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander's mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/20/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Sputnik Directed By Egor Abramenko Oksana Akinshina (Lilya 4-ever), Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), And Pyotr Fyodorov (The Darkest Hour) Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana …
The post Opens Today | Sputnik – 80’s-Set Russian Sci-Fi-Horror by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 courtesy of IFC Midnight appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.
The post Opens Today | Sputnik – 80’s-Set Russian Sci-Fi-Horror by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 courtesy of IFC Midnight appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.
- 8/18/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Summer of 1996. The booming ’90s cinematic box 0ffice was graced with the arrival of extraterrestrial beings in hovering unidentified flying objects that lingered over large cities across planet Earth. Independence Day took ideas of science fiction classics like War of the Worlds, Alien, and E.T. and combined them together for a popcorn movie that helped reimagine what stories of invaders from outer space could look and feel like. It’s a big, loud, fun science fiction spectacle.
Summer of 2020. Science fiction films have evolved. Stories of alien beings have morphed into manifestations of comic book characters or the reemergence of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy in popular culture. We’ve seen brand new films in the Alien and Predator movie galaxy, more Cloverfield alien monsters, and another journey 20 years after the original film release with Independence Day: Resurgence. Aliens are everywhere.
However, this abundance of stories has led to...
Summer of 2020. Science fiction films have evolved. Stories of alien beings have morphed into manifestations of comic book characters or the reemergence of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy in popular culture. We’ve seen brand new films in the Alien and Predator movie galaxy, more Cloverfield alien monsters, and another journey 20 years after the original film release with Independence Day: Resurgence. Aliens are everywhere.
However, this abundance of stories has led to...
- 8/17/2020
- by Monte Yazzie
- DailyDead
[Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for IFC Midnight’s “Sputnik,” now available on VOD, digital, and in select theaters.]
While a space traveler’s greatest fear is typically what’s waiting out there in the great unknown, what they bring back to Earth could be much, much worse. That’s the premise of Russian filmmaker Egor Abramenko’s feature debut “Sputnik,” a sci-fi chiller with the stately echoes of Ridley Scott’s classic “Alien.” Set in the 1980s Cold War era, “Sputnik” blends creature-feature effects with heady extraterrestrial thrills. “Sputnik” is based on a proof-of-concept short Abramenko released in 2017 called “The Passenger” and, according to the director in a recent IndieWire interview, it’s unusual to see a sci-fi movie of such ambitious scale come out of Russia. Besides the one Russian name synonymous with soul-searching sci-fi, Andrei Tarkovsky, of course.
“We wanted to combine a very common setting for the Russian audiences, which is the U.
While a space traveler’s greatest fear is typically what’s waiting out there in the great unknown, what they bring back to Earth could be much, much worse. That’s the premise of Russian filmmaker Egor Abramenko’s feature debut “Sputnik,” a sci-fi chiller with the stately echoes of Ridley Scott’s classic “Alien.” Set in the 1980s Cold War era, “Sputnik” blends creature-feature effects with heady extraterrestrial thrills. “Sputnik” is based on a proof-of-concept short Abramenko released in 2017 called “The Passenger” and, according to the director in a recent IndieWire interview, it’s unusual to see a sci-fi movie of such ambitious scale come out of Russia. Besides the one Russian name synonymous with soul-searching sci-fi, Andrei Tarkovsky, of course.
“We wanted to combine a very common setting for the Russian audiences, which is the U.
- 8/17/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
We don’t get enough material set in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The era is so fraught with mystery and intrigue, it benefits more than just spy thrillers. This weekend’s new release Sputnik, for example, manages to use the period for a science fiction / horror outing. The already potential laden field of space horror mixes with a creature feature to form something pretty unique and often a lot of fun. Things fall apart a bit at the end, but this is a great little under the radar title. You’d do well to give it a look, especially if you’re keen on genre offerings. The movie is sci-fi horror picture, set in the former Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Cosmonauts Konstantin Veshnyakov (Pyotr Fyodorov) and Kirill Averchenko (Aleksey Demidov) are returning home from space when something interacts with their capsule. Veshnyakov...
- 8/16/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Refresh for updates The top grossing titles at the weekend domestic box office, were straight from Canada with Paramount’s SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run landing the No. 1 spot with $900K from 300 locations per the Melrose Ave studio with $345K on Friday, and $300K on Saturday, -13%.
SpongeBob Movie, along with Trolls: World Tour, have been the only new major studio mainstream movies (not counting specialty label titles) to be released during the pandemic.
