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| Exploring derelict space ship in rare Soviet-style SF film |
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Here's an amazing scene from an ultra-rare,
kitschy, trippy, Soviet-style SF film, Ikarie
XB 1 (aka Ikaria XB1, Icarus XB1 and Voyage
to the End of the Universe).
Czechoslovakia's first science fiction film,
this remarkable 1963 movie tells the story of
Starship Ikaria XB 1's 2163 trek to Alpha
Centari. ("Voyage" was the savagely cut,
English dubbed version released by American
International Pictures.)
The film is generally apolitical, except for
this remarkable scene, in which the explorers
enter a derelict 20th Century space craft,
littered with evidence of capitalist
immorality. The visuals are striking. Corpses
of tuxedo-clad, gambling westerners, their
bodies preserved by open vacuum. The crew
killed by their own chemical hand-weapons as
they fought over dwindling oxygen. The ship
laden with nuclear weapons -- still active
after centuries.
Ikarie XB 1 is an ambitious, thoughtful,
intelligent film that was decades ahead of
its time. It's an ultra-rare "must-see" for
any serious SF fan, with high-concept
elements galore: a trip to proxima centaura;
time dilation; future foods, fashion, music
and dance; first-contact protocols; increased
longevity; artificial intelligence; bulky
socialist robots.
It's said the screenplay was inspired by the
work of Stanislaw Lem, including "The
Magellanic Cloud" from 1955.
Available as a PAL Region 2 DVD from European
retailers, and in the US from
xploitedcinema.com. Please buy the DVD to
help encourage future DVD releases of other
Eastern-bloc SF gems.
Tags : Ikarie XB Ikaria Icarus Voyage to the end of Universe soviet sf rare derelict space |
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Affichage : 44752
Durée : 572 s |
| Soviet Days |
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Galloway's nostalgia
"If you are asking did I support the Soviet
Union, yes I did. Yes, I did support the
Soviet Union, and I think the disappearance
of the Soviet Union is the biggest
catastrophe of my life."
--George Galloway, The Guardian, 16 September
2002
Tags : Galloway Stalinism Communism Soviet Gulag |
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Affichage : 31929
Durée : 212 s |
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