At the end of a day of extreme assing around, young monk Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov) gets lost on his way back to the monastery and seeks shelter at the abode of an outrageously old crone. After being lodged in the barn and acting like a prize-winning douche, the crone, in truth a witch, takes our hero for a flight around the Russian countryside and gets severely beaten by the mad monk for her troubles… she also turns hot A.F.
A short time later, Khoma is summoned to a Cossack’s home to stand vigil over his daughter as per her dying wish… and just guess who that daughter is? I’ll just tell ya before you lot answer something like “yellow” or “gorilla”… it’s the witch (still in her babe form).
So the long and the short of it is, Khoma must watch over the witch’s coffin for three days… which would be hella easy if not for the fact that she rises nightly to fuck with K-man something fierce… when she’s not busy zoomin’ the tomb in her flyin’ coffin, or summoning the demon Viy and his hellish minions. You done fucked up big time Khoma…
Straight up, this isn’t your normal fright flick. This is a deliberately placed, dark storybook affair with splashes of the supernatural… all delivered with a heapin’ helping of surreal visuals, practically realized monsters and ghouls, moody lighting, and at times overly-stagey sets (especially those used for some “exterior” shots)that call to mind the paranormal films coming from Japan in the ’60’s (when this film was created as well). It all adds up to a deliciously off-kilter film that is absolutely irresistible.
Now while I have your ear… eyes, whatever… I have to clue you in that the finale of this pic is filled with a bevy of low-tech, yet completely awesome monstrous menagerie brought to life creatively and vividly, and really makes this flick one to see, especially for you creature fanatics out there!
As for special features, an interview with visionary filmmaker Richard Stanley who presents a fascinating history behind the film, and the novel upon which it was based, and it’s parallels to the vampire myths and stories throughout the ages. Following that we have film historian John Leman Riley on the history of Soviet fantasy and sci-fi films, and the film’s trailer.
Also included are a trio of Soviet silent short films; Satan Exultant, The Queen of Spades, and The Portrait.
Comprised of gorgeous visuals, surreal set-pieces and characters, and a real sense of a folktale come to vivid life; Viy is a superb visual creation, and will doubtless appeal to lovers of the work of Hellboy‘s Mike Mignola or Ridley Scott’s Legend. I highly recommend this one cats n’ creeps!