Solstice Studios’ Russell Crowe road rage movie Unhinged, distributed in Canada by Vvs, but it made $230K on Friday for a $582K 3-day.
This past weekend, the country’s hard-top theaters were largely reopened, led by Canada’s biggest chain, Cineplex Entertainment, which had 137 of its 164 locations reopened. Their entire circuit from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia will be open next weekend. Landmark, Canada’s other notable chain, has been open for weeks.
SpongeBob Movie, along with Trolls: World Tour, have been the only new major studio mainstream movies (not counting specialty label titles) to be released during the pandemic.
Solstice Studios’ Russell Crowe road rage movie Unhinged, distributed in Canada by Vvs, but it made $230K on Friday for a $582K 3-day.
This past weekend, the country’s hard-top theaters were largely reopened, led by Canada’s biggest chain, Cineplex Entertainment, which had 137 of its 164 locations reopened. Their entire circuit from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia will be open next weekend. Landmark, Canada’s other notable chain, has been open for weeks.
- 8/16/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on August 13th, 2020, reviewing the new films “Sputnik” and “Red Penguins.”
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Sputnik This Russian-made film was suppose to have its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2020 in April (moved to online). A Russian cosmonaut in 1983 has something strange happen to him on re-entry, and the Soviet-era scientists can’t figure out what’s wrong. They bring in a radical female psycho-therapist to think outside the box, and she learns that the space traveler has a parasite living inside him (like the film Alien). This creature has needs – including what it eats – that are top secret. 4/5 stars. Locally, it’s available for actual theatrical and virtual download through MusicBoxTheatre.com.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Red Penguins What happens when two American entrepreneurs invest in the Russian Red Army hockey team in 1993, and send a slick marketing...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Sputnik This Russian-made film was suppose to have its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival 2020 in April (moved to online). A Russian cosmonaut in 1983 has something strange happen to him on re-entry, and the Soviet-era scientists can’t figure out what’s wrong. They bring in a radical female psycho-therapist to think outside the box, and she learns that the space traveler has a parasite living inside him (like the film Alien). This creature has needs – including what it eats – that are top secret. 4/5 stars. Locally, it’s available for actual theatrical and virtual download through MusicBoxTheatre.com.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
Red Penguins What happens when two American entrepreneurs invest in the Russian Red Army hockey team in 1993, and send a slick marketing...
- 8/16/2020
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"The only survivor did not come back alone." The historic Space Race becomes the backdrop for a living nightmare when a Russian cosmonaut returns to Earth with something alien (that doesn't seem to come in peace) inside him in the new sci-fi horror film Sputnik.
On this special episode of Corpse Club, Heather Wixson is joined by Sputnik director Egor Abramenko to discuss his feature film debut, which is out now from IFC Midnight. Listen as Egor takes a deep dive into the ambitious making of his movie, from its haunting body horror moments and its creepy cosmic monster to what it was like filming in Moscow and intertwining the film's unsettling story into the real-life drama of the Space Race.
So, whether you like to wonder what might be lurking among the stars or you'd rather leave those thoughts floating in orbit, listen as Heather and Egor launch into...
On this special episode of Corpse Club, Heather Wixson is joined by Sputnik director Egor Abramenko to discuss his feature film debut, which is out now from IFC Midnight. Listen as Egor takes a deep dive into the ambitious making of his movie, from its haunting body horror moments and its creepy cosmic monster to what it was like filming in Moscow and intertwining the film's unsettling story into the real-life drama of the Space Race.
So, whether you like to wonder what might be lurking among the stars or you'd rather leave those thoughts floating in orbit, listen as Heather and Egor launch into...
- 8/14/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
This Time It’s Cold War: Abramenko Revamps a Xenomorph with Effective Potboiler
Just when you think a familiar formula might have run all its potential courses and configurations comes a surprisingly fresh take on extraterrestrial terror with Egor Abramenko’s simple but inspired debut, Sputnik.
A Soviet horror film which will unavoidably be compared to Ridley Scott’s 1979 landmark Alien, Abramenko takes advantage of period (and continual) bureaucratic anxieties for a simmering invasion film which takes place during the final decade of the Cold War but also mines the formidable historical legacies of both the Space Race and the secret development of weapons of mass destruction.…...
Just when you think a familiar formula might have run all its potential courses and configurations comes a surprisingly fresh take on extraterrestrial terror with Egor Abramenko’s simple but inspired debut, Sputnik.
A Soviet horror film which will unavoidably be compared to Ridley Scott’s 1979 landmark Alien, Abramenko takes advantage of period (and continual) bureaucratic anxieties for a simmering invasion film which takes place during the final decade of the Cold War but also mines the formidable historical legacies of both the Space Race and the secret development of weapons of mass destruction.…...
- 8/14/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
You may have heard his name uttered by Kanye West or Migos in songs but Martin Margiela isn’t necessarily a household name when it comes to fashion — but it should be. One of the most elusive designers in the fashion industry, there are barely any photos of him on the internet, but his work speaks for itself. In the Oscilloscope documentary, Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, filmmaker Reiner Holzemer takes us behind the scenes of the career of the titular avant-garde.
With the docu, Margiela breaks his no-interview policy and aversion to being in the public eye as Holzemer puts the spotlight on the “Banksy of fashion”. He worked as Jean Paul Gaultier’s assistant and was the creative director at Hermès before he started his own fashion house. For the first time, Margiela reveals his drawings, notes, and personal items in this intimate profile of his vision...
With the docu, Margiela breaks his no-interview policy and aversion to being in the public eye as Holzemer puts the spotlight on the “Banksy of fashion”. He worked as Jean Paul Gaultier’s assistant and was the creative director at Hermès before he started his own fashion house. For the first time, Margiela reveals his drawings, notes, and personal items in this intimate profile of his vision...
- 8/14/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
The intense, often nerve-wracking, yet thoroughly enjoyable genre film Sputnik is also the debut for Russian director Egor Abramenko. This is a film that sports echoes of other classics of the horror/science fiction ilk like Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), or even John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing (1982). Abramenko, however, displays a singular style with an impressive first feature that portends potentially greater things yet to come.
The film first introduces young doctor Tatiana Yurievna (Oksana Akinshina) who has been summoned before a medical review board for her less-than-orthodox treatment techniques (despite their success) and may have her license revoked. Her maverick spirit, however, intrigues the Russian military who asks her to consult on a case involving recently returned from space cosmonaut Konstantin Sergeyevich (Pyotr Fyodorov) who seems to have developed a particularly nasty symbiotic condition that manifests itself in the shrouded darkness of the night. Of course, the...
The film first introduces young doctor Tatiana Yurievna (Oksana Akinshina) who has been summoned before a medical review board for her less-than-orthodox treatment techniques (despite their success) and may have her license revoked. Her maverick spirit, however, intrigues the Russian military who asks her to consult on a case involving recently returned from space cosmonaut Konstantin Sergeyevich (Pyotr Fyodorov) who seems to have developed a particularly nasty symbiotic condition that manifests itself in the shrouded darkness of the night. Of course, the...
- 8/14/2020
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
With a clear reverence for sci-fi horror landmarks, principally Alien, the new Russian feature Sputnik looks to crash-land into the genre with high ambitions. Unfortunately, for first-time writer-director Egor Abramenko, emphasizing associations to Ridley Scott’s sci-fi juggernaut is more an act of cannibalism than a guiding light of inspiration. While Sputnik succeeds in its striking visual effects and an intriguing central creature, it sputters out from the gravitational pull of amateur pacing and a wildly messy execution.
The film begins in 1982, with two cosmonauts returning from a mission amidst the stars, drifting over a digital Earth that showcases Abramenko’s knack for convincing visual effects. However, things quickly go awry when something appears to board the vessel, which plummets to Earth and leaves one cosmonaut mauled to death and the other, Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), shell-shocked and wracked with apparent amnesia.
With Konstantin kept under study in a private facility in Kazakhstan,...
The film begins in 1982, with two cosmonauts returning from a mission amidst the stars, drifting over a digital Earth that showcases Abramenko’s knack for convincing visual effects. However, things quickly go awry when something appears to board the vessel, which plummets to Earth and leaves one cosmonaut mauled to death and the other, Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov), shell-shocked and wracked with apparent amnesia.
With Konstantin kept under study in a private facility in Kazakhstan,...
- 8/13/2020
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Two cosmonauts are alone in their capsule, preparing for the return journey to Earth, when something slides across a window beside them - on the outside. In a US film this would likely be a prelude to action an adventure - it might even provoke laughter - but the Russian science fiction tradition is very different, and as the hatch above the men's heads begins, very gently, to rattle, viewers of any background will struggle to escape a deep sense of dread.
There's a strong flavour of Quatermass about this deliciously dark first offering from Egor Abramenko. We pick up the story after the vessel has made its landing, badly, with only one survivor, and those who remember Nigel Kneale's 1955 offering may suspect that something has happened to the man. This is what the authorities think too. As the film is set in the Soviet period, secrecy is a matter.
There's a strong flavour of Quatermass about this deliciously dark first offering from Egor Abramenko. We pick up the story after the vessel has made its landing, badly, with only one survivor, and those who remember Nigel Kneale's 1955 offering may suspect that something has happened to the man. This is what the authorities think too. As the film is set in the Soviet period, secrecy is a matter.
- 8/12/2020
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
As the cinema of celestial brutes and space-set horrors goes, Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic “Alien” still retains a gold-standard status among its kind, continuing to lend its DNA to various sci-fi quests beyond the atmosphere. The latest film to ingest a piece of its eerie spirit — albeit, with varying degrees of success — is “Sputnik,” a tense genre exploit by debuting Russian director Egor Abramenko.
A claustrophobic character study with gripping set pieces, serviceable spatters of gross-out B-movie gore and plenty of red-lit corridors, “Sputnik” doesn’t quite deliver upon the juicy potential of its paranoia-induced Cold War-era backdrop. Still, Abramenko maintains the film’s finite appeal throughout, mostly thanks to a familiar aura and a charismatic lead performance by Oksana Akinshina, a fine surrogate for the tough-as-nails heroine Ellen Ripley.
Despite its limitations — among them is an inelegantly designed extraterrestrial antagonist and simplistic special effects created on a small budget...
A claustrophobic character study with gripping set pieces, serviceable spatters of gross-out B-movie gore and plenty of red-lit corridors, “Sputnik” doesn’t quite deliver upon the juicy potential of its paranoia-induced Cold War-era backdrop. Still, Abramenko maintains the film’s finite appeal throughout, mostly thanks to a familiar aura and a charismatic lead performance by Oksana Akinshina, a fine surrogate for the tough-as-nails heroine Ellen Ripley.
Despite its limitations — among them is an inelegantly designed extraterrestrial antagonist and simplistic special effects created on a small budget...
- 8/12/2020
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety Film + TV
A quick question: How much do you like Alien? Let’s rephrase this slightly: Do you dig Ridley Scott’s masterpiece so much that you’d be perfectly fine watching something that owes a massive debt to it, just to kill time between your 999th and 1000th viewing of the original 1979 groundbreaker? The differences would be subtle — say, an alien slithering out of a host’s throat rather than bursting through his chest, and instead of resembling a walking, hissing penis-head with retractable chrome jaws, it would look more like...
- 8/12/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The alien is the least of the horrors in Egor Abramenko’s mostly gripping suspense, set in a dour 80s army facility with an unwanted visitor
‘We sent two into space. Three came back.” At first, no one notices the extraterrestrial stowaway when a Soviet rocket lands back on Earth; the creature is tucked out of sight, getting comfy in the oesophagus of one of the two astronauts on board. But it makes itself known at a medical facility, slithering out of the man’s mouth, expanding, before chomping on the brains of a nurse. Russian director Egor Abramenko makes his feature debut with this mostly gripping movie, a supremely confident 1980s-set sci-fi refrigerated with elements of a Soviet-era thriller and scares straight out of Alien. Its female hero has the mental toughness of Ripley, too.
She is controversial psychiatrist Tatyana (Oksana Akinshina), who is under investigation for treating a...
‘We sent two into space. Three came back.” At first, no one notices the extraterrestrial stowaway when a Soviet rocket lands back on Earth; the creature is tucked out of sight, getting comfy in the oesophagus of one of the two astronauts on board. But it makes itself known at a medical facility, slithering out of the man’s mouth, expanding, before chomping on the brains of a nurse. Russian director Egor Abramenko makes his feature debut with this mostly gripping movie, a supremely confident 1980s-set sci-fi refrigerated with elements of a Soviet-era thriller and scares straight out of Alien. Its female hero has the mental toughness of Ripley, too.
She is controversial psychiatrist Tatyana (Oksana Akinshina), who is under investigation for treating a...
- 8/12/2020
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
“Sputnik” is a word that means, most prominently, two things: various Soviet spacecraft which began with the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, and the origin of the word from Russian meaning “companion” or “fellow traveler.” This is a title that’s perfectly fitting to director Egor Abramenko’s first feature, the sci-fi horror film Sputnik, about two cosmonauts sent into orbit at the height of the Cold War, who return to Earth with a third passenger.
Set during a time of uncertainty and in a state on the brink of collapse, the film opens with the end of a space mission in 1983. Commander Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov) and co-pilot Kirill (Aleksey Demidov) are executing their descent when they’re hit with unexpected turbulence and power failure. Looking through the small, circular windows of their pod, they realize they’re not alone in the darkness. The film then cuts to...
Set during a time of uncertainty and in a state on the brink of collapse, the film opens with the end of a space mission in 1983. Commander Konstantin (Pyotr Fyodorov) and co-pilot Kirill (Aleksey Demidov) are executing their descent when they’re hit with unexpected turbulence and power failure. Looking through the small, circular windows of their pod, they realize they’re not alone in the darkness. The film then cuts to...
- 8/11/2020
- by Sara Clements
- DailyDead
In today's Horror Highlights: Watch the teaser trailer for Come True, learn more about the horror/comedy comic book series Necromancer Bill, watch a clip from Sputnik, and read about the latest cast additions to 30 Seconds in Hell!
Watch the Teaser Trailer for Come True: "High school student Sarah (Stone) is at her lowest point yet when she runs away from home and finds herself with no one to rely on and struggling with recurring nightmares. She chances upon a university sleep study that offers the promise of safety and money and brings her an unexpected friend and confidant in the overseeing scientist Jeremy (Liboiron). But there's something curious about proceedings, and being under observation seems to make Sarah's disturbing dreams even worse. As the darkness begins to close in, it's soon clear that Sarah has unknowingly become the conduit to a horrifying, new discovery…
Come True is the...
Watch the Teaser Trailer for Come True: "High school student Sarah (Stone) is at her lowest point yet when she runs away from home and finds herself with no one to rely on and struggling with recurring nightmares. She chances upon a university sleep study that offers the promise of safety and money and brings her an unexpected friend and confidant in the overseeing scientist Jeremy (Liboiron). But there's something curious about proceedings, and being under observation seems to make Sarah's disturbing dreams even worse. As the darkness begins to close in, it's soon clear that Sarah has unknowingly become the conduit to a horrifying, new discovery…
Come True is the...
- 8/11/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
As the mercury soared, collections plummeted as the heatwave across England took its toll on the U.K. and Ireland box office over the weekend.
Russell Crowe’s “Unhinged,” released by Altitude Film Distribution, retained the box office crown with a weekend gross of £117,633, a decline of 34% from last week, despite increasing screen count from 243 to 270, according to final numbers from Comscore.
Meanwhile, Disney holdover “Onward” dropped 21%, earning £46,576 from 245 sites. In third place, Vertigo’s Australian animation “100% Wolf” surged 28% to collect £42,500 from 259 sites.
Seth Rogen’s “An American Pickle,” released by Warner Bros, debuted in fourth position with £27,732 from 162 sites.
Vertigo’s supernatural title “The Vigil” dropped from fifth to ninth place with £16,012 from 177 sites. The rest of the chart was dominated by re-releases, including “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Jurassic Park” and the extended version of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Russell Crowe’s “Unhinged,” released by Altitude Film Distribution, retained the box office crown with a weekend gross of £117,633, a decline of 34% from last week, despite increasing screen count from 243 to 270, according to final numbers from Comscore.
Meanwhile, Disney holdover “Onward” dropped 21%, earning £46,576 from 245 sites. In third place, Vertigo’s Australian animation “100% Wolf” surged 28% to collect £42,500 from 259 sites.
Seth Rogen’s “An American Pickle,” released by Warner Bros, debuted in fourth position with £27,732 from 162 sites.
Vertigo’s supernatural title “The Vigil” dropped from fifth to ninth place with £16,012 from 177 sites. The rest of the chart was dominated by re-releases, including “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Jurassic Park” and the extended version of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
- 8/11/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Alien” casts a big shadow on “Sputnik,” a slick Cold War alien invasion thriller from first-time director Egor Abramenko, so much that it threatens to swallow the movie whole. Fortunately, Abramenko sneaks in a fresh angle before the chest-bursting extraterrestrial mayhem takes charge. Launching with a slick and eerie first act, “Sputnik” initially feels like the kind of slow-burn laboratory thriller that rarely gets made these days, yet feels timelier than ever. Russian machinations? Medical phenomena that confound modern science? You don’t say!
Sadly, the analogy doesn’t go much further than that. But made all the more intriguing by the period backdrop that carries connotations of its own. It’s 1983, and after a trio of cosmonauts slam back to earth under dubious circumstances in the dark of night, one winds up dead, another in a coma, and a third can’t remember what happened. That’s Konstantin Veshnyakov...
Sadly, the analogy doesn’t go much further than that. But made all the more intriguing by the period backdrop that carries connotations of its own. It’s 1983, and after a trio of cosmonauts slam back to earth under dubious circumstances in the dark of night, one winds up dead, another in a coma, and a third can’t remember what happened. That’s Konstantin Veshnyakov...
- 8/10/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Want a reason to check out Egor Abramenko's sci-fi horror flick Sputnik when it opens on August 14th? Then check out this 'crash landing' clip below. The clip happens right at the beginning of the film, but not until there is an equally cool and chilly opening scene up in orbit. But this clip really shows how slick a filmmaker Abramenko is, how well he manages light and illumination. There is evidence of violence in the clip so just a heads up. Not like our poor cosmonaut there. Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/10/2020
- Screen Anarchy
The 80’s-Set Russian Sci-Fi-Horror Sputnik Opens August 14. Check Out This Trailer:
Russia, 1983 – Cold War tensions at their peak. A terrifying scene is discovered at the landing site of spacecraft Orbit-4. The commander is dead, the flight engineer in coma. The third crew member, Valery Basov, has survived, but he has lost his memory from the horrific experience and cannot shed light on the cause of the accident. In a secluded government facility, under the vigilant watch of armed guards, psychologist Tatiana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) must cure the astronaut’s amnesia and unravel the mystery. In the process, she learns that Orbit-4 may have carried back an alien parasite that threatens to consume them all.
The Critics love Sputnik:
“Magnetic…wipes the floor with many of it’s Hollywood counterparts.”
Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
“Excellent, gory, nail-biting.”
Lance Vlcek, JoBlo’s Arrow In The Head
“One of the most suspenseful science-fiction films in years.
Russia, 1983 – Cold War tensions at their peak. A terrifying scene is discovered at the landing site of spacecraft Orbit-4. The commander is dead, the flight engineer in coma. The third crew member, Valery Basov, has survived, but he has lost his memory from the horrific experience and cannot shed light on the cause of the accident. In a secluded government facility, under the vigilant watch of armed guards, psychologist Tatiana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) must cure the astronaut’s amnesia and unravel the mystery. In the process, she learns that Orbit-4 may have carried back an alien parasite that threatens to consume them all.
The Critics love Sputnik:
“Magnetic…wipes the floor with many of it’s Hollywood counterparts.”
Alex Saveliev, Film Threat
“Excellent, gory, nail-biting.”
Lance Vlcek, JoBlo’s Arrow In The Head
“One of the most suspenseful science-fiction films in years.
- 8/8/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sputnik – Chilling Sci-Fi Thriller Directed by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 Courtesy of IFC Midnight!
Sputnik Directed by:Egor AbramenkoWritten by:Oleg Malovichko and Andrei ZolotarevStarring:Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, Fedor Bondarchuk, and Anton Vasilev Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana is brought …
The post Sputnik – Chilling Sci-Fi Thriller Directed by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 Courtesy of IFC Midnight! appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.
The post Sputnik – Chilling Sci-Fi Thriller Directed by Egor Abramenko | Opens 8/14 Courtesy of IFC Midnight! appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net.
- 8/8/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
It's dark, creepy, Russian and now one of my most anticipated titles of the year. Meet Sputnik.
Written and directed by Egor Abramenko and expanded from the director's 2017 short film The Passenger, Sputnik stars Pyotr Fyodorov as Konstantin, the lone survivor of a spaceship incident. Oksana Akinshina is Tatyana, a doctor who has been brought in to observe the astronaut but what she doesn't initially know that becomes clear later is that Konstantin didn't come back alone and the government wants her to separate the parasite from the man. As expected, things go badly.
I couldn't not think of The Thing while watching the trailer for Sputnik but man if the trailer isn't great: sleek, dark, moody and haunting, featuring glimpses of a mo...
Written and directed by Egor Abramenko and expanded from the director's 2017 short film The Passenger, Sputnik stars Pyotr Fyodorov as Konstantin, the lone survivor of a spaceship incident. Oksana Akinshina is Tatyana, a doctor who has been brought in to observe the astronaut but what she doesn't initially know that becomes clear later is that Konstantin didn't come back alone and the government wants her to separate the parasite from the man. As expected, things go badly.
I couldn't not think of The Thing while watching the trailer for Sputnik but man if the trailer isn't great: sleek, dark, moody and haunting, featuring glimpses of a mo...
- 7/24/2020
- QuietEarth.us
"Sputnik" is the new science fiction horror feature, directed by Egor Abramenko, starring Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk and Pyotr Fyodorov:
"...at the height of the 'Cold War', a 'Soviet' spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor.
"After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander's mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...at the height of the 'Cold War', a 'Soviet' spacecraft crash lands after a mission gone awry, leaving the commander as its only survivor.
"After a renowned Russian psychologist is brought in to evaluate the commander's mental state, it becomes clear that something dangerous may have come back to Earth with him..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 7/22/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
With all blockbusters pushed back indefinitely due to the pandemic, that means those looking for sci-fi spectacles and space epics, which often carry a hefty price tag, will have to sit tight. However, looking at the inventive world of indie filmmaking, some directors have delivered impressive scope on a tighter budget. One such example is Egor Abramenko, whose debut feature Sputnik will be arriving next month.
Starring Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, Fedor Bondarchuk, and Anton Vasilev, the creature feature follows a doctor who is overseeing a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and has returned to Earth, albeit with something living inside him. Judging from this first trailer from IFC Midnight, it looks like a suspenseful Alien-esque thriller that has the makings of a late-summer sleeper hit.
See the trailer and poster below for the Tribeca and Sitges selection.
Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is...
Starring Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, Fedor Bondarchuk, and Anton Vasilev, the creature feature follows a doctor who is overseeing a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and has returned to Earth, albeit with something living inside him. Judging from this first trailer from IFC Midnight, it looks like a suspenseful Alien-esque thriller that has the makings of a late-summer sleeper hit.
See the trailer and poster below for the Tribeca and Sitges selection.
Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is...
- 7/22/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
We're back with a new installment of Horror Highlights! In today's edition, we trailers for Coma, Shifter, Fear Pharm, and Sputnik:
Watch the Trailer for Coma: "After a tragic accident, a young architect wakes up in a dystopian world: Coma. Here, reality is made from the memories of people who have fallen into a comatose state. Cities, rivers and the sky all flow in and out of each other -fragmented and unstable just like our memories. The common laws of physics don't exist and nightmarish reapers roam the land spreading death. Having lost most of his own memory, the architect must develop new skills to survive and adapt to the chaos around him. On his search for a way back to reality, he joins a rogue group of fighters and discovers a secret that will affect their lives forever.
Written by: Nikita Argunov, Aleksei Grawitski, and Timofei Dekin...
Watch the Trailer for Coma: "After a tragic accident, a young architect wakes up in a dystopian world: Coma. Here, reality is made from the memories of people who have fallen into a comatose state. Cities, rivers and the sky all flow in and out of each other -fragmented and unstable just like our memories. The common laws of physics don't exist and nightmarish reapers roam the land spreading death. Having lost most of his own memory, the architect must develop new skills to survive and adapt to the chaos around him. On his search for a way back to reality, he joins a rogue group of fighters and discovers a secret that will affect their lives forever.
Written by: Nikita Argunov, Aleksei Grawitski, and Timofei Dekin...
- 7/22/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
IFC Films has released the brand new trailer for Sputnik. Opening in theaters and VOD August 14, take a look below.
Russia, 1983 – Cold War tensions at their peak. A terrifying scene is discovered at the landing site of spacecraft Orbit-4. The commander is dead, the flight engineer in coma. The third crew member, Valery Basov, has survived, but he has lost his memory from the horrific experience and cannot shed light on the cause of the accident. In a secluded government facility, under the vigilant watch of armed guards, psychologist Tatiana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) must cure the astronaut’s amnesia and unravel the mystery. In the process, she learns that Orbit-4 may have carried back an alien parasite that threatens to consume them all.
Director Egor Abramenko is an established award-winning director of commercials and music videos from Russia. Upon graduation from The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in 2009, he worked extensively...
Russia, 1983 – Cold War tensions at their peak. A terrifying scene is discovered at the landing site of spacecraft Orbit-4. The commander is dead, the flight engineer in coma. The third crew member, Valery Basov, has survived, but he has lost his memory from the horrific experience and cannot shed light on the cause of the accident. In a secluded government facility, under the vigilant watch of armed guards, psychologist Tatiana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) must cure the astronaut’s amnesia and unravel the mystery. In the process, she learns that Orbit-4 may have carried back an alien parasite that threatens to consume them all.
Director Egor Abramenko is an established award-winning director of commercials and music videos from Russia. Upon graduation from The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in 2009, he worked extensively...
- 7/21/2020
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
First-time Russian director Egor Abramenko has made a huge splash with his debut, the sci-fi horror flick Sputnik. We have seen it and we like it, quite a bit. Look for our review closer to its North American release this August. Today, a new trailer and poster have been released by it's distributor, IFC Midnight. Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana is brought to a secure science research facility to assess a very special case, that of Konstantin Sergeyevich, a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and has...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/21/2020
- Screen Anarchy
"It appears there was an incident in space." IFC Films has unveiled a new official US trailer for Sputnik, a freaky alien horror thriller about a mysterious extraterrestrial lifeform that arrives inside a Russian space capsule. We featured other official trailers for this movie a few months back. After returning to Earth, the capsule's only survivor has brought something else with him. They try to keep him in quarantine, but as we know from the original Alien (and also real life) that won't hold him for long. Starring Oksana Akinshina, Fedor Bondarchuk, and Pyotr Fyodorov. After premiering in Russia earlier this year, the film has been getting mostly warm reviews from genre critics. The new poster (seen below) is also very cool. Worth a look. Here's the official US trailer (+ new poster) for Egor Abramenko's Sputnik, direct from IFC's YouTube: You can also watch the previous official trailers for Abramenko's Sputnik here,...
- 7/21/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
While a space traveler’s greatest fear is typically what’s waiting out there in the great unknown, what they bring back to Earth could be much, much worse. That’s the premise of Russian filmmaker Egor Abramenko’s feature debut “Sputnik,” a sci-fi chiller with the stately echoes of Ridley Scott’s classic “Alien.” Set in the 1980s, “Sputnik” blends creature-feature effects with heady extraterrestrial thrills. An official selection of the canceled 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, the movie debuts from IFC Midnight in select theaters and on VOD August 14. Watch the trailer for the film below.
Here’s the creepy synopsis: “Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana is brought to a secure science research facility to assess a very special case, that of Konstantin Sergeyevich,...
Here’s the creepy synopsis: “Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna is on the precipice of losing her medical license. Her career may not be over, though. After she’s recruited by the military, Tatiana is brought to a secure science research facility to assess a very special case, that of Konstantin Sergeyevich,...
- 7/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
While international audiences have gotten used to Russian auteurs on red carpets from the Croisette to the Dolby Theatre, where directors such as Andrey Zvyagintsev and Kantemir Balagov (“Beanpole”) have scooped up prestigious awards and Oscar nods, more and more Russian filmmakers are focused on making a splash in the global market.
Buoyed by high-octane actioners and genre titles with slick special effects, international sales for Russian films have been rising roughly 20% per year, according to film promotion body Roskino. During the Cannes virtual market, many foreign buyers may be tempted to give the country’s commercial fare a second look. “It’s the perception that needs to change,” says Central Partnership CEO Vadim Vereshchagin. “Our productions are at the same level as the European productions right now.”
Central Partnership has a strong Cannes slate that includes “Chernobyl,” a big-budget actioner about the aftermath of the nuclear power plant meltdown,...
Buoyed by high-octane actioners and genre titles with slick special effects, international sales for Russian films have been rising roughly 20% per year, according to film promotion body Roskino. During the Cannes virtual market, many foreign buyers may be tempted to give the country’s commercial fare a second look. “It’s the perception that needs to change,” says Central Partnership CEO Vadim Vereshchagin. “Our productions are at the same level as the European productions right now.”
Central Partnership has a strong Cannes slate that includes “Chernobyl,” a big-budget actioner about the aftermath of the nuclear power plant meltdown,...
- 6/25/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
IFC Midnight has acquired out of the Cannes Virtual Market the North American rights to “Hatching,” a body horror and psychological drama from Finnish director Hanna Bergholm, the distributor announced Monday.
“Hatching” is the debut film from Bergholm with a screenplay by Ilja Rautsi, and IFC Midnight will give the film its festival premiere in 2021.
The movie explores the themes of control and keeping up appearances, and it tells the story of 12-year-old gymnast Tinja who tries desperately to please her mother, a woman obsessed with presenting the image of a perfect family life to the world through her popular blog. Then, one night, Tinja finds a strange egg. She hides it, she keeps it warm. And when it hatches, what emerges is beyond belief.
Also Read: Dave Franco's 'The Rental' Gets Honks and Headlight Flashes at Drive-In Movie Premiere
“Hatching” stars Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Reino Nordin and Oiva Ollila.
“Hatching” is the debut film from Bergholm with a screenplay by Ilja Rautsi, and IFC Midnight will give the film its festival premiere in 2021.
The movie explores the themes of control and keeping up appearances, and it tells the story of 12-year-old gymnast Tinja who tries desperately to please her mother, a woman obsessed with presenting the image of a perfect family life to the world through her popular blog. Then, one night, Tinja finds a strange egg. She hides it, she keeps it warm. And when it hatches, what emerges is beyond belief.
Also Read: Dave Franco's 'The Rental' Gets Honks and Headlight Flashes at Drive-In Movie Premiere
“Hatching” stars Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Reino Nordin and Oiva Ollila.
- 6/22/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
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